Re: The joy of actual numbers, was Democracy

On Mon, 11 Nov 2024, rbowman wrote:

On Sun, 10 Nov 2024 22:17:58 +0100, D wrote:
>

Wow! The only thing I remember having heard or read is, if meet bear,
then try to appear huge and make some noise. Maybe it works on cats as
well?
>
I guess if you turn and run that might activate the hunting instinct in
cats?

>
It definitely works on cats. When one approached to about 50' I waved my
trekking poles and yelled. He wasn't impressed but didn't attack either.
Finally he retreated to a little stand of trees. Unfortunately I had to
pass the area to get down the trail. I gave it a wide berth and he
crouched down with waving tail like an upset house cat. I checked my back
trail frequently but he'd had enough of me. I was wondering to my self why
my firearms were at home leaving me with the poles and a KA-BAR Becker
Campanion. They're great for grooming a trail but not what you'd want to
bring to a cat fight.

Must have been a tense moment!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm

I always wondered about that climbing thing. If the choice was between meeting an attacking bear (without guns) on a level field, vs climbing up a sturdy tree, and trying to kick it in the face from above, I always thought that it sounded more pleasant to kick it in the head from above, than being crushed on open ground.

The recommendation is to fight off black bears and play dead for
grizzlies. I don't think I could do the play dead act. Any black bears
I've encountered either ignored me or ran off. At one time I did have to
pass between a mother and her cubs that were up a tree. I talked to her,
"Cubs? What cubs? I haven't seen any cubs."  I would not have done so but
the trail was such neither the bears or I could detour.

You don't think it was your soothing tenor voice that kept her calm? ;)