Post #109118 by Johnny Dollar on Thu, Aug 19, 2004 6:02 AM

BAKER LAKE, Wash. (AP) - Rain-eeeeer .... Bear? When state Fish and
Wildlife agents recently found a black bear passed out on the lawn of Baker
Lake Resort, there were some clues scattered nearby _ dozens of empty cans
of Rainier Beer.

The bear apparently got into campers' coolers and used his claws and teeth
to puncture the cans. And not just any cans.

"He drank the Rainier and wouldn't drink the Busch beer," said Lisa
Broxson, bookkeeper at the campground and cabins resort east of Mount Baker.

Fish and Wildlife enforcement Sgt. Bill Heinck said the bear did try one
can of Busch, but ignored the rest.

"He didn't like that (Busch) and consumed, as near as we can tell, about 36
cans of Rainier."

A wildlife agent tried to chase the bear from the campground but the animal
just climbed a tree to sleep it off for another four hours. Agents finally
herded the bear away, but it returned the next morning.

Agents then used a large, humane trap to capture it for relocation, baiting
the trap with the usual: doughnuts, honey and, in this case, two open cans
of Rainier. That did the trick.

"This is a new one on me," Heinck said. "I've known them to get into cans,
but nothing like this. And it definitely had a preference."