What happens to a tree-hugging schizo who likes to play with Grizzly Bears?

[IceColdBrewski]

Tune in to "Grizzly Man" on the discovery chanel saturday night at 7:00 pm (Texas time). They'll be showing it again on Sunday night. Not sure what time though.

It's a documentary about this California yahoo who decides to take his video camera to Alaska, and frolic with the wild Grizzly Bears. Apparently he did this for several years. The footage he recorded is outrageous. Footage leading right up to the day that one of the Bears decided he looked mighty tasty. This cat definitely experimented waaaay too much with LSD.

Too many commercials, but great TV. :D

[spurs=bling]

Did Mike Fratello get bored?

[Vashner]

You can raise them from cubs but you can't mess with full grown ones.

He watched way to many episodes of Grizzly Adams.

Plus no pepper spray. Very popular non lethal protection nowdays.

Bringing the girl was the dumbest part.

[samikeyp]

I read about this guy in Readers Digest a few months ago. What a dumbass.

[SpursWoman]

We see the commercials for it all of the time thinking he was a total dumbass, but have never watched the show ... you mean a bear finally killed him?? :wow :wow

[IceColdBrewski]

I read about this guy in Readers Digest a few months ago. What a dumbass.

You have no idea. Wait till you see some of the footage from his video camera. Dude was living way out on the edge. Getting close enough to some of these bears that he could touch them.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Dude liked bears.

Bears liked dude. . .with toast and jam.

I don't know if they play the tape in the documentary, but they played it on a different news show soon after he was killed, and that was pretty ugly. You hear him getting munched, and yelling at his girlfriend to run. She stays to try to get the bear away (you hear her hitting the bear on the head with what they determined later was an iron skillet). Then the bear kills and eats her, too.

Sad story.

[Skywalker]

This was at the theatre a few months ago. I missed it. Thanks for the update. Sad ending.

[MannyIsGod]

I think you guys are way off base calling him a dumbass. He has a passion for being close to those bears and he knew the risks. I understand that many of you don't understand passion and love to live boring safe lives where the biggest risk you take is trying a differen't item off the value menu at Wendy's during your lunch hour but that doesn't make this guy a dumbass.

I've watched the show and I respect him quite a bit. He didn't want to live the life of an average American so he went out and pursued what he wanted to do. He did it for many years and he did it successfully. He made a mistake at the end staying too late in the year and it proved to be a fatal mistake, but he did things that no one else has done.

When interviewed about the film, a bunch of his friends said it wasn't a true portrayal of his personality in a way that made him see much farther from sanity than he ever was. I don't doubt that one bit.

[CharlieMac]

Dude liked bears.

Bears liked dude. . .with toast and jam.

I don't know if they play the tape in the documentary, but they played it on a different news show soon after he was killed, and that was pretty ugly. You hear him getting munched, and yelling at his girlfriend to run. She stays to try to get the bear away (you hear her hitting the bear on the head with what they determined later was an iron skillet). Then the bear kills and eats her, too.

Sad story.

That's a harsh way to go.

[ChumpDumper]

They didn't play the tape on the film. They showed Werner Herzog listening to it and he tells the owner (dude's close friend who hadn't heard it) to never listen to it and destroy it. Surprising move considering how misguided Herzog considered his view of the bears.

I wonder who leaked it -- someone at the ME's office?

[IceColdBrewski]

I think you guys are way off base calling him a dumbass. He has a passion for being close to those bears and he knew the risks. I understand that many of you don't understand passion and love to live boring safe lives where the biggest risk you take is trying a differen't item off the value menu at Wendy's during your lunch hour but that doesn't make this guy a dumbass.

Screwing around with huge wild carnivores like they're your friends definitely makes you a dumbass. Plain and simple. The writing was on the wall for this guy. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Only a dumbass would go to live with Grizzlies and "pretend" to be one.


I've watched the show and I respect him quite a bit. He didn't want to live the life of an average American so he went out and pursued what he wanted to do.

I respect him as well. But on the flip-side, you can easily see that he was running away from the hardships of real life, and hiding in the wilderness of Alaska. It's also obvious that he was striving for that "rock star" status that's discussed in the documentary.

You see it as him wanting to live a different kind of life. I see it as a guy who was running away from alcoholism and drug addiction. There's no denying that he had that tree-hugging love of the wilderness, but a lot of his antics were obviously an attempt to put on a good show in front of the camera. Kinda makes me wonder what his true motives were.




When interviewed about the film, a bunch of his friends said it wasn't a true portrayal of his personality in a way that made him see much farther from sanity than he ever was. I don't doubt that one bit.

Sorry, but the proof is in the pudding. After watching his own footage, there's no denying that this cat was a few McNuggets short of a happy meal. Not to say that he was totally crazy, but any man who gets that close to a Grizzly Bear isn't playing with full deck.

[MannyIsGod]

Oh, you've seen all of his footage right? Oh, you saw an edited FILM put together by a DIRECTOR who was trying to PAINT A PICTURE.

The people who knew him woudln't have informed opinions on his mental state, would they? No, you know better because you saw the EDITED FILM.

I gotcha.

The problem is that whenever people see other people doing somethign they don't understand, they automaticaly brand them as "crazy". People do things taht seem dangerous and strange to other people because thats what they love doing.

The man wasn't crazy. He knew the risks and decided the risk was worth taking because thats just how much he loved being there. You don't think that danger is worth it, so you simply call him crazy. And well, thats bullshit.

[baseline bum]

What a dumbass.

[T Park]

The problem is that whenever people see other people doing somethign they don't understand, they automaticaly brand them as "crazy

screwing around with full size bears, yeah I guess I don't understand wanting to do that.

Its a freakin bear, thing can kill you in a heartbeat.

WTF would you want to fuck with one!??!?!?

[MannyIsGod]

For the rush? Because he loved being around the bears? Because he loved the animals? Because he was fascinated by them?

Why do astronauts strap themselves to the top of a rocket? Why'd the Wright brothers get in a flying machine? Why do people try to break land speed records? Why do people do extreme sports? Why do people film animals very close in Africa? Why are their test pilots?

Like I said, passion is a thing many people equate with the movies and don't understand. Dude died doing what he loved to do. Thats more than I can say for a lot of people who die living shitty unfullfilling lives.

[jcrod]

Why call the guy a dumbass he's dead. If it weren't for guys like Timothy, we wouldn't have the Discovery channel, we wouldn't know shit about any animals.

He was doing it for yrs and caught some amazing video. Apparently the bear that killed him was not one of "his" bears.

[CharlieMac]

Why call the guy a dumbass he's dead. If it weren't for guys like Timothy, we wouldn't have the Discovery channel, we wouldn't know shit about any animals.

He was doing it for yrs and caught some amazing video. Apparently the bear that killed him was not one of "his" bears.

On that note, a lot of people call professional storm chasers idiots. Yet we're all glued to the screen when it's tornado week in National Geographic Channel or something.

I probably feel for him because I had a nightmare about those fucking bears last night after watching the video.

[SpursWoman]

"I'm touching her pooh! It's still warm! I'm inside of her! I love her!"

Please, that dude was a fruitcake....either that or stoned out of his mind. I don't care what your passion is ... but if it involves trying to live amongst 10 ft grizzly bears, then, it's kind of hard to have a lot of sympathy when one finally gets your number. It's tragic that he died, no doubt...but I agree with the locals that have lived there for hundreds of years. He was doing something against the plan of nature and paid the price for it.

And what exactly was he doing to protect the bears, besides running around alone with camoflauge makeup on all by himself?

[SpursWoman]

I probably feel for him because I had a nightmare about those fucking bears last night after watching the video.


:tu :lol

[SpursWoman]

On that note, a lot of people call professional storm chasers idiots.


Yes, I think weathermen standing outside in 130mph hurricane force winds reporting the conditions are idiots and probably would feel the same way if they met their own demise by a flying Volkswagon.

:fro

[CharlieMac]

Ah, but there's a difference between storm chasers in the midwest that do this type of thing for scientific purposes or some some dude that feeds his family that way, and Anderson Cooper standing in the middle of a hurricane year after year reminding us that a hurricane is "loud".

[Useruser666]

I watched the movie like many in here. As I watched it I kept seeing signs of obvious mental disabilities with it's host. Having passion is one thing, but he crossed the line that people who work or study animals must never cross. Not only that he broke more than one rule in the way he placed himself in the bears' enviroment. I honestly saw someone who used the bears for gain rather than actually benefiting them. He may have known the dangers, but maybe due to his state of mind, he was unable to clearly weigh them.

[Kori Ellis]

And what exactly was he doing to protect the bears, besides running around alone with camoflauge makeup on all by himself?

This was going to be my question exactly.

I didn't understand at all what he did to protect them. That was a major theme throughout the movie by him (and his friends in the ending). What exactly did he do to stop poaching? The only time I saw the bears in danger was when people were throwing rocks at them and he hid in the bushes and watched.

So, what did he do on a daily basis to help protect them?

[MannyIsGod]

His presence alone there apparently detered poachers. The year after his death there were (x number - I don't remember the exact number) of poaching incidents in that park.

As far as him seeming crazy, you're looking at a film put together by a director who wanted to make a point.

Question: You think the most entertaining scenes of video that Timothy shot are the ones where he's acting normal?

[timvp]

I think that Indian guy in the movie whose people has been dealing with those bears for 7000 years made the most sense. While Timothy probably really loved those bears, he did more harm than good by making those bears comfortable around humans. Now when Mr. Brown strolls up to his human friend, he'll be shot and his gallblader confiscated.

All of Timothy Treadwell's friends say he wanted to be a rockstar and now he is one. I'll give him props for that. I'm not going to call him a dumbass because I think he thought he was helping, but he obviously wasn't was the sharpest tool in the shed.

[MannyIsGod]

His critics also note that while Treadwell believed that he was protecting bears, control experts have stated that incidents of poaching in the area were low and did not affect the population level. However, according to the "Grizzly People" organization he founded, five bears were poached in the year after his death, while none had been poached while he was present in Katmai [1].

[timvp]

according to the "Grizzly People" organization he founded

Just as the filmmaker was trying to paint a picture, so would his organization.

Tough thing in this circumstance is there really isn't any independant third party to get that info from. Parks and Wildlife would have reason to minimalize his effort, while his organization would have reason to exaggerate it.

[MannyIsGod]

Thats true, but there would be a paper trail for 5 poachings within that park.

[MannyIsGod]

This year, the consequences of Tim's absence brought tragedy upon the Katmai Grizzly population.

Four Grizzly bears were senselessly slain last week in Katmai National Park and a young Grizzly cub is missing. There is now a criminal investigation by National Park Service rangers assisted by Alaska State Troopers.

The first three bears found over the weekend included a 500-pound nursing mother and her 300-pound, two- to three-year-old cub. They were viciously slaughtered near Funnel Creek, about 12 miles south of Iliamna Lake in Katmai, 120 miles west of Homer, Alaska. A third bear was found a little further down the stream from the other two. A fourth bear was shot a few days later.

Because the first bear was a nursing mother, a young cub has been orphaned and is missing and will most likely die.

Claws were removed from the bears although the hides were left on the carcasses. The bodies were mutilated indicating the possibility that the gall bladders were taken. The gall bladders are in demand by the Asian quack medical profession.

On Tuesday, August 10, Captain Paul Watson contacted ranger Missy Epping at the Katmai National Park and offered a $5,000 reward to be added to the $10,000 reward already announced by the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.

"I am hopeful that the rewards will bring forth information that will lead to the arrest of the sadistic killer or killers responsible for this despicable slaughter," said Captain Paul Watson, the President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society based in Friday Harbor, Washington.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_040810_2.html

It started happening the year after his death. There is no deying that.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Basically, Ice Cold Brewski, and other skeptics are saying that because you have nothing compared to the passion this guy had for an animal, don't have the balls this guy had, don't think its something you woulda done, that he was crazy.

I say Manny Is God has just owned all of you.

Just cuz he hung out with bears does not make him crazy...I saw this show (not the documentary) but they DID mention that he realized the risks he took every day but didn't care.

Its not like he expected to live in harmony with them and fuck them and have bear-man babies....he knew the risks and took them. Risk taker? Yes. Crazy? Not in my opinion.

Also, it's my understanding that one technique he used to protect the bears was the documentary itself...it was supposed to educate people and shift their concept of "Bears" from viscious, stupid, wild carnivorous animal to majestic respectable animal life form.

Why do you see him as crazy? Probably because you view bears as the former.
Why don't I see him as crazy? Probably because I view bears as the latter.

[Kori Ellis]

It started happening the year after his death. There is no deying that.

I just don't get what he was doing to stop it while he was there.

What were the stats on poaching during the years he was there?

[MannyIsGod]

I just don't get what he was doing to stop it while he was there.

What were the stats on poaching during the years he was there?From what I understand, Zero. But I don't have anything to back it up, its just conjecture.

[Useruser666]

Basically, Ice Cold Brewski, and other skeptics are saying that because you have nothing compared to the passion this guy had for an animal, don't have the balls this guy had, don't think its something you woulda done, that he was crazy.

I say Manny Is God has just owned all of you.

Just cuz he hung out with bears does not make him crazy...I saw this show (not the documentary) but they DID mention that he realized the risks he took every day but didn't care.

Its not like he expected to live in harmony with them and fuck them and have bear-man babies....he knew the risks and took them. Risk taker? Yes. Crazy? Not in my opinion.

Also, it's my understanding that one technique he used to protect the bears was the documentary itself...it was supposed to educate people and shift their concept of "Bears" from viscious, stupid, wild carnivorous animal to majestic respectable animal life form.

Why do you see him as crazy? Probably because you view bears as the former.
Why don't I see him as crazy? Probably because I view bears as the latter.


Passion for doing something can be a noble gift or feat. But not all passion is noble. Not all passion is "good". Has anyone ever heard of Jane Goodall? http://www.janegoodall.org/
There is a person who has a passion for what they do, and go about doing in the proper ways. Researchers have strict guidelines for studying animals in their natural habitats. Those guidelines are as much for the safety of the researchers as for the protection of the animals. When you push those limits aside you risk both your own safety and the animals of which you are studying. You can't protect something if you yourself are the greatest risk to it.

I am not putting the guy down for having a strong passion in what he believes. I don't want to see the bears poached. But I know I don't have the training to go out and push the limits of wild animals, who no matter how long they've been around people, are unpredictable. Animals as powerful and ferocious as bears are dangerous animals. Just like people, not all bears are the same. I think that's one of the most important things that was forgotten by this guy. The problem is, that when dealing with such high stakes, it only takes one mistake.

[SpursWoman]

I think it's great that he was passionate about it ... but because I don't share the same enthusiasm for living with undomesticated, dangerous animals doesn't mean I am without anything I'm passionate about in my life. I don't think he deserved what he got, and I don't think he'd want anyone's sympathy either.

The footage of the bears was absolutely incredible (although I think him cursing at the little fox that stole his hat was the funniest thing ever) ... I just don't think it was worth his life. Apparently he and some of you did/do. My "dumbass" remark was based on nothing but the commercials I've been seeing for weeks about this show, before I'd even seen it. After seeing that he really was that serious about it, then so be it. To me that's just damn crazy.

I also can't see how there's a sane person on this planet that could have listened to anything he said in those tapes and not think that he wasn't at least a little off of his rocker. And that's not spin by the film maker trying to paint a picture...the words were right out of the guy's mouth with no possible way to take them out of context. Caressing bear shit is caressing bear shit.

And since when is having a different opinion "ownage"?

[MannyIsGod]

The fox stealing the hat was absolutely hillarious.

Friggin den!

[MannyIsGod]

I think the guy could be described as eccentric, but not a dumbass or not crazy in a deragotory way of using crazy.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Passion for doing something can be a noble gift or feat. But not all passion is noble. Not all passion is "good". Has anyone ever heard of Jane Goodall? http://www.janegoodall.org/
There is a person who has a passion for what they do, and go about doing in the proper ways. Researchers have strict guidelines for studying animals in their natural habitats. Those guidelines are as much for the safety of the researchers as for the protection of the animals. When you push those limits aside you risk both your own safety and the animals of which you are studying. You can't protect something if you yourself are the greatest risk to it.

I am not putting the guy down for having a strong passion in what he believes. I don't want to see the bears poached. But I know I don't have the training to go out and push the limits of wild animals, who no matter how long they've been around people, are unpredictable. Animals as powerful and ferocious as bears are dangerous animals. Just like people, not all bears are the same. I think that's one of the most important things that was forgotten by this guy. The problem is, that when dealing with such high stakes, it only takes one mistake.


Yeah no doubt, I agree with that. So going on this, I'd say its more fitting to call him selfish, not crazy. He knew all these things but decided to go against the grain and be up close with them 24/7.



And since when is having a different opinion "ownage"?

If your opinion is that he was crazy then "ownage" is perfectly fitting...perhaps even....DIownage..

[SpursWoman]

No, not really.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

No, not really.


Well those that call him crazy are calling him crazy because he had
a different opinion

[timvp]

Cant_be_Faded is a little biased because he does the same thing as Timothy Treadwell.

[timvp]

Except with spiders.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Okay okay but if you take away that fact you can't ignore the logic that underneath what some have said they are basically saying he's crazy cuz he had a different opinion.

[SpursWoman]

So he wasn't crazy. He was SUICIDAL. That's not an opinion, that's a lifestyle.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

So he wasn't crazy.

That's the only thing I wanted to hear :)

[timvp]

cra·zy
adj. cra·zi·er, cra·zi·est

1. Affected with madness. That guy must be crazy to play with bears.http://www.mdcharity.org/images/checkmark.gif
2. Informal. Departing from proportion or moderation, especially:
1. Possessed by enthusiasm or excitement: When Tim saw the bear poo he went crazy. http://www.mdcharity.org/images/checkmark.gif
2. Immoderately fond; infatuated: Tim was crazy about bears.http://www.mdcharity.org/images/checkmark.gif
3. Foolish or impractical; senseless: Tim was must have been crazy to think he could play with bears and he wouldn't get eaten.http://www.mdcharity.org/images/checkmark.gif

[SpursWoman]

:lmao :lmao

[Cant_Be_Faded]

uhh...yeah..and each check is due to your opinion

i wouldn't say affected by madness, senseless, foolish, or impractical

and let us not forget, mr dictionary, the title of the thread implies the 'madness' definition, which is the one easiest to be up in the air due to opinion

[IceColdBrewski]

Basically, Ice Cold Brewski, and other skeptics are saying that because you have nothing compared to the passion this guy had for an animal, don't have the balls this guy had, don't think its something you woulda done, that he was crazy.

I say Manny Is God has just owned all of you.

Just cuz he hung out with bears does not make him crazy...I saw this show (not the documentary) but they DID mention that he realized the risks he took every day but didn't care.

Its not like he expected to live in harmony with them and fuck them and have bear-man babies....he knew the risks and took them. Risk taker? Yes. Crazy? Not in my opinion.

Also, it's my understanding that one technique he used to protect the bears was the documentary itself...it was supposed to educate people and shift their concept of "Bears" from viscious, stupid, wild carnivorous animal to majestic respectable animal life form.

Why do you see him as crazy? Probably because you view bears as the former.
Why don't I see him as crazy? Probably because I view bears as the latter.

Playing touchy feely "I love you" games with wild Grizzly bears that can, and will eventually kill you, is crazy. Plain and simple. Hell, I used to jump out of airplanes for a living in the army using a parachute that somebody else packed. Balls of steel? Damn right. But even those of us who did it had to admit that we were a little crazy for ever volunteering for it.

Maybe if he would've at least armed himself with pepper spray to ward off the inevitable attack, I'd be less inclined to call him little crazy. Maybe if he would've done his best to keep a safe distance while filming the bears, I'd be less inclined to call him a little crazy. But the fact that he didn't only proves that part of him had a deathwish, and that he got off on the high of playing russian roulette with wild Grizzlies. That's just crazy. There's no two ways about it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Playing touchy feely "I love you" games with wild Grizzly bears that can, and will eventually kill you, is crazy. Plain and simple. Hell, I used to jump out of airplanes for a living in the army using a parachute that somebody else packed. Balls of steel? Damn right. But even those of us who did it had to admit that we were a little crazy for ever volunteering for it.

Maybe if he would've at least armed himself with pepper spray to ward off the inevitable attack, I'd be less inclined to call him little crazy. Maybe if he would've done his best to keep a safe distance while filming the bears, I'd be less inclined to call him a little crazy. But the fact that he didn't only proves that part of him had a deathwish, and that he got off on the high of playing russian roulette with wild Grizzlies. That's just crazy. There's no two ways about it.

There are infinite ways about it...no camera or relative will truely explain what he thought about the subject and each person on this forum and in this world has their own unique view
Some would say arming yourself with pepper spray to ward of bears is mad
And others would say jumping out of planes is mad (not to mention joining the military...)
OPINION

[SpursWoman]

Except with spiders.


See, I love spiders ... but if I can't identify it I stay far away. :fro

[SpursWoman]

There are infinite ways about it...no camera or relative will truely explain what he thought about the subject and each person on this forum and in this world has their own unique view
Some would say arming yourself with pepper spray to ward of bears is mad
And others would say jumping out of planes is mad (not to mention joining the military...)
OPINION


What part of what he was doing was "opinion" I guess is what I don't understand of your point of view. That bears are wild and dangerous and unpredictable and playing with them probably isn't a really good idea is pretty much a proven fact.

[mookie2001]

not sure this is the right thread but

elpimpos dog had puppies one summer (like 02 or 03), and he was home from college, broke, and didnt want to have to mess with them, so he got all the puppies, doublewrapped them in some trashbags, and threw them out the window on hwy 77
that was ruthless

but a bear... is not even a human, he has no ruth factor, because he's a bear

[SpursWoman]

Yes, it's the right thread. Wild bears have no problem wrapping up the stupid, unwanted little human and throwing him out of the car window at 80mph. :)

[mookie2001]

some of yall just don't understand ruth

[midgetonadonkey]

not sure this is the right thread but

elpimpos dog had puppies one summer (like 02 or 03), and he was home from college, broke, and didnt want to have to mess with them, so he got all the puppies, doublewrapped them in some trashbags, and threw them out the window on hwy 77
that was ruthless

but a bear... is not even a human, he has no ruth factor, because he's a bear

I've lost all respect for elpimpo. I hope what he did to the puppies happens to his first two children.

[spurs=bling]

not sure this is the right thread but

elpimpos dog had puppies one summer (like 02 or 03), and he was home from college, broke, and didnt want to have to mess with them, so he got all the puppies, doublewrapped them in some trashbags, and threw them out the window on hwy 77
that was ruthless

but a bear... is not even a human, he has no ruth factor, because he's a bear
:depressed :depressed :depressed :depressed :depressed :depressed :depressed

that is so wrong.

[timvp]

not sure this is the right thread but

elpimpos dog had puppies one summer (like 02 or 03), and he was home from college, broke, and didnt want to have to mess with them, so he got all the puppies, doublewrapped them in some trashbags, and threw them out the window on hwy 77
that was ruthless

but a bear... is not even a human, he has no ruth factor, because he's a bear

Okay, now imagine if a puppy went to elpimpos house right afterwards. Would you classify that puppy as crazy or just eccentric?

:smokin

[spurs=bling]

Okay, now imagine if a puppy went to elpimpos house right afterwards. Would you classify that puppy as crazy or just eccentric?

:smokin


i would call it the devil

[CharlieMac]

I had a dog a few years ago that jumped out of my car while I was driving. I was only going about 10 mph through a parking lot, but I flipped out either way. I hate seeing injured dogs.

[SpursWoman]

Okay, now imagine if a puppy went to elpimpos house right afterwards. Would you classify that puppy as crazy or just eccentric?

:smokin

Either that, or just passionate about elpimpo. :spin

[mookie2001]

I tell that story because its true
elpimpo showed no ruth. Like dick cheney i'll remember it for the rest of my life

[CosmicCowboy]

Grizzly Bears are some serious bad mofo's. I went on a two week trip in British Columbia once. We flew into Fort St. John and caught a Cessna 185 out to the base camp which was about 60 miles from the nearest highway. It was really wild terrain in the heart of grizzly country. They had a local horse herd there the outfitter had imported...The horses we used were basically wild and just green broke. The guides were some of the toughest men I have ever been around. They were all local indians that hired out to the outfitter. I was in great shape and a good horse hand and extremely determined to fit in with the guides...We had some brutal days...we would travel 25-30 miles a day up and down mountains, sometimes cross country through miles of spruce deadfalls...cutting trails with axes and jumping our horses through the mess...we would leave at 4 in the morning riding in the dark and get back to base camp at 10 pm riding in the dark. Again, these were some of the toughest and most fearless men I have ever been around.

To the man, the guides had a respect bordering on extreme fear of the grizzlies that really impressed me. We would ride miles out of way to avoid them if we cut fresh grizzly sign. The fact that these "hard as nail" guys were so afraid of them really impressed me. Several nights we slept on the ground overnight instead of going back to base camp and I have to admit that as tired as I was it was still difficult to go to sleep seeing how nervous the guides were.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

What part of what he was doing was "opinion" I guess is what I don't understand of your point of view. That bears are wild and dangerous and unpredictable and playing with them probably isn't a really good idea is pretty much a proven fact.


My understanding of some of what he was trying to do, was that he was trying to show that they aren't as dangerous and unpredictable as you have preconceived

And he did prove this, to some extent.

What I got from viewing his work, was that he was also willingly taking the risk because he was trying to walk the line between what bears have been 'programmed' to do by nature and what they can be 'taught' or 'learn' to do when in contact with humans (and in doing so enhancing their ppublic reputation, which is a prime factor in degree of protection they recieve)

Lets see....he was there for many years...i dont know how many
but lets say two

That's 365 + 365 + 730 days.
So let's say on day 730 he was killed.

So that's 24 hours x 730 days = 17520 hours he spent in relatively close contact with bears. Let's say it took him one hour to die.

So...going on this we can say that someone like him, doing something 'crazy' and messing with 'unpredictable' beasts had a 1 in 17520 chance of being killed by a bear at any given hour he was with them.

:wtf

And he was just one guy....if more people were "crazy" like him, maybe htey'd push the odds even further...maybe not....bears ARE wild, and ARE unpredictable but their behavior is also plastic and whether he intentionally was doing this or not he was practically mapping out the plasticity of their behavior in regards to human stimuli and presence....

Pretty cool to me.
He proved to this guy at least, that bears are not as wild and unpredictable as the common Marriott might think so.
But I'm not conservative, so I have a pre-existing bias, as timvp already stated.

[pache100]

I think you guys are way off base calling him a dumbass. He has a passion for being close to those bears and he knew the risks. I understand that many of you don't understand passion and love to live boring safe lives where the biggest risk you take is trying a differen't item off the value menu at Wendy's during your lunch hour but that doesn't make this guy a dumbass.

I've watched the show and I respect him quite a bit. He didn't want to live the life of an average American so he went out and pursued what he wanted to do. He did it for many years and he did it successfully. He made a mistake at the end staying too late in the year and it proved to be a fatal mistake, but he did things that no one else has done.

When interviewed about the film, a bunch of his friends said it wasn't a true portrayal of his personality in a way that made him see much farther from sanity than he ever was. I don't doubt that one bit.

Exactly. And, everyone tends to forget that he lived out there for MANY years before his luck ran out. He knew more about grizzly bears than any other human. And there was never any indication that he ever used any kind of drugs while he was out in the wild. His friends said he used marijuana occasionally when he was "in" (not in the wild). I have read quite a bit about this guy, kept track of him for years before his death. His death was a sad day in the study of wild animals, especially bears. I also followd the people who lived with wolves for many years, raising them from pups to full-grown wolves and relocating them to the wild. Very interesting stuff.

People do not understand what drives others to do these things, but I guess it stand to reason that they ridicule and belittle what they do not understand. Sad.

[CosmicCowboy]

Exactly. And, everyone tends to forget that he lived out there for MANY years before his luck ran out. He knew more about grizzly bears than any other human. And there was never any indication that he ever used any kind of drugs while he was out in the wild. His friends said he used marijuana occasionally when he was "in" (not in the wild). I have read quite a bit about this guy, kept track of him for years before his death. His death was a sad day in the study of wild animals, especially bears. I also followd the people who lived with wolves for many years, raising them from pups to full-grown wolves and relocating them to the wild. Very interesting stuff.

Ignorant people do not understand what drives others to do these things, but I guess it stand to reason that they ridicule and belittle what they do not understand. Sad.

WHAT I UNDERSTAND...


http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/rmc/G_2005/grizzy%20man.jpg
BEFORE

http://www.monctonnaturalistsclub.org/images/Bear%20Scat.JPG
AFTER

[SpursWoman]

People do not understand what drives others to do these things, but I guess it stand to reason that they ridicule and belittle what they do not understand. Sad.



I don't think what drives people to make love to a pile of bear shit is something I really even care to understand.

[tlongII]

Dude was WACK! Just look at the film of the bear that many believed killed him. The bear was diving for salmon scraps and was obviously hungry as this was late in the year. Being there at that time of the year was not about passion. It was about dinner.

[Skywalker]

Grizzly Bears are some serious bad mofo's. I went on a two week trip in British Columbia once. We flew into Fort St. John and caught a Cessna 185 out to the base camp which was about 60 miles from the nearest highway. It was really wild terrain in the heart of grizzly country. They had a local horse herd there the outfitter had imported...The horses we used were basically wild and just green broke. The guides were some of the toughest men I have ever been around. They were all local indians that hired out to the outfitter. I was in great shape and a good horse hand and extremely determined to fit in with the guides...We had some brutal days...we would travel 25-30 miles a day up and down mountains, sometimes cross country through miles of spruce deadfalls...cutting trails with axes and jumping our horses through the mess...we would leave at 4 in the morning riding in the dark and get back to base camp at 10 pm riding in the dark. Again, these were some of the toughest and most fearless men I have ever been around.

To the man, the guides had a respect bordering on extreme fear of the grizzlies that really impressed me. We would ride miles out of way to avoid them if we cut fresh grizzly sign. The fact that these "hard as nail" guys were so afraid of them really impressed me. Several nights we slept on the ground overnight instead of going back to base camp and I have to admit that as tired as I was it was still difficult to go to sleep seeing how nervous the guides were.


Cool.

[IceColdBrewski]

The deal breaker for me (as far as him being "crazy") were his perceptions of the messages the fisherman left behind for him. "Hi Timothy. See you summer 2001." Seems pretty harmless to normal people. But in his paranoid mind, it served as some sort of "warning." As if they were "out to get him." The same with the the little smiley face he found on a rock. Most people look at that and think, "have a nice day". But to him, it was just another "creepy" warning of impending danger. Yeah, those menacing smiley faces sure are spooky lookin.

Dude wasn't playing with a full deck.

[BigZak]

Crazy is as crazy does. He was a FREE man in the true sense of the word until that day. That's a freedom most don't get to ever experience. BUT...the real world definitely has it's advantages. Godbless him.

I don't know if his death makes or breaks the story. I will ponder this.