Bear attacks 7 teens in Talkeetna Mountains

[Arctic Dave]

A grizzly bear sow with a cub attacked a group of teenagers on a month-long survival-skills course Saturday night in the Talkeetna Mountains, causing severe injuries to two of the hikers, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The bear pounced as the seven hikers were crossing a creek about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

Two of the teenagers suffered life-threatening injuries, and the other five were also injured, Peters said.

Troopers and Alaska Air National Guard rescuers eventually evacuated the group, Peters said.



Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/07/24/1983379/grizzly-sow-attacks-group-of-seven.html#ixzz1T4m0GMyk

This is really a bummer. We met a group of these kids out in Prince Williams Sound when we were out kayaking a couple of days ago.

[brewens]

1. I would think skill #1 up there would be how to shoot bears.

Even if they were in an area where the brown bears aren't usually found, not a good idea to be unarmed. Maybe they were and whoever had a gun didn't have a chance to get a shot at it.

Still, there's always a chance to run into a hostile moose or black bear. You'd like the option to at least fire a shot in the air to scare it off.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Most were teenagers from the lower forty-eight

and have never been in the back country. I would suggest pepper spray for all.

[glinda]

6. NRA will turn this around for a call for bear hunting season year round. These people

need to educate themselves and be prepared when they go out in areas like this.

[ileus]

68. Bears kill people....no wait...that's guns...carry on.

[joeybee12]

67. I agree...they're venturing into the bears' territory and risks are likely...

better to spray the bear than kill it.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. Huh?

:wtf:

This was a Grizzly bear.

[Lance_Boyle]

54. Grizzly bears are a subset of brown bears. n/t

[Bosso 63]

12. Pepper spray is more effective than guns with bears,

I don't know about moose. I remember we had one run through our camp site once when I was in the Boy Scouts. We scattered so fast, you would have thought we had rockets attached to our butts.

[Cid_B]

24. Depends on the spray and the gun and the shooter...

Do not shoot the bear in the ass with a .22

[Drahthaardogs]

21. There is no place in Alaska without grizzly or brown bears, save a few of the islands in the SE

That being said, if you have ever been charged, it is a heart-stopping experience. When it happened to me, it was only a bluff. Even though I had a rifle, there is no way I could have pulled off a shot in time. However, in this case, this bear took some time. Someone could have shot her if they were armed.

And on edit: Pepper spray is NOT more effective than a high powered rifle. I worked in some very remote places and I had a bear safety course every year. Rule #1, the best bear deterrent is caution to avoid running into or provoking a bear. Rule #2: The best bear defense, is a high powered rifle with heavy bonded bullets Rule #3: Second choice is a shotgun with BRASS slugs (lead slugs do not work so well).

[brewens]

49. Tutka Bay doesn't have brown bears. My uncles fish camp

is there. It is similar to a fijord with a few island like chunks of land jutting out. That area is west of Homer accross the Cook Inlet.

[roguevalley]

40. If they were near a bear with cubs it is their fault. I hate it when

people do this and get jumped and the bear/moose etc gets killed. I pray they are alright. No one should get hurt when they are playing but the bear shouldn't pay for their mistake.

[Myrina]

50. ... only if we give the bears guns for self-defense too.

Jebus, "not a good idea to be unarmed"? Really?

If you don't want to risk running into a bear, stay the hell off their turf!! D'oh!!

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Oh, my gosh, this is terrible.

We've camped up there at Byers Lake several times.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Yeah.

They all seem like nice kids. I guess they have several groups up here doing camping, hiking, etc.

[Shagbark Hickory]

7. At the risk of being flamed again from the last bear attack, I'll say this is AWFUL!

I'm glad the teens survived and hope recover from their injuries.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I think that bear was a real #$%&.

[hlthe2b]

9. The bear was being a bear and protecting her young...

PERIOD.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. The bear was a big meanie.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. "The bear was a big meanie"...

I am not quite sure how to respond to that comment. Oh yeah, sure I do- it was a fucking bear out with its cub. "Mean" has nothing to do with it- it is called survival instinct.

[callous taoboy]

65. "Bear was a big meanie"

Oh, sweet jesus I've heard it all now.

[uppityperson]

70. You must have missed bears taking scalps. Read on.

[awoke_in_2003]

81. she also stole their picnic baskets...

:)

[SoCalDem]

56. Amen.

I do feel sorry for the injured young people, but it's no different from a human mother protecting her kids when someone breaks into a home.

Bears have only a limited time to teach their young how to survive in a harsh climate. THIS is the time of year when they HAVE to eat & forage like crazy to pack on the pounds, and they have to protect their young from interlopers, who may mean them no harm, but bears don't know that.. They see a predator who aims to hurt their babies.

Bears do not take a bus to the city to practice their urban survival skills, attacking humans as they go along.

Bears who get into suburban confrontations almost always do so because of human laxity with garbage, or pets left outside as a wildlife buffet, or as a water source in parched forest areas....and of course the ever-present encroachment of territory.

Bears (and other wildlife) do NOT seek us out as a food supply or chew-toy..

[pitohui]

57. really? w hat evidence do you have of that?

the interview i saw, the teen did not see any cub

further, the information i was taught, no bear has ever attacked a group of 6 or 7

i think you have absolutely NO evidence whatsoever that this was a standard "bear being a bear to protect her young"

most bears protect their young by such steps as sending their young up a tree, not by eating an entire camp full of teen-agers

i think we have to realize that sometimes it isn't enough to just mumble cant phrasings and pretend there is no problem, sometimes a situation has changed, and there is genuinely a problem (could be bear overpopulation, could be distemper or another brain disease, could be a lot of things)

a bear being a bear who is trying to protect her young would be unlikely to lie in wait to attack a group t his large crossing a stream, there's something else going on and we need to learn what it is instead of parroting nonsense from times gone by

[hlthe2b]

59. Based on the reporting provided in multiple articles on this incident of course....

Why such an incredibly rude attitude? Did someone steal your twinkies? :eyes:

As one who actually grew up hiking wilderness areas of Wyoming and Colorado--including grizzly habitat in and around Yellowstone, these are not old wive's tales, I can assure you. If you don't think it is natural for a bear sow to become exceedingly aggressive when protecting her own cub, then I can only say your foolishness is best left to the confines of your own plump sofa and tv.

[uppityperson]

61. This bear did not "eating an entire camp full of teen-agers". Link to update story...

Do you know more than the people up in AK? Where does it say she "lie in wait to attack a group"? Or eat an entire camp full of teenagers?

http://www.adn.com/2011/07/25/1984283/alaska-bear-mauls-teens-learning.html

"They startled this bear," Jon Gottsegen said in a telephone interview from his Denver home, his 17-year-old son Samuel among the four injured teenagers. "It sort of came around a curve."

The bear attacked as they group lined up for a river crossing in the Talkeetna Mountains, north of Anchorage. Those in the back of the line heard the warning, and the two at the front were most seriously injured, authorities said.
(clip)
Gottsegen told Denver's KMGH-TV that the first person to go around a corner yelled that there was a bear and then started running backward. Then Gottsegen said he looked behind him and saw the bear so he started running.

He said the bear tackled him on the way down on a hill....(more)

[Arctic Dave]

10. Perfect storm. Newbies to the back country, no protection and

running into a sow and cubs.

I am very happy no one died and hope for a very speedy recovery for the kids who were hurt.

[uppityperson]

11. + a brazillion

[Shagbark Hickory]

16. But that's what I said!

Why didn't you + a bazillion to me :(

[uppityperson]

18. You said " that bear was a real #$%&". Like your past statements on bear attacks,

I don't + a brazillion anthropomorphizing bears.

I will + a brazillion a good explanation like Arctic Dave gave. See?

[Shagbark Hickory]

19. Oh boo hoo.

:(

[roguevalley]

42. I live here. I have grizzlies around me. Black bears too. I respect

the hell out of them. They do what they do and its almost 100% ALWAYS the humans fault they get hurt. There is nothing mean or whatever in a bear. They are doing what they do, protecting their babies.

[Shagbark Hickory]

48. The article makes it seem like the hikers didn't provoke the bear. They were just hiking along.

If you were taking out the trash one night and get attacked by a bear, you're feelings about it will change.

[pitohui]

58. yeah, some of these folks have clearly not read the same story i read anyways

my guess is that they haven't read ANY story other than the token paragraphs put in the original post

there's something wrong w. this bear methinks, a bear w. cub is not normally looking to wait and catch a bunch of strong young human beings as they're crossing a stream, a bear w. cub is normally hearing this large group and getting away from them without ever being seen

[uppityperson]

63. The water flowing in streams can make it less likely bears will hear people. It is quite common

for this to be part of a problem of startled bear charges/attacks.

[Shagbark Hickory]

72. Face it. This bear needs to check into rehab.

:silly:

[uppityperson]

75. Yes dear.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

77. I don't think you grasp the concept of how easy it is to "provoke" a sow with cubs.

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMbnmLLnsfw

Fast forward to about :50

[roguevalley]

62. actually, they crossed her path with a cub and she did what she is

programmed to do, attack and save her baby like any good mother. I do live in a place where the bears come around. They have their paths and when winter is over they wake up and walk to the mountains. They trapped a friend of mine in her house and the bear paw prints are still on her windows where they tried to get inside. I drove to my nephew's house and a yearling cub was getting into something beside the road. Looked like a big golden shaggy dog.

I know about bears. I know how to live around them. It doesn't sound like you do or you would understand that you don't have to provoke a bear to get their attention. You just have to be in their territory at the wrong time. Bears don't bear grudges, they don't have vendettas, they don't care. They just keep their ways and their infants safe and we have to be smarter. Everytime someone gets a bear on them it is their fault. Every. Time.

And my feelings won't change. Ever.

[Shagbark Hickory]

73. So let me see if I understand. Basically what you're saying is

Bears are @$$H%!&$

[roguevalley]

79. no. you are. what the hell is the matter with you?

[uppityperson]

80. I think he likes to mess around with posters.

could be last-word-itis also.

[Shagbark Hickory]

90. No, I think roguevalley is entitled to their opinion. I don't think they are messing around too much

[Hassin Bin Sober]

83. Don't bother with that one. Not worth the effort.

[Shagbark Hickory]

89. Then explain it better.

[callous taoboy]

66. Yes, they were just hiking along...."La de dah de dah"... Oh wait....

They probably weren't making enough noise. I've hiked in this same area many times and have scared up many, many bear by jingling a bear bell. Make plenty of noise as you hike and 9 times out of 10 the bear will get the hell out of there. It's not your country to hike in. It is bear country whether you want it to be or not.

[Shagbark Hickory]

74. Do you jingle the bell as you're walking like Mickey Dolenz playing the tamborine or...

do you just clip in on to your clothes and have it jingle jangle as you're walking along?

[OwnedByFerrets]

31. agreed

[WinkyDink]

13. Again with the illogical anthropomorphizing. Animals aren't really in cartoon-land.

[WillyT]

14. Yeah... But Many People Are...

:shrug:

:hi:

[Shagbark Hickory]

17. Yes I live in cartoon land.

[undeterred]

20. Hey, at least nobody has accused the bear of being a right wing fundamentalist

yet.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. It is a second amendment bear...

protecting its right to keep bear arms :)

[awoke_in_2003]

27. oh yeah...

well who keeps stealing my picanic (intentional) baskets? :)

[roguevalley]

41. the bear was a mother protecting her baby. I hope they get well

too but the bear was in the right. You go into bear country you take chances.

[kenny blankenship]

88. I thought you were going to say it was awful that the cubs went hungry that night.

Nothing is worse when you're starving-hungry than to smell a whole bunch of food, only to have it taken away from you.

[hlthe2b]

8. Became all too tragically real for them.... I hope for the best...

This is the bear's turf and she was protecting her young. I don't know if this was unavoidable or if they failed to properly train these teens in terms of avoiding bears and evasive measures when encountered, but it is surely very sad....I hope they recover.

[krispos42]

22. Well,that's what happens when you refuse the rein in the right to arm bears n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

29. or its right to bear arms...

(I mean, what other kind of arms do bears have? :) )

[AngryAmish]

23. We're here, We're queer, we don't want any more bears.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

76. He got that at "The Mustache Parade"

:rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

25. "A grizzly bear sow with a cub"

that right there about sums it up- never a good situation.

[Arctic Dave]

30. Yep. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

39. when you are in their territory...

you have to keep your head on a swivel. They are magnificent animals, and a pissed off mama grizzly is not to be trifled with.

[CaptRandom]

32. huh... the "school" that offers these trips sounds like a travel agency for bored rich kids..

http://www.nols.edu/about/

80 days in the amazon for 14K...

And 16 credit hours <actually accepted by OSU, im nauseous now.> while you learn skills like backpacking and taking vacation, err education photo's!

[Arctic Dave]

33. Do thirty days in the back country and get back to me.

Although you are probably right, they are a number of "rich kids" in it, they are in a hostile environment. The group we met were living with no shower, heat or electricity. They were kayaking and camping for 17 days straight after hiking for 14.

[Pisces]

34. Are you crazy. Learning to survive in the wild is a skill some people need. Nauseous because some

kids are getting credit for learning life skills????? Some kids go to Europe, Greece, Egypt for credit. On these trips they learn about other cultures and gain a world view. Do these college credits make
you nauseous also??

I guess since they had rich parents they deserved to be attacked???

There are some posts on this board that continue to astound the mind.

[CaptRandom]

35. Actually im pointing out the 'school' that sends kids into the wild alone with no wilderness exp.

At time they are let out alone for up to a day or two with no supervision...

Im sure Mumsy and Daddums thinks it will make a man out their little entitled larva, but the real world outside suburbia isn't that friendly a place...

These are nothing but vacations for idle overprivileged youth who should stay in safe vacation spots.

[Pisces]

44. You sound like a bitter person.

[CaptRandom]

45. no, just amazed...

if it was a school they would teach that you don't go into the extreme wilderness unprotected if you don't know what your doing..

[Maru Kitteh]

86. Ha ha. You are got a nice hot pie, CaptAssdom.

How's it taste?

[uppityperson]

64. sounds like they got their money's worth on this trip, practicing rescue stuff.

[ozone_man]

36. A few guidelines.

Don't camp near salmon streams and stay clear of sows with cubs. Don't walk on trails at night, because that's when bears are apt to use them. Don't put any food in tents, hang it up. Go to the bathroom well away from the camp site. Try not to surprise bears, especially when they're hungry/irritable. This is their domain and you're visiting, so be respectful.

[roguevalley]

43. make noise. don't run. play dead. pray and kiss your ass goodbye

wait for your heart to stop and all of your blood to drain to your toes -- yes, it actually feels like that-- and hope your damned dog doesn't bring one back with you. They are why I don't hike or camp out up here.

[mzmolly]

46. LOL

I'm with you, frankly. ;)

[roguevalley]

60. a friend of mine had a sow and her yearling cub sleeping under

her deck all winter one year and didn't know it until they came out in spring. spent time on the deck and didn't bother the bears. :) I love this place.

[mzmolly]

78. Yikes.

I tend to avoid Grizzly's if possible. I prefer to view them on the tele. ;)

[roguevalley]

82. you and me both. :) I live in great hiking country here in southcentral

and I have never done it because of the bears. I remember a dad coming over here from Europe every year for a few to search for his son. All they found was his shoe. very sad.

[mzmolly]

84. I am more likely to see a black bear where I live,

but they're also dangerous. I carry bear spray, whenever I'm in bear territory, though thankfully I've only seen bears from a distance.

Very sad about the young man and his shoe! I think reading about Tim Treadwell, has cured me of wanting an up close, personal view of Grizzlies. I know deadly attacks are rare, but I doubt anyone is pondering the rarity of their demise at the paws of a Grizzly in the final moments of such an attack. ;)

[Blue_In_AK]

91. When I first moved up here

I used to camp out under the stars now and then. These days, though, it's always in a campground -- and the food is stashed far away or locked up in the truck. You can't be too careful.

[pitohui]

55. there has never previously been a bear attack on 6 people

i am not aware of any bear attack anywhere in north america that attacked a group of 7 and if i am wrong i would be VERY interested in knowing about it

a few guidelines is all well and good, but one of the guidelines you're usually given is to travel in groups of 6 or more, which these young folks did

the other thing that bothers me, in the story i read, no one saw a cub...not to say that there wasn't one but in the interview i saw, that person said they just saw an adult bear

it seems to me this more than the standard bullshit of how nobody except a psycho with a lot of rifles should ever go outdoors because it's "bear country," it sounds to me like there are too many bears or there is genuinely something going wrong because it is just not standard for a bear to attack a crowd and the "oh it's a mama grizzly crap" is just that, crap, when it comes to a group this large

it is our own home and our country too, if there is an overpopulation of bears such that bears are now truly attacking large groups, there is a problem that can only be dealt with by culling some of these bears

an outdoors where no one feels safe is an outdoors that will ultimately not continue to receive protection under the law, why not cut down all the trees if people are afraid to enjoy the outdoors? it's a long term negative to let the bears take too many scalps frankly

[uppityperson]

69. Typically large groups are safer, but if a bear is surprised and didn't hear them because of running

water, perhaps she didn't realize how many people there were. Sometimes things happen. This was not a bear deciding to simply attack a large group, but one with a cub who sounds like she got startled.

Sometimes things happen. No matter how well you take care of your car, no matter how alert you are, you might be in a car accident. No matter how well prepared you are, no matter how alert, sometimes mama bears are surprised and things like this happen.

Are you serious about "why not cut down all the trees if people are afraid to enjoy the outdoors?"? Seriously? I mean, wtf?

"it's a long term negative to let the bears take too many scalps frankly". Again, wtf? Bears are out taking scalps and eating entire camps of teenagers? And you complain that people haven't read the articles? Seriously?

[mzmolly]

85. Too many Grizzly attacks

recently. I agree, something is amiss. I don't know what the answer is, however. I think we need more information before assuming that culling them is key?

[ThoughtCriminal]

37. Bears are the new Sharks - nt

[Arctic Dave]

52. I thought they were the new Pit Bulls? nt

[ThoughtCriminal]

38. Bears are the new Sharks - nt

[Initech]

47. Call Stephen Colbert quick!!!

[Arctic Dave]

51. That will only frighten him.

Best to let Stephen believe all bears live in Russia.

[Liberal_in_LA]

53. 1 against 7?

[WinkyDink]

71. I think these bears are out to get us for their losing their jobs as Forest Rangers.

[thelordofhell]

87. They were eating their Jack Links Beef Jerky

They thought the bear was Sasquatch.

[Arctic Dave]

92. Update on teens.

From todays newspaper.



"Bear victim: 'I thought I was going to die"

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/07/25/1984283/alaska-bear-mauls-teens-learning.html#ixzz1TAAL4jIa