[marktwain]

I do not have a problem with unarmed people wandering about the woods. Most will not be in trouble most of the time. I expect them to have the same tolerance for my desire to be armed.

[Ray76]

I’ve been told bear meat tastes horrible.

[William Tell]

marktwain said: "I do not have a problem with unarmed people wandering about the woods."

Perhaps you should.

If bears become complacent about attacking humans because so many humans are defenseless, this could lead to an attack against you. To paraphrase a character from a movie, in a fight between an armed human and a bear, the outcome is far from certain. You would be much better off if the bears have great fear of humans and very little success when attacking them.

[pallis]

I’ve encountered quite a few bears in the woods, and haven’t had to kill one, though I’ve scared a few. There are a lot of bears where I hunt elk, and there always seems to be momma bears with cubs, so I stay wary, and ready to kill one, if I have to.

[null and void]

Who needs a gun?

[LibWhacker]

Whenever I'm in bear country, I like to carry a ziplock freezer bag full of fish guts I've left outside in the sun for a few weeks until the contents are nice and rank. Then, if I happen to run across a group of obnoxious lefties while out on the trail, I'll follow them to the nearest park facilities, and when they drop their packs to go inside and stock up on granola bars, I'll stroll over by their gear and let that smelly stuff drip all over their backpacks. Bears have an excellent sense of smell.

J/K, it's just a daydream.

[riverrunner]

Bears having multiple cubs use to be rare now it is very common to hear reports several times a year of sows having 3, 4 or even 5 cubs.

These reports are often back up by pictures of said bears.

That said bear increase the bear population in her area 4 times in one year. Doesn't take long to have a very huge increase in a states bear population with a birth rate of that many.

[chesley]

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

Reminds me of that fellow a few years back who was a "friend of the grizzlies". He never had any trouble with them, either, until they killed and ate him and his incredibly stupid girlfriend.

[Red in Blue PA]

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.