Into the Wild

      Black bears exhibit varied behaviors depending on where the bear lives. Does this mean that bears are affected by social and environmental differences within a given bear population group and locality or region? Of course, all higher thinking animals, including man, are affected by social and environmental conditions and enrichments. We will visit four distinct bear population groups to see how this variation impacts humans and bears.                                             

Our tour will begin with bears that live in Florida and the southeastern United States followed by New England and the Northern Midwest region. We will then compare these black bears with their cousins out in the western states and Canada and Alaska.  

The most poignant, definitive and relative measurement of bear/human behavior is how many serious confrontations occur that cause physical harm or fatally injuries to humans by bears. This quantitative measurement is unfortunately what many see as the ultimate in judging an animal.

Bears are seen by some as a single species, brown, black or white in color with large claws, huge teeth, and fiercely powerful muscles and ruthless in demeanor. While there is some truth in this statement bears are very different by species. The truth in the statement is that bears do have large teeth, large claws and are very powerfully built. The incorrect part is that all bears are ruthless in demeanor. I have personally spent hundreds of hours with bears in the wild and the vast majority has shown me only curious and pleasant behavior.

Here is a very quick and limited overview of each species but it will give you a correct assessment of each bear type.

Polar bears are the most predictable of all three bear species that live in North America. They will harm you, maul you or kill you if you get to close almost 100% of the time. Very few polar bears exhibit curious behavior that will, one, last a real long time and two, not be associated with its search for a dinner. These large bears are especially dangerous all of the year but more so just before the ice reforms in the Arctic. After not eating for a few months they can be just a little ’out of sorts’ with the attitude.

Brown bears or ‘ursus kick your assus’ which in my language means “mess with me and I will rearrange your afternoon, dude” are seen as totally dangerous animals. Even in Yellowstone, where tourists are required to check-in their brain upon entering the park, respect is given to these awesome bears. At the average ‘brown bear jam’ most people seldom try to get those real close-up shots with four year old Jonnie sitting on Yogi’s lap. The scene at a ‘black bear jam’ is considerably different. Many people will crowd the bear and some will actually attempt to touch, feed or get a close-up of ‘little Jonnie’ next to the bear. Many think that a black bear is related to the lab relaxing on your couch at home. It is not, just checkout those claws, teeth and muscles. One other facet of browns is a major difference in behaviors of barren ground browns, also called grizzlies, and coastal bears. Well fed Alaskan coastal bears have a somewhat easier demeanor due to extensive food resources in the summer and fall, salmon. Tim Treadwell understood these coastally located bears. You seldom will find a well fed barren ground, hence a large part of their less than optimal attitudes. Any bear, not hanging at the beach with a mai tai, should be suspected of having behaviors that could rearrange your attitude, your scalp and blood supply. Just remember, all of these browns will put a whooping on you in a heartbeat.

So now we will checkout what the differences are with black bears. The first and easiest bear to analyze is the Florida Black Bear. In extensive interviews with representatives of the National Park Service, US Forest Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission it was reported to me that never has there been an attack on a human in Florida. They are hell on wheels on ant hills though! That is pure conjecture on my part. Seriously though, these Florida bears are about as mild as you will find, anywhere. Why? Well, one reason is that all of the agencies above are extremely active in education programs to keep people from feeding bears. An unfed bear is more likely.to stay away from people and trouble. These agencies use ranger led programs, signs and placards to educate about unregulated supplemental feeding, fines if needed and bear festivals to help educate people about the dangers of a fed bear. All of these agencies do a fantastic job and they should be commended for their work.

Another facet of Florida bears is that they live in a congested state, not traffic wise, but in that it is difficult to find a wilderness large enough to hide in. These bears see people very often. There seems to be no interface zones, bears are in the woods, in the pools of your neighbor and actually walking the beaches. They see us as not something unusual, just more background noise that they learn to live with, tune-out and stay away from. Like cars! You mess with a 50 MPH bumper, your day is ruined. Mess with people you get shot. Smart and adaptable animal’s bears are!

I have my own theory as to why bears and humans do not have a society of dire conflict, bikinis and Speedos. Both male and female bears hangout at the beach, work on their tans in lounge chairs, drink a couple mai tais and carry a good pair of binoculars. They scope out babes and radical dudes all day, read a little and then head on back to the forest for an evening snack of opossum or ant hill. Perfect day, why fight with anyone. Tomorrow will be the same, maybe a Corona, dude. Well that is my theory and I am sticking with it. These activities seem to have a greater priority than munching people.

Get out of Florida and the bears are just a little more inhospitable. A young girl was killed in Cherokee National Forest in 2006. In 2000 a female victim was attacked and killed in Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the first since 1980. So why the serious behavior here and not a few hundred miles south! Those answers probably will never be known completely but a factor in both killings was supplemental feeding. In both cases these animals were believed to have been fed. In doing so some bears lose their fear of humans and approach for food. Usually bad things ensue in these encounters.

Considering the population densities of humans in this region one can conclude that the incidence of being munched by a bear is not to significant and that would be a correct conclusion.

So we can see that the bears in the south have the same etiquette as the lovely southern belles that reside in this magnificent region of our country, laid back and relaxed. In the northern states we see similar levels of tolerance. August 19, 2010 Brent Kendra, while working on a game farm in Columbia Station, Ohio was mauled and killed. About a year earlier, October 4, 2009 Kelly Walz of Ross Township, Pennsylvania, on another exotic animal exhibiter’s farm was killed while feeding a bear. Both of these incidents were with captured and game farm or exhibitor bears. Just shows that bears really do not make the best pets. In an incredibly tragic incident, 5 month old Ester Schwimmer was snatched from a stroller and mauled. This August 19, 2002 incident happened when a bear took the child from the porch of a vacation home in Fallsburg, New York. This was a particularly heart wrenching incident.

As we can see from these incidents eastern bears are more willing to have confrontations with people. But again, considering the numbers of bears and incidents the probability of an encounter is exceedingly small indeed. Why? Two fatalities occurred in compounds that kept bears as pets or to exhibit them. Hate to say this but if you play with fire you can get burned. In this case the fire was the bear and the bear can be extremely lethal in certain instances. Ester’s death was most likely at the paws of a predatory black bear. Not much is know of the behavior prior to attack but this has all the trademarks of a predatory attack. This bear appears not to have associated the child with food as a food habituated bear would. The child was the food. Predatory black bears!

What are these? Where? The best question though is “why are some black bears more likely to attack for no apparent reason”?

Predatory blacks are bears that seem to defy all of the rules of a normal, average black bear. That normal bear is not normally aggressive, fairly tolerant, curious, generally friendly to all around it, cautious of humans and seldom confrontational unless either attacked or provoked. That is generally the behaviors that one sees in the average bear’s behavior. Predatory blacks stalk humans, make charges and runs on humans, will hunt us and will attack and eat us. They attack in an offensive form, not as a defensive act. Not a pleasant thought! Fortunately they only make up about five to seven percent of the black bear population. How many is that? Interesting question again! Given that there are as many as 750,000 black bears on this continent that number could be significant, possibly as high as 52,000 bad ass bears. My personal feeling is that the seven percent figure is high, more likely even lower than the five percent. My reasons for thinking this way is one, I personally have only seen maybe three bears that exhibited this behavior towards me. I have seen and had contact with possible a thousand black bears. Two, analyzing the published data, indicates that confrontational situations are small given the bear population numbers in North America.

Where are these predatory bears? Most likely not in Florida! I think that the environmental enrichments and socialization of bears to humans in close proximity precludes Florida bears from developing these attack attitudes. Can it happen, well, of course, after all Florida bears are still bears. We saw a predatory attack in New York. I have read reports from New Jersey, Tennessee and Kentucky of bear behaviors that seem to indicate a predatory nature to a confrontation. In the New Jersey incident I think that the bear was protecting a food source but did display some ominous behavior in repelling a person from the patch. The Kentucky incident was a pure stalking and attack sequence from a very nasty large black bear In the Tennessee confrontation I believe that a food habituated bear was the main cause for this incident. The northern Midwest, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, seems not to be a large haven for these bears. They are much like Florida bears most likely for similar, but not identical, reasons that we see in Florida.

Head out west, California, Montana and to Canada and Alaska to find a larger concentration of these predatory incidents. There are many and many resulted in serious injuries and deaths. These western and northern black bears have a little different demeanor, more aggressive and this aggressive nature manifests itself in a few more fatalities and many more injuries. Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico Utah and Montana have seen seven fatal attacks. Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia, has recorded eighteen deaths between 1980 and 2000. A significant number but when considering the numbers of bears in this vast region your chances are much better being hit by lightening.

A more insidious and widespread problem is the food habituated black bear. In my home state of Arizona, Lana Hollingsworth, was killed in an attack in a golf club about a year ago. She was walking her dog past a trash container that the bear was feeding in. This is a case of a food habituated bear causing great harm. The bear was destroyed. In 2009 in Ouray, Colorado Donna Munson was killed by another food habituated bear. She fed bears and had been warned numerous times by wildlife officials as to the dangers of this action. Two bears were killed by wildlife officials. One was confirmed to have consumed this misguided individual. In these incidents it is fair to say that food habituation was a major factor. Never feed bears or any other wild animal. Never listen to ‘so called experts’ that believe supplemental feeding is an accepted practice in wildlife circles, it is not. While predatory bear attacks are an issue in the wilderness, a more pressing issue is supplemental feeding. In analyzing the vast number of confrontations one finds that these attacks happened in either national parks, forests or state preserves and near campgrounds. The vast majority of these attacks were from food habituated bears. Please, never feed bears.

Why are these western and Canadian bears more likely to be predatory? Again their environment is much of the answer. The west and Canada have millions of acres of wilderness. Many bears have never seen a human and some just a few times. They are not socialized to humans and have little experience on how to deal with us as individuals or as a species. So they deal with us as they do with other animals in their world, aggressively, if they feel a threat. Again, food habituation is another and more significant issue with bear attacks in Canada as it is in the States. Saying that, I would consider a food habituated bear more unpredictable and of more of a threat to me than a predatory bear. These personal beliefs are based on many years of living in the backcountry of Canada, Alaska and the western US.

There are probably many reasons that provoke a bear attack that we will never understand. A bear’s behavior is complex and varied and not only different from region to region but within localized bear populations.

When one compares black bear to brown bear attacks, one finds that violent encounters with black bears rarely lead to serious injury. That’s the good news! The bad news, the majority of fatal black bear attacks tend to result in the consumption of the victim. Most brown bear attacks are either territorial or defensive in nature. Not so for the black bear. The majority of black bear attacks happened in or near national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had become habituate to human contact and food. Between 1964 and 1976 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1,028 confrontations took place with 107 resulting in injury to a tourist. The majority of these confrontations happened in tourist hotspots where people were feeding bears. Just another example of why supplemental or recreational feeding is regarded as a hazard to both bears and people.

Here is a wonderful example of max-stupidity. This comes out of the great state of Florida, specifically the Orlando area.

Ernest Stamm reported that he had been punched out by a black bear. Gotta love that! Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers responded to and investigated this serious incident. Serious in that Florida has never had a black bear attack on a human. Mr. Stamm had some superficial scratches that would be consistent with a physical altercation of some type. So an investigation commenced. The altercation was supposed to have happened in the kitchen when the bear attacked through a door. Unlikely!! Upon further investigation it would appear that Mr. Stamm was feeding the bear. What seemed to give this away were the roasted chicken packages from the local deli in the backyard? This was the crime scene where the bear smacked him in the face. Run out of chicken and get punched out. Sounds fair to me!

Mr. Stamm was cited for illegally feeding bears, a second degree misdemeanor in Florida. The bear will be trapped, and when found killed because it touched this clown. Pretty fair huh, probably a fine for Stamm but the bear dies. Another reason NOT to FEED BEARS!

In many jurisdictions it is illegal to feed the wildlife. The cost, as in Florida is a fine, in Yellowstone your offense can be a felony and result in fines and jail time. This is highly variable While some, ‘so called experts’ teach that feeding and petting bears is cute and appropriate human behavior I think that some of this information will show that this behavior is at best foolish and at worst, stupid.

One of these ‘experts’ does a great deal of research in Minnesota. He does some beneficial and needed research on micro bear behaviors. Lynn Rogers has been doing this for forty years or so. Some of his work is pretty cool. Not to sure about some other aspects of his work such as supplement feeding, hand feeding and petting of bears. I think my main concern is his blanket statements based upon his limited research, locality wise, that all black bears are kind, gentle, nonaggressive and harmless animals. They are not. In Florida yes, Minnesota and many other eastern locations, yes. Not so much in the west and especially not in Canada and Alaska. I find statements that are not specific to regions as harmful and possibly dangerous for folks that believe these proclamations true. Petting zoo research has little to do with the real world of bears. Minnesota bears are much like those in Florida, minus the mai tais, tanning days, lounge chairs, bikinis and Speedos. With that message I would have no issue with the work the Rogers does up there. Just a little truthfulness, with a dose of reality goes a long way in painting a picture that is real and accurate.

Bryan wrote: “I read the story, Mingo…… Bears will bite? who knew? I personally have never hand fed a bear, but I would definitely expect it to bite the shit out me if I did try. Why do these people insist on messing with these creatures? ( I don’t mean you, I know your not right, ha. and I know you have more in common with the bear species than you do with the human species). BEARS BITE!!!! it’s not a new concept, and it is wise to keep your hands, and ass, away from them!”

I took Byran out to shoot a wildland fire in Joshua Tree National Park about 10 years ago. We had a ‘nice’ time. A rather energenic time too! We also worked construction on a few jobs so he knows me fairly well. These are his words about feeding bears. Pretty smart guy huh.

Another piece of info that I received today was that Lynn was bitten this year by a bear. Boy I would love to hear this story. Anyone have some 1st person experience here please let me know.

     A couple stories that I have heard I would like to clarify and have some 1^st hand information if that is possible. The reason that I want to have more data about this is that I believe that this is a serious story and a story that needs to be heard.

     In the past months I have talked with people that told me about an incident, possible multiple incidents, where people were bitten and or nipped by bears as they hand fed them on Dr. Rogers bear courses inMinnesota. The stories indicate that people were nipped by bears as they hand fed these ‘so called’ wild bears. A second story is that a woman was bit in the rear. The story goes that this woman’s injury was severe enough to require a hospital visit but she was talked out of this. Medical aid was administered on site by someone there, I do not know who, and the reason given to this woman for not seeking aid was that if Minnesota N R people found out it would not be a good thing for the bear and especially for the bear course program.  I would really like to hear from this woman to find out the real story behind these rumors or a person that was there at the time to confirm or deny these stories.

      We all know how rumors can be elevated to a position of truth and how these rumors actually become embellished with’ facts’ that have been fabricated or magnified. The best way to understand these issues is to track down the principals involved and sort out the details.  

     These incidents are disturbing on so many levels if true. One, if true, from stories related to me being bitten while hand feeding seems to be the norm withRogersand his programs. As we can see things can and will go wrong in some situations. Two, the theory that by lying one is protecting bears! This is just so wrong. Three, a person rendering medical aid to an injury that requires professional medical attention! I think this is illegal in most states unless professional medical aid is unavailable. Like in a true expeditionary situation where medical aid is truly unavailable. Four, the hiding of an injury from wildlife officials is a serious matter. This transgression goes to the heart of wildlife management and to the professionals that are manipulating a system for their own benefit. And lastly, the obvious, the possibility of a lawsuit and lawyers and all that mess entails.

      I am looking for people that personally witnessed any bear biting incident or incidents that seem out of sorts for wildlife/human interaction.  I appreciate the help on this story.

Please email me so we can get in contact with each other.

Thank you,

Mingo Morvin

Bears Unlimited Inc.

bearsunlimitedinc@hotmail.com

Wow, what an interesting news day, 18 bears killed near Christina Lake in British Columbia. Maybe more coming, who knows! Near this little town tucked away in the Canadian wilderness is a nut case named Allen Piche, self proclaimed ‘aging hippie’. Mr. Hippie, oh I mean Piche just happens to be growing the evil weed in the forest area with bears acting as guards, according to RCMP. Now, growing weed is one issue for the police officials to sort out. My main issue with this is Mr. Piche feeding black bears 100 pounds of dog food a day. The questions that I want answered, “Were any of the bears that were killed fed by this clown”? If so,” how many bears were food conditioned by this practice”?  The RCMP reported that when they raided the pot farm the bears would nuzzle up to them and actually sat on one of the police cruisers. Wonderful behavior for wild bears! I know that when I am on the Yukon bears always walk up to me and relax in my camp and use my kayak to play for the day. Does seem like natural behavior by wild animals or might this possibly be aberrant behavior exhibited by bears that have been conditioned by excessive feeding?

     Of course, our bear feeding master in Minnesota seems to want to make this guy a martyr for the supplemental or diversionary feeding of wild animals, specifically bears.

     What is it about these bear feeding dip—-s?  How about doing the right thing and allow bears to be wild and free. Mother Nature seems to have been doing fine with her bears for the past 10,000 years or so. Why do these clowns seem to believe that they know more and are better educated to override these natural systems? Throw a PHD on the wall and all of a sudden you are smarter than the systems that have been around for hundreds of generations of bears. That is beyond arrogant, it is pathetically stupid.

     It is about time that all states begin to act responsibly when it comes to feeding bears. This action should be illegal on all state, private and federal lands. I hate to see regulations on anyone but when a group of people act in such an irresponsible manner it is the proper use of governmental regulation. In all National Parks it is illegal to feed the bears. This should be nationwide and the penalties should be severe, including jail time. Why?

     Most reputable research has shown that the supplemental feeding of bears is harmful to these animals. It alters their behaviors and turns them into nothing more than circus animals performing for the amusement of humans. It also alters their behavior so that these bears are more likely to have unwelcome and more serious confrontations with humans. The saying that a ‘fed bear is a dead bear’ generally comes to pass.

     In the wild the normal bear behavior is for a bear to leave when they see a human. That is normal. But, bears are highly intelligent and curious about people. Some bears have approached me and actually hangout with me in the backcountry. I do not harm them, I do not feed them, I do not touch them! I appreciate them for what they are, beautiful, large, powerful animals that have allowed me to be part of its life. This ego, bullshit of touching bears is pathetic. This is nothing more than a pathetic attempt at being in control of an animal that is powerful and wild. It is wrong and it needs to stop. It is not research; it is ‘wildlife abuse’.

     Supplemental feeding parties also have to stop! There are many places that you can visit bears and see them in a more normal setting than a deck at someone’s house with a container of ‘bear chow’ sitting close by. The Dr. Roger’s ‘bear course’ is nothing more than a petting zoo for petting of bears. I really do not have much against that as long as he calls it what it is. This course, with its funky and worthless certificate, is not research, nor is it a learning experience for bear behavior. Two days does not make one a bear expert! It makes them ‘dinner’ when visiting a real wilderness with bears. The bears are hand fed and fairly benign because of this feeding. . I have always said, “a well fed bear is a much more stable bear than a hungry one”. I suggest that if you want to learn about bear behavior checkout Yellowstone Institute courses. These are real with real people that know bears and their behaviors. It will not be a ‘petting zoo experience’. You will see wild black and brown bears in their natural environments. You will learn about their habits and how they live in the wild. You will not hand feed them; you will not location feed them, you will not hug them or touch them, they will not nip or bite you but you will have the satisfaction and pleasure of real bears in a real wilderness.

      I am so tired of seeing bears on cams, bear poop being sold to cash in on them, bears used as an economic source for ones enrichment. The abuse of bears needs to stop. Bears need to be seen for what they are, wild, intelligent and powerful animals. Bears do not need our help; they do quite well for themselves. People want to tame and control animals all through their kingdoms. We enslave reptiles in glass houses, tarantulas and some deadly snakes and spiders in these glass cages for our own gratification. We keep many animal species in captivity that were never designed to be kept as pets. Large cats, chimps, wolves are not pets. They are noble animals and do not belong on a leash or in a cage. They deserve to live free lives in there natural homes and environments. Get off your ego trips and allow animals to live free and without interference.

     If you want to see who is responsible for the deaths of supplementally fed bears look into a mirror. You will see the killer of this bear. It is not cute, nor is it enlightened thinking or research to make bears habituated to hand feeding or our presence from birth to death. It is pathetic arrogance and ego. That is all.

     My final question to all of you “When the feeding stops what will happen to these bears?

Hi wolfmandunn or Harry,

I am critical of many people that have educations and suffer from anal/cranial syndrome. That is a head up their ass condition. Prisons are full of clowns with college credentials.

I am not a scientist but I spend countless summers with bears and other critters in their natural environments. I am a journalist, writer and investigative writer. I also perform long range and long term ‘research’ observing, filming and studying bears in the wild, not petting zoos. My next little observational excursion studying bears will be a 1500 mile kayak paddle down theYukon River observing bears, their habitat and their ‘real’ behaviors. I work with ‘real wild bears’ that have not been habituated by food or human contact. I do not bring food to feed them nor do I touch them as I find this an affront to their beauty, dignity and wildness. As for experience I have studied bears for a little over thirty years. I have lived around and with bears in the Arctic, sub-arctic,Canada,Alaskaand the lower 48, including Wyoming,Montana,Arizona,Utah,Colorado and California. I have worked with all three species of North American bears and have lived in their neighborhoods without a confrontation or conflict. I do the vast majority, over 95%, of my work solo as I see the bear’s behavior in a more pure way. I do not work with petting zoo animals, game farm or habituated bears. The only qualification are the socially habituated bears in Yellowstone and as we have seen the last two summers some of these bears can kick up their heels and trash people. If you would like to come on a trip that I perform my research I would love for you to see ‘real’ bears might actually learn a great deal more than working with pets on a food leash. TheYukon is a large river, well equipped to handle another kayak. I will be out for about 50 days straight, oh yeah, and I cannot guarantee your safety. As Dr. Rogers stated, “I have never found a bear that would harm me”, Guess not in a petting zoo environment. If you choose we could put his theory to the test with you becoming a dinner as the bears that I work with can and have killed many animals in their lives. Oh yes, we are animals, just two legged ones. Email me and I will set you up with a kayak my friend.

Since I am NOT a scientist I do not need to write peer reviewed studies. If you have read my articles and stories on bears you will find out that I am spot on with my work about bears and their behaviors. I film and then study this film and I also spend hundreds if not thousands of hours tracking and observing bears. That is ‘real’ research that is valid when applied to animals that live this way, wild and unfed except for natural foods. Once you begin the process of supplemental and continued feeding you forever change a bear’s behavior and its interactions with other bears and their environment. They become nothing more than large domesticated animals. Compare the behaviors of wild and domestic horses, they might look the same, you know that long face, but try to approach a wild stallion. If he does not flee you will probably get kicked or stomped. In the dictionary look up the words, wild and domesticated, and you might be surprised. They have different meanings.

As for published articles, like duh, read my website! There are many articles and stories about my fun times in the woods and some not so much fun times.

As for your assertion that the bears in your area have been fed for 40 plus years, shame on you. This is a plus? I think not. In the 60′s bears in Yellowstone were fed as circus attractions and then, Thank God, smart people realized that bears are wonderful, God inspired wild animals and began a process of weaning them off of human foods. Now, when you visitYellowstone you will find a wild bear population with both blacks and browns in a wild state. In Mammoth Lakes,California, the 60’s and 70’s saw bears cruising through town, in trash, in homes and acting aggressively. These more progressive people decided that they needed to correct this problem. Their solution was not to feed them but to learn to live with them. The town instituted programs that reduced bears access to trash, began non lethal hazing actions, educated people that outside dog and cat feeding was a bear attractant that needed to be stopped, instituted educational class’s on how to live responsibly in bear interface zones and hired a person to act as a ‘bear warden’. Now the ‘bear problem’ is largely a past problem. Oh yes, it was not a bear problem, it was a people problem. We move into their neighborhoods and then act as we did in other bearless places. As I have said many times, “bears are nothing more than large stomachs placed upon 4 powerful stumpy legs”. They will eat as that is how they live through the tough winters. This is nature at its best.

       Harry, ever know that they have 300 bears living in Ocala NF surrounded by about 6 million people. Read my article called ‘Florida Bears’. These bears do not get supplemental feeding by the local populace or wildlife officials. State, local and federal wildlife managers discourage and fine people for feeding bears. They have not had any human/bear confrontations in this heavily populated area. These bears are as wild as a bear can be in a heavily impacted interface zone and because people do not feed them they have learned the people are not food vectors.

      Kind of get something here; all FEDERAL Parks discourage, to the point of jailing people, the feeding of bears. Many if not most STATE Parks also post warnings about feeding bears. Many have made it a crime to do so. In all Canadian Parks it is illegal to feed bears.

     Notice something, most wildlife managers, biologists and park managers in the United States and Canada understand that supplemental feeding of bears is not a good thing. I guess Dr. Rogers and Minnesota are complete exceptions to this general body of knowledge and practice. There is a little trial going on in LA now, a good Dr. with a medical degree and a license to practice used a drug that just about every other Dr. would only use in a hospital setting. Good ole Conrad, allegedly, used Propofol in a situation that could cause harm. Now we have 3 orphans and a talented performer, dead. Kind of shoots the shit out of the idea of the well educated doing good all the time. While you are at it, remember Dr. Kovorkian. He had a degree and lots of crap on the wall that said he was a smarter guy than the rest of us. Regardless of what you think about what he did, the vast majority of Dr.’s did not agree that his actions were proper.

      My ‘parting comment’ that he did not study all bears, just blackies. Good point. Only problem with that is that black bears kill and hurt people each year to. To call them harmless, gentle and non aggressive, to me is beyond stupid. It is irresponsible. ALL bears have the ability to the kick the crap out of you, me and Winnie the Pooh. While I love bears and actually trust them more than humans I still carry bear spray and a weapon when I observe them. After all they are wild animals. To live and work in a well regulated bear population, a petting zoo, then come to conclusions based on this very isolated, manipulated and limited population and then blanket those conclusions to all black bears is not good science. To put up video of these bears to me is an affront to their dignity. Just turns them into another bullshit reality show for people to be amused by. It shows something that is not real. Most people that watch and listen to this crap do not get the full picture of bears. They see the cutsy and cuddly part and then take that knowledge and see ‘all’ bears through this prism. They are not like this in many instances.

     Tim Treadwell, I never met the man, was brilliant in many ways. But also a fool in many ways! His brilliance was in his ability to see the differences in the coastal brown bears that he worked with. In seeing and understanding the differences and the nuances of behavior in the coastal populations he was able to successfully engage them in a process that allowed him to become an accepted observer, not a two legged bear. His sharing of his knowledge through his website, media, his foundation and his school programs were a wonderful way to show bears for what they are, beautiful, intelligent and incredible animals. His foolishness was the cause of his and a friend’s death in a most horrible manner. Regardless, of how good you think you are, one must be responsible enough to protect your own life. We have seen in many instances where bears will act like bears for whatever reason.

      This is a major issue that I have with the research that is performed by Dr. Rogers. If you listen to only him you will believe that black bears are docile and gentle bears. He touches them, sits next to them, hugs them, does a walkabout with them  and probably plays chess with them for all that I know. He talks of them in glowing terms of adoration and love and respect. I am sure that he does care for them and love them. He does not tell the truth about them, completely. Most biologists and bear researchers believe that between 5 and 7 percent of black bears have predatory behaviors. That means when they encounter us they will act in a manner that is meant to see us dead and dinner. This behavior is well known but never mentioned.  That is sad.   

      As for my ‘conducting wildlife tours’ I do not. If anyone accompanies me toYellowstone it is as a friend. We have dinner and drinks most evenings. Roosevelt Lodge is a wonderful place for this activity. When I am alone I have dinner, generally gorp and drinks, water in the field. I charge NO ONE for hiking with me. If you knew anything about me you would know that I am usually alone, hanging out and hiking with my animal friends. I learn from them and then write to inform people what these bears have taught me. I am the student they are the master teachers. On my 2009, 500 mile kayak trip down the Yukon I was alone. I did meet people on the river that I did spend time with, including USF&W researchers, a German cop and, Marcus, a very humorous guy from Sweden. On my Great Slave Lake Epic this past summer I was alone. Next summer for 1500 miles on the Yukon RiverI will be mostly alone. I am sure that I will meet more interesting people there plus more researchers. My 2000 kayaking expedition to James Bay, again I as alone! I like the solitude of the forests, the feeling of being ‘on your own in the wilderness’and the observing of bears and other wildlife unencumbered by a group.

      As for Dr. Roger’s research, there is actually some value to this. His study of the intimate behavioral details of feeding, interpersonal relations and individual personalities is almost impossible in a wild and free ranging bear population. These observations can only be obtained in a contained “wilderness’ with a stable and continuously observed bear population. This I see as a positive in the study and understanding of bears. I also understand this is a business and to do this research money has to be made to support these activities. My issues are in the humanization of bears and the simple fact that all sides of bear behavior must be studied and reported on, not just the cuddly, gooey side.   

      Hope that will answer some of your questions! Sorry that I am hard on Dr. Rogers and some of his methods. As an independent individual that has a great deal of practical knowledge of  bears I just cannot swallow some of the conclusions that are arrived at and inaccurate information published.

      Just one last comment on your accusation that I am leading field trips and competing with the people in Mr. Roger’s neighborhood, just do not do that. But if I did I would tell people that after a three or five day seminar that they now had enough information to kill themselves. That if they came back for another 5 years of intense, all summer, study they might be knowledgeable enough to stay alive by themselves in a wilderness environment with real ‘wild bears’. I am not arrogant enough to suppose that I can teach all the nuances of bear behavior that I have observed and learned in 30 years in a “long weekend’. I guess others can expose paying people to a ‘petting zoo’ environment and then claim that after this long weekend that they are now bear authorities. Now, this I find arrogant.

     Thanks Harry for the comment to my blog. I hope that you continue to watch it, might be able to learn something about real bears.

     Ooops, sorry but I just have to comment on this to. A simple hint from this uneducated, supposedly uncredentialed bear ‘researcher, think camo! I find it humorous that bears are dressed up with pink ribbons during hunting season and PHD’s think that this will keep bears safe. Like duh! Hey you really smart guys, checkout the word ‘hunting’ in the dictionary. Might I be the only one out there that thinks making money from the death of a bear, with pink ribbons around it head, as abhorrent. Probably not! What I find as humorous is that people actually support these ‘reality TV’ activities and do not question the real cause of this poor bear’s death. The main cause is hunting and the regulations that allow the killing of predatory animals. A contributory cause is the pinning of pink on a bear in hunting season. Hey guys smarten up a bit, think camouflaged ribbons on these bears.

Thank you,

Mingo Morvin

Bears Unlimited Inc.