Bear Trouble

[ultrarunner]

With local population estimated at 500 and growing it does seem to be only a matter of time before injuries stack up.

Bear damage has emptied the contents of my 500 gallon propane tank twice, come through the front door twice and siding ripped from the home…

The bear was actually sleeping on grandmother’s bed…

Tourist cars have been having it bad experiencing breakins where doors are simply folded like origami
and interiors shredded…

One said there was nothing in her car except a pack of opened gum on the center console …

Law enforcement is useless as everything regarding bears is referred to fish and game which last I checked has no permanent presence in South Lake Tahoe.

Interesting how my friends in Alaska in bear country do not leave the house unarmed but not viable here.

 

[ericm979]

Interesting how my friends in Alaska in bear country do not leave the house unarmed but not viable here.

Alaska bears are grizzlies. They are more likely to charge when surprised than black bears. I don't know if it's still true but it used to be that if you were marking timber or doing other field work in southern Alaska you worked in groups of three. Two to do the work and one to hold the shotgun. I worked with a couple guys who worked like that and a bear charged on the day it was their turn to carry the gun.

The project where I worked with those guys was mapping grizzly habitat in the wilderness around Yellowstone. We packed large pistols, which were probably not big enough to stop a bear, but were less hassle than a shotgun. Still by the end I was tired of lugging it around.

Black bears tend to run away when surprised but bears that have gotten accustomed to being around people might learn that they don't need to run.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep it’s been a hundred years since the last California Grizzly Bear sighting not counting the one on the California State Flag.

The largest California grizzly shot weighed in at 2200 pounds and I was in the area last week.

Black Bears, though smaller, are powerful enough to do lots of damage.

 

[anomad]

Alaska bears are grizzlies. They are more likely to charge when surprised than black bears. I don't know if it's still true but it used to be that if you were marking timber or doing other field work in southern Alaska you worked in groups of three. Two to do the work and one to hold the shotgun. I worked with a couple guys who worked like that and a bear charged on the day it was their turn to carry the gun.

The project where I worked with those guys was mapping grizzly habitat in the wilderness around Yellowstone. We packed large pistols, which were probably not big enough to stop a bear, but were less hassle than a shotgun. Still by the end I was tired of lugging it around.

Black bears tend to run away when surprised but bears that have gotten accustomed to being around people might learn that they don't need to run.

Black Bear Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

General information about Black Bear in Alaska such as description, life history, range, habitat and more.

www.adfg.alaska.gov