think I would mess my drawers

westend wrote:

Naio wrote:

westend wrote:
A thinking man might have come to the conclusion that inquisitive bears are rarely a problem. That is the conclusion I found to be true. Of the few bear encounters I've had with Black bears, they have turned and fled when they encountered my smell or sighted me.

I awoke one morning in Yosemite, sleeping on the ground, with a cold nose on my cheek. Startled, yes, but not in abject terror as I know most of these Park bears are after an easy meal and man isn't one. The bear and his partner continued to search around the picnic table for scraps and, as soon as I snapped a branch for the morning fire, they high-tailed it back up the mountain.

I'm respectful of the power and behavior of wild animals but I don't fear their presence. About the only critters that get my feet moving fast are Grizzly, Mountain lion, and venomous snakes.

Daaaannng.

Will I get in trouble on this forum if I use the phrase 'balls of steel'?

Nah, you won't and I'm not THAT courageous. I'm just like an old animal, lazy and fixed in my ways, spending a lot of time tromping through the woods.

I've been within a few feet of bears, bull moose, deer, timber wolves, etc. If you spend a lot of time in the far back places and get in sync with the environment, don't get stressed and disturbed by an animal's presence,and are quiet and still, it is amazing what you encounter.

For the average tourist, the National Parks, especially out West are almost a petting zoo for large mammals. The critters have become used to the presence of man and vehicles. They don't get afraid and neither should we. You have to respect their behavior, though. A bear sow and cubs is one to remain away from, the behavior of protection can come on at any time and you don't want to be around for it. Same thing for rutting season and male mammals, stay far away. You can't compete with a 1000 lb, animal with large horns. Unless you have those metallic appendages, of course. :B

I grew up around bears, but never had one put its nose on me!

I know what you mean about the tame animals in tourist places. I had a bobcat walk about 15 feet from me in Yosemite. It had clearly been watching me: it walked right through the spot where I had just eaten my lunch. I guess that was its regular route and it was just waiting for me to get a few feet off its trail.