Dealing with bears....

Not my typical post,  but good info that we found helpful.

Glacier Park is kind of a bear-a-palloza.  Black bears and grizzlies are relatively  common.  Charley and I decided to do some research to see if we could take the glock in with us,...  just in case, because we plan to do some hiking.  We ran across this guys info, and it makes so much sense that I wanted to post it here.  It's kind of a long read, but if you ever go out in the woods, it's worth the time to read it.  (BTW, We can and WILL be taking the glock.)

I worked as a treeplanter for over a decade, (have planted well over 1 mil trees)in BC, Yukon, and Alaska. I planted the Khutzameteen grizzly bear sanctuary back in 1992. 

I encountered many (over 100) a black bear, up close and less then 40 feet. I never carried pepper spray or a gun. I carried a shovel, a small one (though all the edges are sharpened with a grinder, its to cut thru roots, but it is plenty sharp as a hatchet). I wouldnt want to try chopping wood with it though.

Heres what I think. Plenty of people these days seem to have forgotten, that we, humans, are the apex predators of the planet. Now the bear he understands the law of jungle. You are one of two things, you are prey, or you are predator. He can smell your fear! So first, dont be afraid,  (YEAH RIGHT!)  second let him know it, jump up, swear, throw rocks, bash around like its you thats gonna be doing the attacking, and he will probably hightail it outta there. If he attacks, FIGHT BACK! DO NOT RUN! You see, animals know what the mountaineer knows, that he cant afford to lose a finger. Loose a finger from your glove, finger is frostbitten, cant climb with one hand, now you gonna die….all because you lost a finger out of a glove! Animals know they cant afford to get hurt to get a single meal. All you gotta show it is that you can hurt it, and you are willing to do so.

Black bears are just an overgrown rodent, he's a scavenger and an opportunist.  He isnt a hunter and rarely makes a live kill.

Now a GRIZZLY is a land shark.  No way pepper spray is gonna stop him, thats just a condiment on his lunch. I suggest 12 gauge slugs or better. If you got no gun, better get your Ass up a tree (one he cant knock down).

But i tell you what i would be afraid of, if I saw a cougar. Cause they too are hunters, and they stalk thier prey for days. If you see a cougar, hes been watching you for several hours! If you see one, chances are hes thinking about lunch. You are also very lucky, since few are ever spotted in the wild. They are beautiful cats, and if you’ve managed to sneak up on one, you are in a very small circle of humans.

Having said all that. People ought to be able to carry anything they want into the wild, firearms are in thier rightful place in the forests. My brothers and I own two traplines in BC, I’ve hunted plenty in my time. People who work in the forest care more for it then anyone else. Dont be afraid to go into the woods, if 99.9% of all humans mean you no harm, the same can be said of the animals.

Dont be afraid. Never run. Use your head for more then a hatrack, its what made us the apex predators.