NFR Rock climber fights off attacking black bear

Non-fishing related
If a black bear gets you, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. They will chow down on you even if you are still alive. Maybe that's why they all say carry bear spray.

I came face to face with a black bear on Pilchuck Creek one summer day. He went one way and I beat feet the other way. I think that I walked on water that day. I made it down stream faster that I did going up stream. I met up with a black bear on Rock Creek. Was fishing there are was tired and went back to my buddy's van to rest. I just sat down and looked up the way I had came and a bear walk toward the van and saw me and turned away into the woods. These were my bear encounters close up. Don't want anymore of them as I don't move very good anymore.
 
What Old Man says is correct! If a black bear attacks - it's probably trying to eat you compared to grizzlies that are typically just pissed that you're in their space. When I worked bear management for the National Park Service back in the late 70's and early 80's, we received notices of all bear attacks in North America. Black bear attacks, particularly by adult males were usually predatory in nature. That rock climber did everything right trying to fight off the bear - it probably saved his life.
 
Old Man said:
If a black bear gets you, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. They will chow down on you even if you are still alive. Maybe that's why they all say carry bear spray.
Click to expand...
A ranger told me that if a black bear attacks you, odds are it's been stalking you for a good while and is hungry, so yeah, you're lunch.
 
Black bears are typically such skittish guys that if one was aggressive I'd assume either it had cubs nearby or something was seriously wrong with it.

Wonder how long that dude sat on top of that rock!
 
Bear has some mange on its coat. Might have been in poor condition and attracted to clumsy human prey. The climber delivered a nice kick though.
 
Also seemed like they surprised each other…both of them probably thinking what the f*ck are you doing up here simultaneously! The dude excitedly screaming probably did not help the situation…. though you can’t blame him.

The fact the bear went away so easily and did not push the issue makes me think eating the climber was not primary intent.. Maybe surprised, maybe the guy was climbing through a berry patch and the bear was protecting food, etc.. I don’t think the climbers actions were enough to dissuade a hungry, desperate bear looking at him as a food source but who knows.
 
While working for ADFG, we would do end of summer surveys for salmon spawning records. In preparation we would stash gas and oil up river for the extended run.
The first year, we found out the bears liked to eat the oil as they would break into the caches. Scat had oil sheen.
 
nomlasder said:
While working for ADFG, we would do end of summer surveys for salmon spawning records. In preparation we would stash gas and oil up river for the extended run.
The first year, we found out the bears liked to eat the oil as they would break into the caches. Scat had oil sheen.
Click to expand...
Every community has someone who swears by their colonics. The hard part is listening to them and taking them seriously.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top