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Bear attack in northern New Jersey
It appears a group of 5 dayhikers panicked and ran away from a black bear, with one of them unfortunately killed in the incident. First known such attack in NJ.
I used to feel a little silly being the only one carrying bear spray in these parts, but now I don’t feel so weird. Lotsa bear poop around. It is not at all unreasonable to think that a solo backpacker might unwittingly hike between a mama and cubs.
How unfortunate
Sounds like this is so rare, you don't need to worry about it. If you're expending mental energy thinking about bears, you might step wrong and break your leg : )
Bear fatalities are so rare it's hard to generalize. I think more common than getting between mama and cub is a hungry bear in the spring that is just barely surviving.
Grizzlies in Northern Rockies or black or grizzlies in Canada or Alaska are a little more likely, so maybe carry bear spray there.
My main focus is having the camera ready. Bears run away so quickly it's hard to get picture.
Future headline – "overconfident (stupid) man killed by bear trying to take picture of it"
to say "first known bear fatality in NJ"
Not to be paranoid, but when you're hiking on winding trails through dense rhododendron, laurel and blueberries it is prudent to be somewhat attentive and make some noise occasionally.
Well, lots still unknown here… perhaps the bear was rabid or otherwise diseased, or maybe there was some other factor that caused abnormal behavior. Maybe hungry, (although there seemed to be an ample crop of berries this year) or habituated to raiding residential garbage and no fear of people.
The Mid State Trail in PA has been described as one where you may meet more bears than people.
Bob – you, your bear spray, and Cyrus are more than welcome to take the lead on our trip in November…
Just hiked to Harrison Lake in the Selkirks of Idaho. Saw several dozen other people, lots of huckleberries too. The area was closed last year due to bears getting into backpackers food, despite a bear box at the lake.
Every group but ours had large handguns or pepper spray with handguns outnumbering spray 2 to 1. One man backpacking with his two pre-teen boys had two irish wolfhounds with him as well.
It felt kinda wild with soccer moms, grandpa's and groovy hipster dudes all strapping on big iron at the trail head.
The victim is reported to be a 22 year old male, so running away isn't the smartest move (provokes the predator chase instinct I've read). Despite being big, black bear can move with astonishing silence even through thick brush. Probably won't have time to aim a pistol (unlike spray ) or even unleash some Kung – Fu moves.
You mean like this?
"Lyle Simpson, 32, was among a group of seven hikers trudging through a remote wilderness area west of Calgary on Saturday, when the bear started chasing him. "
"Years of martial arts training literally kicked in — prompting him to give the grizzly a foot in the nose."
>Bob – you, your bear spray, and Cyrus are more than welcome to take the lead on our trip in November…<
I'm hoping the bruins are all fattened up and snug in their dens by then!
New article said the killed the bear.
No trail by jury… just guilty by species, I guess.
Er… did anyone consider that the people may have molested the bear?
Oh… I guess it doesn't matter… being human we're always in the right, eh?
billy
"Er… did anyone consider that the people may have molested the bear?"
One article I read said that the bear was following the group of guys, which is why they ended up running. So if that's the case, it was most likely a predatory bear and not a molested bear.
"One article I read said that the bear was following the group of guys, which is why they ended up running. So if that's the case, it was most likely a predatory bear and not a molested bear."
Well, you know the media… and humans will like to protect their butts…
Did anyone get the bear's story before the summarily shot it???
Perhaps the bear was just minding it's own business using the tail like very creature does… perhaps it was just following the trail and the humans were just ahead of it on the same trail… no harm there…… and the humans reacted inappropriately… like, 'species profiling'… eh?
… just sayin'
Billy
Sad story and unfortunate outcome for all involved.
"Oh… I guess it doesn't matter… being human we're always in the right, eh?"
Sometimes they get a stay of execution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan_Miller
Admittedly an unusual circumstance and not relevant to the wilderness.
Billy, I have it from a fairly reliable source (third-hand law enforcement contact, i.e. a former cop I know who knows somebody at the scene) that the information delicately presented in the article linked above (bear found "at the scene and euthanized") can, in actuality, be read as "the bear was found feeding on the remains and was shot".
Very sad for the family and a no-win for bears in general.
But still a whole lot of details that are not known at this point.
I doubt very much that a black bear could be harassed into attacking and killing a hiker unless it was truly cornered (as in unable to run anywhere else). A grizzly would be a different story but black bears pretty much always leave if they are given the chance.
Or if a black bear is way under weight in the spring and desperate for food
And if you look at Herreros list or wikipedia bear deaths, black bears in Alaska and Canada are more like Grizzlies.
"I doubt very much that a black bear could be harassed into attacking and killing a hiker unless it was truly cornered (as in unable to run anywhere else)."
That sounds like the stereotype image we all seem to hold. But it doesn't always hold true. I have a very good friend who was out backpacking. CA black bear came around camp looking for food. He banged on pots and yelled at the bear… Bear had 360 degree room to run… Bear chose to run directly over my friend… big friend… 6'4" 250lb…. knocked him over on his back and left claw marks on his chest… had he fallen backward and hit his head on a rock he could be dead.
Point is… animals are sometime unpredictable.
>"Perhaps the bear was just minding it's own business"
>"black bears in Alaska and Canada are more like Grizzlies"
I've read much (but not all) of Herrero's research and I didn't see that. My experience in Alaska over dozens of each encounters with each spieces is that they both almost always take off right away (no one gets their name in the paper or the obits in those cases), but black bears, in an area with brown bears (or hunters) are very secretive and hard to see. In my area, there are 10 times more black than brown, but I see more brown bears each year along the river and on the trails. The black bears I do see are fleeting glimpses as they run from cover to more cover. When I get into essentially untraveled areas with no brown bears (no salmon streams), then I see black bears traveling and grazing more out in the open. Then I see them again in the frying pan because I always end up as camp cook.
Whereas in un-hunted areas of California, the black bears get much more assertive. I haven't encountered any I can't run off – I've done it many times and confidence and attitude count for a lot – but I don't doubt that there are some particular bears that would resist being run them off.
That actually isn't the first story I've heard of a bear running over a guy. Not fun but the bear still left the area. If the stories are accurate (and we know the media NEVER makes mistakes) it appears the bear was easy to find and shoot, sounds predatory to me.
I still think black bears are more docile then grizzlies. We just have way, way more black bears so statistically a lot of bear attacks will involve them.
What? You shot one of those cute bears David???
I've heard that before, because of hunting, bears are more fearful of humans so they avoid us. That has to be good for the bears because interactions with us lead to their demise.
Good point about bigger black bear population resulting in more attacks Luke. Wikipedia has pretty much the same list as Herrero, but it's more current – they already have that New Jersey attack.
Interesting maps from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
Alaska – mostly grizzlies
U.S. – about equally captive, black, and grizzly
Canada – about equally grizzly and black
Awful. I feel terrible for the kid, who obviously didn't have a clue as for what to do. I can only imagine his mates there feel awful, but I hope they don't give up the outdoors because of it.
"Er… did anyone consider that the people may have molested the bear? Oh… I guess it doesn't matter… being human we're always in the right, eh?"
Color me sour, but only humans can pay taxes and create future taxpayers, so only human life is considered by the authorities in these situations.
The truth is that any bear known to have a history with humans that doesn't involve instantly fleeing is at risk of being exterminated. That's why if you care about the animals it's so important to at the very least follow regulations with you food.
>"We just have way, way more black bears so statistically a lot of bear attacks will involve them."
Luke: Not only that, but grizzly country is inherently pretty devoid of humans. While black bears co-exist with moderately dense populations of humans. Fatalities per human-bear proximity must be 100x to 1000x more for grizzlies (low bear densities in low human-density areas) than for black bears.
>"What? You shot one of those cute bears David???"
Jerry: Nope. For reasons of marital harmony, I don't hunt. But because I like to hike and cook, I'm popular to have along on hunting trips – someone who makes multiple trips back to the boat hauling meat each time. That entitles me to a share of the meat and it turns out that a a four-legged bear eating grass (a black bear in Spring) tastes pretty close to a four-legged cow eating grass. Most of it ends up as jerky, stew meat, and thinly cut for fajitas.
Billy, I have it from a fairly reliable source (third-hand law enforcement contact, i.e. a former cop I know who knows somebody at the scene) that the information delicately presented in the article linked above (bear found "at the scene and euthanized") can, in actuality, be read as "the bear was found feeding on the remains and was shot".
Very sad for the family and a no-win for bears in general.
But still a whole lot of details that are not known at this point.
In the early years of the black bears’ comeback into New Jersey, the “bear education” mantra was that these were timid, peaceful creatures — more afraid of us than we are of them. At the sight of a human, the bear would scamper away. A bear too close for comfort could simply be scared off by banging pots and pans.
But as the bear population increased — and yes, more people moved out to the country — bear education began to center on what people should do to keep bears away from human territory. Buy bear-proof trash cans. Keep bird feeders out of reach. Build sturdier fences for chicken coops and sheep pens.
Yes, we’ve had to become more acclimated to bears. But, clearly, they have become more acclimated to us.
“You have a better chance of being struck by lightening twice in the same place, as you have of being killed by a black bear,” he said.
But he also warned that bears should not be underestimated.
“There’s a misconception that they’re vegetarians,” Burguess said. “But they have big teeth and big claws and they kill things. They eat meat.”
Autumn is “hyperphagia” season for bears, when they fatten up for winter hibernation. Autumn is also the season that brings hikers into the woods, for the fresh air and foliage. Sightings are inevitable, in bear country and in the lower suburbs; killings are not.
more at link …
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