August 09, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Air / Airports
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I took a trip to the Smithers Airport and admired their many displays. My favorite was the Grizzly bear weighing 1012 lbs with a chilling story behind this massive beast. This bear was finally captured in the fall of 2001. It is believed that this bear was responsible for killing upwards of 30 head of cattle in the Hungry Hill area, which is between Smithers and Houston. The killing of cattle took place over a three year period. Some of the cows killed weighed as much as 1500lbs. This bear managed to avoid capture from the snares and traps set for him for three years. He was able to trigger snares and grab the cow carcass without being caught on more then one occasion.....now thats a smart bear! He was finally caught by a cable leg hold snare. This snare, consisting of a spring-loaded cable anchored to a tree, captured the bear by the leg. As the conservation officers approached the bear cautiously, this bear managed to break the snare cable and charge at the officers. The bear was 24 meters from the officers and made it within 7 meters of them before being shot! Everyone was surprised of the size of this bear and it is suspected that he was able to break the snare cable due to the fact that he weakened it with his teeth. This is not a friendly story of Yogi and Boo Boo bears stealing picnic baskets but a real story of a uncommon predator in our area. Grizzly bears are usually hidden deeper in our forests and mountains, so no need to postpone your trip to Smithers, theres a good chance you wont run into one.