Here in the east, Indian boys used to wrestle with black
bears for fun. Although Daniel Boone bragged about killing
one with just a knife, a real woodsman would not be
impressed by this. Black bears are not aggressive nor do
they get very big.


Black bears have killed 37 people over the last 100 years and many more
were injured. Black bear males weigh in at over 400 lbs and very large
specimens can exceed 500 lbs. Understand that the muscle mass of even a
small black bear is many times more than a human. Black bears are known
for making bluff charges when they feel threatened or cubs are near.
However, as with ANY bear, it's best to back off if an encounter is
made. It's VERY easy for a Black bear to kill a human being.
Interestingly, none of the fatal attacks were due to cub encounters and
it's believed that males in heat pose the most threat.
You cannot escape a bear charge by climbing a tree. Black bears are
excellent climbers.
The chances of a fatal black bear attack are quite small, but this is a
large animal that has proven to be deadly before and it should be
respected and given ground and respect under all circumstances. More
importantly, constant casual contact with black bears makes them more
vulnerable to human abuse.
Please leave the bears alone.



RB
35s5
NY