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The California Grizzly was one of the largest and most aggressive subspecies of grizzly in the U.S., and there are numerous historical references to them killing and eating black bears. Since the California Grizzly was a lowland bear that preferred the scrublands, Central Valley, and foothills over the High Sierra's, I'd assume that they were pretty much the only thing keeping the black bears out of those areas.

Precisely my inference.

In my experience, by the way, black bears are rather cowardly. I've run across countless blacks while hiking in the Sierras, and all but one have run at the first sight of me. The one bear that DID decide to charge me reconsidered it after I put a .45 in his side. Didn't kill it (right away anyway, I assume it probably died later), but it quickly abandoned its charge and make a run for the nearest underbrush.

Also correct (in word and deed :-), but try that in Yosemite and you will quickly learn what the real dangers in the woods really are.

I long for the good ole days when people could roam freely around the countryside. It took so many years to make this country safe for people and only a few to put us back in danger from animal predators again. I don't care what names anybody wants to call me, I hate predatory animals.

Also correct (in word and deed :-), but try that in Yosemite and you will quickly learn what the real dangers in the woods really are.

Funny thing that. I was actually hiking from Emigrant Lake to Tuolumne Meadows. I ran into and shot the bear literally two or three miles from the Yosemite National Park border. Since there were about twenty witnesses to the shooting, I decided that continued travel into Yosemite would be a bad idea and doubled back. Good thing too...I was intercepted by a ranger on horseback later that day who wanted the full story on what had occured. I somehow don't think he believed me when I stated that I had "no plans" to enter Yosemite with a firearm :-)

In truth, however, I won't enter the backcountry unarmed, and I HAVE shot at an animal in Yosemite before. I shot at a stalking mountain lion near the foot of Mount Clark in 1997...deliberately missed the cat, but I did scare it off (which was my goal). Yes, I know that the penalties for carrying a firearm in a national park are steep, but I'd rather face prosecution for killing a charging animal than bury one of my kids...or have them bury me.