I can't help but wonder, if that's true, if it's related to something I'd read a few days ago... basically that brown bear (that includes Grizzly) populations that converge on rivers to fish & eat salmon together have a far more well-developed set of social behaviors. Apparently it's by necessity, so they can all fish & eat in close proximity to one another. I know the bear watchers, humans, can usually be seen fairly close and the bears don't often show aggression toward one another or toward the humans. Maybe it's something to do with that.officialwafflez wrote:Cameron Hanes ..."I’ve hunted grizzly in Alaska and been in grizzly country many times in the Lower-48, and it’s common knowledge that grizzly in the Lower-48 are more aggressive than bear in Alaska. I believe one reason why is because they aren’t hunted down here so they are less fearful of man."
I wonder why someone shooting a non-social (individual) animal as prey, during a hunt, would teach other animals of that species to fear humans? Like-... I get that deer, wolves etc fear man in places they're hunted. I assume that's because they see "holy cow, that guy just killed Hairy Dave with a boom-stick!" But solitary animals? How do they learn this from the deaths of other solitary animals, presumeably nowhere near them? That's just curiosity speaking, mind.
There's also an interesting study about crows, scarecrows, and human body language. Apparently they could tell when someone intended to shoot them, even when the weapon was concealed--as opposed to totally ignoring the men.
It's interesting stuff.