Don't...poke...the...bear

By JJ
@JolietJake (50190)
March 10, 2016 10:33am CST
People still astound me. They'll 'poke the bear' and expect the bear to turn around and politely engage in discourse with them. He's a damn bear, okay? If he's doing something, and minding his own business, and you come and insert yourself into his business, why would you appear to think he should suddenly be a lamb? Especially when you know he is a bear. Expect him to turn in your direction and still be a bear. And bears are known to bite. Know your animals. If bears bother you, don't bother the bear. That is all.
36 people like this
34 responses
@Mike197602 (15517)
• United Kingdom
10 Mar 16
sometimes it may be fun to poke one with a loooong stick
11 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
Yes, and sometimes, maybe he is a cuddly teddy bear...but he's still a bear. And bears are fast...be prepared to run.
7 people like this
@jstory07 (145095)
• Roseburg, Oregon
10 Mar 16
The bear might be faster than you.
2 people like this
• United States
10 Mar 16
We have a saying here "Don't poke the alligator in the head with a stick". I think that probably applies to bears as well.
@GardenGerty (164866)
• United States
10 Mar 16
Grrr. Is someone agitating you today?
6 people like this
@andriaperry (118738)
• Anniston, Alabama
11 Mar 16
@JolietJake or maybe a nice kitty:)
2 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
@GardenGerty Someone is agitating the bear often
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
Someone evidently thinks I am still a Lamb or something
6 people like this
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
10 Mar 16
My ears are burning.....AND SOMEBODY KEEPS POKING ME!
5 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
I think it was Monica
5 people like this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
10 Mar 16
Silly old bear.
5 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
RAWR!!!
4 people like this
@much2say (57781)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Mar 16
I will bear that in mind !
5 people like this
• United States
14 Mar 16
I am sure that he would much rather that you bear all than bear your mind.
2 people like this
• United States
15 Mar 16
@much2say Oh yes he can be beary naughty sometimes, but other times he is quite grizzly.
2 people like this
@much2say (57781)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Mar 16
@purplealabaster Oh my! The bear sounds like he can be beary naughty then!
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (54177)
• Canada
10 Mar 16
Are you in a you just woke me up from hibernation grizzly bear mood, or the happy teddy bear mood? I hope that somebody brings this "bear" a honey pot.
5 people like this
• United States
10 Mar 16
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
@Juliaacv Looks like the first scenario to me.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
@purplealabaster said something about a 'honeypot'
4 people like this
@celticeagle (177273)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Mar 16
Really! Bears turn around and usually stand up on their back feet and BECOME VERY BIG!
4 people like this
@vandana7 (102183)
• India
10 Mar 16
Not sure what you are getting at...but I still think of you as lamb.
4 people like this
@vandana7 (102183)
• India
11 Mar 16
@Scindhia ...No...not really ...I am just unable to understand the mutation from Lamb to Bear...so far no scientific explanation.
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
Do you want to become lamb chops?!! Calling a bear a lamb can be dangerous
2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
11 Mar 16
Hmm, it seems somebody poked on you or you woke up at the wrong side of the bed . So, how can we appease the bear ?
4 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
11 Mar 16
@Scindhia Hmm , i think he has already calmed down by now .
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
@SIMPLYD I think he has gone hunting for the next target!
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
@SIMPLYD Better not to meddle with the bear!
3 people like this
• United States
10 Mar 16
Yes one would do well not to mess with bears. But I would because I can handle them.
4 people like this
@jstory07 (145095)
• Roseburg, Oregon
10 Mar 16
You should not mess around with a bear or any wild animals.
4 people like this
@vandana7 (102183)
• India
11 Mar 16
Even Teddy?
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 16
@vandana7 @jstory07 And don't forget Pooh and Paddington.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (102183)
• India
14 Mar 16
@purplealabaster ...yeah..I so love bears provided they are smaller in size than me.
2 people like this
@marlina (154117)
• Canada
11 Mar 16
I stay away as much as possible of all the bears.
4 people like this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
18 Mar 16
@mammots I think that would depend on the bear. Some of them that are bear and fear to us respond quite favorably to offerings of coffee and food.
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
11 Mar 16
@JolietJake Ohh but its not safe to offer food to a bear in bad mood
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
11 Mar 16
If you bring bacon, I'm usually easier to get along with
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Mar 16
Maybe they think the bear is Pooh Bear, lol
4 people like this
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Mar 16
@JolietJake or paddington bear, or Yogi bear! :-P
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
@Jessicalynnt I thought of winnie the pooh too
3 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
11 Mar 16
I'll rip their heads off and 'pooh' down their necks.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (359039)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Mar 16
Good advice here. I guess I'm just wondering what brought it on - if anything.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (359039)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Mar 16
@JolietJake So prod you at our peril! Or with a loooong stick - as @Mike197602 suggests - and be prepared to run fast! Anything else we need to know?
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
11 Mar 16
@JudyEv If you bring bacon, I'm usually fairly tame
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
11 Mar 16
Someone prodded me and became surprised when I was me about it
2 people like this
• United States
10 Mar 16
Unless it is a stuffed bear, don't try to cuddle it either.
3 people like this
• United States
10 Mar 16
@JolietJake ouch, that would be painful.
4 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
10 Mar 16
Even if it is, be careful, sometimes they have pokey wires sticking out of them
4 people like this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
11 Mar 16
I do not understand why anyone would need a sign to tell them not to poke the bear. Seems self explanatory to me.
3 people like this
• United States
14 Mar 16
I don't know why either, and I certainly would never dare to poke the bear.
2 people like this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
11 Mar 16
Youre in a bad mood Ohh okay
3 people like this
• Preston, England
11 Mar 16
Read a piece by Bill Bryson noting that most bear attacks are on people dumb enough to approach bears offering food or to get photos and then wondering why they get mauled - they seem to think real bears are like Yogi Bear rather than wild creatures
3 people like this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
18 Mar 16
Leave it to television to blunt out natural intuition of wgats safe and what's not.
1 person likes this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
11 Mar 16
Ohh but he said he is tame when someone brings bacon Hmm so its not true
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
11 Mar 16
You need a nice, relaxing massage @JolietJake . Get Scar to stand on your back and get with it.
3 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
11 Mar 16
Guess they haven't watched the revenant yet.. how dare they still think they can get away after disturbing a bear?! But are you sure, it isn't another bear ?
3 people like this