July 23, 2007
Black bears vs. Grizzly bears
Tennessee-based blogger Marko posted recently on the hazards and perils of triapsing into the wild without being prepared for the unforgiving nature of, well, Nature.
Particularly bears. But not all bears. Apparently it's a useful skill to be able to recognize the difference between grizzly bears and black bears.
This comment seems well put.
When hiking in bear-inhabited areas, it is recommended that hikers wear bells on their clothing and carry a canister of pepper spray to ward off aggressive animals.
It is also helpful to recognize the difference between black bear spoor and grizzly spoor.
Black bears are much less aggressive, although they can climb trees while the grizzly bear cannot. Black bear spoor usually contains nuts and berries and perhaps bones and hair from small animals.
Grizzly bear spoor usually contains little bells and smells like pepper spray.
Another commenter offered this alternate method of differentiating between grizzlies and their less irritable cousins.
There is a way to tell if a bear is a black bear or a grizzly.
Kick the bear in the ass as hard as you can, then climb a tree.
If the bear climbs the tree and kills you, it is a black bear.
If it knocks the tree down and kills you, it is a grizzly.
Makes sense to me.
Posted by Mike Lief at July 23, 2007 12:42 PM
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