Survival Skills of Bears

[brotherbear]

In my own words: Both William H. Wright and Bob Nolin were bear hunters yet, like so many of the so-called "grizzly experts" they disagree on a great many view points. As one who learns from books and wildlife documentaries, I must form my own judgments and beliefs. It appears that each individual person who comes to know the grizzly on a somewhat personal level sees him in a different light. Perhaps it is because bears have such a wide variety of individual personalities that coming to know them is similar to coming to know separate groups of people with different habits. But, this only partly explains it. Is a grizzly more difficult to kill than other similar-sized animals? Well, the black powder rifles used on black bears were inadequate for grizzlies yet plenty powerful enough for black bears. And some of those black bears are rather large fellows! So, there must be at least some small amount of truth there. Were the grizzly bears of the American frontier more aggressive than those living today? I would say yes, as they had less to fear from man. However, they were never the monsters of the campfire tales which frightened both children and adults alike. Are grizzly bears successful predators of large game? I believe that in the days of old, they hunted more often than those bears living in the mid-to-late 20th century and today. However, most grizzly bears, even 200 years ago were more scavenger than predator. -These are simply my own opinions formed mostly from my reading.   Reply