I just spent the last 10 minutes enjoying myself reading responses to the bear encounters. If I remember, the original message came from a Pennsylvanian and seemed to be asking about our black bear population. Living in the northern tier of PA. for the past 38 years I have come in contact with many black bears while hiking, walking, hunting, and fishing. They all had one thing in common - they ran like crazy when they found out a person was in the area. If they didn't know I was there (tree stand or wind was right) they just wondered away (maybe laid down and relaxed awhile and ate some berries or nuts). The fact is, there has never been a bear fatality in PA in modern times. A few run-ins (or should I saw run-overs when there was only one way out and the person was between the bear and that route) but the bear was as eager to get out of there with little or no trouble.

Saturday my wife and I went for out daily walk with the dog. While walking I looked down at the muddy logging road and commented, "Look, bear tracks."

She said, "Not very big."

I said, "Possibly a yearling. Good to see they are out an around. Must be winter is over."

Wish I was right, here I sit looking out at the snow. The snow upset us both more than the fact that we were sharing our walk with a bruin. No pepper spray, no gun, just us. The best part about bears in PA, they keep those from downstate coming up and fishing. Heck, the rattlers in the summer are more concern. Maybe the tourist should stay off the streams with the exception of winter when bears are sleeping (of course you would be surprised at the number of Black Bears around in the winter months) and the rattlers are deep in the rocks.

I am being funny. Enjoy Pennsylvania year round. We have more to fear from the humans than the animals that walk aroung our state.

Enjoyed the post and was entertained by all the ideas and suggestions. Quite interesting.