How To Spot A Bear!

Pirates and bears, bears and pirates, what do they have in common? Absolutely nothing that I know of! I do know that I like to read about pirates, and I love the history and all that there is to learn about how much the act of piracy has to do with the very establishment of these United States.

I also like bears, especially the black bear; probably because they are the only bears that I have encountered in the wild. On more than one occasion, I have come across a black bear and have been absolutely enthralled by it. One might ask where you can go and see a black bear in its natural habitat. According to http://www.bear.org/ their range is over most of the forested regions of North America, including all Canadian provinces, Alaska, at least 40 of the 50 states in the continuous United States, and significant portions of northern Mexico.

In the eastern United States, the black bears range is continuous throughout New England but becomes increasingly fragmented from the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast. In the Southeast, most populations are now restricted to the Appalachian mountain chain or to coastal areas intermittently in all states from Virginia to Louisiana.

My encounters have been in the western part of the US, and most recently in Canada, specifically in the Canadian Rockies along the Colombia River Basin. I was way up north visiting the Mica Dam, a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River 135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. It is also the dam farthest up the river on the Columbia River Basin.

The reservoir below the dam was a fishing ground for bald and golden eagles, a site that left me speechless, but then came the bears. Black bears roamed all about, and it became instantly clear that my associates and I were not at the top of the food chain. This was a remote and primitive area, and bears were everywhere, and it was fantastic!

Shortly after visiting Mica, as well as the Revelstoke Dam, I went over to Whistler, which is a few hours north of Vancouver. It is also where they will hold many of the skiing events during the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games. While there, I had the opportunity to walk the slopes where the slalom events will take place, and to visit the bob sled and luge tracks.

While walking up the mountain, you had to be careful that you did not step in poop, bear poop that is. Even down in the Olympic Village, the bears had come calling and left their mark. The bear’s habitat is being disrupted by the construction efforts as our neighbors to the north prepare for the games, and the bears are simply curious to see exactly what is going on. Great strides are being taken to protect the bears and to relocate as necessary, but largely the approach is to coexist and leave them be. It seems to be working.

My point to today’s blog is to share a few simple points about how to see a black bear in the wild. The following pictures should help spell it out. First, go where bears live:

Once you get there, look for warning signs about bears being in the area:

Next, look for signs that bears are in the area.

Finally, you will find a bear; or bears as the case may be. However, follow all of the rules and do not attempt to approach or feed or encroach on their space. Keep a safe distance, travel in numbers, stay in your vehicle and take in the moment, snap a few pictures and move on!

Lastly, changing the subject entirely, CONGRATULATIONS BRAD!!! My son graduates from Salisbury University tomorrow. That now makes four through college, with one at med school. Once again, a very proud papa bear!