Pepper Spray, Bells and Bears

[Henry]

Not sure how Mike Raburn handles the bears up in Alaska, but check out this sign:

[dearon]

Good advice! I always worry when I'm out in the woods picking berries if one will come out.  I saw one in 2001 down by the river and I've seen signs of them, but luckily have not encounted one.  I will be bringing pepper spray with me next time I go blackberring!

[special ED]

if you take a close look at the pic it is a grizzly, you dont have to worry about black bears they will be gone before you see them most of the time

[Sue W.]

When I lived in Alaska, it used to be entertainment for quite a lot of folks to go to the dump in the evening and watch the bears, from the safety of our cars!  I've only seen one in Vermont.  It wanted to get away from us as much as we wanted to get away from it.

[Loctavious]

That's a pretty common form of entertainment for rural communities in the Adirondack Park as well.  I can remember when i was a wee little thing when we woudl go on Vacation near Eagle lake on the 7 lake chain.  We'd go to this Garbage Dump ( that as years went by, put up a tall fence where the public would come to look as to minimize the idiots who woudl try and get close for a shot) around dusk.  Sure enough, if there wasn't a bear there when you got there, there soon would be. 

[Mike Raburn]

I just saw this post and that pic has floated around a while!

The black bears are getting pretty used to us around town.

We had one on our back deck on July 22nd nosing around.
They will run off if you shoo them.

Yes, it is the brownies that will cause the big trouble.
2 reported maulings around town. One of the people actually fought the bear and both survived.

One guy was out jogging and actually out ran the bear for a while but it caught up to him and they played ring around the rosey for a while. They both survived.

I had friends, yes I have a few, in town in July and we went about a mile from my home and ran into this family out for a stroll.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeraburn/7162008Anchorage

All pepper spray does is tick off a brownie and seasons you for them.

[Suzy]

Here are a couple links to some bear videos I shot in Yellowstone on Sunday and Monday.  I've seen Rosie for several years now.  I never met the other bear before! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4NTXw-Hr3Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyMPpBJU7U

Love,
Suzy