NJ bear attacks 2 young campers, is wounded

[Chip]

EDIT: The boys were not injured by the bear; Counselors reported injuries that were determined to be old.


I don't think "attacks" is too strong a word in this case. The bear seemed unprovoked. Granted, the kids may have been hoarding Reeses. Bear was shot but ran off;

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP220c4fa4100e4565a53764be3a428898.html

Perhaps it's time to stop reporting bear attacks...or to watch and count them more closely.

Anecdotally: We saw our first wild New England Black Bear (live adult) and cub (deceased, I think it was a cub, could have been a fisher) on I91 near Brattleboro over the past couple weeks. Perhaps populations are rising or the drought is changing their behavior.

 

[snowsusie]

Interesting how no one reported how their food was stored.

I saw a black bear about 2 weeks ago on the AT in Glenwood, NJ, which is north of this attack. He saw me and ran the other way.

 

[TrishandAlex]

The girls and I stayed at this campground last year in June, at the beginning of our highpointing spree. There are signs on every other tree warning of bear activity. At least one came into our campsite the night we were there, for there were pawprints all around our campfire ring the next morning.

Glad the boys will be okay.

 

[rup]

More here:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/2_injured_in_bear_attack_in_Sussex_County.html

 

[Little Rickie]

Interesting how no one reported how their food was stored..

My bet, candy wrappers in the tent or sleeping bag. I know this age group.

They may have put their food in the bare canisters provided but the boys don't like to give up their secret candy stash they snuck into camp with and ate it out of sight in their tents and didn't think twice about the wrappers.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Also, perhaps food/toothpaste was spilled on their clothes before they went into the tent? When camping, I have to scrub down both my kids and make them change their clothes before anyone gets into the tent for the night.

 

[paul ron]

When I use to camp with our Boy Scouts I made em all take their day clothes and put em in a garbage bag before going to bed. The bag was then put with the other food in a bear box supplied by the camp or hung in a tree with the food.

We've seen bear many times in our camp but not around the tents or lean-to. Good pratice makes a safe camp.

On a more posative note.... Perhaps this yearling was curious just snooping around?

.

 

[Maddy]

On a more positive note.... Perhaps this yearling was curious just snooping around?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Chip]

WTF ??? Boys weren't injured by bear. I'm embarrassed I posted this. Now there's a wounded bear out there;

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/campers-wounds-werent-caused-by-bear/

 

[Maddy]

Sure hope it was a superficial wound and that this bear survives.

 

[cooperhill]

Sure hope it was a superficial wound and that this bear survives.

Story I read said NJ was still going to hunt the bear as it was "aggressive".

http://www.trailplace.com/forums/showthread.php?p=37604#post37604

 

[griffin]

Story I read said NJ was still going to hunt the bear as it was "aggressive".

http://www.trailplace.com/forums/showthread.php?p=37604#post37604

I'd probably get pretty aggressive is you shot me in the neck, too.

 

[rup]

Good luck trying to find it.

 

[Jay H]

Found

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/...red-killed?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Jay

 

[DrJJFate]

Found

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/...red-killed?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Jay

If is was determined that the bear didn't injure anyone ("didn't cause the abrasions"), why the classification as dangerous? He was just doing what bears do.

Unfortunate for the bear.

 

[Jay H]

I can only presume because he was still found inside the campsite and perhaps checking things out.

Jay

 

[NorthShore]

Apparently, tent entry makes it a category 1 bear:

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm

 

[Maddy]

Apparently, tent entry makes it a category 1 bear:

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm

I can't help but wonder what attracted him/her to that tent. Did h/she smell something delightful or had h/she been rewarded in the past by finding food in a tent area.

Regardless.... it cost the bear h/her life and I can't help but think that humans contributed to this terrible outcome.

I honestly don't know what good bear education does. When I had my bear encounter in the Smokies, I related it to approx a dozen people. Each and every one responded the same way. "Why didn't you just give him your food?" IMHO these were all folks who should have known better than to even think that was an option.

 

[DougPaul]

I can't help but wonder what attracted him/her to that tent. Did h/she smell something delightful or had h/she been rewarded in the past by finding food in a tent area.

Bears are opportunistic feeders. If it had been rewarded in the past by finding food around humans, it will associate humans with food and come again. If it followed the smell of food into the tent, it is on the way.

Bears are also very curious--they are likely to investigate a tent whether there is food in it or not. (It will learn to associate the tent with food only if it finds food within.)

Leaving food out in bear country is a human mistake not the bear's--the bear is just trying to earn a living...

Once the bear associates humans or human's things with food and/or habituated, it is likely to end badly for the bear.

Doug

 

[paul ron]

Kids smell like candy n good things to eat.

Ever see a kid that doesn't wear his food?

Bears are walking stomachs.

.