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Author Topic: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears  (Read 1433 times)

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Offline RobJohnson

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Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« on: May 23, 2009, 09:55:02 PM »
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Charlie Vandergaw is crazy about bears.

That's obvious in a documentary made last year by a British filmmaker at Vandergaw's remote Alaska cabin and featured in the recent Animal Planet series "Stranger Among Bears." The videos show him scratching the belly of one black bear as if it was the family dog, feeding a cookie to a large black bear sitting under a tree, and feeding dog kibble to a cub from his outstretched hand.

Vandergaw has been coexisting with bears this way for the last 20 years, and he wants to be left alone.

That is not likely to happen now that the state is using a beefed-up law to prosecute Vandergaw for feeding bears. Game officials consider feeding bears a danger to humans, especially if others duplicate the behavior.

Not everyone thinks the state needs to be going after a 70-year-old retired teacher and wrestling coach.

Even if Vandergaw ends up being killed by the bears he loves, that's the Alaska way, said John Frost, who has been friends with Vandergaw for years. He recalled that when he came to Alaska in 1973 he saw a T-shirt that said "Alaska land of the individual and other endangered species."

"Yet here we are as a state going to crush this kind, gentle little guy," Frost said.

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Offline Chris_

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2009, 01:40:46 PM »
Just let nature takes it's course. The bears will kill him and eat him eventually.
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2009, 04:09:05 PM »
Leave the guy alone.  If the bears take him out then so be it.
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2009, 04:46:54 PM »
Quote from: rich_t on May 24, 2009, 04:09:05 PM
Leave the guy alone.  If the bears take him out then so be it.

Agree 100%.  Let the guy alone.
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2009, 05:09:48 PM »
I saw the documentary on TV a few weeks ago.  The relationship between this guy and the bears was simply amazing to see.

A 400 pound female grizzly charged him, he just wacked her with a big stick and told her NO!  The bear backed off.

I'm not sure I'd want to try it, but the bear knew him.  I'm also sure he knows not to get too close to her cubs until she is ready for him too. 

He was not harming anyone.
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Offline Randy

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2009, 06:37:06 PM »
The OP misspelled the word dumbass, man in the title  :-)
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2009, 08:36:29 PM »
Quote from: Randy on May 24, 2009, 06:37:06 PM
The OP misspelled the word dumbass, man in the title  :-)

Who made you judge and jury on how another chooses to live their life?

 :fuelfire:
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Offline RobJohnson

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2009, 02:40:25 AM »
The state took his plane, so he can no longer get to the bears.
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2009, 09:01:52 AM »
Quote from: RobJohnson on May 25, 2009, 02:40:25 AM
The state took his plane, so he can no longer get to the bears.

Hmmm....  That would be a rather long walk.
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2009, 10:44:08 AM »
If he wants to go play with bears and get eaten by them....fine with me.

But it really ain't good for "those" bears he inacts with are the general public "they" might encounter. Think about that a little bit. 
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Offline Randy

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2009, 01:28:21 PM »
Quote from: JohnnyReb on May 25, 2009, 10:44:08 AM
If he wants to go play with bears and get eaten by them....fine with me.

But it really ain't good for "those" bears he inacts with are the general public "they" might encounter. Think about that a little bit. 

Exactly. Here in Florida we have the same problem with people feeding alligators. Eventually they see people as a food source and when someone doesn't have the goodies, well they have lots of tender to gnaw until something better comes along.

Marshmellows are a favorite food to feed them. The funniest description of dogs, (which get eaten alot by gators here) is that all the gator sees as you walk lil Fluffy down by the lake is a noisy marshmellow on a string.  :rotf: That's the cause and effect of feeding the wild carnivors here. Bears aren't much different.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2009, 05:34:18 PM »
Leave him the H*ll alone.  It'd be different if he were in a park setting with lots of other people around.  He has done no harm to the animals and the risk should be his to take. 

  :censored: nanny-state. 
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Offline MarshallLaw

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Re: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2009, 12:24:40 PM »
Yeah, leave him alone.










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