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Well this is tragic. 5 hikers ran off when they saw a black bear but one of them didn't make it. From cartoons I remember that you lie dead. If you run they'll chase you.
Listening to residents in the bear counties recount close up encounters and hearing their dismissive attitude toward the potential dangers always made me shudder.
See a stray dog and call the warden because it might bite, have a 300 lb BB walk up to you and you touch it and think nothing of it because many organizations in the state persist in saying they are more afraid of you than you are of them.
I'm wondering if these hikers were inexperienced? Running is the last thing you should do when encountering a bear or other wild animal. My thoughts are with this young man's friends and family.
I'm wondering if these hikers were inexperienced? Running is the last thing you should do when encountering a bear or other wild animal. My thoughts are with this young man's friends and family.
Easier said than done, especially if you've never even seen a bear in the wild before. My family and I encountered a cub that happened to wander in our direction at the Water Gap about a month ago, but it sounds as if this bear was stalking them. Some see this as a reinforcement of the need for the bear hunt, which has merit, but to me it speaks more to the need for the right to carry. Between coyotes and black bears we have enough large predators to make things dangerous for folks venturing to the backcountry, whether to camp, hunt, hike, or fish. If someone in that group had been armed chances are there would have been a much different outcome.
Easier said than done, especially if you've never even seen a bear in the wild before. My family and I encountered a cub that happened to wander in our direction at the Water Gap about a month ago, but it sounds as if this bear was stalking them. Some see this as a reinforcement of the need for the bear hunt, which has merit, but to me it speaks more to the need for the right to carry. Between coyotes and black bears we have enough large predators to make things dangerous for folks venturing to the backcountry, whether to camp, hunt, hike, or fish. If someone in that group had been armed chances are there would have been a much different outcome.
Still it's such a rare occurrence. I bet there's only been a handful of attacks in 100 years. Not sure how many fatalities.
Still it's such a rare occurrence. I bet there's only been a handful of attacks in 100 years. Not sure how many fatalities.
This is the first fatality in modern recorded history in New Jersey, but go back 25, 50, 75, 100 years, and New Jersey was a much different place. We have more people, more bears, and less habitat than we did 100 ago.
We're encroaching more into wild territory. But deaths from wild bears in the northeast are super rare. Usually only happens out west and in Alaska & Canada.
We're encroaching more into wild territory. But deaths from wild bears in the northeast are super rare. Usually only happens out west and in Alaska & Canada.
Bears in much of the Northeast are rarer than they are in NJ. In Maine black bears are known as the "ghosts of the woods" because you just don't see them very often, even deep in the woods. You're more likely to see a moose than a bear in many parts of Maine. Of course, Maine has four times the land area of New Jersey and only 15% of the population.
Easier said than done, especially if you've never even seen a bear in the wild before. My family and I encountered a cub that happened to wander in our direction at the Water Gap about a month ago, but it sounds as if this bear was stalking them. Some see this as a reinforcement of the need for the bear hunt, which has merit, but to me it speaks more to the need for the right to carry. Between coyotes and black bears we have enough large predators to make things dangerous for folks venturing to the backcountry, whether to camp, hunt, hike, or fish. If someone in that group had been armed chances are there would have been a much different outcome.
Easier said than done, especially if you've never even seen a bear in the wild before. My family and I encountered a cub that happened to wander in our direction at the Water Gap about a month ago, but it sounds as if this bear was stalking them. Some see this as a reinforcement of the need for the bear hunt, which has merit, but to me it speaks more to the need for the right to carry. Between coyotes and black bears we have enough large predators to make things dangerous for folks venturing to the backcountry, whether to camp, hunt, hike, or fish. If someone in that group had been armed chances are there would have been a much different outcome.
Do you know how crazy you sound to advocate for carrying firearms while go hiking and fishing on the off chance of a bear attack.
Bear attacks in NJ is rarer than been hit by lightning (1 in 150years vs 74 in 50years in NJ). Does that mean you should also wear a faraday cage while hiking?
If you are in bear territory all you need is a bottle of bear spray (stronger version of pepper spray) and generate some noise (ie play some music on the ipod) to avoid a surprise encounter / defense.
You dont need to carry around a gun, it is less effective, and you have a higher probability of risk injury against yourself or someone than using it against a bear.
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Feel sad for the kid, hindsight is always 20/20 with millions of ifs and hows, but in the moment unless you are already educated on the matter and have preparation, it is a impossible situation.
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