Cultural Divide on Bear Attacks

Gun Watch ^ | 9 August, 2013 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

This sow and four cubs are part of an exploding bear population

Quoted below are comments from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area chat group (BWCA).  It shows an interesting cultural divide in this country.   The first poster is willing to be oblivious to some dangers, the second offers to increase the first poster's skill level, but that would never happen without a change in attitude.

The old saw about a conservative as a liberal who has been mugged comes to mind.

This is of some interest  to me because I have inside knowledge that I do not have permission to give the source for, so you will have to accept it on faith.   The bear that is referenced as being shot in the BWCA had (almost certainly) recently attacked a camper.  The wound was not life threatening, a bite to the foot while the camper was sleeping, but it adds some interesting spice to the story.


Here is the first poster:

 quote nctry: "No and have had several encounters with no problems. I live in bear country and have encountered them at home and in the blueberry patch also. Never a problem! I'd be more worried about pissing off a bear with the spray or worse a firearm. Just because you shoot a bear doesn't mean your going to kill it. Funny how you see mocho guys out there with their 45's and such ready for them bears... Then you paddle a few yards and some young lady's are paddling with nothing more than their paddles for defense and they are just fine. Some people I think just need an excuse to carry a firearm. :)"

Here is the reply:

I also live in bear country we have had 3 bear attacks in Wis. this year. I see a couple a week some times more I had them on the deck and in the yard.


I am not worried about pissing a bear off With a firearm If I shoot a bear it is going to die very soon if not instantly. Matter of fact every bear I have shot with one has died right off. I been in on the killing of quite a few bears. I hunted them in several states AK and Canada. Even one in the BWCA one shot one dead bear wasn't hard at all.


Bears are not that hard to kill with a good firearm. Place a decent bullet from a decent caliber in the right place and the bear dies rather quickly. Why do you think they wouldn't die it is not that hard to do. They also taste very good.


You must need some good firearms training. Being a professional firearms instructor I could help you with that. I offer training from the basics to advance tactical training. I could help you to become very good with a firearm and you wouldn't have to be worried about it.

I will see if I can obtain permission to write a fictionalized account of the BWCA bear story.   It would be fun.

©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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[marktwain]

“When I am hiking in the back country I am always armed. But I am not at all concerned about bears. Attacks by animals are rare.

I carry for the 2 legged variety. They attack often. Sad to say, I trust people less than I do any other creature on the planet.”

Kudos, well said! I have often said the same.

Humans are the most successful apex predator on the planet.

[null and void]

Some say the hippopotamus is the deadliest critter in Africa, some say the crocodile. Both are pikers compared to the human.

[Red in Blue PA]

People are terrified of sharks but I think t hey would be amazed at the number of times sharks are close to people (say 100 feet) and do not attack versus the times they do. Hundreds of millions of times per year.....with what......10-15 attacks? People attack other people that much in a single hour!

Beware of bipeds my friends, not animals.

[marktwain]

“Some say the hippopotamus is the deadliest critter in Africa, some say the crocodile. Both are pikers compared to the human.”

True, I think familiarity creates complacency.

I suspect both are pikers compared to the Malaria protozoan.