| The first bear I saw as a child was in a museum. | | | | drainage culvert with a wire grate welded at one |
| It was a huge stuffed albino Kodiak. At age five it | | | | end and a spring lock door at the other. It was |
| was really scary even though it was dead. | | | | mounted on a small trailer. The trap was baited |
| Perhaps it was the menacing snarl on its face that | | | | with old meat thrown out by a cook. Pieces of |
| created the impression. I can still see its wild eyes | | | | bacon and sausage were attached to a hook wire |
| glairing at me.It was years later when I saw | | | | connected to a trigger mechanism that tripped |
| another dead bear up close. A neighbour had shot | | | | the door to slam shut and lock the bear in. The |
| a black bear which was posing a danger. The bear | | | | bear would climb into the culvert area of the trap |
| had been hanging around the back door of his | | | | attracted by the smell of the old meat. When he |
| house. It refused to move on. He had concerns | | | | grabbed the meat on the hook the trap was |
| that either he or his wife would surprise it at night. | | | | sprung, slamming the door shut.The bears caught |
| Stepping out of the door face to face with a bear | | | | inside the trap would be painted on their back. |
| at night could startle or anger the bear, causing it | | | | This would indicate they had been caught. The |
| to attack. Coming home at night and walking into | | | | bear was then driven away to about half an hour |
| the bear on your porch would also have serious | | | | south of town and was released back into the |
| consequences. The bear had come by again so | | | | forest in an isolated area.Releasing the bear was |
| was shot some distance from the house. It was | | | | very exciting. To be safe I would grab an axe out |
| a medium size black bear. It didn't look too | | | | of the truck's tool box. I would release the latch |
| threatening as it lay there dead at the edge of a | | | | which locked the trap's door. A spring still kept the |
| clearing.For a time I lived in bear country while | | | | door closed. I would crawl on top of the trap |
| working up north near a huge hydro electric dam. | | | | culvert from the side of the trailer. While sitting on |
| The area contained both black and grizzly bears. | | | | the culvert with my axe in hand, I would swing |
| The threat from each of those is different. | | | | open the traps door and wait for the bear to |
| Grizzly bears are territorial and at the top of the | | | | jump out. The bear never jumped out |
| food chain. That means they hunt smaller animals | | | | immediately. It would stand there in the trap and |
| in certain situations. Black bears are less | | | | look out of the open door for a few moments. |
| aggressive.I saw the strength and power of a | | | | Eventually, it would stick its head out of the door, |
| grizzly bear who accidentally climbed into a live | | | | then jump to the ground and scamper quickly to |
| bear trap. The trap was used to relocate black | | | | the edge of the forest. Often the bear would |
| bears. It was not meant for grizzlies. The bear | | | | stop at the tree line and look back at me to see |
| had ripped the whole back end off the trap. He | | | | if he was being chased. No danger of that |
| had ripped off a steel door. I took the trap to be | | | | happening. The bears always would follow this |
| repaired at the town welding shop.I live trapped | | | | pattern when leaving the trap. All they wanted to |
| black bears from around town and nearby camp | | | | do was get free and run away. |
| grounds. The live trap was basically a huge | | | | |