Bear Responsible (was) RE: [at-l] Bears at Springer an exaggeration???

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

> In all the years I have hiked in this area, one time I saw a couple of
> bears far in the distance.  They ran from us!  One other time I saw a cub
> in the distance and I almost ran, thinking about Mama bear.  That was
> several years ago.  How many of you PERSONALLY have seen a bear in the
> Springer area?

Hmmm...  Never.  Did see lots of warnings to bear hunters not to shoot the
hikers, or something like that.

My nearest experience was in the Smokies.  I saw a lady and her daughter.
She was urging her daughter to feed the nice animal.  I thought she might be
talking about a deer.  Then I saw brother Bruin wading in the water.  I
quickly told the lady to call her daughter back.  She got huffy, and I told
her that the bear would not know where "his sandwich" began and her daughter
began.  And I painted a lurid picture of what might happen.  I also "fibbed"
and told her I'd have to report her when I got back to the "ranger station".
She took one look at my shirt covered with patches and must of figured that
I was some kind of a ranger, and she and her daughter walked away.

I figure that most unfortunate encounters with bears are by people who are
not hikers, or who only hike safe "lowland" parks.  There seems to be an
unconcious desire to equate parks with zoos.  

Be responsible to the bears and your fellow hikers.  Be willing to educate
the "outside" public about the bears.  The bear you save maybe the one who
doesn't eat you.  Or, worse yet, the one who doesn't eat your food.

William, The Turtle
	-- You'll get my burger, when you pry it from my cold dead hands --

PS	Also right before the Smokies, and nearer Springer, I saw a big
black dog in the trail.  Then I realized it was a cub.  It looked so cute
and I was about to go up and pet it.  Then I remembered where I was and what
it was and I wondered where Mama was.  So I did a wide detour.  No sign of
Mama, but I felt like I was being watched a long ways down the trail.