I am not in favor of killing any wildlife just because it happens to be in the area where I want to ride. I am, however very upset when my life is in danger. Just like the rattlesnake that refused to leave the trail at Kaput Springs last summer on a training ride, this bear (the one I saw on Thursday while riding alone) did NOT yield. It started walking toward us! That is when Fellow lost it. Until then, he was just standing there blowing and snorting. I don't believe he had ever seen one, unless up at his previous owner's in Georgetown which is completely possible.
The one we saw on Sunday was much larger, and was up on the hillside, but was headed in our direction. It is a funny spot on the trail where there is a drainage with a waterfall, and you can see the other side of the drainage quite well. If we had not turned back, and the bear had decided to come down toward the trail (he/she was only about 50 ft above it), we would have been on the side of a very steep drop off with our horses climbing out of the drainage. It is a spot I am not fond of, and glad to be past without a bear..no thanks adding a bear interaction.
Maybe there are rubber bullets that sting but don't kill. I sure would hate to see these bears in the back of a pickup too. They are beautiful, and deserve to have a habitat..I am happy to share..after all, there are 100+ miles of trail out there!
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
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> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:21:08 -0700 > From: tref@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] Bears on the trail > > Ranelle Rubin wrote: > > I will be contacting the State Park Rangers on Wednesday to see what can > > be done. If this was an isolated incident, I would not be overly > > concerned. This section of the Tevis trail is so well traveled, that > > these bears are not afraid of humans. The one we saw on Thursday began > > coming right at us on the trail. > > There is a glaring similarity between this discussion and the one > labeled "Horse Won't Accept Syringe". The latter topic brought forth > these cogent comments by Katrina: > > This is simply a training issue... Just remember -- it's the > release that teaches, so the "lesson" he learns is going to be > when you stop. If he raises his head & fusses when you start > with the syringe and you stop, THAT is what you've taught him. > > Well, the Tevis bears have learned that if they move toward people > and/or horses, they run away. “THAT is what you've taught” them. They > will become more and more aggressive unless their little brains are > given different lessons. > > While I won't claim that in my neck of the Sierra Nat'l Forest there are > no bears, I can state unequivocally that one rarely sees one and when > you do, it is usually from the rear, hustling their furry bodies away as > fast as they can go. They certainly don’t fearlessly approach humans or > horses. Why? Because here they get shot at... legally in bear season > and not so legally (can you spell poacher?) at other times. In 5 years > I've seen bears maybe 10 times and they have never stopped to watch me > to see what I might do. They already know what humans do. They shoot > guns. That’s what they do. THAT is what they’ve been taught here. > > Perhaps the Auburn State Park should allow bear hunting in season to > retrain their bears... before one of the babes in those strollers gets > killed. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. > Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp > Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
