Off topic but of interest for outdoors people; singing away the bears

Eikerværing

Eikerværing

Joined
May 30, 2002
Messages
374
It has been a long time since I posted anything here but I thought you people might find this interesting.

A 42 year old woman was out hunting ptarmigan in Lierne in Nord-Trøndelag in Norway together with her husband and some people. I don't know if ptarmigan is the correct American English term, I think I have heard the word grouse used too.
http://www.borealforest.org/world/birds/willow_ptarmigan.htm
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/lagopus/l._mutus$narrative.html

Anyway, suddenly she realizes that in a bush there is a large bear staring directly at her, standing upright on it's hindfeet. It was so close that she could have reached out an arm an laid her hand on the bear.

She faced the bear, with her unloaded shotgun in her hand, stared it into the eyes and started humming loud and clear. She turned around and hummed louder, the bear remained calm with no sign of a wish for any action. The woman started walking calmly, now fully singing, with her back against the bear and didn't turn to look until she had walked some meters. As she turned she could then see the bear following her like a dog walks after it's owner. So then she started walking a bit faster and singing even a bit louder.

Now her brother in law sees this taking place and he sees that the bear also has a cub tagging along.

Everything went fine, the bears walked away.

Full story but in Norwegian:
http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2002/09/19/349173.html

I sure wonder what I would have done in that situation. I will try to remember this as an example if it should ever happen to me. Better start improving my singing first so I don't annoy the bear though...

By the way, how long does it take for the post to get a khukuri from USA to Norway? Uncle Bill sent mine in the shift between July and August. Still nothing, I'm dying.
 
has also driven away creatures large and small. Perhaps she and I are related?:D





Kis
 
My power is different: when I start singing, people come running from all directions and tell me to shut up :D I should test it on bears, though.
 
We have been having problems with international shipments. Ash just got a special order YCS that's been on the road for maybe two months and I have two or three more that have been on the road as long and I have had three international shipments returned as "inadmissable" -- all three from countries where I've successfully shipped in the past. I'm not sure what is going on.
 
I'd bet the war on terror is makely it terribly hard.
Shipping regulations probably can't stop terrorism, but they can slow legitimate business.

Singing and speaking nicely to bears, in a soft, pleasent, conversational tone have been around. Well, at least some of survivors are around to report good effect. We don't know if the dead hikers sang well or not. The idea by the National Parks system in the US is to wear bells and speak loudly to let the bears know you're coming. The idea of hiking in the first place is to see nature, though, and scaring it all away before you arrive counterproductive. You'd think they'd cut the ticket price if you wear bells.

Shooting an aggresive bear would teach more bears more quickly how to avoid us. It would certainly instruct the offending bear. This whole thing of not offending bears reminds me of the advice from law enforcement about bad guys breaking into your home. Keep your windows closed. Get an air conditioner for the summer. Lock em up and stay put. Get some Klieg lights for the outside perimeter.

I like fresh air, thanks. One dead burglar on a window sill would instruct an entire county of bad guys about open windows.

Some animals, and people, learn harder than others. Barricading ourselves in and wearing bells while out seems contrary to Darwin. There is a domestic animal that does just that though, bells by day and the barn by night. They're called sheep.

I'm all for bears, singing, and speedy delivery packages.

munk
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
We have been having problems with international shipments. Ash just got a special order YCS that's been on the road for maybe two months and I have two or three more that have been on the road as long and I have had three international shipments returned as "inadmissable" -- all three from countries where I've successfully shipped in the past. I'm not sure what is going on.
Click to expand...

Is Poland on the "inadmissables" list ?:o
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
We have been having problems with international shipments. Ash just got a special order YCS that's been on the road for maybe two months and I have two or three more that have been on the road as long and I have had three international shipments returned as "inadmissable" -- all three from countries where I've successfully shipped in the past. I'm not sure what is going on.
Click to expand...

Lets send em some bears. Maybe that would get things straightened out.:D
 
I can't sing very well so I would have to run. Once I start running he's not going to catch me for slipping and sliding in stuff no usually associated with running.:D
 
Bears run fast, a .45 caliber bullet runs faster. With my luck I'd run into a bear that likes rap music.:eek:

Sarge
 
Terr, I don't have much faith in privatization of the postal system myself, and I suppose the privatization could be a contributing factor.

Originally posted by munk
I'd bet the war on terror is makely it terribly hard.
Shipping regulations probably can't stop terrorism, but they can slow legitimate business.
Click to expand...
That's something that didn't cross my mind, thanks.

And not just the slowing of transport but also the increased costs of increased security measures. The costs inflicted upon the countries are estimated to billions, I read somewhere. It is astonishing and scary what a handful of determined men actually can accomplish.

Originally posted by munk

The idea of hiking in the first place is to see nature, though, and scaring it all away before you arrive counterproductive. You'd think they'd cut the ticket price if you wear bells.

Barricading ourselves in and wearing bells while out seems contrary to Darwin. There is a domestic animal that does just that though, bells by day and the barn by night. They're called sheep.
Click to expand...
Here we are, I took this picture this summer:
http://groups.msn.com/Justmypictures/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1
It reminds me of that person I see in the mirror every morning...

Indeed we can't expect life to be without some dangers, as just as long as we know how to protect ourselves though. We have a pack of wolves not far from my mother's house. They have been howling near our house on one occation, I think it disturbed the cat a bit. I like having them around though. Together with the fish eagles soaring above the lake they make things just feel right somehow.
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
Bears run fast, a .45 caliber bullet runs faster. With my luck I'd run into a bear that likes rap music.:eek:

Sarge
Click to expand...

NDN Rap.......

Me and my wife went a huckleberry huntin.

She fell down and I seed somethin!!!!

Looked like a cow *** with a wagon track through it!!!!

I jumped down and started to.......:)

There's much, much more, but editing the whole dayumed thing makes it lose to much of it's color.;)
But I think it can be utterly guaranteed to keep the bears away if rapped out along with something that sounds similar to a squeaky record player being manipulated by hand, perhaps a small thin companion that doesn't have a bass voice held tightly by the throat so as to not be able to utter any coherhent sounds?:)

Who knows, perhaps it would even work on the enemy in Stan?;)
 
I don't know about singing to bears but I have heard they enjoy a little dancing! I'm practicing a bit of Texas 2-step right now; going to be ready to 2-step it right out of the bear's territory!:D
Have also heard that you can calm down an angry bear by rubbing his tummy. This gives him a good laugh before he eats you!:D
 
CLassic rap, Yvsa! Heeeheheeheehe! made me LOL!

I'd attempt a paleface rap, but we ain't gots no riddim!

Keith
 
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