Interesting work you do! Honestly, the last encounter I had with a bear scared me half to death. I'm still feeling the repercussions of that sojourn yet today. This has been the only event of my life that has had such a profound effect on me as to alter my (life) backwoods existence to this day. I'm not proud of my fear that I had then or continue to have today, but I do have it and time hasn't negated the original effects on me at all. Sadly my mind tells me to let it go it will probably never happen again. But some how, it has sank deep within me and I'm afraid a coward I'll be to the day I die. Just recalling my experience and how it made and makes me feel yet today shames me.This is funny. I'm seriously taking it all in then all of a sudden...
The subject of bears has been moved closer to the front for those of us who head out into the backcountry. The environmental issues have put black bears back into the limelight.
When I renewed my bear course I suddenly became aware of all the misinformation that circulates and how incredibly ignorant people are about bears in general. This, mixed with myths and silly conversation has had me concerned on occasion when listening in on instructional sessions. In fact, I'm in the midst of preparing a module on bear etiquette for an outdoor youth group I serve.