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Bear Mauling and other Bear Stories

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
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If the wind is blowing in your face, the stream may not be sufficient to stop him until he's already on you. I'll grant you that. But if it all blows back on you, he's not going to think you're so tasty either. My husband got it all over his face, so even though she started gnawing on his head, she left off and stood up enough that he was able to get off a second spray at her and drive her off.
Lady Luck was on his side that day. Hope he’s recovered for the best.
 

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
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Does the noise from firing a pistol deter them? I know someone who deterred a charging moose where that worked enough so they weren't trampled.
Depends on the season, in full rut the best thing is avoidance as you are considered in heat or competition, nothing in between. Try and scare them you are competition. The first prospect doesn’t sound to good either.
 

noncrazycanuck

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this is getting a bit depressing, encountering grizzlies worries me enough as it is.
for a couple of lighter stories
almost ran into a bear doing his business on the late season ski out at Whistler,
came around a group of trees fairly fast and almost into him, fortunately there was still just enough snow to pass, not sure who was more startled.
I use my whistle now on blind corners when alone in late April, May.
also had a bear in the backseat of my 68 beetle - only casualties were the car's interior and a bag of cherries
 
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Tricia

Tricia

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This from Denver Channel 7 News
Pitkin post office was closed Friday because this was happening.

This bear had been tagged after other incidents with human interaction and was euthanized after finding that it was becoming too familiar with humans and created a risk.
 

Joal

Out on the slopes
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this is getting a bit depressing, encountering grizzlies worries me enough as it is.
for a couple of lighter stories
almost ran into a bear doing his business on the late season ski out at Whistler,
came around a group of trees fairly fast and almost into him, fortunately there was still just enough snow to pass, not sure who was more startled.
I use my whistle now on blind corners when alone in late April, May.
also had a bear in the backseat of my 68 beetle - only casualties were the car's interior and a bag of cherries

Then you won't like this. This was some time ago. She seemed to have recovered amazingly well considering but finally succumbed to the nightmares and chronic pain. Very sad. She mentions tweeking the bears nose finally ended the attack. Like all animals/mammals there are a lot of blood vessels concentrated in the nose and if you have nothing else, a well placed punch in the nose could make the difference.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...-wrote-of-disfiguring-bear-attack-dead-at-47/

https://greystonebooks.com/products/the-bears-embrace
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
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On a lighter side then.

For 2 summers in collage worked for Alaska Fish and Game on salmon counting projects on the lower Yukon River. Where there is wild country and fish, there are bears. We were about 40 miles by boat from the nearest native villages and 2 hours north of Bethel by float plane This was remote, at times days would go by without seeing a boat on the river and it was the only road. We built an outhouse with the best view in the region on the side of a low hill overlooking the river (it was there to take advantage of the breezes to defend against the moosequitos). Snowbasin would have selected this spot for their bathrooms if they could have.

One fine sunny day I was sitting there enjoying the view and making space for that evenings dinner with the sun shining down through the clear visqueen roof. It was a great moment to be alive. An annoying cloud suddenly floated over and was blocking the warm sunshine, so looking up to curse the cloud as a young person is prone to do I was very surprised to see, what seemed to be at the time, the largest black bear in Alaska standing on its back paws looking down through the clear plastic roof at me.

It was a very educational experience. Two key things were learned: it takes no time what so ever for a young man to finish defecating, and It IS possible to run much faster than you would expect with your pants around your ankles.

Those summers were very educational.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Eric267

Gettin after it
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Came within 20 feet of a probably 250 pounder the other night while letting chief out to pee. Must have been something good in the dumpster since he didn't want to leave even with me yelling and the dog growling. Likely the same guy that broke into my neighbors car last week and ate a whole case of top ramen. Guess the flavor packets were to salty since that was all he left behind.
 

scott43

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Came within 20 feet of a probably 250 pounder the other night while letting chief out to pee. Must have been something good in the dumpster since he didn't want to leave even with me yelling and the dog growling. Likely the same guy that broke into my neighbors car last week and ate a whole case of top ramen. Guess the flavor packets were to salty since that was all he left behind.
Missed the best part!!
 

Snowfan

aka Eric Nelson
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Here and there.
Steve Porino posted this on FB...Yogi following for a pick a nik basket...
33059909_738958799948917_84581637068685312_n.jpg
 

SShore

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We have some friends whose son works for the Forest Service (you may remember a story a couple of years ago about at guy that got mauled by the same grizzly twice in the same day, that's him). One of his jobs is carcass removal. Large carcasses (moose, elk, cattle, deer) attract grizzlies and they get very defensive of them and very dangerous. They way they get rid of them is to fill them with explosives and blow them to smithereens. The resultant pieces are so small and scattered it's not worth Griz's time to hang around it anymore.
 
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Tricia

Tricia

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More on this recent one in Libby:

"Amber Kornak was in her first full week working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and parks when she was attacked in the Poorman Creek area on the morning of May 18.

She suffered two skull fractures and several lacerations to her head, neck and back Kornak then hiked two miles back to her car after the attack to get help."

I bet she won't be back. http://www.kpax.com/story/38238559/fwp-wildlife-technician-recovering-from-bear-attack-near-libby
Wow, this is life altering.
She endured 4 grueling hours of surgery to remove bone fragments and clean wounds to her brain. Metal plates and screws were placed on her skull and drains were placed in her brain to relieve brain swelling and drain fluid. Her condition is now stable, and she is recovering in the ICU where they can keep her comfortable with pain medications and monitor her for seizures (from the brain swelling) and watch for signs of infection (from the extent of her wounds).
 

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
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More on this recent one in Libby:

"Amber Kornak was in her first full week working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and parks when she was attacked in the Poorman Creek area on the morning of May 18.

She suffered two skull fractures and several lacerations to her head, neck and back Kornak then hiked two miles back to her car after the attack to get help."

I bet she won't be back. http://www.kpax.com/story/38238559/fwp-wildlife-technician-recovering-from-bear-attack-near-libby
My heart goes out to her, it pains me that not enough training is given on this matter. The advice listed in the article is BS as it does not deal with spring bear which is hungry. Believe that stuff an you have the makings of the next victim.

It is a shame that the only really way of protection is firearm (and a big enough caliber to stop it) and even then it’s 50/50 at best.

Most of my experience is with black bear, which is considerably smaller and more skiddish than the bigger stuff out west. That said they do track and follow you (by avoid means they just stay out of sight giving you a false sense of safety). I’ve been tracked and followed at least within 50-150ft on several occasions based on tracks left on top of mine (fresh tracks in snow) when I’ve doubled back.

This means I’ve passed by extremely closely he’s just laying in wait hidden. I’m not dumb enough to follow his tracks as that leads to a certain encounter.

I mention it again for those outdoors, find and read the book, DON’T GET EATEN! in an earlier post as a primer to your safety. The short version is most animals will attack if they feel like it, the book gives advice how to stay away from situations to give them opportunity.

The most important thing is animals don’t read as a result don’t give a $#^+ about what some “expert” on animal behavior says they’ll do because if they feel like it they’ll attack. Period!

Keep your head up and alert, be aware and chances are you might avoid a bad encounter. Want to ensure it stacked in your favor carry a (big) gun and know how to use it. Even then it’s not gauranteed.
 

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