Bear killed in Utah after fatal attack on boy.
By PAUL FOY
Associated Press
AMERICAN FORK, Utah - Wildlife officers on Monday fatally wounded a bear they believed was the same animal that snatched an 11-year-old boy from his family's tent and killed the youngster.
The bear had been wounded early in the day and was pursued by hunters aided by a helicopter and 26 tracking dogs. It was described as a male, possibly 300 pounds and "jet black." Authorities were sure it was the right animal because the dogs had tracked its scent from the boy's camp site.
The bear was confirmed dead late Monday morning near the area where the boy was killed, said Lt. Scott White of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The boy was sleeping alone in one section of the family's large tent late Sunday. He screamed before he was dragged away in his sleeping bag in a canyon about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, said sheriff's Lt. Dennis Harris.
The boy's body was found about 400 yards from the tent, in the direction of another campsite where a bear sighting had been reported earlier in the weekend, Harris said.
"When it's hot and dry like this, bears are short of food," said Jim Karpowitz, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
"I know of no other fatalities by a black bear in Utah," Karpowitz said.
Utah is not known to have any grizzly bears, which have attacked and killed people in the northern Rockies.
American Fork Canyon is a popular camping destination. Harris said the family was camping about two miles up a dirt road from a popular campground.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jun/18/br/br3540197286.html
Associated Press
AMERICAN FORK, Utah - Wildlife officers on Monday fatally wounded a bear they believed was the same animal that snatched an 11-year-old boy from his family's tent and killed the youngster.
The bear had been wounded early in the day and was pursued by hunters aided by a helicopter and 26 tracking dogs. It was described as a male, possibly 300 pounds and "jet black." Authorities were sure it was the right animal because the dogs had tracked its scent from the boy's camp site.
The bear was confirmed dead late Monday morning near the area where the boy was killed, said Lt. Scott White of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The boy was sleeping alone in one section of the family's large tent late Sunday. He screamed before he was dragged away in his sleeping bag in a canyon about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, said sheriff's Lt. Dennis Harris.
The boy's body was found about 400 yards from the tent, in the direction of another campsite where a bear sighting had been reported earlier in the weekend, Harris said.
"When it's hot and dry like this, bears are short of food," said Jim Karpowitz, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
"I know of no other fatalities by a black bear in Utah," Karpowitz said.
Utah is not known to have any grizzly bears, which have attacked and killed people in the northern Rockies.
American Fork Canyon is a popular camping destination. Harris said the family was camping about two miles up a dirt road from a popular campground.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jun/18/br/br3540197286.html
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so, let me get this straight, a bear finds a perp in his living room and defends himself, and then he gets shot for it?
what part of he was in the bears house did we miss here?
ya know...developers do this thing called encrotch? which causes animals to suffer for lack of natural food? which suffer for lack of wilderness to hunt naturally in?
so then when we go into the woods we think we are supreme?
right. its the bears fault.[8][:(!]0 -
I hate to hear of a bear getting killed like this. I like bears and I don't hunt them.
But, I would kill 4 bears to protect my family, if I had to, and I do like to go camping.0 -
Some of this comes from moronic "campers" feeding bears, like they are at a zoo.
People are people, and wild animals should be left to be what they are.
A tragedy nonetheless,........I feel for the family![V]0 -
Black bears and I have always walked around each other with
just a sideways glance. I tend to hike around grizzly bears -
two entirely different critters. They tend to keep my undivided
attention until out of sight.
[8D]0 -
I guess!!!!![:D] 0 -
I've always been told that if chased by a blackie you head for the
nearest tree - good news is you can aim the heel of your boot
into their sensitive nose and they'll beat it!
With the griz, you do that same thing - the good news is since
they can't retract their claws they can't come up the tree after you.
... bad news is they don't leave until after they've torn your tree
down.
[:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by bobski
so, let me get this straight, a bear finds a perp in his living room and defends himself, and then he gets shot for it?
what part of he was in the bears house did we miss here?
ya know...developers do this thing called encrotch? which causes animals to suffer for lack of natural food? which suffer for lack of wilderness to hunt naturally in?
so then when we go into the woods we think we are supreme?
right. its the bears fault.[8][:(!]
defend himself? bobski I don't think I've ever heard you say anything more stupid or insensitive. I fthat is the way it is it would be ok for something to kill any of us anytime we went into the wilds for recreation! I think it read the boy was sleeping......................real threat to that bear! I believe in coservation of our natural resources there allen grigggs but I also like bear chili!0 -
what they don't tell you is this MIGHT have been provented(sp?)
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1366370
Wildlife officials think the same bear that killed the 11-year-old boy was spotted by campers yesterday morning. The campers reported the encounter, but believe the officials could have done more.
When the campers woke up this morning and heard on the news that an 11-year-old boy was dead after a bear attacked him near the same campground they were attacked in, they couldn't believe it.
Kathy Francom said, "This is needless. There's no reason for this. We are just really fortunate, our family, but there was absolutely no reason for this."
Kathy says wilderness officials could have prevented the death of the 11-year-old boy if they would have closed the campground after her son's attack.
Her son Jake was camping for the weekend. It was about 5:00 in the morning when Jake got hit in the head, by what he later learned was a bear. Camper Collett Young says, "All of the sudden this claw comes through the tent and I screamed bloody murder, yelling for his friend Troy. I'm like, ?_~Troy, get your gun, get your gun.' I thought it was coming in there at us."
Their friend Troy shot his gun into the air. The bear ran away but soon returned. He didn't get close the second time. Troy fired a shot toward the bear. The bear ran away. The rattled campers called police when they got down the canyon.
The Division of Wildlife Resources says they spent most of the day searching for the bear. They say the encounter was just a bear brushing up against the tent and that they did all they could. Scott White of the Division of Wildlife Resources said, "The information that came to me, from my officer when he received the call was that, what he told me was that a bear had brushed up against the tent. Now, whether that's the information that was relayed to him or to dispatch, I do not know."
Eyewitness News spoke to Jake Francom earlier today. He gave us his account of what happened to him. You can hear more about that tonight on eyewitness news0 -
I have to imagine that this particular bear had been given food by some person in the past. Now the bear sees people as having food and naturally was looking for something to snack on in the campsite.
Who knows if they had food in the tent (I hope not) but anyway the bear was probably looking for food when the boy was snatched. Maybe his sleeping bag smelled like food.
I camp often and this is what scares me the most. Someone feeding bears before I get there. This is why I now carry the 454 casull. You just never know when you might become the victim. Be prepared.0 -
Word is here in Utah that this bear is believed to be the one people have been feeding. No word on if food was present in the tent. 0 -
What I said before,.........idiots feeding wild animals like they are at the zoo, and then it is a "surprise", when the dumb animal comes looking for the source!
I fear these folks had food in the tent,..........doesn't take away from the tragedy, but human beings need to learn that the entire "world", is not a playground for us.
What Zipper said before is true,.......if you are naive, don't even think about going into grizzly territory for a fun family "campout".
Yes, someone WILL kill the bear,.......eventually, and then they will extract your remains from its stomach. The tree trick won't work with an adult grizzly,.......once again like he said, they will wait until they have knocked your butt out of the tree, from shaking it, or until it is horizontal!
Happy Hiking![;)]0 -
I've read grizzlies can climb about 20 ft up trees. 0 -
Well, sorta.
Young grizzlies can climb trees as effectively as most black bears, but some mature bears have more difficulty. Most grizzlies can "ladder up" trees with branches, but their weight and claw structure prevents them from climbing as efficiently as black bears. Three of the 23 documented bear-induced human injuries in Denali involved grizzlies pulling humans out of trees.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/dena/Home/visitorinfo/bearsafety/faq.html
Coastal Alaska has some seriously big trees. In the interior the trees are much smaller - lots of Alaskan Spruce, Black Spruce, White Spruce, Quaking Aspen, Balsam Poplar, Black Cottonwood, Paper Birch and Larch. In the interior they are small. The actual growing season in the interior is only about four months a year.
Not enough room up a Black Spruce for me and a bear - especially when the old big guy is supposed to run and climb. ... five rounds from a 500 hopefully will make it easier if the eventuality ever arises. When we pack in for a day or two we also carry a Marlin SS Guide - .45-70 'super load.' We've extended the tube on one to carry two more rounds.
... IF something wades through all of that ... it can have me![:D]0
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