Into the Wild

Since the re-introduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in 1995 the balance of nature, predatorily speaking, has radically changed. Some will passionately argue that this balance has a positive effect while others will argue that the changes have been a negative for the ecosystem and economy. What is the truth? The truth lies in the middle of these positions. ‘Montana Wolf Wars’ will objectively look at all aspects in this debate and explore what is happening in the world of environmental reality, not fantasy or based on a historical hatred.  We will hear from the people that are most affected by wolves and the new conditions that they bring to the wilderness. You will see stunning wolf video, and also visit with all the other animals that inhabit our wilderness lands. You will hear interviews with ranchers and hunters as to what they see happening to their livelihoods and environment. We will hear from environmental and pro-wolf groups to see what their prescription is for the right course to follow in this experiment. Our interviews will explore the overly heated political atmosphere by talking with local politicians about wolves and their constituents concerns. Lastly, you will hear from the professionals that helped introduce and now watch and study what the wolf  has meant to the wilderness, our environment and to the people that live with these wolves.

What is my interest in wolves some may ask? Probably the same as many, a general interest in wilderness! This general interest evolved into a passion to explore and enjoy  the wildest wilderness corners of North America. My interest also spawned the creation of Bears Unlimited Inc, my Nevada based non-profit that champions the causes of animals, both wild and domestic. A wilderness with predatory animals is a much more interesting experience rather than a benign predatory free zone. In many ways the top predators in a wilderness bring to the participant a new and much more meaningful experience. On a personal level, in a wilderness with wolves, bears and mountain lions I am no longer the top ‘dog in the yard’ so to speak. I am a dinner to someone if things go horribly wrong. This real wilderness is a place of beauty and also a place of reality. A wilderness that is true wilderness, as it was 200 years ago and as it should be today.

‘Montana Wolf Wars’ will explore all of these aspects! In depth, with honesty and journalistic impartiality! Hopefully, we will bring some clarity to the debate and help solve some of the misconceptions, misinformation and outright lies about what wolves are and do.

The Iowa state legislature has passed House file number 598. What is this biil?  Will it protect the citizens of the great state of Iowa? Is not this the reason that we elect ordinary citizens to protect our rights, to make society safer? To make civilized society more civil. Wrong! It appears, at least in Iowa, we elect them to weaken regulations that make our food safe, weaken our 1^st amendment rights and weaken or dismantle laws that protect our animals from being brutalized by large corporate farms. It also criminalizes the very freedom that has made this country the beacon that people worldwide seek. The freedom to voice an opinion and bring out wrongs that are happening in the hopes of changing these and making our country stronger, more humane and a constant beacon for freedom.

The biil implements new penalties for lying on a job application to get access to a farm facility. First offence is a misdemeanor with a $1500.00 fine and up to a year in the Greybar Hotel. For a second offence be willing to spend two years in the slammer and a $5000.00 fine. Kind of interesting here, go to jail for showing the brutality of corporate farms but get a 750 billion dollar bailout for almost wrecking your country. Hum interesting!  Then the elected officials pass a law that destroys the freedoms given to us by the constitution. Who are these elected clowns working for anyway?

Here is any interesting comment put forth by State senator David Johnson, republican ofIowa. Sir David stated that the legislation will keep strangers off of farms who could bring in diseases or vermin. He also stated that farmers should be protected from people like Mercy for Animals because the videos they produce along with the sad music is bad publicity for agricultural farm operations. Nice, senator!

So senator, those ‘un-American’ photographers and reporters that got the story about Mai Lai should have gone to jail, how about those’ jerks’ that exposedDarfur, or those ‘bastards’ that exposed the German Death camps. Now I am not implying that whatever goes on behind closed gates is nearly as serious.  Remember these are ‘just’ animals. But why cannot we see what happens beyond these gates? The transparency is a little lacking here! Was this law passed to hide barbaric treatment of pigs and chickens inIowa?

According to Sir David journalists ‘bring in vermin and diseases when they do a story?’ Not sure where this YoYo got his medical degree but I have found most journalists to be cleaner than most politicians and one hell of a lot more truthful. I guess that is what this ‘knucklehead’ senator thinks. That is what he said at least. Then, this is the real clincher for me, his statement again, ‘because the videos they produce along with the sad music is bad publicity for agricultural farm operations.’ Like duh really! I bet Pol Pot, Amin, Saddam Hussein, Kaddafi and most other despots said the same thing. “Ouch, get those cameras out of our country. The bad pr is hurtful and it sucks”. That one statement shows me that this guy is a ‘moron’, a person that could care less about anything other than profit. 

Meat production is the main province of corporate farms in theUS. Unfortunately the family farm is a relic of the past. Now we get our beef, pork, eggs and chickens from large corporations that are profit driven. They do not care about your health or the health of the animals that they slaughter in the most inhumane of ways. I just ask that we allow the cameras to show the American people what is happening behind those closed gates and allow them to vote with their wallets. Now that is a novel way to think.

Iowa, and some other states, do not have the best safety records when it comes to meat and egg production and inspection. While the USDA does a commendable job, at least in my view, in policing the workplace others have to have access to these facilities on a random basis to make sure that these facilities are as clean as they can practically be. Our health depends upon this. To trust the corporate giants is just not the answer. The bottom line is what there primary concern is, not our health. They also do not care about the humane treatment of the animals that they make there profits from.

Can animals destined for the dinner table be humanely treated? I believe that they can be. It just takes an effort to understand what humane treatment is and do it. Animals do not need to live in their own feces because they are kept in such crowded conditions. Chickens and pigs need not live in cages so small that they cannot even move around. Dead animals need to be removed from areas where other animals are kept. All animals need to be kept from rodent populations that can and have contaminated our food supplies. All animals, when killed should have this done in a quick and humane way. We kill prisoners in a humane way, why not animals. We even have rules of war so that the humane way is even exercised on the battle field. We need a ‘Geneva Accords’ for animals destined for our food supply.

I feel personally aggrieved by the concept that the government has the ability and right to pass laws that allows our right to expose situations that need to be seen. Whistle blowers in this society need to be protected not vilified and criminalized. As a Marine Vet, I did not serve so that our freedoms can be diminished by a law that protects a segment of the population that wants and needs to live behind a curtain enforced by jail time and fines.

What can we do to help? To send a message to these lawmakers that others do care? Easy, pick up your phone, hit that keyboard and send the governor a message that we are watching and we will have an impact. What is that impact? Since these corporations are making a profit tell the governor that you will boycott all products that originate inIowa. If enough people take the time to enforce a boycott they will change the laws to make this industry more visible to all. Money talks and loyalty walks! So checkout these numbers below and exercise your right to protest this. Remember that next law attacking civil liberties might be your liberties.

Thank you all.

Mingo Bears Unlimited Inc.

Governor Terry Branstad

515 281-5211

For email Iowa.gov

Then to Register Opinion  in the contact section.

      Black bears exhibit varied behaviors depending on where the bear lives. Does this mean that bears are affected by social and environmental differences within a given bear population group and locality or region? Of course, all higher thinking animals, including man, are affected by social and environmental conditions and enrichments. We will visit four distinct bear population groups to see how this variation impacts humans and bears.                                             

Our tour will begin with bears that live in Florida and the southeastern United States followed by New England and the Northern Midwest region. We will then compare these black bears with their cousins out in the western states and Canada and Alaska.  

The most poignant, definitive and relative measurement of bear/human behavior is how many serious confrontations occur that cause physical harm or fatally injuries to humans by bears. This quantitative measurement is unfortunately what many see as the ultimate in judging an animal.

Bears are seen by some as a single species, brown, black or white in color with large claws, huge teeth, and fiercely powerful muscles and ruthless in demeanor. While there is some truth in this statement bears are very different by species. The truth in the statement is that bears do have large teeth, large claws and are very powerfully built. The incorrect part is that all bears are ruthless in demeanor. I have personally spent hundreds of hours with bears in the wild and the vast majority has shown me only curious and pleasant behavior.

Here is a very quick and limited overview of each species but it will give you a correct assessment of each bear type.

Polar bears are the most predictable of all three bear species that live in North America. They will harm you, maul you or kill you if you get to close almost 100% of the time. Very few polar bears exhibit curious behavior that will, one, last a real long time and two, not be associated with its search for a dinner. These large bears are especially dangerous all of the year but more so just before the ice reforms in the Arctic. After not eating for a few months they can be just a little ’out of sorts’ with the attitude.

Brown bears or ‘ursus kick your assus’ which in my language means “mess with me and I will rearrange your afternoon, dude” are seen as totally dangerous animals. Even in Yellowstone, where tourists are required to check-in their brain upon entering the park, respect is given to these awesome bears. At the average ‘brown bear jam’ most people seldom try to get those real close-up shots with four year old Jonnie sitting on Yogi’s lap. The scene at a ‘black bear jam’ is considerably different. Many people will crowd the bear and some will actually attempt to touch, feed or get a close-up of ‘little Jonnie’ next to the bear. Many think that a black bear is related to the lab relaxing on your couch at home. It is not, just checkout those claws, teeth and muscles. One other facet of browns is a major difference in behaviors of barren ground browns, also called grizzlies, and coastal bears. Well fed Alaskan coastal bears have a somewhat easier demeanor due to extensive food resources in the summer and fall, salmon. Tim Treadwell understood these coastally located bears. You seldom will find a well fed barren ground, hence a large part of their less than optimal attitudes. Any bear, not hanging at the beach with a mai tai, should be suspected of having behaviors that could rearrange your attitude, your scalp and blood supply. Just remember, all of these browns will put a whooping on you in a heartbeat.

So now we will checkout what the differences are with black bears. The first and easiest bear to analyze is the Florida Black Bear. In extensive interviews with representatives of the National Park Service, US Forest Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission it was reported to me that never has there been an attack on a human in Florida. They are hell on wheels on ant hills though! That is pure conjecture on my part. Seriously though, these Florida bears are about as mild as you will find, anywhere. Why? Well, one reason is that all of the agencies above are extremely active in education programs to keep people from feeding bears. An unfed bear is more likely.to stay away from people and trouble. These agencies use ranger led programs, signs and placards to educate about unregulated supplemental feeding, fines if needed and bear festivals to help educate people about the dangers of a fed bear. All of these agencies do a fantastic job and they should be commended for their work.

Another facet of Florida bears is that they live in a congested state, not traffic wise, but in that it is difficult to find a wilderness large enough to hide in. These bears see people very often. There seems to be no interface zones, bears are in the woods, in the pools of your neighbor and actually walking the beaches. They see us as not something unusual, just more background noise that they learn to live with, tune-out and stay away from. Like cars! You mess with a 50 MPH bumper, your day is ruined. Mess with people you get shot. Smart and adaptable animal’s bears are!

I have my own theory as to why bears and humans do not have a society of dire conflict, bikinis and Speedos. Both male and female bears hangout at the beach, work on their tans in lounge chairs, drink a couple mai tais and carry a good pair of binoculars. They scope out babes and radical dudes all day, read a little and then head on back to the forest for an evening snack of opossum or ant hill. Perfect day, why fight with anyone. Tomorrow will be the same, maybe a Corona, dude. Well that is my theory and I am sticking with it. These activities seem to have a greater priority than munching people.

Get out of Florida and the bears are just a little more inhospitable. A young girl was killed in Cherokee National Forest in 2006. In 2000 a female victim was attacked and killed in Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the first since 1980. So why the serious behavior here and not a few hundred miles south! Those answers probably will never be known completely but a factor in both killings was supplemental feeding. In both cases these animals were believed to have been fed. In doing so some bears lose their fear of humans and approach for food. Usually bad things ensue in these encounters.

Considering the population densities of humans in this region one can conclude that the incidence of being munched by a bear is not to significant and that would be a correct conclusion.

So we can see that the bears in the south have the same etiquette as the lovely southern belles that reside in this magnificent region of our country, laid back and relaxed. In the northern states we see similar levels of tolerance. August 19, 2010 Brent Kendra, while working on a game farm in Columbia Station, Ohio was mauled and killed. About a year earlier, October 4, 2009 Kelly Walz of Ross Township, Pennsylvania, on another exotic animal exhibiter’s farm was killed while feeding a bear. Both of these incidents were with captured and game farm or exhibitor bears. Just shows that bears really do not make the best pets. In an incredibly tragic incident, 5 month old Ester Schwimmer was snatched from a stroller and mauled. This August 19, 2002 incident happened when a bear took the child from the porch of a vacation home in Fallsburg, New York. This was a particularly heart wrenching incident.

As we can see from these incidents eastern bears are more willing to have confrontations with people. But again, considering the numbers of bears and incidents the probability of an encounter is exceedingly small indeed. Why? Two fatalities occurred in compounds that kept bears as pets or to exhibit them. Hate to say this but if you play with fire you can get burned. In this case the fire was the bear and the bear can be extremely lethal in certain instances. Ester’s death was most likely at the paws of a predatory black bear. Not much is know of the behavior prior to attack but this has all the trademarks of a predatory attack. This bear appears not to have associated the child with food as a food habituated bear would. The child was the food. Predatory black bears!

What are these? Where? The best question though is “why are some black bears more likely to attack for no apparent reason”?

Predatory blacks are bears that seem to defy all of the rules of a normal, average black bear. That normal bear is not normally aggressive, fairly tolerant, curious, generally friendly to all around it, cautious of humans and seldom confrontational unless either attacked or provoked. That is generally the behaviors that one sees in the average bear’s behavior. Predatory blacks stalk humans, make charges and runs on humans, will hunt us and will attack and eat us. They attack in an offensive form, not as a defensive act. Not a pleasant thought! Fortunately they only make up about five to seven percent of the black bear population. How many is that? Interesting question again! Given that there are as many as 750,000 black bears on this continent that number could be significant, possibly as high as 52,000 bad ass bears. My personal feeling is that the seven percent figure is high, more likely even lower than the five percent. My reasons for thinking this way is one, I personally have only seen maybe three bears that exhibited this behavior towards me. I have seen and had contact with possible a thousand black bears. Two, analyzing the published data, indicates that confrontational situations are small given the bear population numbers in North America.

Where are these predatory bears? Most likely not in Florida! I think that the environmental enrichments and socialization of bears to humans in close proximity precludes Florida bears from developing these attack attitudes. Can it happen, well, of course, after all Florida bears are still bears. We saw a predatory attack in New York. I have read reports from New Jersey, Tennessee and Kentucky of bear behaviors that seem to indicate a predatory nature to a confrontation. In the New Jersey incident I think that the bear was protecting a food source but did display some ominous behavior in repelling a person from the patch. The Kentucky incident was a pure stalking and attack sequence from a very nasty large black bear In the Tennessee confrontation I believe that a food habituated bear was the main cause for this incident. The northern Midwest, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, seems not to be a large haven for these bears. They are much like Florida bears most likely for similar, but not identical, reasons that we see in Florida.

Head out west, California, Montana and to Canada and Alaska to find a larger concentration of these predatory incidents. There are many and many resulted in serious injuries and deaths. These western and northern black bears have a little different demeanor, more aggressive and this aggressive nature manifests itself in a few more fatalities and many more injuries. Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico Utah and Montana have seen seven fatal attacks. Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia, has recorded eighteen deaths between 1980 and 2000. A significant number but when considering the numbers of bears in this vast region your chances are much better being hit by lightening.

A more insidious and widespread problem is the food habituated black bear. In my home state of Arizona, Lana Hollingsworth, was killed in an attack in a golf club about a year ago. She was walking her dog past a trash container that the bear was feeding in. This is a case of a food habituated bear causing great harm. The bear was destroyed. In 2009 in Ouray, Colorado Donna Munson was killed by another food habituated bear. She fed bears and had been warned numerous times by wildlife officials as to the dangers of this action. Two bears were killed by wildlife officials. One was confirmed to have consumed this misguided individual. In these incidents it is fair to say that food habituation was a major factor. Never feed bears or any other wild animal. Never listen to ‘so called experts’ that believe supplemental feeding is an accepted practice in wildlife circles, it is not. While predatory bear attacks are an issue in the wilderness, a more pressing issue is supplemental feeding. In analyzing the vast number of confrontations one finds that these attacks happened in either national parks, forests or state preserves and near campgrounds. The vast majority of these attacks were from food habituated bears. Please, never feed bears.

Why are these western and Canadian bears more likely to be predatory? Again their environment is much of the answer. The west and Canada have millions of acres of wilderness. Many bears have never seen a human and some just a few times. They are not socialized to humans and have little experience on how to deal with us as individuals or as a species. So they deal with us as they do with other animals in their world, aggressively, if they feel a threat. Again, food habituation is another and more significant issue with bear attacks in Canada as it is in the States. Saying that, I would consider a food habituated bear more unpredictable and of more of a threat to me than a predatory bear. These personal beliefs are based on many years of living in the backcountry of Canada, Alaska and the western US.

There are probably many reasons that provoke a bear attack that we will never understand. A bear’s behavior is complex and varied and not only different from region to region but within localized bear populations.

When one compares black bear to brown bear attacks, one finds that violent encounters with black bears rarely lead to serious injury. That’s the good news! The bad news, the majority of fatal black bear attacks tend to result in the consumption of the victim. Most brown bear attacks are either territorial or defensive in nature. Not so for the black bear. The majority of black bear attacks happened in or near national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had become habituate to human contact and food. Between 1964 and 1976 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1,028 confrontations took place with 107 resulting in injury to a tourist. The majority of these confrontations happened in tourist hotspots where people were feeding bears. Just another example of why supplemental or recreational feeding is regarded as a hazard to both bears and people.

Here is a wonderful example of max-stupidity. This comes out of the great state of Florida, specifically the Orlando area.

Ernest Stamm reported that he had been punched out by a black bear. Gotta love that! Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers responded to and investigated this serious incident. Serious in that Florida has never had a black bear attack on a human. Mr. Stamm had some superficial scratches that would be consistent with a physical altercation of some type. So an investigation commenced. The altercation was supposed to have happened in the kitchen when the bear attacked through a door. Unlikely!! Upon further investigation it would appear that Mr. Stamm was feeding the bear. What seemed to give this away were the roasted chicken packages from the local deli in the backyard? This was the crime scene where the bear smacked him in the face. Run out of chicken and get punched out. Sounds fair to me!

Mr. Stamm was cited for illegally feeding bears, a second degree misdemeanor in Florida. The bear will be trapped, and when found killed because it touched this clown. Pretty fair huh, probably a fine for Stamm but the bear dies. Another reason NOT to FEED BEARS!

In many jurisdictions it is illegal to feed the wildlife. The cost, as in Florida is a fine, in Yellowstone your offense can be a felony and result in fines and jail time. This is highly variable While some, ‘so called experts’ teach that feeding and petting bears is cute and appropriate human behavior I think that some of this information will show that this behavior is at best foolish and at worst, stupid.

One of these ‘experts’ does a great deal of research in Minnesota. He does some beneficial and needed research on micro bear behaviors. Lynn Rogers has been doing this for forty years or so. Some of his work is pretty cool. Not to sure about some other aspects of his work such as supplement feeding, hand feeding and petting of bears. I think my main concern is his blanket statements based upon his limited research, locality wise, that all black bears are kind, gentle, nonaggressive and harmless animals. They are not. In Florida yes, Minnesota and many other eastern locations, yes. Not so much in the west and especially not in Canada and Alaska. I find statements that are not specific to regions as harmful and possibly dangerous for folks that believe these proclamations true. Petting zoo research has little to do with the real world of bears. Minnesota bears are much like those in Florida, minus the mai tais, tanning days, lounge chairs, bikinis and Speedos. With that message I would have no issue with the work the Rogers does up there. Just a little truthfulness, with a dose of reality goes a long way in painting a picture that is real and accurate.

Bryan wrote: “I read the story, Mingo…… Bears will bite? who knew? I personally have never hand fed a bear, but I would definitely expect it to bite the shit out me if I did try. Why do these people insist on messing with these creatures? ( I don’t mean you, I know your not right, ha. and I know you have more in common with the bear species than you do with the human species). BEARS BITE!!!! it’s not a new concept, and it is wise to keep your hands, and ass, away from them!”

I took Byran out to shoot a wildland fire in Joshua Tree National Park about 10 years ago. We had a ‘nice’ time. A rather energenic time too! We also worked construction on a few jobs so he knows me fairly well. These are his words about feeding bears. Pretty smart guy huh.

Another piece of info that I received today was that Lynn was bitten this year by a bear. Boy I would love to hear this story. Anyone have some 1st person experience here please let me know.

     A couple stories that I have heard I would like to clarify and have some 1^st hand information if that is possible. The reason that I want to have more data about this is that I believe that this is a serious story and a story that needs to be heard.

     In the past months I have talked with people that told me about an incident, possible multiple incidents, where people were bitten and or nipped by bears as they hand fed them on Dr. Rogers bear courses inMinnesota. The stories indicate that people were nipped by bears as they hand fed these ‘so called’ wild bears. A second story is that a woman was bit in the rear. The story goes that this woman’s injury was severe enough to require a hospital visit but she was talked out of this. Medical aid was administered on site by someone there, I do not know who, and the reason given to this woman for not seeking aid was that if Minnesota N R people found out it would not be a good thing for the bear and especially for the bear course program.  I would really like to hear from this woman to find out the real story behind these rumors or a person that was there at the time to confirm or deny these stories.

      We all know how rumors can be elevated to a position of truth and how these rumors actually become embellished with’ facts’ that have been fabricated or magnified. The best way to understand these issues is to track down the principals involved and sort out the details.  

     These incidents are disturbing on so many levels if true. One, if true, from stories related to me being bitten while hand feeding seems to be the norm withRogersand his programs. As we can see things can and will go wrong in some situations. Two, the theory that by lying one is protecting bears! This is just so wrong. Three, a person rendering medical aid to an injury that requires professional medical attention! I think this is illegal in most states unless professional medical aid is unavailable. Like in a true expeditionary situation where medical aid is truly unavailable. Four, the hiding of an injury from wildlife officials is a serious matter. This transgression goes to the heart of wildlife management and to the professionals that are manipulating a system for their own benefit. And lastly, the obvious, the possibility of a lawsuit and lawyers and all that mess entails.

      I am looking for people that personally witnessed any bear biting incident or incidents that seem out of sorts for wildlife/human interaction.  I appreciate the help on this story.

Please email me so we can get in contact with each other.

Thank you,

Mingo Morvin

Bears Unlimited Inc.

bearsunlimitedinc@hotmail.com