Scary, Sad, Disturbing and Tragic

Mtn Lion attacks stopped with water bottles, a pen and even fingernails.

There have been a record 6 bear fatalities in North America in the first 7 months of this year. This looks like number 7,  four of them black bears.

Hiked along the Chinese Wall in Montana last month. Everyone we saw had something to ward off bears. One of my colleagues got the trail name “Bear Spray Bidet”.

Luke, “Do bears target people shorter than them?” Yes. I forget the details from Herrerro’s book, but my recollection is that the majority of victims of black bear predation have been women around or under 5 feet tall. Small groups (1 or 2) of small people.

Obx, I suspect the ranger suggested carrying as an option because he does, and on reflection has realized that he’d feel a whole lot less comfortable there, given the amount of time he’s alone in the woods, if he didn’t.

People don’t seem to be as concerned by lightning strikes or drowning while crossing a river or falling through snow into a creek and drowning that way…ior snakebite…a hundred other infrequent ways of dying in the wilderness: about as infrequent as a bear attack. I’m not going to carry a gun (heavy!!) out of a fear of bears any more than I’ll hike in boots with big rubber soles designed for lightning (is there such a thing?) or wear waterwings while hiking.

I’ll add a big caveat: I’m speaking of black bears in the western U.S. outside of Canada and Alaska. I understand that black bears can be predacious. ( I mean non grizzly bears no matter their color.)

But those water wings could double as an inflatable pillow…multiuse!

This reminds me of the bear attack on a thru hiker at nearby Spence Field in 2016. He was bitten while in his tent. I remember they shut she shelter down for a bit. There seem to always be bear warning signs in this general area. https://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/spence-field-backcountry-shelter-closed-after-bear-attacks-hiker-32a65ca1-2af6-5bf3-e053-0100007fdf5-379206611.html/

Feeding coyotes leads to over 45 attacks in Vancouver in less than a year. Familiarity seems to drive those animals attacks.

“VANCOUVER – Conservation officials say three coyote attacks were reported in Vancouver’s Stanley Park in a period of a few hours, two of which were on children.

Inspector Drew Milne said one coyote has been killed as a result of the attacks, after showing signs of food habituation.

“These coyotes aren’t scared of anybody; they are demonstrating a behaviour that is extraordinary and is not usual for coyotes,” he said.”

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/children-among-victims-of-3-coyote-attacks-on-the-same-day-as-earlier-closure-of-vancouver-s-stanley-park-begins-1.5569936

@ Ben C: Spence Field isn’t far at all from # 84 further down Hazel Creek. That’s where the 16 year old guy was attacked in his hammock  in 2015. This part of the park seems to have almost a majority of the ‘action’in the GSMNP. Same bear?  It’s also pretty easy to hike to Spence Field or Russell from the Tennessee side and seems like those shelters get a lot of traffic from folks that aren’t exactly backpackers.

JS Scott: It is sorta illogical from a statistical perspective to be so focused on lots of natural phenomena. I think there might be some sort of almost genetically encoded natural or instinctive fear of certain wildlife. Lots of people completely freak when they encounter a snake. There are spider phobias. There seems to be a pretty universal reaction to sharks. I think many have the same sort of instinctive reaction to an encounter in the wild with a pushy or aggressive bear. Without even thinking about it you just know that thing is bigger than you, stronger than you and faster than you. You do not want to get in a one on one. There’s no thinking involved.

Had a few fun bear-experiences this weekend: it started with “oh, hey… that’s a bear” and culminated with “Damn it, Bear, I’m trying to sleep! Stop snuffling my tent!!”*

* – Turns out that I’m not much fun when wakened by bear-snuffles at 1:00 AM.