Popping off a few rounds in these parts teaches the bears that the noise doesn't hurt, then the trouble ramps up.

This just in:
(Toronto Sun) Raid by bear forces hungry canoeist to eat his dog: Here's another reason to make sure to keep your food away from bears when traveling in the wilderness. Canadian authorities report a canoeist on a lengthy trip near St. James Bay in the far northern part of that country was forced to kill his beloved dog and eat it in the three months after a bear invaded his camp, smashing his canoe and getting all of his food. According to the Toronto Sun, 44-year-old Marco Lavoie used a rock to kill his German shepherd. While it was a bad end for the dog, things didn't go that much better for Lavoie. "By the time provincial police airlifted him out three months later,'' the newspaper reported, "Lavoie was barely able to speak or eat. He suffered hypothermia and dehydration while losing about 90 pounds." He is now reported to be hospitalized in "very serious" condition.
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We ain't exactly apex species, are we? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />