tv show on bears.

[Adk_dib]

I don't remember what channel it was on, but last week I watched a show on a guy in alaska that ran a bear haven. He used to hunt them but now he has a cabin miles from anything in the alaska wilderness. He walks right up to them and pets wild bears aroound his cabin. The state is threatening to arrest him becouse they say he is causing the bears to be used to humans and they might attack someone. Anyone see this and what is your opinion on them arresting him. Its not like he is right outside a city and is making them unafraid of humans.

 

[sardog1]

His name is Charlie Vandergaw and there's been a good bit of controversy about him in AK:

"Retiree welcomes neighborhood bears"

"Bear 'haven' on wrong side of law"

I've been waiting for the TV program -- where and when did you see it?

 

[Chip]

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/stranger-among-bears/charles-vandergaw/charles-vandergaw.html

People feed birds. Why not bear ?

Before anyone freaks out, I don't think you should feed birds either.

 

[sardog1]

If you're going to illegally feed thousands of pounds of dog food to dozens of bears, it's probably not a good idea to (1) do it after you've been cited previously, (2) discuss it openly with a newspaper reporter, (3) bring in Animal Planet, and (4) especially not if you're making a movie deal in exchange for some large green.

That sound you hear right now is the chickens coming home to roost: "Bear Haven man faces state game charges".

 

[Puck]

People feed birds. Why not bear ?

Before anyone freaks out, I don't think you should feed birds either.

I feed birds, in fact I can have up to eight or nine feeders in my back yard at any one time. I also landscape with native fruit bearing shrubs to bring in even more birds.

I promise to take them all down if a flock of goldfinches maul some of the local children, or if the juncos kill my neighbors dog or my wife. Actually I am waiting fopr Werner Herzog or Animal Planet to do a documentary on me...wait don't I need to be eaten first?

 

[bjc]

It was a 4 or 5 part series on Animal Planet. I think it was called "A Stranger Among Bears". Very interesting with some amazing close-up video of black and grizzly bears. The guy interacted with the bears using only a stick. He'd smack them with it if they got too aggressive with him. There was one scene of a grizzly charging at him, and the crazy guy stood his ground and poked it in the throat with the stick and stopped it right in front of him. And the bear calmed down and just stood there with him.

It ended with him closing up his camp. He'd been cited after repeated warnings from Alaska wildlife officials and had a summons to appear in court.

I was kind of expecting an ending similar to 'Grizzly Man'.

 

[Chip]

Update to this year old thread; He's been charged.

 

[Little Rickie]

If you're going to illegally feed thousands of pounds of dog food to dozens of bears, it's probably not a good idea to (1) do it after you've been cited previously, (2) discuss it openly with a newspaper reporter, (3) bring in Animal Planet, and (4) especially not if you're making a movie deal in exchange for some large green.

That sound you hear right now is the chickens coming home to roost: "Bear Haven man faces state game charges".

Stupid is as stupid does.

feed birds, in fact I can have up to eight or nine feeders in my back yard at any one time.

How much bird feed do you go through?

 

[brianW]

I tried feeding the bears but those stupid birds kept eating all the seed.

 

[grouseking]

That show was fascinating. While it was prob bad to feed them and have them used to humans....I couldn't change the channel. It is a shame that we are to a point where we encroach on bear territory so much that there are issues such as this....worrying about feeding and socializing with bears. But that is a whole other debate.