What would you do?
- Thread starter AKaviator
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Both people should get their bear spay out and then leave the area...slowly, don't run. If they have handguns, get them out too.
Oh yes...pray!
Oh yes...pray!
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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What CC said. I think I would either go left or back to where I was taking photos of the other bears and get out of the area.
dirtclod Az.
Veteran member
I guess I never mentioned what action we took.
12 of us there, including 2 guides, one of which had a shotgun. The sow was known to be tolerant of humans and she walked past us almost in the water. Her cubs were nervous. The front one refused to go by us and decided to climb the bluff and go around above us. The second cub was too intimidated and stayed out front on the beach, in our way. It was bawling nervously which amped up the sow. We decided to take to the water and slowly wade past the cub, as deep as our hip waders allowed and continue on our way.
All in all, it worked well, but we had to play by the bears rules. It wouldn't have been possible in places that the bears didn't have frequent human interaction. This is at McNeil River, a bear viewing sanctuary.
12 of us there, including 2 guides, one of which had a shotgun. The sow was known to be tolerant of humans and she walked past us almost in the water. Her cubs were nervous. The front one refused to go by us and decided to climb the bluff and go around above us. The second cub was too intimidated and stayed out front on the beach, in our way. It was bawling nervously which amped up the sow. We decided to take to the water and slowly wade past the cub, as deep as our hip waders allowed and continue on our way.
All in all, it worked well, but we had to play by the bears rules. It wouldn't have been possible in places that the bears didn't have frequent human interaction. This is at McNeil River, a bear viewing sanctuary.
Prerylyon
Veteran member
Just curious-you said these bears were somewhat used to seeing people-I totally get that they're still wild critters despite all that-seeing the river in the pic, are these brown bears generally well fed on an abundance of salmon? I have never been to AK, but have friends who go fishing up there with some regularity. They tell me they fish (with guides) with big brown bears in their vicinity, but that the bears are so gorged/feeding on salmon, that they largely ignore the fisherman. Obviously, precautions are still taken. Just wondering if my friends are feeding me [emoji90] or if there is some truth to that?
Regards,
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Regards,
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
Personally, I think your friends are generally right. The coastal Brown bears seem less aggressive than their interior counterparts. They have an easy time catching salmon and get huge as a result.
The most aggressive bears I've met are interior and arctic grizzlies, who make their living killing stuff. They are smaller but I never sleep as well when I'm around them as I do while I'm around coastal bears.
Certainly there are exceptions in both cases, as Tim Treadwell could attest!
The bears at McNeil river are totally wild but after years of dealing with humans doing exactly what they expect, they have become indifferent to us. No bear or human has been hurt or killed there since it opened in the 1960's. It's a fascinating place and a photographers dream spot. You can't expect similar behavior from bears anywhere else.
The most aggressive bears I've met are interior and arctic grizzlies, who make their living killing stuff. They are smaller but I never sleep as well when I'm around them as I do while I'm around coastal bears.
Certainly there are exceptions in both cases, as Tim Treadwell could attest!
The bears at McNeil river are totally wild but after years of dealing with humans doing exactly what they expect, they have become indifferent to us. No bear or human has been hurt or killed there since it opened in the 1960's. It's a fascinating place and a photographers dream spot. You can't expect similar behavior from bears anywhere else.
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