Be Careful of those Yellowstone Bears...Again.
Very sad news; my thoughts and sympathies to his family. Please be bear aware everyone.
Regards,
Scott
Saw this and my first thoughts were, "Where's Deb??!!" Please be careful out there!!
Trouts don't live in ugly places.
A friend is not who knows you the longest, but the one who came and never left your side.
Don't look back, we ain't goin' that way.
My first thought also.Originally Posted by Betty Hiner
The last I saw Deb and Bill(last week), they were heading home because of the high water out west.
Brad
"A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her."
-W.C. Fields
You can never be too careful. Keep your eyes open and make noise in bear country.
Sad all around. Someone is dead and the bears never win when this happens.
Unfortunately this is a case of hikers acting irresponsibly.
They made 4 crucial mistakes.
1. They saw the bear and her cubs twice, but did not turn around, instead kept following it along the trail. (Next time, turn around!)
2. They weren't carrying any bear spray.
3. When the bear charged, the husband told the wife to run.
4. They were travelling by themselves... when in heavy grizz country, should always be in larger groups. YNP recommends a minimum of 3!
It is sad that this occurred, but some common sense could have gone a long way here.
Paul
Life is expensive... but it does include a free trip around the sun.
Mottled Fly Fisher - My Fishing Blog
Having had 3 "encounters" ( twice in Grand Teton and once in Y'Stone) of which one was a underwear changing experience ( by coincidence, not far from the current incident) I don't take ANY chances. I tend to fish where THEY apparently like to roam. I'm careful, generally avoid being alone in remote places and am severly alergic to the thought of becoming bear scat. Where legal, I'm packin both UDAP and my 44.
Mark
I just read the Yellowstone report and just wanted to correct a couple of statements. (at least this is what I have)...
The couple saw the bear and her cubs for the first time when they were about 100 yards away. They were about a mile from the trail head. The couple DID turn around and started to walk in the opposite direction. They did NOT continue in the direction of the bear. As they were walking away, they turned around to see that the bear had begun to charge them. The next statement you made was half correct. They BOTH attempted to RAN away. (This can induce the prey drive so running is something one should NEVER EVER do.) YOU CAN NOT OUTRUN A BEAR! STAND YOUR GROUND...as hard as that will be.
Yes, to your last comment, You should travel in groups...the larger the better. I didn't do a lot of things I had planned to do because I was alone. (Bill doesn't count.) Anyone traveling in wild / remote country increases the odds of a tragedy when traveling alone or even in pairs, (3 minimum...and not just in Grizzly country ) be it from bears, other critters, twisted ankles or falling rocks. etc. I can write a book full of stories that would bring home that fact loud and clear.
BEAR SPRAY is an effective deterrent. Never go into grizzly country without it and keep it easily accessible on your person. It won't help you if its in your back pack or sitting on the picnic table several yards away or with a bear between you and it.
https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...ar-attack.html
Last edited by Mato Kuwapi; 07-08-2011 at 03:47 AM.
"There's more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot." Lefty Kreh
"Catch and Release,...like Corrections Canada" ~ Rick Mercer
I decided to put off the trip out west when I saw the late thaw couple with record snow falls and rains. My uncle sent me photos of the Roaring Fork where I was wading last year about this exact time...
July 10 2010:
July 7 2011: Almost the exact same spot (within 20 yards, different angle)
Fishing is going to be difficult to impossible probably until September, unless you stick with lakes... and a lot of high country two tracks and trails are still under snow.
But to be perfectly honest...I was also having some issues with flashbacks on my last camp out when I would wake up to critters sniffing around my tent. I didn't like the feeling. Then add to that all the bear attack reports in the last week (two in BC) ...and especially yesterday in Yellowstone...I think I'm going to stick around the Midwest this year.
"There's more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot." Lefty Kreh
"Catch and Release,...like Corrections Canada" ~ Rick Mercer
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