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The blast zone has very draconian rules about where you can hike. Off trail gets you a $500 fine in the monument in an area they designate. That would be where I would look if you could legally. They pretty well left everything alone in that zone just to see what it did on its own. . Beyond that to the North is Weyerhaeuser private forest, and down timber there was salvaged, replanted, and it this point in time getting pretty tall. You can bet the lumber company did not find anything that might stop its timber harvesting in the future. One of these days I would like to get Weyerhaueser guy in a bar, buy him some drinks and see what he has seen in their private forests.

I think it comes down to risk/reward for most large predators. An encounter with another animal it's equal size or close has a greater chance of injury despit possibly winning the fight. In the animal world a serious injury could lead to death in time. Unless there is a specific motivation such as young, food etc they pick their battles wisely and probably avoid unnecessary risk.

That doesn't bother me, if Grizzly bear can swim to the island so could other mammals. And presumably off again either to Vancouver Is. or the mainland.

Considerably. Several thoughts here in no particular order: The first night of camp visits in Aug 2011 included two apparent wood knocks. The first was slightly "mushy" as if punky wood rather than solid wood were hit. The second was a more "ringing" rap as from solid wood on solid wood. There are also rock clacks to consider. One of my friends, the guy who took me on that camping trip, says that he's heard a lot more anomalous rock clacks than wood knocks over the years out there. Some wood knocks may be hand claps, not wood on wood. Some of the rock clacks may be "tongue pops" ... I can make them. MIB