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Outdoor Corner: Peanut Butter: A typical multi-faceted bear

Gene Plihal
for Smoky River Express

Though Peanut Butter, my baited bear for over three years, was typical in much of his behaviour, he, like other black bears, is extremely unpredictable, and for that reason, very dangerous.

Though he enjoyed playing games with me as I arrived at the bait station, I always kept one wary eye on him at all times. On the occasion of his debut as a photogenic bear, through the professional efforts of Brian M. Wolitski of BMW photography out of Calgary, Peanut Butter demonstrated his volatile and unpredictable nature.

Upon arrival at my place, Brian’s first concern was about setting up his cameras so that he could capture Peanut Butter’s image in good light. So, we used the elevated stand next to the bait to position his camera.

Initially, it looked as though putting the camera on a ten foot platform would work for the photography session. However, when all was set up, the bait was in place, a large beaver carcass placed in the centre of a sunlit area of an opening in the bush, things did not go as planned. Oh yes, Peanut Butter wasn’t even cautious since we were high in a tree stand and with our scent being carried up by the warmed afternoon air, we had our bear in plain view for photography.

However, Peanut Butter wouldn’t cooperate with our photographer. He picked up the entire beaver carcass (about 40 pounds) and walked off with the carcass without holding for a solitary picture. Brian was frustrated. “Now what do we do?”

I reassured Brian by going back to my bait supply and coming back with another beaver carcass.

“We’ll tie the beaver between two trees at opposite ends of the open area,” I explained.

Like clockwork, Peanut Butter showed up again. He picked up the second carcass and proceeded to walk off into the bush again when the tethered beaver pulled out of his mouth. This seemed to amaze the bear. “All of the times that I have captured a beaver in my mouth they have never been jerked out like this.” Peanut Butter seemed to be saying as he looked puzzled by the strange occurrence.

Peanut Butter picked up the tied beaver carcass a second time and again started walking off when he reached the end of his rope and the beaver carcass again pulled out of his mouth. At this point I witnessed, for the first time, the mercuric temper of black bears. Peanut Butter grabbed the uncooperative carcass and madly bit and wrestled the carcass. In this fury of activity, grass and branches in the vicinity flew as Peanut Butter viciously attacked and growled at the carcass. After an extended tussle with the inert carcass, and realizing he couldn’t move his prey, Peanut Butter lay down next to the carcass and began devouring the carcass in broad daylight. Hence, Brian Wolitski had his opportunity to take pictures and that he did. After 15 minutes of camera shots, wide angle, close up and so on, Brian decided, in his professional opinion, that it would be better to go down to ground level and take shots. I balked at this suggestion.

“You want to do what?” I asked in disbelief. “Do you realize how quick that bear can be on top of us if we go down there?”

“I am willing to take the chance for a good picture.” Brian concluded.

So we disembarked from the tree stand and set up on ground level just in time to have a new black bear show up for the offerings. This, we concluded, was Peanut butter’s twin (black bear cubs from the same sow are often different hues).

We watched as the new bear came in and devoured the remnants of the beaver carcass. And then, in the distance, we could see Peanut Butter very carefully making his way to the bait site again unbeknown to the second bear. Peanut Butter surreptitiously crept up to a large log approximately 30 metres from the black bear. He was obviously preparing to pounce on the second bear.

What happened next was nothing less than amazing. In a flash of time Peanut Butter was on top of the second bear, teeth gnashing and hair flying in all directions. It was at this instant that I came to believe the old adage, that for a short distance, a bear can run faster than a horse. In that instant it also became obvious to me how a bear can catch a moose.

The whole experience of witnessing Peanut Butter’s quickness was an epiphany for me. Lightning speed existing in a black bear was exemplified in this demonstration. Never again would I go into a berry patch carrying a gun thinking I could always protect myself with that. Never again would I walk a wilderness trail without making significant noise to warn bears of my presence. Never again would I walk through heavy brush oblivious to bears possibly being there. If a bear is surprised by a human being and chooses to attack or if a bear chooses to stalk a human being, no firearm (especially a long gun) can be quickly enough employed to dispense the animal. They (the bears) are simply too quick. They are Mohammed Ali’s on four legs in the sense that they too “move like butterflies (noiselessly) and sting like bees.”

Next week I will conclude this series on Peanut Butter’s photography session and reflect on his fate.

Here the majestic Peanut Butter sits for Brian Wolitski’s photograph session. He (Peanut Butter) munches on the balance of his beaver carcass always watchful of possible intruders including his black twin.