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Marijuana Growers Use Wild Bears to Guard Pot 75

Posted by samzenpus from the stuck-in-the-honey-pot dept.
Two Canadian marijuana growers were using at least 14 wild black bears to guard their crops. The pair had lured the bears onto their property with dog food in an attempt to deter thieves. Fortunately for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pot bears turn out to be pretty chill. "They were tame, they just sat around watching... at one point one of the bears climbed onto the hood of a police car, sat there for a bit and then jumped off," said RCMP Sergeant Fred Mansveld.

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Marijuana Growers Use Wild Bears to Guard Pot More

Marijuana Growers Use Wild Bears to Guard Pot

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  • This is no ordinary pic-a-nic basket!

  • Ah, nice. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by GNUALMAFUERTE ( 697061 ) <almafuerte@gmai[ ]om ['l.c' in gap]> on Friday August 20, 2010 @08:13AM (#33312202)

    So, a few guys are just growing pot, smoking and selling all day, they take animals for their protection, the animals are treated well, they are well fed, and neither the animals nor the people are a danger to anyone.

    So, the cops come in, put the guys in jail, burn the crops, and murder the animals. And we are somehow supposed to think that the cops are the good guys?

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by dbreeze ( 228599 )

      I believe the vast majority of law enforcement workers just wish the public would vote in legislators who would create more reasonable laws for them to enforce. Very few want to ruin lives over relatively victim-less crimes.

      • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward

        You make it sound like they have no choice but to enforce bad laws.

        If they didn’t act like complete and utter tools while they hold you over the coals and explain what they can do (based on the law) and implying that they will relax their enforcement a little bit (if you play their game), I’d be more inclined to agree with you.

        They already selectively enforce the law, and a bad law is just another law to selectively enforce... except, a bad one that you probably did break, which makes it easier

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Fizzl ( 209397 )

          You make it sound like they have no choice but to enforce bad laws.

          Must.... Restis.... Godwins...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Baki ( 72515 )

        If only this were so.

        Most law enforcement people, at least the leadership, keep opposing legalization initiatives almost everywhere.
        Obviously, they fear for budget cuts when this senseless victim-less "crimes" would no longer be an easy target for them.

    • Re:Ah, nice. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by boxwood ( 1742976 ) on Friday August 20, 2010 @03:13PM (#33317438)

      Nah they don't often put the pot growers in jail here. Unless the grower happens to be in the field when the cops come around or there is a clear path to the growers house (or in one case the grower has a water hose going from his house to the field, lol) they can't really prove who planted the pot. Unless its obvious, they make little effort to track down grower, though if rumours are to believed, this may change soon.

      In canada they mostly just put the gps coordinates of the pot fields in a database, then raid them all just before harvest time. This way the grower spent all season tending the plants but has nothing to show for it at the end.

      This is why these guys got the bears there. They can protect their fields without actually being there in person very often.

      Really the whole thing is stupid. How much canadian taxpayer money is being spent to destroy pot fields, when the majority of canadians want it legalised? And why don't we legalise it? Blame AMERICA.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by GNUALMAFUERTE ( 697061 )

        Actually, don't blame America, blame the United States of America. America is a beautiful continent, and all Canadians are as American as all Peruvians and all Cubans, and America had nothing to do with this.

        The culprit is the USA, and it's stupid policies, including the way they put their nose in other countries affairs.

        • WTF?


          The USA may have some crap to answer for... but drug policy in your own country is your own fault. What a bunch of crybabies.


          The USA is closer then ever to allowing small amounts of pot for recreational use since pot was Federally banned in the 1970s (The DEA isn't going after people who use pot legally under state law now). Canada is closer than ever to imposing mandatory jail time for a single plant since banning pot in the 1920s... The countries are headed in opposite directions.

          • Re:Ah, nice. (Score:4, Informative)

            by Kell Bengal ( 711123 ) on Saturday August 21, 2010 @01:25PM (#33325816)
            You obviously haven't been paying to international politics recently. Extension of US laws (aka: "harmonisation" or "bringing laws in sync", esp. copyright and drug law) to other countries is part and parcel of negotiations. Often times a country will decide that access to the US as a market for their exports outweighs the consequences of taking onboard more egregious aspects of the US body of law.

            • You obviously haven't been paying to international politics recently. Extension of US laws (aka: "harmonisation" or "bringing laws in sync", esp. copyright and drug law) to other countries is part and parcel of negotiations. Often times a country will decide that access to the US as a market for their exports outweighs the consequences of taking onboard more egregious aspects of the US body of law.

              Well I guess you're not voting in the right leaders then... Canadians are responsible for Canada just as US Citizens are for the US. We may not have the democracy we attempt to have, but its our permission and negligence that holds us responsible for our countries. In the end, you will feel that responsibility whether you like it or not; your fellows are going to jail for senseless reasons in this case, etc etc etc.

              Hope for the best, lol.

            • You obviously haven't been paying to international politics recently. Extension of US laws (aka: "harmonisation" or "bringing laws in sync", esp. copyright and drug law) to other countries is part and parcel of negotiations. Often times a country will decide that access to the US as a market for their exports outweighs the consequences of taking onboard more egregious aspects of the US body of law.

              What the hell are you smoking.......

              Can you point to a single case of the US trying to harmonise criminal drug law with another country(much less Canada)? The Canadians may want a 1980's US-style "war on drugs", but nobody is pushing them into it...

              If you are talking about countries going overboard on patent/trademark/copyright harmonisation, then the US is part of the problem, but FAR FAR from THE country to blame.

              • If the US is not to blame for said issues, please name the country(s) you are referring to who are responsible.

                Also can you provide a cite for anything suggesting Canadians may want a "1980s style US 'war on drugs'"?

                • Re:Ah, nice. (Score:4, Insightful)

                  by boxwood ( 1742976 ) on Saturday August 21, 2010 @11:13PM (#33329280)

                  anytime the legalise pot discussion comes up, the US ambassador to Canada starts making threats of trade sanctions. Since canada does more than 90% of its trade with the US, these sanctions would put us into a recession.

                  So yeah, pot is illegal in Canada entirely because of the US. Its like this in most countries.

                  • anytime the legalise pot discussion comes up, the US ambassador to Canada starts making threats of trade sanctions. Since canada does more than 90% of its trade with the US, these sanctions would put us into a recession.

                    Oh ya... I forgot about the USA imposing all those trade sanctions against Canada all the time... Can you point to a time when a threat like this actually happened?

                    So yeah, pot is illegal in Canada entirely because of the US. Its like this in most countries.

                    Canadians made pot illegal in the 1920s(along with opium), LONG LONG before it was illegal in the USA.

                  • Legalize it and raise your own trade sanctions!

                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by Jaysyn ( 203771 )

                    What are we exporting to Canada that is so damn important that we have you by the short & curlies? Shitty movies & music? Fords & Chevys?

                    Take some responsibility for your own damn situation & stop crying about how the USA makes you pass bad laws. You sound like an abused wife.

                  • So yeah, pot is illegal in Canada entirely because of the US. Its like this in most countries.

                    I would say it's entirely Canada's fault for not being able to be self-sufficient, and electing leaders who negotiate your trade agreements. If Canada hates our policy so much, don't trade with the US. We're not forcing Canada to trade with us. Elect leaders who will do what the people want, and stop complaining that it's someone else's fault.

                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by xgr3gx ( 1068984 )

                    Just freakin' legalize pot already, and prostitution too. They have been around for thousands of years, and are never going away.
                    I have no interest in either, but I still think they should be legal.
                    Regulate it, tax it, reduce crime, generate tax revenue. The end.
                    How is it ok that people can get all liquored up start fights and crash cars, but it's not ok for someone to smoke up, eat junk food, and watch cartoons? BAH!

              • Re:Ah, nice. (Score:5, Informative)

                by DirtyCanuck ( 1529753 ) on Monday August 23, 2010 @05:31PM (#33347496)

                Are you lost sir?

                The United States has the DEA enforcing it's domestic drug policy throughout the world.

                Here in Canada:
                http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/3261.html [cannabisculture.com]

                Abroad, Cocaine is tolerated and seen as a great resource in South America yet America is killing civilians to thwart a domestic problem?????? A problem that stems from lack of Education, Health care and Poverty

                Missionary plane shot down in Peru: collateral damage in US "drug war
                http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/apr2001/peru-a24.shtml [wsws.org]
                http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ciadrugs/peru_coverup.html [fromthewilderness.com]
                http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/04/video-of-missionaries-bei_n_449074.html [huffingtonpost.com]

                DEA agents shoot innocent 14-year-old girl in the head, but deny any wrongdoing.
                http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2998.html [cannabisculture.com]

                http://www.isil.org/resources/lit/license-to-kill.html [isil.org]

                DEA GO AWAY!!!
                http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/drug-war-victim/ [drugwarrant.com]

                Lets not forget Marc Emery a Canadian politician extradited because of his influence on the pro marijuana movement. He was extradited for selling seeds (which is legal in Canada) via mail to the U.S. unprecedented enforcement of American pollution on Canadian Sovereignty.

                • Abroad, Cocaine is tolerated and seen as a great resource in South America yet America is killing civilians to thwart a domestic problem??????

                  America's Drug War is a criminal enterprise that only makes any drug problems worse. But that's not because cocaine is "a great resource" to an except drug gangs and a very few doctors/researchers. Cocaine is "tolerated" in countries whose part of the global Drug War scam is to produce drugs, so their bigshot drug ganglords protect the local circulation.

                  Cocaine is tox

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Baki ( 72515 )

              One can only hope that the USA goes down economically so deep, that they can no longer bully the world to adopt their laws.
              At the moment the USA threatens with economic sactions and/or military action.

              Once the USA is bankrupt, they cannot afford either anymore.

              • That would be awesome for the US citizens.

                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by marxmarv ( 30295 )

                  Who are, by and large, only ever out in the streets for the bread-and-circuses.

                  • It certainly is hard to get by as a US citizen if you don't come from money. Clever. In one sentence you made several points. The US really is like the Roman Empire. Once wealth gets concentrated in a few hands the system will inevitably fail. Im as much of a Communist as the US is Capitalist (i.e. a little bit).

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by marxmarv ( 30295 )

                Sadly, the MOTU have decided that the general welfare is less important than the specific welfare of the rich. So instead of something like Japan circa 1945, expect something more like Italy circa 1935 (effectively, the US Council of Corporations -- er, Chamber of Commerce -- already runs the place), or if we're really unlucky, Brazil circa 1985.

              • Just like ancient Rome, the USA has a far-too-big army that has to be kept busy. So they will bully and keep on bullying, because they need to do so. And therefore they bully even international justice, their own allies, the world-wide environment, well, basically anything.

            • Scientists point out problems, engineers fix them

              Scientists also develop the majority of the theories the engineer uses to "fix" the problem. Without Engineers, Scientists are too abstract for practical efforts. Without Scientists, Engineers lack many of the tools necessary for their trade.

      • Why not legalise it indeed? It's unhealthy, absolutely. But so is alcohol, tobacco, unsafe sex and watching South Park and you can legally do that. Government will decide what's good for you, not you. Even here in the Netherlands it's officially illegal (although the world seems to think otherwise). Let's hope our next government will wake up to reality and finally legalise it.

    • The animals may have been fed, but that's not really treating them well. Training bears that people are good sources of food is dangerous. Eventually they will seek out camp sites, homes or businesses and hurt someone or get killed themselves. Once they start depending on humans for food it's a slow form of starvation and when food gets scarce the bears get violent. They won't get enough to survive the winter.

      No one got hurt, but bears can always be dangerous.

      Some cops are assholes but in general they a

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by sribe ( 304414 )

      ...and neither the animals nor the people are a danger to anyone.

      I take you don't know much about bears. Bears that become accustomed to people are very dangerous.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by fishexe ( 168879 )

        ...and neither the animals nor the people are a danger to anyone.

        I take you don't know much about bears. Bears that become accustomed to people are very dangerous.

        As demonstrated [colbertnation.com] repeatedly [colbertnation.com] on the Threatdown [colbertnation.com].

    • If the bears are too tame to properly fear humans then they are a danger to society.

      My guess however is that the bears were just stoned.

    • The cops did nothing to the animals - read the article (or even the summary for that matter).

  • Best Guards Ever (Score:3, Funny)

    by T.E.D. ( 34228 ) on Friday August 20, 2010 @08:42AM (#33312372)
    What better guards could you have than Grizzly bears with the munchies?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by snowraver1 ( 1052510 )
      They were black bears, which are smaller and less agressive. A black bear can climb a tree though, were a brown (grizzly) cannot.

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by Megahard ( 1053072 )
        To tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly, kick it in the butt and climb a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black bear. If it knocks down the tree and eats you, it's a grizzly.

  • at one point one of the bears climbed onto the hood of a police car,

    I thought that the Mounties ride around on horses, and not in police cars?

    TFA fails to mention if the bear took a dump on the police car. Being that the bears were doomed to being shot, that's probably what I would have done. That must kinda really suck to be a bear: "Ok, these pinky creatures are feeding me crap out of cans, that they would never fathom to eat themselves, I am being gentle with them. And then the cops show up and shoot me.

    Although, the last time that I was in Banff, Canada, our trave

  • Human fed bears are dead bears. What a stupid stup (Score:3, Interesting)

    by SpectateSwamp ( 904617 ) on Saturday August 21, 2010 @01:52PM (#33326104) Homepage

    Many years ago I worked on a forestry bridge crew. The camp cook made 6 or 8 pies a day. There were only 4 of us on the crew. He would put all the extra food in 5 gal buckets to feed his bears.

    One day his favorite old black bear got in a big fight with a 4 or 5 year old Grizzly. Old Irish waded into the battle with a broom to break it up. Irish got a couple broken ribs from his fav bear.

    Now if the FishCops had a guy like Irish working for them, he would build a trail of pies deeper and deeper into the bush to save those bears. But not so with the highly educated game wardens of today; their answer is to shoot them. Anything that takes away from their budget for jetboats atv's and the latest fancy truck is dealt with that way.

    A similar story (from 5 or 6 years back) was the killing of 8 or 10 Moose (some with calfs) that wandered into town during a winter with more than usual snow. A couple cowboys with ropes and a large pen with a few bails would have saved those animals but NO a bullet is better and the FishCops know "best". That year a bullet ended up in a balcony after it passed through or missed the moose. They then started shooting them with marbles until they got the poor animal in a less public place to kill them. Most of these university trained biology students are afraid of wildlife. These guys and gals are chicken shit, scared what ever you want to call them. Protectors of wildlife they are not.

    This issue is bound to be made in to a reality show. So beware FC's you will be demonized if you kill all these animals.

    Maybe get a couple of those bear dogs to put the run on them if you can't find a pie man to lead them away to safety. Wildlife officials don't care about the wildlife if their answers are always Shoot Shoot.

    My trapper friends would do a better job. They released cougar and wolf from their snares by putting a blanket over them then slipping their hand under to cut the cord with snips. These guys are brave. The cougar was a protected species and the wolf had hair rubbed off its back and was worthless. Boo FishCops boo.

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