FROM EVERYONE I have talked to in the business, and all I have read about is that black bear are much more dangerous and more likely to engage in a fatal attack once they have commited to the attack.

Once a black bear atacks they are seriously mission dedicated to killing. Much moreso than Griz or Brown. The only bear more dangerous on an encounter basis would probably be the polar simply because of size and it considers everything a snack.

Most agreed. Its funny how there were no polar bear entries but like it said, not all published deaths had been posted.

When you consider how wide spread black bears are and ho wmany people are in the woods every day of the year around them, then you quickly see there is little danger from bears. Doe snot mena they are harmless and you should be foolish around them, but no need to be alarmist either. You are in far, far more danger driving in your car to get to the bear woods or walking the street of any major US city.

The incident in Fallsburg NY is questionable that it was an "attack" .Lots of bear around here [Catskill Mtns], I just talked to a fellow in a scout camp where they are always there and they've never eaten a boy scout !!So I too will say there's very little danger .I'm armed in the woods but that's for fral dogs, rabid animals , and people.

Take a look at this one from Tom Smith at the USGS in Alaska:

http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/brownbears/attacks/bear-human_conflicts.htm

"So I too will say there's very little danger."

Uh-huh.

Tell that to the man who was killed in his sleeping bag and partly eaten by a HEALTHY black bear less than a mile from our house in the Northwest Territories.

Tell that to the NWT black bear that I shot at less than two feet off the rifle's muzzle, coming for me!

I also went armed any time I left home in the NWT (we lived well away from civilization) and it was FOR BEARS. Nothing much else in the area concerned me, although I always hoped to get a shot at a wolf...it happened a few times.

back in the day i was the commander of the mountain rescue team out of fort richardson, alaska. we got called out numerous times for bear attacks. the vast majority were from black bears, and almost all fatalities were also due to black bears. nothing to fool with or take for granted!

Hello;
I don't think this list is necessarily complete or totally accurate. I can think of a couple of attacks that don't appear to be listed, including one west of Sundre, Alberta in the very early 1900 s. Also, the male and female, killled at Zama Lake, in 1980, listed as an unknown, where definately killed by a black bear, who was shot shortly after. This one appeared to be a prey attack. the bear had dinner on his mind and was protecting his kill when they caught up with him.
A while ago, I read an excellent article on the killing of the three youths in Algonquin Park, in the Outdoor Life Bear book, by our own Ted Gorsline, dated 1971. He's obviously been around for a while
Grizz

LBGuy:

It was interesting to read your post because you are in north country where blacks can get really big. I hunted blacks in Ontario Province (north central) of Canada for years and learned many things from the locals (and learned a few things for myself). I always used a ground stand when hunting over bait. I was warned that when sitting against a tree trunk - to let my body show in a view from behind - so that the bear who happened to approach from behind would not be so startled that he would attack. In my time of hunting in Ontario, I learned of a college student working for a Canadian government ministry as an intern during the summer ( it had to do with building roads and I just don't recall the exact title) who was killed by a black bear in broad daylight. It was figured out that the student had a lunch pack with him and that attracted the bear In Algonquin Provincial Park two boys were set upon and killed by a female black bear. Both of these incidents occurred during my hunting time in Ontario. Finally - I used to hunt ruffed grouse in October (after bear hunting season had closed in Ontario) I always carried (in direct defiance of Ontario hunting laws) several rifled slugs (on the advice of locals) - just in case some blackie had not read the book. Of course, I don't think it's worse to face a black instead of a grizzly, a brown or a polar bear - but the black is there more often and deserves respect as a dangerous animal in some circumstances.

Wow, that got some featehrs ruffled! No one said that bears were harmless and should be handled casually. All a couple of us said was that you literally stand a much greater chance of getting killed in your car while driving to the bear woods.

When you add all of the people-hours spent in bear woods each year and look at the true attacks and fatlities, then you will quickly see that it is statistically a non-issue. No, that does not mean that the bears are safe to play with, but it does mean that time spent worrying will give you greater results if you are worried about almost anything else that we do every day.

Every day I look out my window and see ground that is home to black bears. I hunt, fish and camp in the woods. Thus far I have not been eaten. I am not afraid in the woods. I do keep my eyes open and am aware that one should not take it for granted that you will not some day happen on a bear that is having a bad day. I don't lose sleep over that however.

At least in Alaska, most deaths are caused by grizzly than black bears.