Follow up article on fatal bear attack in West Milford

[Bucksnbows]

Nothing earth shattering, but many of us have followed this tragic event closely for a variety of reasons.

 

 http://www.northjersey.com/news/west-milford-police-release-new-details-about-aftermath-of-deadly-bear-attack-1.1103630

[LittleM]

From what I have observed recently, bears are becoming much more brazen.  I think there are going to be more issues in the near future, whether it be with hikers, fishers, bow hunters, joggers, or someone just out walking their dog.  Given what I saw from my stand last night, I think I would have been freaked had I shot a deer and was dragging it out, with blood on my hands.  In all seriousness, if and when I kill one, I might try to drive my truck right up to it and gut it with the truck running and the door open ...............

[Bucksnbows]

From what I have observed recently, bears are becoming much more brazen.  I think there are going to be more issues in the near future, whether it be with hikers, fishers, bow hunters, joggers, or someone just out walking their dog.  Given what I saw from my stand last night, I think I would have been freaked had I shot a deer and was dragging it out, with blood on my hands.  In all seriousness, if and when I kill one, I might try to drive my truck right up to it and gut it with the truck running and the door open ...............

 

I can only go by my own observations, but we have as many or more bears this year than we've ever seen in Sparta.  In helping TroutandBucks with his bow kill the other day, we had a sow with her 2 cubs coming straight down our blood trail that we had to run off twice and another lone bear that did the same thing a few minutes later.  And while with Rusty on a hunt, we had another incident in another part of that town with one of the other hunters who was successful.  She really got fired up and had cubs with her as well which always makes it just a little more dangerous.  Between the 3 sows we see routinely on my property (I manage it, not own it), we have 7 cubs.  That's 10 bears alone without adding any other boars or sows which we also have and see.  That's a property of roughly 120 acres with a 14 acre pond and 3 homes on it.  Do the math; that's a lot of bears in a relatively small area.    

[Haskell_Hunter]

I don't know if you went to the F&W link that has all of the documents and statements from the responding officers, but one officer's statement was telling. Although the statement is heavily redacted where the officer describes the scene of the attack, the parts that aren't redacted are frightening. For example, the poor kid's clothes were strewn across the area. In the necropsy reports there was human flesh in the bear's stomach and in its esophagus. Although it isn't stated, it seems like the bear was going to town on the body.

 

The poor kid was killed, but it wasn't like the bear bit him, ran, and left him for dead. It seems like it was savage and brutal.

 

We had a thread going on this board a few months ago about handguns and bow hunting. In NH it is legal to bowhunt with a handgun, probably to mitigate situations like bears. If NJ can't figure out a way to properly manage the bear population in the state, our forests will quickly become unsafe in unique ways we aren't prepared for. But isn't that the Trenton way? If our cities can't be safe, then why should our forests be any safer?

 

This is the link to the reports. It was posted by the division yesterday.

 

https://www.njwoodsandwater.com/topic/4455-10714-division-of-fish-and-wildlife-documents-pertaining-to-the-92114-west-milford-fatal-bear-attack/

Edited October 8, 2014 by Haskell_Hunter

[Bucksnbows]

Although fatal black bear attacks remain very rare, what is not rare is for the bear to eat the body right away.  Grizzly/brown bears will kill a human and come back later to eat most often.  So that fact stands up to other black bear fatal attacks on humans.  

[redsquirrel]

I don't know if you went to the F&W link that has all of the documents and statements from the responding officers, but one officer's statement was telling. Although the statement is heavily redacted where the officer describes the scene of the attack, the parts that aren't redacted are frightening. For example, the poor kid's clothes were strewn across the area. In the necropsy reports there was human flesh in the bear's stomach and in its esophagus. Although it isn't stated, it seems like the bear was going to town on the body.

 

The poor kid was killed, but it wasn't like the bear bit him, ran, and left him for dead. It seems like it was savage and brutal.

 

We had a thread going on this board a few months ago about handguns and bow hunting. In NH it is legal to bowhunt with a handgun, probably to mitigate situations like bears. If NJ can't figure out a way to properly manage the bear population in the state, our forests will quickly become unsafe in unique ways we aren't prepared for. But isn't that the Trenton way? If our cities can't be safe, then why should our forests be any safer?

 

This is the link to the reports. It was posted by the division yesterday.

 

https://www.njwoodsandwater.com/topic/4455-10714-division-of-fish-and-wildlife-documents-pertaining-to-the-92114-west-milford-fatal-bear-attack/

At least let us legally carry bear spray!

[Bucksnbows]

At least let us legally carry bear spray!

 

Agreed.  While I think NJ should allow CC for any legal gun owning citizen or open carry for bears during bow seasons, I would at least expect a large canister of bear spray to be legalized going forward.  

[Haskell_Hunter]

Agreed.  While I think NJ should allow CC for any legal gun owning citizen or open carry for bears during bow seasons, I would at least expect a large canister of bear spray to be legalized going forward.

 

 

Trenton wants to lead the U.S. in "victimizable citizens", and thinks that the common NJ citizen cannot be trusted to defend themselves. Only Trenton can be trusted to defend the population of NJ.

 

I think I'll petition Trenton to change the state motto to "The Victim State", so people know what they're getting themselves into.

 

[Gruntmaster]

 

Trenton wants to lead the U.S. in "victimizable citizens", and thinks that the common NJ citizen cannot be trusted to defend themselves. Only Trenton can be trusted to defend the population of NJ.

 

I think I'll petition Trenton to change the state motto to "The Victim State", so people know what they're getting themselves into.

 

Agreed........WTF.