Reading Dave's description of his recent trip to Alaska, and particularly his close-up encounter with a mother grizzly and her cubs, has taken my mind completely off of work this Monday morning. In the course of daydreaming about salmon streams, the midnight sun, and grizzly bears, I recalled this old joke which I think I first heard about 20 years ago:
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear contacts, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and stay alert for bears while in the field.
"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.
"It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat. Black bear scat is small compared to that of a grizzly, often contains undigested berries and squirrel fur, and has a musty odor. Grizzly bear scat is large, often contains little bells, and may smell like pepper spray."
