The main point in all this to remember is that the goal is to not shoot the bear. We are invariably the trespassers here, not the bear, and in my book the back country we are in is theirs, not ours. But then I'm a sentimentalist when it comes to animals--- I let our dog sleep on our bed which I realize is a horror to some of you
Almost everyone who has seen a bear--- black, cinamon, brown, grizzly, or polar--- in its natural environment is impressed with how magnificent a creature they really are. It's been over two decades since my "encounter" and I still feel very bad about what I did. *From my point of view I had no choice but I view myself as being the bad guy in that situation, not the bear.
Yes, they're dangerous, they're unpredictable, they're sneaky (like most wild animals), and they may view a human as a threat, or food, and act accordingly. But that doesn't make them wrong, it makes them bears.
I have hunted moose in BC because my wife and I like eating moose. But I haven't hunted in awhile now because we came across a local rancher a few years ago who raises and sells bison and we have found we like that as much as moose (and way better than beef). But even when I was actively hunting I had no interest in hunting bear, wolf, fox, or other predators. They have a hard enough time of it as it is thanks to us.
I believe pilots and boaters (and campers and hikers) who travel in bear country and who put themselves in a position to encounter a bear have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the bears. This means doing all the things to prevent a hostile encounter. The compressed gas boat horns are great for this--- we carry them when we're in the back country and beep them off every so often even when we're in camp.
Knowing the kinds of terrain that bears like to hang out in is equally important so you can avoid them. There are publications similar to the one Rick posted about firearms that provide all sorts of good information about bear habitat, how to recognize it, and how to avoid it. I suspect they're on the web these days although I haven't looked--- we have the printed information in our airplane survival kit.
This probably sounds preachy to some of you, but I believe that it is our job to ensure the well being of the other forms of life on this planet. I don't interpret this to mean we shouldn't cut down trees or catch fish or go hunting for meat if you want to do that.* But I think it does mean to respect the animals and give them as much of a chance as we can*to hang in there and live their lives.
In the spring the bears in SE Alaska and coastal BC come down to the creek mouths to feed on the tough grasses that grow there. This (we were told by the F&G people) is to help get their digestive systems working after a winter of reduced activity. That bears like to congregate in these places is well known, and we have seen them on the creeks countless times from the plane. This knowledge does not tell me to "dinghy over to a creek mouth fully prepared to blow away a bear if it should charge." It tells me to "stay the hell away from creek mouths in the spring" or if we*absolutley have to put the plane or the dinghy in one to make as much racket on the way in as possible*(easy with the plane) to give any bears that might be there a chance to leave on their own terms.
-- Edited by Marin on Thursday 7th of October 2010 06:41:49 PM