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Watch out for Yellowstone bears -- they're hungry

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I don't know what all this hysteria is about but if my memory servers me well there haven't been many cases of a Grizzly bear eating a human in modern times (with perhaps the 2003 killing of that idiot who thought he and his girlfriend had a special bond with Grizzlies in Alaska) , most attacks happen because of territory or there is food that the bear wants.

Taka, Black bears are a joke seen them many time seem both my parents and grand parents chase them off with just a stick (so have I).

Now if we are talking about polar bears that's a whole other story those buggers take one look at you and think "lunch time"

So go to Yellowstone or anywhere else just take the standard bear precautions get some bear spray or better yet a compact flare gun (work great doesn't mater where you hit the bugger it burns like hell and he will leave you alone for good. (just don't tell the rangers that's what its for).

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I've was less than a meter away from a wild bear (black) once. A bear got into our fishing camp in N. Ontario. I'm proud to say my underwear stayed dry. Barely.

Taka

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...Oh, and since the introduction of wolves into Montana and the Yellowstone area in the late 80's, there's just that much LESS food in the ecosystem for the Grizzlies. Ooops! This isn’t going to be reported in the media.

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Brown bears/Grizzlies had a range that covered the entire Pacific NW and the Great Plains. They inhabited the low lands and depended on salmon runs to get enough calories to make it through the bottle neck of winter hibernation. They also preyed up the vast herds of bison and caribou that roamed the plains. With dams and habitat destruction ending historical salmon runs, the bear’s range has shrunk to just the northern Rockies in the lower 48. There’s just not enough high quality food.

Nuts and berries are a poor supplement to the fat found in spawning salmon. Right about now as August ends, the alarm bells are going off in the most primitive part of the bears brain to eat or die. Hikers and campers are just an energy opportunity for a hungry Grizzly in the wrong place, but at the right time for the bears.

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Cleo@

People are deliberately going where they know there are bears, and complaining when they get attacked?

Wow! Where are you trying to take this simple report above? Yellowstone is a National park with campsites as well as many places in the surrounding areas outside that national park. As I stated earlier, pull out an atlas--the entire region, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming is a "GREAT" mountain system WHERE PEOPLE CAMP, HIKE and FISH. I said nothing of people complaining: that is your line/question. I simply stated people go there and added that the bears aren't "coming out of the forests to kill people" (in reponse to your comment above--you got it wrong is all I'm saying--bears aren't coming out of the forests to kill people and that is what you said) but instead I simply pointed out that people go to where the bears are.

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Why would they have to land, Nessie?

(Hint - the food could be air-dropped)

If the bears are already tucking into elk guts and roadkill, they probably wouldn't mind if the food was a bit mushed up.

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Bear sparay?

That actually exists?

Heh, why do I have a vision of a grizzly using the spray as breath freshener before pulling the owners head off?

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According to techall even the big ones are only 8 ft on their hind legs. All the helicopters and planes have to do is fly higher than the trees (which I think they have to do anyways?)

But still vulnerable on the ground.

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@Cleo: Usually people who get attacked by Grizzlies don't ever complain again.

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Nessie - According to techall even the big ones are only 8 ft on their hind legs. All the helicopters and planes have to do is fly higher than the trees (which I think they have to do anyways?)

people/campers/park visitors are going into their (if you'll excuse my expression) neck of the woods

People are deliberately going where they know there are bears, and complaining when they get attacked? More fool them.

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I beg to differ with this story but the Grizzly is the second largest CARNIVOR in North America (second only to the Polar Bear). Meat and fish are the first option the nuts are to suppliment their diet. @pointofview: Males are closer to 8 feet on their hind legs.

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Soon we will have the wildlife roaming around US cities like they do in some a japanese areas.

Food drops might work though.

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cleo@

Instead of waiting for hungry bears to come out of the forests and kill people

When you get a chance, pull out an atlas and you will note that Yellowstone is in the forest, thus people/campers/park visitors are going into their (if you'll excuse my expression) neck of the woods.

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Seems there's plenty of food around (dead cows, elk guts, road kill, elk hunters etc) that could be air-dropped.

This will only encourage them to attack helicoptors and airplanes, Cleo.

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Instead of waiting for hungry bears to come out of the forests and kill people and be killed in turn, why not organise food drops to keep the bears in the mountains? Seems there's plenty of food around (dead cows, elk guts, road kill, elk hunters etc) that could be air-dropped.

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A month earlier, a botanist from Cody, Wyo, was killed by a bear shortly after the animal woke up from being tranquilized by researchers.

In this case the bear was provoked. wasn't a bear attack. < :-)

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I think they stand a little taller than 6 feet.

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Jeez. I'm going to be in Yellowstone next week. Glad I saw this.

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