Grizzly Bear danger in Alaska...

[Christian Van H]

I was worried about cruising Alaska until I came upon this sign... I feel much better now...

[Pblais]

I really don't think it has changed much except they have more signs. I spent the better part of 25 years in the mountains and it's the dumb stuff mostly. Bears are more hungry than not unless they are in hibernation. It's not easy doing all of your eating for the whole season in almost a half a year.

[twisty]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

I was worried about cruising Alaska until I came upon this sign... I feel much better now...

LMAO That was good. Forwarding it to my son, he loves stuff like that.

[BadFish]

Haha, good thing I wear bells everywhere I go.

IMHO, bears are the #1 threat to human lives. Good to know that there are signs informing the masses of the perils of these ferocious and furry devil-creatures.

Cheers

Bill

[BadFish]

Usual Suspects:

- Pooh, Winnie the : Posesses an extreme compulsion toward honey. Diagnosed by many professionals with a psychological and physiological dependence on a sweet and bee-produced viscid fluid, found in nests, hives, and kitchens across the world. Prone to "junkie" behavior, known to appropriate, steal, and embezzle honey, by any means necessary. Shows a lack of regard for the well-being of those who block the path to a sweet and blissful honey-fix.

- Bear, Smokey the : Exemplifies classic arsonphobia (fear of fire). Has been known to stalk, attack, and maim hordes of outdoorsmen. Many professionals have diagnosed Smokey's ensemble, a shirtless torso and mountie hat, as a sign of extreme aggression. The phrase, "Only you," is the last things victims hear before being hit with a shovel, and having their bloodied carcasses used as a human camp-fire extinguisher.

- Bear, Yogi the : Displays intense kleptomanial and hedonistic tendancies towards the sustenance of campground patrons. These compulsions may be linked to the excessive barrage of belittling and condescending treatment this bear has faced from other woodland creatures. Has expressed contempt and disrespect for authority. Park officials have complained of a consistent a repetitive pattern of delinquent behavior.

These are some, I'm sure there are others. Just goes to show how dangerous bears can be.

Cheers

Bill

[Lancerbye]

That's not a sign from Alaska

[AK_sailor]

Now, now, all Gods creatures serve a purpose in the ecosystem. The bears are here to keep the tourists thinned out from my favorite spots!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Lancerbye

That's not a sign from Alaska

It could be from here... but Koalas lost their bear status

[Lancerbye]

Out there we are not at the top of the food chain.LOL

[Celestialsailor]

I listened to a Podcast the other day. It was an interview of a circumnavigator who had spent time on his boat in Alaska. He claimed he was never going to be an expert on Grizzly's. This was due to the fact that an "expert" had just been eaten by one of the bears. He choose to anchor off shore a few hundred feet and observe them with a camera, assuming they would never swim that far. One morning while cooking breakfast, he saw one attempting to swim out to him. He decided that it was time to move on.

[Christian Van H]

Anyone who's ever watched Werner Hertzogs "Grizzly Man" know that the bears can put up with alot...but I would have eaten that guy long before the Grizzlies did! God he was annoying!

BTW, yeah,I know the sign wasn't from Alaska. It was just a joke. I find that most people dont have the patience to even read the whole sign...

[Lancerbye]

The reason I mentioned it is that BC bears are much hungrier than Alaska bears since the government cut a lot of funding to small out of the way parks that used to be part of the forestry services. Now the bears have to eat anthing they can get in BC. They won't let them into Whistler to feed on the multitudes that go there, might cause bad press for the 2010 Olympics. What's a bear to do? (TIC)

[AKCoastie]

My wife and I cruised over to Admiralty Island, AK (large population of Grizzlies) to stay at a cabin for a few days. There was a pamplet by Fish and Game in the cabin about safety in bear country. It had the usual safety tips. The one part that caught my eye was towards the end of the section on Grizzlies. It said something along the lines of "If attacked by a brown bear, play dead. The bear was probably just spooked and defending it's territory. If eat keeps attacking you, you should start to fight back because it is probably trying to eat you."

Not kidding.

[beetlejuice30]

this is why I dont go out into the alaska woods without a gun

Personally I'm more scared of moose Not kidding

[AKCoastie]

I've heard that before but I think I'll take the moose. We had a momma and baby moose show up in our campsite in CO. They were about 10ft away from us and didn't have a care in the world. On the opposite end, while on the trip on Admiralty, we had an 8ft tall grizzly charge us and take our fish. He stayed around for hours and popped out of the bushes to charge me whenever I would try to get my fishing gear. He even snuck up on me to within 10ft while I had my back to the woods near our cabin. Moose may be mean but nothing in my life has given me the pucker factor like turning around to find yourself within 10ft of a bear you had no idea was there.