I Grew Up Fearing Bears

I grew up reading many of the magazines shown in the articles below. When I began hunting in my teens, I believed bears would charge me in instant anger. I wondered if I could kill a bear before it got me. At 18, I saw my first wild black bear. It sniffed me from head to toe and moved on into the darkness.

At 28, I began studying them. Now, after over 50 years of studying black bears and learning about their true timid nature, I reflect on how the magazines and media continue to mislead people. If black bears were like they are often portrayed, I would not have been able to work with them as closely as I have.

There is a huge need for accurate information about black bears. We want to help change the attitudes and dispel the many myths and misconceptions people have about them.