cranky bears

[AKaviator]

It's been a tough year for people/bear conflicts so far.

Last week 3 teens were hospitalized after being mauled by a brown bear just a little north of Anchorage. Yesterday a 16 year old boy was killed by a black bear just south of Anchorage. The lad was running in a long established mountain trail race. The bear chased him down and killed him.

I encountered a black bear in Anchorage Saturday while watching a friend running in the mayor's marathon. I saw another this morning.

I have read about several encounters that the bears didn't survive too.

One moose I know about was shot by fish and game after 3 or 4 attacks on people in town. Very protective of her calves.

Remember to be "bear aware" if you come up this year...they are cranky this year!

 

[AKaviator]

This is what they look like!

 

[Winchester]

Wow, I lived up there for a few years back in the '80s ... never heard of the bears being so riled up !

 

[JimP]

Everyone is cranky this year for some reason.

It must be global warming.

 

[Horsenhike]

Trump's fault.

 

[AKaviator]

It sounds like a brutal situation for the young man. The news said he got a phone call out to his mom or brother, saying he was being chased by the bear. They heard the attack happen. Very sad!

Two more people attacked by a black bear today....one died, near Fairbanks. (update)

 

[Bonecollector]

Is this Nancy Pelosi....?

This is what they look like!

 

[Gr8bawana]

Trump's fault.

I thought everything was Obama's fault?

 

[Gr8bawana]

It is tragic that those people were attacked and lost their lives. The bears are just doing what bears do, looking for food or protecting their young. We are the ones infringing on their habitat.

 

[AKaviator]

Is this Nancy Pelosi....?

Please, don't insult the bear!

 

[AKaviator]

It is tragic that those people were attacked and lost their lives. The bears are just doing what bears do, looking for food or protecting their young. We are the ones infringing on their habitat.

I certainly agree that these were tragedies and that the bears weren't being mean or evil, just being bears. I do wonder though, just where are the lines that define when we are infringing on "their" habitat? Sure, bears pass through the area, so do a lot of people. I'd argue that it's their habitat as well as our habitat. We have plenty of bears inside city limits too, I don't consider it an infringement.
My take away from these encounters is that we share the earth with predators, both human and animal, which is why I'm well armed when doing my infringing!

 

[JimP]

It is tragic that those people were attacked and lost their lives. The bears are just doing what bears do, looking for food or protecting their young. We are the ones infringing on their habitat.

While I agree with your basic statement we have no idea of what was going on in these bears minds.

Were they protecting cubs, over a dead animal that they were feeding on, or were there just a couple of ornery bears. Hopefully the investigation will turn up something but right now from what I have read on the subject the runner was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Odds are we will never know just what triggered the attack.

 

[Horsenhike]

I thought everything was Obama's fault?

Everything used to be President Obama's fault.

Now everything is Trump's fault.

"I don't always eat things, but when I do, it is because they are things, and I am a bear."-The Bear

 

[AKaviator]

Just for an update: the second fatality was a 27 year woman biologist, married less than 2 weeks. The adult male black bear stalked her and another woman. They pepper-sprayed him but he fought through it and killed one and injured the other.

Both bears in these attacks have been killed. Pretty unusual for 2 separate predatory attacks by black bears, especially in 2 days!. There is sure a bunch of bears around these days.

 

[Horsenhike]

Well, I'm gonna quit carrying that spray, and buy a bigger pistol.

 

[nunt'butmuleys]

. Lol gotta love the challenges nature has for us !!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

It is tragic that those people were attacked and lost their lives. The bears are just doing what bears do, looking for food or protecting their young. We are the ones infringing on their habitat.

So are you saying we should stay out of the woods and their habitat? That won't happen. IMHO if I lived in Alaska (or any place that has a lot of bears close to people, I would never go anyplace without bear spray on my belt. It would be MY concealed carry.

My wife and I are planning a 2 month RV trip to Alaska next summer and we both will have bear spray on our person when we are out in bear country, IMHO better insurance than a handgun.

 

[NE69]

Pepper spray and a shotgun for me. Just my preference in Alaska.

 

[Gr8bawana]

So are you saying we should stay out of the woods and their habitat? That won't happen. IMHO if I lived in Alaska (or any place that has a lot of bears close to people, I would never go anyplace without bear spray on my belt. It would be MY concealed carry.

My wife and I are planning a 2 month RV trip to Alaska next summer and we both will have bear spray on our person when we are out in bear country, IMHO better insurance than a handgun.

No, I'm saying if we are in their living room and we get attacked or killed by a bear or a mtn lion or other animal it happened because we put ourselves in that place by our our own choice.
Should we expect those animals to leave because us humans want to go there?

 

[AKaviator]

So are you saying we should stay out of the woods and their habitat? That won't happen. IMHO if I lived in Alaska (or any place that has a lot of bears close to people, I would never go anyplace without bear spray on my belt. It would be MY concealed carry.

My wife and I are planning a 2 month RV trip to Alaska next summer and we both will have bear spray on our person when we are out in bear country, IMHO better insurance than a handgun.

The very next weekend after the two were killed by black bears, two others were mauled in separate incidents by brown bears. Both were sows with cubs and both guys survived. One was knocked off of his bike while riding it! His partner did have bear spray. It worked in that case. They were riding on a good gravel road on the military base in Anchorage. The other was south of town near the town of Hope.

Bear spray doesn't always work, but I'd rather have it than not!