Bear Mauling and other Bear Stories

[dbostedo]

Think again......

Bear encounter in Sudbury leaves one person with minor injuries

Someone walking at the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area on June 28 was left with minor injuries after encountering a bear, Conservation Sudbury said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

Well, he did say "rarely", not "never"...

 

[François Pugh]

I do a lot of walking in that area and have seen bears, a few up close. They never seem to bother me though; and I certainly don't bother them!
Damnit! I want more details about the encounter.

 

[slidingmike]

Bear encounters are worse now in the Sierras than I've ever seen. Apparently between the drought and all the fires, bears have very little habitat left to feed in, so they are crashing the campgrounds like it's their only option. And with all the new campers, they are being quite successful. I was in Kings Canyon NP for a couple weeks in early July, and the bears would start raiding around 6pm, 2 or 3 bears at a time. For some unknown reason, the new campers think that setting off their car alarms is going to scare the bears away. Nope! After things had calmed down, I was sitting in my campsite in a lawn chair when I was surprised by a bear sneaking up behind me and "nosing" my arm. It was a tall, lanky, scruffy tan thing, but it moved on quickly when I shouted at it. Things are definitely getting weird.

And yes, black bears can kill, especially in territory where they overlap with brown/griz. My brother was hanging out with the 4th victim when this notorious attack happened (2 killed, 2 others severely mauled):

 

[oldschoolskier]

Well, he did say "rarely", not "never"...

The rarely generally means the person using has been attacked yet.

Wait till they've been attacked and the opinion will change

 

[no edge]

Ok, Rarely kill people (..?..) I am nervous when bears are around. In the middle of the night you can hear them moving through - within 20 feet. I ask what would be the plan of action? I don't really have one. We also have blueberry patches!

Old School, you are in Canada where they are - A bear of a different color.

 

[DanoT]

Ok, Rarely kill people (..?..) I am nervous when bears are around. In the middle of the night you can hear them moving through - within 20 feet. I ask what would be the plan of action? I don't really have one. We also have blueberry patches!

Old School, you are in Canada where they are - A bear of a different color.

Most black bears are after your food but there are some "rogue" black bears that attack and eat people. Grizzlies: there are less of them and they tend to do more to avoid people than black bears, but of course are a lot more powerful and dangerous in an encounter.

When in bear country I carry bear spray and bear bangers which shoot a projectile about 100' and then go off with a bang as loud as a shot gun. I shot one at a bear on a logging road one time. The explosion went off just a few feet from the bear. The bear was so shocked that it fell over, got up and got off the road asap.

 

[no edge]

The rarely generally means the person using has been attacked yet.

Wait till they've been attacked and the opinion will change

I can see that!

 

[no edge]

When in bear country I carry bear spray and bear bangers which shoot a projectile about 100' and then go off with a bang as loud as a shot gun. I shot one at a bear on a logging road one time. The explosion went off just a few feet from the bear. The bear was so shocked that it fell over, got up and got off the road asap.

Yeah, it's time to pick up bear spray. Those bangers would help too.

 

[dbostedo]

Just saw this one...

Two College Wrestlers Versus One Grizzly Bear

Northwest College teammates Brayden Lowry and Kendell Cummings suffered serious injuries after fighting off an aggressive bruin in Wyoming

www.outsideonline.com

 

[Sibhusky]

Yes. Apparently 4 guys out there in the woods, in bear country, in the fall, without a gun or can of bear spray among them. I guess they were relying on numbers?

 

[James]

Yeah, I saw that.

“ …the four are all reportedly experienced backcountry travelers.”
Hmmm.
One lesson seems to be when the bear leaves, don’t start yelling. They get interested again.

 

[Sibhusky]

experienced backcountry travelers

Newspeak for "they've been walking in the woods near their house."

(Which is also not safe...)

 

[DanoT]

Yes. Apparently 4 guys out there in the woods, in bear country, in the fall, without a gun or can of bear spray among them. I guess they were relying on numbers?

Yeah, I keep bear spray in my truck because you never know when you might have to deal with an aggressive urban bear, aka a thief/bad guy.

 

[John Webb]

Bears are more active in our area for fall.
Trish heard one overturning our trash can 2 days ago. She yelled which chased it away !

 

[John Webb]

No grizzly's left in CA except the one on the state flag !

 

[Doug Briggs]

I was wondering the other day as I camped on the Continental Divide whether a fire extinguisher would be an effective substitute for (anti-)bear spray. I had the former but not the latter. I should get some of the latter, too.

 

[Sibhusky]

This lady got attacked right in her yard.
The Guardian US: Washington state woman survives bear attack by punching animal’s nose.

This was right in Leavenworth by the way.

Washington state woman survives bear attack by punching animal’s nose

Woman was taking dog out when she was ‘charged by an adult female black bear’ and sustained non-life threatening injuries

www.theguardian.com

 

[oldschoolskier]

Worry when the bear says......oh spicy!

 

[slidingmike]

The habitat in the Sierras this summer was so thin due to all the recent fires and drought that the black bears have resorted to aggressively combing the campsites nightly -- in numbers, starting a hour before sunset. Worse than I've ever seen by a long shot, even compared to Yosemite Valley. I had one sneak up behind me and nose my arm (hoping for a sip of my wine). We were still able to run them off, but it may not be much longer before they start standing their ground out of necessity.

 

[Sibhusky]

An example of why bear spray is better.

Man accidentally shoots himself during grizzly bear attack

A man is being treated at a hospital in Utah after being attacked by a grizzly bear in Wyoming, authorities said.

www.kpax.com

What if he'd shot his son?