A guide out of Yakutat, Alaska some years ago (before pepperspray)
developed a serious bear repellent. After a marauding bear broke up his
steelhead fishing camp one time to many, and scared the bejeebers out of
his clients, he wrapped bacon strips around a can of starter ether, tied
the bacon on really good with string and meat baking mesh, and put the
can in a plastic bag. When the bear came, the guide ripped the bag,
tossed the can the bears direction and ran. The bear found the bacon
needless to say, and succeeded in biting the can- getting a  snootful of
very cold stinking ether. Bear went berserk but never came back.

John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com

On 6/27/2010 2:33 PM, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" wrote:
> Dave Mcneely wrote:
>
>> When backpacking, we have routinely carried peanut butter, a calorie
>> dense, easily used food
>
> Well there's your problem -- bears like calorie-dense foods. Barring
> those, they will eat everything else. They are really really big
> fearless, curious, amazingly unpredictable omnivores, with the accent on
> "omni." "Vore" ain't far behind.
>
> --
> Rocky J Squirrel
>
>