Bear in N. Conway dumpster bites man taking out trash

[marty]

Nothing like a Yogi in the Box, I always say.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/08/nh_man_encounte.html

Marty

 

[1ADAM12]

At least the guy still seems to be in good spirits I am not familiar with the area that this happened. It must be a pretty wooded area to have bears present I would guess. Thanks for sharing Marty!

 

[Maddy]

This man had a lot of self control not shooting that bear because of sheer fright. He should be commended.

 

[audrey]

I loved the comment from the guy who said he'd be packing if he had to take out the trash where the wildlife is free to roam. Cage 'em all!!

 

[vegematic]

“Dumpsters are a big issue because the vast majority are not bear-proof,” said Timmins. “That’s why we really recommend dumpsters that are bear-proof.”

I would suggest the dumpsters need to be human-proof as well. That is to say, the bear-proofness needs not to depend upon the human users securing the dumpster after their visit. When I lived in Newry our "dump" was just a small, unsupervised cluster of dumpsters with latches. The latches were almost never secured when I went there and there was often a lot of bear scat around the area. Luckily I never had an encounter like this fellow did.
-vegematic

 

[TrishandAlex]

This man had a lot of self control not shooting that bear because of sheer fright. He should be commended.

Agreed! Not sure many would be able to keep themselves from firing in that kind of situation.

 

[Little Rickie]

Agreed! Not sure many would be able to keep themselves from firing in that kind of situation.

I'm not sure I could fire a gun while pooping my pants!

 

[marty]

At I am not familiar with the area that this happened. It must be a pretty wooded area to have bears present I would guess.

Adam,

Well, there are some areas of North Conway that are very wooded, but much of it is quite congested. It has lots of restaurants, lodging facilities and shopping locations. I, like many on this forum, use bypass routes that avoid downtown North Conway and its traffic congestion en route to the Presidentials, Crawford Notch, etc.

Regards,
Marty

 

[peakbagger]

There are usually several businesses and private folks in the North Country that like the bears to be around. At least one restaurant in Gorham was encouraging the bears to raid their dumpster and regarded it as free entertainment for the guests. When the bears started ambling down the side streets to get in line for the dumpster, the town had to pass a bearproof trash container ordinance. The mexican restaurant in Bartlett used to have a camera aimed at their dumpster and a video they played at the bar of the bear activities out back. Numerous bored folks like to feed the bears in their backyard or inadvertently feed them by leaving bird feeders out. Once the bears find a good food source and limited hassle, they get real bold and the day time isnt a deterent to them. I used to encounter a sow and her cubs frequently on the East side of Berlin roaming during the day a few years ago.

Generally most folks regard it without a lot of concern until the encounter one up close. Unfortunately in a area with a lot of summer vacationers and seasonal residents its almost impossible to train them to keep food sources secured so the bears take advantage or it.

 

[miehoff]

The bear didn't exactly bite

According to the article, the bear actually scratched the guy. Big difference I would think.

 

[marty]

According to the article, the bear actually scratched the guy. Big difference I would think.

Yeah, my bad.

 

[Darl58]

Adam,

Well, there are some areas of North Conway that are very wooded, but much of it is quite congested. It has lots of restaurants, lodging facilities and shopping locations. I, like many on this forum, use bypass routes that avoid downtown North Conway and its traffic congestion en route to the Presidentials, Crawford Notch, etc.

Regards,
Marty

Growing up in Conway, there has been bear dumpster problems for many years....

The West Side Rd near Cliffside Restaurant has always had bear problems as has Bartlett. The Appartment is at Cathedral Crossing which makes me believe it's probably near the West Side Road...and lots of bears. When rock climbing at Cathedral or Whitehorse I've seen bears go by below your climb on the edge of the woods, thinking there are quite a few in that area...

Video shows a nasty scar on his arm...more than a scratch to me, it took 16 stitches. Ouch! I think he stayed pretty calm for being so close.....