Last time we ended with this warning from the Canadian Wildlife Service: "When people watch bears in the wild they should never forget that these are wild animals that must be treated with caution. They should not be fed. Most bears will hastily retreat if a person approaches too closely, but one should not take unnecessary chances, as bears, like people, are sometimes unpredictable. They are interesting to observe and photograph, but they can be dangerous at close quarters."

Why all the fuss? As assembled by George Kolenosky for the CWS, here follows the current taxpayers' take on the ursus-homo interface.

"The attitude of people toward bears has always been one of caution, respect, and, in primitive times, even reverence. Many American Indians have special veneration for the bear, and any hunter who kills a bear commands considerable respect.

"In the early days of European settlement, bear hunters made their living hunting and trapping bears, wolves, and cougars because of their presumed danger to livestock and perhaps people. In fact, most black bears kill few large mammals and can not be classified as predators in the same manner as wolves, weasels, or polar bears. They are now prized as game animals, because they are large and elusive and test the skills of hunters and because bear meat if properly prepared is considered highly palatable by many fanciers of wild game.

"Black bears are extremely fond of garbage and frequently congregate at dumps. This habit occasionally leads them into contact with people who enjoy observing the feeding antics of the bears, especially the younger ones. Of course, if the bears demolish some picnicker's lunch, this feeding behaviour is not thought so amusing.

"Most bears are extremely shy and retiring and usually avoid direct contact with humans. Incidents of black bears attacking humans have been reported but are extremely rare. These attacks were usually made by bears that had been feeding on garbage or by animals in extremely poor physical condition due to old age, disease, or wounds.

Occasionally bears cause trouble when they prey on livestock or upset beehives in an apiary. Usually incidents of this type are caused by one or two individuals and the problem is solved by their removal.

But when bear and person meet, it's usually the human who has the upper hand - and who leaves the encounter intact, or at least alive. Thus, in 1992, "to limit illegal killing of black bears and international trafficking in gall bladders from wild bears (including endangered Asian bears), the 115 countries (including Canada) that were parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to list the black bear on Appendix II to the Convention. Since that date, a hunter wishing to transport any part of a black bear through customs of any country that is a member of CITES has had to obtain a CITES export permit from the exporting country."

A typical Vermont Yankee

This is a copy of a calendar that Carl Whitcomb of Richford, Vermont, had made in 1952: "Blouin Bros. Inc. have reproduced it in remembrance of Carl Whitcomb, Guy Combs and Wellington Blouin. These men were the best of friends from the early 1900s. Carl and Wellington both thought a lot of Guy, and we're sure they would be pleased to think we have not forgotten them."

"Original story as told to Mr. Carl Whitcomb: Here's Guy Combs of Richford with 500 pound black bear which he shot in the fall of '52 on his farm five miles from Richford Village (and just a stone's throw from the Young farm in Frelighsburg - ed.). Seventy-four-year-old Guy is a typical Vermont Yankee. Bringing down a bear is all in a day's work for him, as he's been a hunter and sportsman all his life and has shot a good many bears and deer."