I had been told years ago that if you were hiking with at least six people, bears would not bother you. It seems some bears didn’t get that memo or the other one regarding pepper spray. Too bad someone in the group didn’t have a gun on them, but that promotes disharmony with nature. A ban on hunting these animals couldn’t possibly have led to them losing their fear of humans either. And so on.
“It’s the ecosystem being out of balance that means grizzly bears are getting desperate,” he said, citing recent clear-cutting and forest fires pushing bears from of their habitat.
He dismissed suggestions that bears may be more aggressive before hibernation because the animals do not look to human prey. Scapillati said he worried about pro-hunting groups using the attack to spread inaccurate information about bears being aggressive. “That’s so inappropriate at a time when we’re focused on holding the children and families and all those affected in our hearts and focused on them,” Scapillati said.
God Bless the Teachers that stepped up to help despite the risk. These are exceptional Humans that deserve recognition. This is no different than trying to help someone being attacked by a Shark. Bravo. May God help the victims cope and recover.
What’s that old joke that ends with:
“You can tell Grizzly Bear poop as it smells like bear spray and has jingle bells in it.”
The story I saw said they’re looking for a mama bear and two cubs. Don’t get between a mama and a cub. Head on rotate when hiking and make sure kids stay in the group.
While I feel for the people hurt, I also feel for the mama bear and cubs that will pay the price for doing what comes naturally. I don’t for a second believe they were hunting humans.
I agree FL, god bless those teachers.
It’s not whether or not they were hunting humans, it’s that they no longer fear humans, thanks to environuts and the hunting ban.
I have doubts as to Grizzlies fearing humans, wary of them but not fear.
But I’m not a Grizzly, so not certain.
Two cans of long-expired bear spray is what this sounds like to me.
The Greenies have also claimed for years that bear spray works better than firearms to prevent grizzly attacks. Uh-huh.
Two cans of long-expired bear spray is what this sounds like to me.
That crossed my mind as well.
“It’s the ecosystem being out of balance that means grizzly bears are getting desperate,”
I’ve heard that for years…that’s hippie bullshit.
Being a fan of the show Alone where skilled outdoorsman try to outlast one another in the great outdoors, which includes building your own shelter and literally living off the land. Each and every contestant will tell you that a Mama with her cubs and just before hibernation are the times when it’s ripe for an attack. And they act accordingly.
Stumbling across a grizzly during his dinner isn’t a day at the beach either.
In stories written of how settlers made homes in BC more than 100 years ago, prior to clear cutting of some forests, bears would routinely break into those houses/cabins, and eat food which humans had left there, and perhaps the children too. (why do you rob banks? because that’s where the money is…)
The BBC refers to the bear as being “on the loose” after attacking and I’m not going to check for how long as I’m certain bears have been “on the loose” in BC for 10k years so it’s not like this is a new thing and want to note that the bear was “on the loose” prior to the attack as well, much like you and I may be “on the loose” in our back yard prior to the snow falling here in Calgary overnight.
Why did the bear attack the kids and teachers? Well, there are kids and teachers walking around its home, that’s where it lives, and those kids and teachers smell funny to the bear. Possibly they smelled like dinner, but may also smell like laundry softener sheets too (which I personally don’t like, but I’m not speaking for the bears here). Speaking of dinner, it says right in the article that the kids had stopped to eat dinner. Possibly the most important fact in a sea of opinions the media has wrestled with in this event.
BBC reports the school is closed, as if it’s safer to stay in 30 scattered houses throughout the town? I did like that BBC capitalized “The Nation” when referring to the reserve and would appreciate it if they’d start capitalizing “Marc’s Home” when they refer to my house as well in the future.
It’s been a backcountry joke for awhile that black bears run from bear spray, while polar bears, brown bears, and grizzly bears may actually enjoy the added flavor you bring to the table with your hot pepper spice while they’re devouring you. I think a 30.06 would be a better idea in the woods (yes, while taking a forest tour with children) regardless of BC decreeing that grizzlies can no longer be hunted, and I don’t know if the no hunting grizzlies rules applies to the First Nations people there, it doesn’t apply to people attacked while visiting the lands where the bears have lived for 10k years.
I like the look of the school in the National Post article, much nicer than suburban schools in cities though it’d be at risk of being set on fire as it is wood and that’s what city folks do when they’re bored, and “on the loose” …
Good on the teachers for defending the kids. If anyone takes blame for this I’d start with the national police force AND the #Libranos for bringing gun registration and idiotic laws by the 100’s and outlawing so many useful rifles which would have been handy in this situation while visiting the bears home country.
That’s right, I’m blaming the #Libranos.
A couple of comments:
– I would not consider shooting the bear in this circumstance to be hunting. The bear was the one doing the hunting.
– Now the snarky comment. How did they get attacked, when they are supposedly more at one with nature than their non-native fellow citizens.
– years ago, a friend, part native, asked hiw many people Disney had killed by anthropomorphizing wild animals.
Imagine venturing into a wilderness where grizzly bears live.
Heros?
Or
Zeros?
Who thought this “Nature walk” was a good idea?
And then to go out without at least one firearm and competent operator?
Bears and Bear Country has not changed.
Except the natural consequences of having a “Hunting ban” on the apex predator.
Taking a bunch of bait out into fall bear country?
Brilliant decision making.
As for the “Nation”??? Impossible to parody.
Nice attempt to make your children “At one with nature”.
And now?
A bunch of bears are going to get slaughtered..safety first.
“Who thought this “Nature walk” was a good idea?”
A teacher. By which I mean a unionized public employee with a masters in “Education” and the brain of a chicken.
Bears repeating, that the Government in Ottawa doesn’t want you having any firearm capable enough to kill a grizzly, or polar bear in one shot, in order to protect ourselves from each other.
Al the basking/frozen fish, while looking at Australian Senate results in the above post today… I saw your home team and thought you should be aware.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_Party_(Australia)
Thank Marc!
That’s a party I would enjoy!
Fishers being part of the eco-system, therefore keep fishing!
Mission accomplished
About 20 students — part of Grade 4 and 5 classes from Acwsalcta School — were on a land-based learning field trip on Thursday afternoon.
Well … those urban kids learned LOTS about the land. The land doesn’t give a shit about your Disneyfied belief about “the land”. It’s a real world kiddies … and most everything in it can kill you.
I’m strong believer in carrying bear spray: 12 gauge slug, double aught, slug, double aught, double aught.
Kudos to the individual teachers who stepped up, but this story fits what I like to point out whenever there are school shootings.
Private businesses would get raked over the coals legally for not ensuring the basic safety of their customers, yet there is no huge outcry over schools taking everybody’s children and then completely ignoring their safety.
There should be an armed officer in every school, and there should have been at least one person armed correctly for the situation as part of this group taking children into bear country.
“Noel Pootlass, the head Nuxalk hereditary chief … “It’s the ecosystem being out of balance that means grizzly bears are getting desperate,” he said, citing recent clear-cutting and forest fires pushing bears from of their habitat.”
All of BC was their habitat. Forest fires happened all the time, including ones that happened to be caused by his ancestors. Someone else is always responsible for the tribals poor choices.
Wait. So global warming is making the Grizz more aggressive? Come to think of it … I probably already saw that ‘study’ in 2007 … sorry … I guess it was only last year.
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/news/new-publication-synthesizes-climate-effects-bears
I’m old enough to remember when the USGS published USEFUL things like topo and trail maps.
L – The Right to Life is the justification for the auxiliary Right, to the means to protect that life from an attack; one where there is a reasonable apprehension of grievous bodily harm or death.
That individual people have Natural Rights is fundamental, and referenced in the preamble of the charter recognizing the supremacy of God.
Marxism believes the government rules by granting or withdrawing privileges. Rights are simply re-interpreted into privileges. While Rights are buried alive in a plot behind the Supreme Court in an unmarked grave. There government is the deity.
Paganism believes that human lives and well being are to be sacrificed to appease the Goddess of Nature(Chaos). We’re currently being ruled by an amalgam of the two.
L – Jennifer, the grizzly bear mother, gives a press conference: “If the Goddess Gaia didn’t want bears(including wolves and cougars) to eat humans. She would not have made them out of meat!”
In response to a legacy media journalist, Jennifer Grizzley Bear endorsed strict gun control, which she credited with saving the lives of many predators. Thus reinstating them to their Goddess given role as Apex Predators.
Note- (“howls of applause echoed across B.C. and more than a few feline tails switched their approval in stealth mode. )
“Mostly peaceful” defined.