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Bears of Churchill - Living With Bears
Cabin life is always interesting in Churchill. Most times when you
step out the door, it is accompanied by a quick check around for
big, white rocks with sharp teeth! Bears have an uncanny ability to
appear when you least expect them.
Most people who venture outside of Polar Bear Alert’s regular
patrol zone carry a shotgun for defence. These are usually loaded
first with cracker shells - non-lethal shells loaded with black
powder - and then with steel slugs as a second resort. Often, the
loud bang associated with cracker shells is enough to move a
bear away. If not, a cracker shell in their toe works pretty well.
However, they learn very quickly and a ‘crackered’ bear will likely
return later in the evening or at dawn to resume his investigations.
The best defence for people and cabins is a big dog that hates
bears. It is a lot of fun to watch a good bear dog ‘work’ a bear. They dart in and out and circle around, barking and trying to bite
that big ol’ bear bum! Usually, excessive barking and cracker
shells are a good combination to get the ‘move along’ message
across to unwelcome visitors.
Nail boards, also called a ‘Churchill welcome mat’, are a good start
for cabin owners. These are made with 3/4” plywood and a whole
bunch of nails. For the most part, they are a good deterrent placed
under or even attached to doors and windows. On the other hand, I
have seen bears standing on nail boards and getting quite grumpy!
However, not much is going to stop a bear if it really sets its mind
to something. The best description I have heard about a bearstruck
cabin is that it is ‘like someone picked up the cabin, turned
it over, shook it and then put it back.’ Bears have peeled off nails
boards, chewed through walls, popped out windows (frames and
all) and even broken through roofs. Once inside, they may tear
apart one room and walk through another leaving it untouched!
Luckily, most bears prefer to work in private and do this when
people are not in their cabins. Of course, the odd bear that doesn’t
care whether you are home or not can often leave you running for
your gun and then to the door in your long underwear...or less!
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