{"id":4747,"date":"2020-05-30T11:11:59","date_gmt":"2020-05-30T15:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4747"},"modified":"2020-05-30T11:12:50","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T15:12:50","slug":"episode-55-the-black-bear-that-got-too-friendly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4747","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 55 THE BLACK BEAR THAT GOT TOO FRIENDLY"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/div>\n
EPISODE 55     THE BLACK BEAR THAT JUST GOT TOO FRIENDLY:  MARATHON 1963<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
May 2020<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
We  set up our  base camp southeast of the paper mill at Marathon on the north shore  of Lake Superior.  Five  of us doing a<\/div>\n
geophysical survey searching for magnetic anomalies  that just might be turned  into a mine some day.  Summer of  1963.<\/div>\n
John Lloyd, Roger Nichols, David Murphy, Bill Gilbey and myself.  By 1963 I had done  this  kind of work for several  yuears<\/div>\n
so our boss, Dr. Norman Paterson gave me the<\/div>\n
responsibility for the camp.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
And  that became a problem.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
No sooner did  we get the  tents up and the food supply in place than we discovered there was a black bear who seemed<\/div>\n
to want to join our crew.   This began as  a  novelty for the bear was more interested in stealing our food than  gnawing at<\/div>\n
our bodies.    <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
This was dangerous business however.   One night I got up to take a leak at our latrine only to return and  find  John Lloyd <\/div>\n
standing with axe upraised  thinking I was the bear entering our tent.   John Lloyd was a Welsh geophyicist with no bear<\/div>\n
experience.    On another occasion the bear got one of our salamis hanging  from a  hook in our cook tent.   I think the bear<\/div>\n
took a  mouthful of tent canvas with it.  Otherwise the bear just walked\u2026waddled\u2026into the cook tent and  made a <\/div>\n
selection.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The bear was getting too friendly.  Dangerously so.  Action had to be taken \u2026 desperate  action.  But first we tried<\/div>\n
another ploy.  Let\u2019s call it the  \u2018Garbage Can Lid and Nielsen\u2019s Jesey Milk chlorate bar caper.\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\u201cHey Al, why don\u2019t we try to shock the bear.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWe could wire up the garbage can lid?\u201d<\/div>\n
(We  had buried a  big galvanized garbage can deep in the ground to act as  a refrigerator and also<\/div>\n
a protection of our food from red squirrels>)<\/div>\n
\u201cSuppose we hook the lid to our motor generator\u2026wait for the bear to lie the lid\u2026and then WHAM\u2026give<\/div>\n
him or her a shot of electricity.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAnd the bait?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s use the chocolate bars\u2026Jersey Milk.  The bear has already got some so we know it likes Jersey Milk  Bars.<\/div>\n
(So  , like a bunch of kids, we set our trap.}<\/div>\n
\u201cDrive the truck so it faces the garbage can\u2026start the generator\u2026and then we will wait.\u201d<\/div>\n
(All five of us crammed into the company truck..and waited\u2026I don\u2019t remember who held<\/div>\n
the on \/ off switch.   Might have been me.  Might have been Gilbey as I think the plan was his  <\/div>\n
idea.)<\/div>\n
\u201cGetting dark.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cHere comes the bear.  Get ready.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cHas  the bear got the lid?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cYes\u2026NOW!  NOW!  Throw the switch.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cToo late \u2026 that is  one fast bear.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cHe got the whole box of Jersey Milk bars faster that we could throw the switch.\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\u201cDid  he or she know we were in the truck?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cProbably\u2026seemed to consider us  food suppliers\u2026as  if  we were grocery employees.\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n
We failed.  Now for the sad part.<\/div>\n
We could  not leave the bear free to wander in and out of the tents.  Someone could  get mauled for sure.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Sp we called in the Lands  and Forest Ranger.  He came with a long gun.   Guns were never allowed in<\/div>\n
our bush  camps.  That principle was established  long ago.  \u201cIf  we had guns in camp, we would likely shoot each other,\u201d<\/div>\n
Floyd Faulkner told me way back in 1957 when I first got into the business.  He was  like correct.  When people live<\/div>\n
in close proximity to each other sometimes tension develop.  so \u2026No  Guns.   That was one of the differences between<\/div>\n
Canadian and American bush crews. A good difference.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\u201cWe  have a bear in camp.\u201d I told the Ranger.<\/div>\n
\u201cHow often?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cEvery day\u2026scared  it might come into a tent at night.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cSounds  like a  Garbage Bear.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cGarbage Bear?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cPeople make garbage too available\u2026bears find  steady meals\u2026and problems happen like you face.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhat can  be done?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cCould a  big bear trap be brought in?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo!  This bear is just too tame\u2026.It will be a problem wherever it goes.\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
“Does it have to be shot?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cYes, we\u2019ll do it now.  You say the bear is  nearby?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cYes, broad  daylight it wanders in around us.  Never attacks though.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll just wait then\u2026Keep behind me.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cThen the bear appeared\u2026see the photograph.\u201d (PHOTOGRAPH)<\/div>\n
\u201cWait until I get a  clear  shot\u2026one bullet.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cThere, the bear is smelling the air\u2026got clear shot.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cBAM!!\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
ONE of the saddest things in my life.  The poor bear was shot\u2026dying.  And it cried  like<\/div>\n
a baby.  We all cried.   I do  not remember if we buried it\u2026think we did.  Then again the Ranger<\/div>\n
may have taken it away.   We were all very quiet that night.  No joy!<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Just so I do not end this story on such a sad note, let me  tell an anecdote about Bill Gilbey.  He was<\/div>\n
a Brit sent over to get experience in the wilderness.  His family owned the Gilbey\u2019s Gin company in<\/div>\n
England.   They were part of the minor nobility.  His father or grandfather had been nighted for some<\/div>\n
achievement in business\u2026probably gin making.   Bill was a great guy.  Tough, funny, enthusiastic.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
He came to camp with a big copy of Eaton\u2019s Catalogue and each night he would<\/div>\n
peruse the Women\u2019s underwear  section and draw various items to our attention.<\/div>\n
\u201cSad  state of affairs, lads,\u201d\u2026\u201dWhen we have to rely on this catalogue for our pornography.\u201d<\/div>\n
And then he would point to some young lady modelling skimpy underclothes.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I felt readers might need this comment so they would  stop crying about the bear.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Bush work involved both bears and Mail Order Catalogues.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
May 2020<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE 55     THE BLACK BEAR THAT JUST GOT TOO FRIENDLY:  MARATHON 1963 alan skeoch May 2020 We  set up our  base camp southeast of the paper mill at Marathon on the north shore  of Lake Superior.  Five  of us doing a geophysical survey searching for magnetic anomalies  that just might be turned  into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}