Bear Necessities

                            
Being able to see a bear with your own eyes can be one of the most memorable experiences of a wilderness adventure—whether you are John Candy in the "The Great Outdoors" whose character, Chet is hounded and antagonized by the grizzly bear and raccoons that raided his garbage, or you are Chris McCandless (Into the Wild, 1996) out in the Alaskan Wilderness, whose only interaction with living beings was wild animals (Through his writings, we know he encountered a bear), or even better...your best friend is a bear whose name is Baloo, just like Mowgli's is in the movie "The Jungle Book".  Bears seem almost human sometimes because of their level of high intelligence and consciousness. We also share similar diets with these species, because they feed off of plants, seeds, berries, and roots. They will also eat insects, fish, and small mammals. Because these animals are so complex and fascinating they only deserve our utmost respect as recreators in the great outdoors. Which allows me to lead into two questions:


Of three learned responses that wildlife may show to recreationists, which is the least desired response?
A. Habituation B. Attraction C. Avoidance D. None of these

When hanging food to keep out of reach of wildlife, you should hang the bag?
A. 10’ high and 4’ from the tree B. 12’ high and 6’ from the tree C. 14’ high and 8’ from the tree

The first 3 people to respond correctly to these two questions can receive a free Leave No Trace prize in the mail. Arrangements can be made for mailing after reviewing the answers. Have a great day!