More info on the bear attack

[Frosty]

In another forum, someone looked into the bear attack a little more based on info in the USA TODAY, and found that the bear that attacked and was killed was not hunted by Joe and Jim Hunter, but by contract employees of lumber interests.

Every spring bears come out hungry and eat whatever they can. If the area has been logged and reseeded, the bears tend to eat the young seedlings. Unacceptable to the lumber companies, and they pay people to hunt them.

I have no way to determine if this is true or not, maybe someone who lives in Washington might know more.

I'm not opposed to killing animals per se. Like most of us, I eat lots of dead animals myself, and use their hides to hold up my pants and cover my feet. I just returned from the supermarket where I bought, among other things, a few packages of dead animal parts in the meat department. But though I take advantage of an animal's ability to provide me with burgers and ribs, and leather shoes and belts, I tend to think that killing bears because they eat a few seedling tress is even worse than killing them to display their heads on a wall.

[Skidsteer]

Which forum?

[Tin Man]

I tend to think that killing bears because they eat a few seedling tress is even worse than killing them to display their heads on a wall.

I wonder why they can't just spray the seedlings with something, maybe pepper-based, like I spray my pines to keep the deer from eating them. :-?

[Skidsteer]

I tend to think that killing bears because they eat a few seedling tress is even worse than killing them to display their heads on a wall.

I completely agree with you but I also admit to living in a home constructed mostly of wood. ;)

[Shutterbug]

I wonder why they can't just spray the seedlings with something, maybe pepper-based, like I spray my pines to keep the deer from eating them. :-?

Tin Man, I can understand that your idea would seem reasonable where you live, but I invite you to visit Washington's Olympic Pennisula. There isn't enough pepper spray in the whole world to spray just a little on each tree. Yes, I know your next question, "If there are so many trees, then what difference will one or two seedlings make?"

To understand the issue, one needs to understand the Douglas Fir. The Douglas Fir tree simply won't grow in the shade. That means that when a property is seeded, all of the young trees need to grow to maturity together. When somethng kills a young tree, it isn't practical to go back and plant a new Douglas Fir to take its place. The older trees cast shade on it and will prevent the new tree from growing. All of the trees in a Douglas Fir forrest need to be the same age, so that the tops of the trees are at the same level.

In Washington, Black bears are abundant. Personally, I shoot them only with a camera, but I understand why the timber companies need to control the bear population on their property.

[Tin Man]

I didn't think my idea was practical. I just hate choosing between animals and plants. The plants have economic value, so that puts the bears at a disadvantage. Come to think of it, I do know a few deer who sneak into my yard that could use some remedial education. :D

[Shutterbug]

I tend to think that killing bears because they eat a few seedling tress is even worse than killing them to display their heads on a wall.

Here on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, we have quite a few bears. I have been doing my best to think of how bears contribute to the economy. I can come up with a few:

1. There are quite a few rangers who spend part of their time keeping humans and bears from hurting each other.
2. There are some (guides, outfitters & taxidermists) who make a living off of bear hunting -- not many and most are part-time.
3. Maybe one or two people make money photographing bears.
4. A few people save a few dollars on groceries by eating bear meat.

Beyond that, I can't think of how bears help the economy.

Trees, on the other hand, are the life blood of the Olympic Peninsula. I couldn't even start to list all of the ways that trees support the economy.

All I can say is that for one to say that bears are more important than "a few trees" one doesn't understand trees or one doesn't understand bears.

[jaywalke]

Here on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, we have quite a few bears. I have been doing my best to think of how bears contribute to the economy.


Shutterbug-

I think there is an indirect payoff in tourism/recreation. I don't visit the Olympic to necessarily see a bear, but I do specifically choose to visit there because it is wild enough to support bears. I think of them as a sort of indicator for big, wild places.

[icemanat95]

Trees grow from leaders. The top leader forms the trunk of the tree. If the top leader is nipped off, new leaders are going to form at that spot, causing a divided trunk that will be both weaker and commercially less useful, because the grain will have been disrupted. Unfortunately these leaders tend to be pretty tasty to the critters and are the choice part of the seedling.

A certain amount of loss is acceptable in forestry. You can't stop all the critters from chomping away, but a large animal like a bear will nip the tips of acres of tree saplings, moose and deer can be equally devastating. Smaller animals will take a tip here or there, but will not chew down a whole stand.

[Tin Man]

Shutterbug-

I think there is an indirect payoff in tourism/recreation. I don't visit the Olympic to necessarily see a bear, but I do specifically choose to visit there because it is wild enough to support bears. I think of them as a sort of indicator for big, wild places.

We have bears in the area where I live and by no means would I call it wild. The South Bronx on the other hand, now I call that wild.

[BlackCloud]

Beyond that, I can't think of how bears help the economy.

Trees, on the other hand, are the life blood of the Olympic Peninsula. I couldn't even start to list all of the ways that trees support the economy.

All I can say is that for one to say that bears are more important than "a few trees" one doesn't understand trees or one doesn't understand bears.

I hope all your values in life don't hinge on their worth to the economy....

[hammock engineer]

Am I missing something, or would this be hunting out of season and basically poaching?

Was there a bear attack out West? I may of missed the news but the only one I heard about was in the South.

[Sly]

Pepper Spray (bear repellant) needs to be sprayed directly into the bears face (eyes and nose) in order to be effective. Otherwise they'll just roll in it.

Instead of hunting them (out of season?) why not just shoot them with rubber bullets or chase them with dogs?

http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/brownbears/pepperspray/news.htm

[Tin Man]

Instead of hunting them (out of season?) why not just shoot them with rubber bullets or chase them with dogs?

Or just start chatting on a cell phone - that seems to scare some WB'ers, so it might work on bears too. :D