Discussion: Bears are ridiculous

Who'd be afraid of a big roaring Charlie?

True. I am always surprised when I can chase one away, but the expression of the beast is more in the range of "I don't have to deal with this" than it is a case of fear or intimidation.

This most recent one had retrieved his prize from the trash, a (nearly) empty pizza box and retreated across the street with it. I got out of the truck to re-collect the garbage and put the can upright, but he was just looking at me, so I encouraged him to back off and he skedaddled, leaving the pizza box, so back in the trash with that, too.

Wikipedia has an interesting list of recent fatal bear attacks. Please take care. We have our own predators in the city. But somehow they're not as scary!

Well, they are big strong animals, and I wouldn't try to wrestle a pizza box away from one, but I guess I'm not too concerned about them. Always a little thrill to come on one in the woods, though. Hmm. 6 people killed by black bears in the last 5 years nationwide? Not something I am going to worry about much.

Who do you think you are, some kind of actuary who understands statistics and risk?

Years ago, my ranger friend at Boggs Mountain told me that attacks from pet dogs outnumbered combined attacks from mountain lions, bears, rattlesnakes and coyotes by over 100 to 1. But by far, he said, the animal causing the most casualties in his forest was the dreaded homo sapien with his cars, guns, drugs, alcohol, untended fires and exploding camp stoves.

I am much more fearful of pit bulls than bears, and that's a fact.

Where do black beasts fit in?

Well, they are pretty high up on the scale also, especially when they're ravenous. And they're usually ravenous.