Death By Polar Bear

[Cunt]

Wrong on all counts, mistermack? I don't know where you learned to count...don't worry, I have trouble with numbers higher than seven myself.

mistermack, you are being a bit naive about bears there..

Possibly wrong there.

I live in an area with ursus horribilus

Correct. (right on at least one count)

and my sweetheart has been in camp with a group who were attacked.

Correct (right on at least two counts)

Your measures are not enough.

Debatable - so we won't count it.

The best way - the BEST way, is to have an experienced shooter with a gun and a mission.

Correct. I didn't say, by the way, that it was the only way, or this should be used to the exclusion of other methods.

Bonus points if everyone can operate the gun safely.

Correct, as far as I can tell. I work and socialize with many people who work in remote camps around the north. That, and my own camping experience is where my information comes from.
(right on at least three counts now, but who's counting...)

Bear spray sounds good, but try it out. You will see that in a short time, the stuff will attract bears. (though at first it is fierce enough to deter them)

Correct, as you admitted. To elaborate, many folks try bear spray, causing curious bears to investigate later.
(I won't count this one because an experienced user will not make this mistake)

Another problem with it is that it is not allowed for most air travel.

Correct (right on at least four counts now)

I have asked of the old folks around here, and I will quote a nice old lady named Gabby. She said "we always bring a shotgun into camp, and we have never had to use it yet."

Correct (right on five counts)
Gabby doesn't just use a gun. She uses decades of experience avoiding confrontations with the local wildlife.

I wanna be like her when I get old.

Correct (right on six counts)
Gabby is beautiful, capable, gentle, respectful and doesn't litter.

To that end, I will take precautions such as you describe (and more!), but I will have that 12-guage (or the .338 WinMag) as back-up.

Correct. (making me right on seven counts, conservatively)

Bear spray is more effective than bullets. A bear can keep on coming, and kill you, even after it's been hit with a heavy weapon. There have been many cases where hunters have been killed, after shooting a bear. There is no recorded case of someone being killed after deploying bear spray. If it can't see, it can't kill you, and the pain from the pepper should send it running anyway.

Bear spray is a 'last line' of defense. There are many things to do before it comes to that (as I am confident you know)

So maybe it's true that one of us is a bit naive about bears. But I don't think it's me.

As to this, after reading what you wrote, I did some reading about bear spray. The information (at a half-hour skim) seems to contradict the local knowledge, but remember where I am learning - the people who have to deal with bears here are 'in camp'. As far as being 'smart enough' to clear out of an area after a bear attack, I will use my sweethearts experience to underscore the point that clearing out after an attack isn't always simple or quick.

She was in a camp, being run by a wealthy corporation (the government) when a man was attacked by a bear. Incidentally, his colleague (unarmed!) started making noise and threatening motions to scare off the bear. It left its first victim and chewed on him a while. (he did the right thing, that's just what happens when you do the right thing)
After the two victims were attended to by first aid, there was an approximate 5 hour wait while a flight was arranged.

5 hours was an emergency medivac. If I myself were out there, a non-wealthy non-corporation, I might be able to request a flight or something, but would be a fool to count on a quick extraction. I am usually on my own for getting out.

I would take several measures before, and after using a bear spray (there IS one can in our kit at all times), but I prefer to avoid getting that close. I am aiming to be like Gabby, remember. Always carry a shotgun and never use it.

[devogue]

Polar bear victim was 'strong, fearless and kind', say relatives

Family pay tribute to Horatio Chapple, 17, as UK ambassador says other victims of attack are 'bearing up well'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/au ... y-hospital

Oops.

[FBM]

Polar bear victim was 'strong, fearless and kind', say relatives

Family pay tribute to Horatio Chapple, 17, as UK ambassador says other victims of attack are 'bearing up well'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/au ... y-hospital

Oops.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Poor bear. He forgot who the most dangerous animal on Earth really is.

[FBM]

Poor bear. He forgot who the most dangerous animal on Earth really is.

Yeah. The slug.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Poor bear. He forgot who the most dangerous animal on Earth really is.

Yeah. The slug.

The banana custard slug.

[Seth]

Poor bear. He forgot who the most dangerous animal on Earth really is.

Damned right! It's perfectly natural for us to be at the top of the food chain.

[FBM]

AFAICT, there's nothing unnatural in the universe.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Poor bear. He forgot who the most dangerous animal on Earth really is.

Damned right! It's perfectly natural for us to be at the top of the food chain.

[mistermack]

Cunt, please accept the apology below. I don't know what I was thinking of !!

I live

Apologies. I now accept that you are alive

in an area

OK, I'm sorry, I really thought you lived in a volume.

with ursus horribilus

Ok, I'm so sorry, you know your family better than I do. I really thought she was called ursus arctos horribilis.

I think I'd better stop there. I really should have paid more attention to detail. Still, it's a lesson learned !

In future, I will never use the phrase "on all counts" again, as it invites such overwhelming pedance.



PS, re bears being attracted to pepper, it's just an observation people have made. It's not an irresistible lure for bears. It doesn't make them come running, and is certainly not as attractive as a campsite with lots of cooking going on, and food being stored.
If it was as irresistible as you seem to think, the hunters would use it to attract bears to the guns. They generally use smelly meat.

[Cunt]

Cunt, please accept the apology below. I don't know what I was thinking of !!

I live

Apologies. I now accept that you are alive

in an area

OK, I'm sorry, I really thought you lived in a volume.

with ursus horribilus

Ok, I'm so sorry, you know your family better than I do. I really thought she was called ursus arctos horribilis.

I think I'd better stop there. I really should have paid more attention to detail. Still, it's a lesson learned !

In future, I will never use the phrase "on all counts" again, as it invites such overwhelming pedance.



PS, re bears being attracted to pepper, it's just an observation people have made. It's not an irresistible lure for bears. It doesn't make them come running, and is certainly not as attractive as a campsite with lots of cooking going on, and food being stored.
If it was as irresistible as you seem to think, the hunters would use it to attract bears to the guns. They generally use smelly meat.

[Ironclad]

Rifles & this 'bear-spray' are really not up to the task, it seems. Might I suggest a better tactic; leave the porridge alone, even if it is just the right temperature.


Sent from my iVory-tower using Psionics.

[Svartalf]

"...adding the polar bear had been killed."

I always hate that part of these stories. Wtf. If the bear goes to, say, Brighton and munches people maybe. But these dumb twats went to where the bear lives. They set themselves up to be prey. Sorry to hear about their tragedy and all, but the bear shouldn't have been killed over their stupidity.

You know the drill, the morons are always afraid the animal will realize that we are both tasty and easy prey... it's get a new carpet or get eaten and all that.

[Robert_S]

As long as you've never made fun a a bald person, you needn't worry about bears. Don't you read the Bibble?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

As long as you've never made fun a a bald person, you needn't worry about bears. Don't you read the Bibble?

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