Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)

[Shadow]

(01-24-2019, 05:40 PM)brotherbear Wrote: While I do not believe that the grizzly was ever the monster portrayed by many early American pioneers, I do believe that they have been somewhat tamed by the modern breech-load rifle. When I read from such sources as Lewis and Clark, I notice that the trouble was always started by the men. Nevertheless, in those days perhaps the grizzly was more prone to charge than he is today. The grizzly comes from a background of competing with mega-predators in Pleistocene N. America. When you make a count of them, there is no small wonder for the grizzly's inherited attitude. Also, as stated by Doug Peacock, over the past decades, the most predatory grizzlies have been systematically culled from the population. Those being the most aggressive. Also, in reading a number of books about the historical grizzly, they all agree on grizzlies of the prairie and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains being larger and more aggressive than those of the Rocky Mountains.

I agree, that certain natural fear has been earned by time in history. I have seen hypotheses, that bears and other animals have learned some respect for humans from a very long time because already with primitive weapons humans killed mammoths, cave lions, bears etc. And by time humans became all the time more and more dangerous for any animals. What you say is something very possible, I think. Anyway when looking at situation today or in last decades, brown bears at least seem to be in normal conditions quite harmless for people. Of course that doesn´t mean, that no need to be cautious and react if some individuals for some reason lose their natural respect for humans. Or like some cases in Russia have pointed out, if they in some area are starving by lack of berries etc... then there is need to be cautious. Like here last summer was terrible what comes to berries in large areas because of heat. 

It can´t be forgotten what a bear is capable even though it would be rare, of course. So people who live in areas with big predators should have good information, not feeling "too safe", but also not seeing "monsters" all the time :) Reply