How calm would you be ??

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Mar 6, 2020
352
237
Hemel Hempstead
Back in 2010 we went to yosemite and ran i to some bears by the side of the road. The camera was in the boot and I got out to get it. At the time I was calm but afterwards I realised how dangerous the situation was. Got a nice photo though. Bears are awesome.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
A British equivalent (joking, not serious) was the time down the Glen Drive after a really fun paddle. Driving back our car full of fearless whitewater kayakers spotted a large, stag complete in antlers with rather a lot of points. Think of those large paintings titled "monarch of the glen" then add be a few more points!!

So we stopped right in the middle of the road beyond a cattle grid IIRC and other side of a high deer fence from it. In turned after stopping the car just in time to be see the stag take 3 or 4 steps then clear the deer fence before stopping to look sideways at us. My mate got out of the passenger seat and ran round to me scare the thing, after we'd stared at the deer staring back at us. He got to the edge of the road and the stag pawed the ground then started running towards the car. My mate, a gruff Scotsman originally from the rough part of Glasgow, ran round the car and into his seat quicker than starsky and hutch ever did! Then we were off before the stag reached us.

Not as scary as a close bear contact but a large stag in full, majestic antlers can still hurt!! Plus I had weeks of cleaning my front seat after brave Scotsman spilt milk everywhere in his rush to get in!! :D :D :D
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
PS I hope I'd have the good sense and sufficient knowledge to never be within a bear's claw and jaw reach. I think we're all capable of great stupidity but dying at the claws of a bear is beyond stupidity IMHO.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
The local elks use their antlers but they also kick with their front legs and they do it hard. Besides being in the way of a 750 kg wild beast is not a good idea.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
My American grandad used to say moose were dangerous. He told me the tale of either him or another family member getting chased by one. Whoever it was he ran around a large tree as the moose couldn't turn as quickly. I never quite believed his story which was actually a bit more than that. I did once see a video of a guy cornered by a moose who climbed a tree. Apparently the moose wouldn't let him down for a very long time.

I think you're right about any animal that's big, runs fast, big horns/antlers and capable of kicking. Definitely not a good idea to cross paths. Having seen what deer strikes on cars look like even the small ones could do damage. One autumn in the Highlands we saw a lot of cars without vent front bumpers and many bumpers left by the side of the road in pieces. Must have been a bad October for deer strikes!
 

bearbait

Full Member
A British equivalent (joking, not serious) was the time down the Glen Drive after a really fun paddle. Driving back our car full of fearless whitewater kayakers spotted a large, stag complete in antlers with rather a lot of points. Think of those large paintings titled "monarch of the glen" then add be a few more points!!

So we stopped right in the middle of the road beyond a cattle grid IIRC and other side of a high deer fence from it. In turned after stopping the car just in time to be see the stag take 3 or 4 steps then clear the deer fence before stopping to look sideways at us. My mate got out of the passenger seat and ran round to me scare the thing, after we'd stared at the deer staring back at us. He got to the edge of the road and the stag pawed the ground then started running towards the car. My mate, a gruff Scotsman originally from the rough part of Glasgow, ran round the car and into his seat quicker than starsky and hutch ever did! Then we were off before the stag reached us.

Not as scary as a close bear contact but a large stag in full, majestic antlers can still hurt!! Plus I had weeks of cleaning my front seat after brave Scotsman spilt milk everywhere in his rush to get in!! :D :D :D

Are you sure that it was milk that your "brave Scotsman" left all over your front seat after that encounter?
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
White not brown. Plus he was scared not excited!!

It was funny though. I was driving off as soon as his weight was in the car. No way I was letting that stag reach my car. It was an amazing beast. You don't see many stage that impressive, certainly top stag round that neck of the woods.

You hear of big stags occasionally, they get given names and protected. This stag couldn't have been much smaller than those famous stags.
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
PS I hope I'd have the good sense and sufficient knowledge to never be within a bear's claw and jaw reach. I think we're all capable of great stupidity but dying at the claws of a bear is beyond stupidity IMHO.
From that continent people largley go by food and cubs as to whether a bear is dangerous. But to be honest I would not be calm.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
I think I read somewhere that bears have a sense of smell that puts even dogs to shame. One of the best sense of smells among mammals. It must be amazing to "see" the world by smells. Although not in a provincial town's main nightclub gents on a Saturday night out!!
 

Bishop

Full Member
Jan 25, 2014
1,716
691
Pencader
I suppose it could be that the bears are getting smarter. After decades of controlled hunting the survivors have probably figured out that the orange humans are apex predators and best avoided with the lesser multicolored ones posing no threat unless they are directly attacked in which case a day or two later hordes of angry orange ones appear.

Would I be as calm?... don't know but would jump at chance to find out.
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
I think I read somewhere that bears have a sense of smell that puts even dogs to shame. One of the best sense of smells among mammals. It must be amazing to "see" the world by smells. Although not in a provincial town's main nightclub gents on a Saturday night out!!
7 times better than a bloodhound ! It must be a living hell. How ever they eat smelly hikers is a mystery.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
I was thinking while walking the dog one evening about what it would be like to choose to take on animal senses and what it would be like. I was thinking about my dog's sense of smell and hearing. The smell of dog urine and mess on the street made me think I'd just choose it's hearing and forget about smell. A hawk's eyesight I'd certainly like (as a spectacle wearer that's a given).

7 times!!! Wouldn't want to be a bear in our neck of the woods. Since lockdown started my fellow dog owners seem to have forgotten the civilities of picking up after their dogs.
 

Robbi

Full Member
Mar 1, 2009
10,228
1,027
northern ireland
I was thinking while walking the dog one evening about what it would be like to choose to take on animal senses and what it would be like. I was thinking about my dog's sense of smell and hearing. The smell of dog urine and mess on the street made me think I'd just choose it's hearing and forget about smell. A hawk's eyesight I'd certainly like (as a spectacle wearer that's a given).

7 times!!! Wouldn't want to be a bear in our neck of the woods. Since lockdown started my fellow dog owners seem to have forgotten the civilities of picking up after their dogs.


Jeez, you do like a thread drift don't you.
 

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