[pct-l] PCT Bear attacks

[Amanda L Silvestri]

I looked over these bear incidents and noticed the following.  Since 1986 there have just been 12 attacks in 26 years, or less than two attacks a year.

Of the twelve, three involved a sow with cubs. Nuff said about that.

Of the remaining nine, one involved a man feeding the bears.  Well...

Of the eight remaining, two involved attempts by the bear to steel food and in each case it was chased away after the "victim" began acting aggressively".

Of the five left, one man was swatted after sitting up and startling the bear that swatted him, and then ran away.  No sudden moves now.

This leaves four, and of those one just says that a man was bitten but has no details so who knows what that was about.

Now there are three.  One involves young bears that were without their mother (with whom they had been seen with the preceeding year) they are now on their own and adapting by returning to where momma took them, in an area where there had been guarbage before.  This speaks to camping away from established camping areas - stealth camping.

Another one involves camping in a large camping area, again an area where garbage is likely to be found and an argument for stealth camping.

The last one found the camper in the middle of a fight between two Boars?  Perhaps he meant bears.  Again the bear that attacked the tent and was chased off by swing a trekking pole at it.  I assume the camper also may have yelled at the bear.

While no attract is a good attack, some of these would have been prevented by paying attention or not camping where bears have learned to look for food.  Being prepared to fight for your food or confronting the bear again proved to be a solid behavior to drive him away.  

This leaves the one case of the two thirteen-year-old boys who were in their sleeping bags.  The boys said that they had hung their food away from the tent but we don't know if there was a forgotten candy bar in a pocket or some late night snack in the bag.  Perhaps sun block, chap stick or insect repellent was in there with them.  This was an area with cabins and garbage so the bears were used to looking around here for food but the aggressive nature of this attack is unheard of for a black bear.  Who knows about this one.

Bottom line is that black bear attacks on an adult human are uncommon, more often than not they are a faint or a defense of food or cubs.  If you camp away from established camp sites, use a bear can and don’t have anything that smells in your tent or sleeping bag or shirt pocket and pay attention when you have your food out., you should be okay.

Shepherd