2 injured in North Jersey bear attack

[dogg57]

written by

The Associated Press





Two juveniles sustained minor injuries after a black bear attacked their campsite in northwestern New Jersey today.
The attack occurred in Stokes State Forest in Sussex County.

State Police say a black bear entered an area being used by campers from Montague-based Trail Blazers Camp.

Troopers say the bear grabbed one juvenile out of a tent, causing a minor foot injury. It then swiped at another, causing a shoulder injury.

The bear left, but soon returned and was rummaging through the campsite when state fish and game officials arrived and shot the bear in the neck.

The injured campers are described as a 12-year-old from Jersey City and an 11-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

[dogg57]

Update
A responding State wildlife technician shot the bear near the campsite, wounding the animal in the neck. The injured bear subsequently fled into the adjacent woods and is being tracked by conservation officers and the Department of Environmental Protection's bear response team, aided by a blood sniffing dog. Snares and traps also are being set in the wooded area.

The DEP has closed sections of the Appalachian Trail and intersecting hiking trails that run through Stokes State Forest, until further notice. All available State resources are being used to track the bear and to notify the public, including a coordinated effort by the State Division of Fish and Wildlife, DEP conservation officers, State Park Police, State Police and DEP Parks and Foresty personnel

http://berkeleyheights.patch.com/articles/black-bear-attack-in-north-jersey

 

[NJBill]

Sent out via email today from the NJDEP.

The NJDEP is advising residents and outdoor enthusiasts in North Jersey, especially in areas regularly frequented by black bears, to strictly adhere to guidelines for eliminating or securing potential black bear food sources during the fall period when bears feed extensively to build fat layers for hibernation.

Black bears may be especially on the hunt this season for high calorie foods, such as food scraps in household trash and bird seed from outdoor bird feeders, due to localized scarcities of acorns and other tree nuts, which are an important black bear food source.

The following simple rules for living in black bear country--particularly Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, northern Passaic, northern Somerset and western Bergen counties --will help minimize conflicts with black bears:

* Invest in bear-proof garbage containers. If not using bear-proof garbage containers, store all garbage in containers with tight fitting lids in a secure area such as a basement, the inside wall of a garage, or a shed.
* Put garbage out on collection day, not the evening before.
* Wash garbage containers with a disinfectant at least once a week to eliminate odors. Draping ammonia or bleach soaked cloth over containers will help to eliminate odors.
* Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in compost piles.
* Feed birds only from December 1 to April 1, when bears are least active.
* When feeding birds when bears are active, suspend bird feeders at least 10 feet off the ground. Clean up spilled seeds and shells daily.
* Feed outdoor pets during daylight hours only. Immediately remove all food scraps and bowls after feeding.
* Clean outdoor grills thoroughly after each use. Grease and food residue can attract bears.
* Do not leave food unattended while camping or picnicking.
* Store all food items in coolers inside vehicles where they can not be seen or in bear-proof food storage lockers at State Park facilities
* Never feed a black bear. It is dangerous and against the law.
* Report bear damage or nuisance behavior to your local police department or to the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (877) 927-6337.

For more information see the NJDEP news release at http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0117.htm .

 

[manumuskin]

bet it was a young male.They frequently test any creature they come upon looking for what they can over power and kill and what they can't when first pushed out of the nest so to speak.Females can hang around with mom for another year or so,males are run off to fend for themselves and until they find a territory of their own they are beat up and pushed around by older bears and just drift around trying to find something to eat like a homeless person would.If they kill a person and eat them and see how easy it is you now have a problem bear.Black bears are much more well known for predatory attacks on people then Griz are.Griz attack to protect cubs and kill sites or what they believe to be self defense.You male black bears are known for stalking people.
Al

 

[kayak karl]

now this update, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/bear_attack_update_nj_official.html

 

[manumuskin]

test 1
man 1
bear 0

actually good news for the bear.perhaps he'll go back to rippin up logs.
Al

 

[46er]

I'd put money on the kids having food in their tent. And now, thanks to counselors giving wrong info and not paying attention to what the kids said, there's a wounded bear running around up there. Sounds like a Camp-Run-a-Muck moment

 

[manumuskin]

The bear did need to be hazed to keep him from messing with campers in the future but he hurt no one so in my opinion didn't deserve to be shot,maybe with a rubber bullet but now he is open to infection.Just an overgrown bear cub trying to bully a snickers out of a couple of man cubs.Heavy price to pay.

 

[46er]

The bear did need to be hazed to keep him from messing with campers in the future but he hurt no one so in my opinion didn't deserve to be shot,maybe with a rubber bullet but now he is open to infection.Just an overgrown bear cub trying to bully a snickers out of a couple of man cubs.Heavy price to pay.

That CO should be fired. Same with those 'counselors'.

 

[46er]

The bear attack report for this years first fatal attack in July came out today; I have attached a link to the full report. It is fairly graphic. I have hiked the trail described in the report several times, it is a regularly used trail; never saw any bear on it during any of my trips. Another fatal attack occured this past August to a solitary hiker in a well known bear area. Both attacks were by grizzly. I have never heard of a black bear attack out there.

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie...MatayoshiInvestigationTeamReport_redacted.pdf

 

[manumuskin]

only bear ever gave me any guff was a momma black bear in canaan valley wv.spooked her and her cubs out of what i think was a sound sleep 20 ft off trail.momma came bounding down into trail 40 ft in front of me looking wrong way up trail.then she turned,looked at me lowered her head and started huffing.wife behind me says,poop! two cubs on our left uphill. if they had of ran downhill this would have put us between momma and cubs.Thankfully cubs ran uphill and momma followed.I would of hated to have whooped her butt.
Al

 

[46er]

only bear ever gave me any guff was a momma black bear in canaan valley wv.spooked her and her cubs out of what i think was a sound sleep 20 ft off trail.momma came bounding down into trail 40 ft in front of me looking wrong way up trail.then she turned,looked at me lowered her head and started huffing.wife behind me says,poop! two cubs on our left uphill. if they had of ran downhill this would have put us between momma and cubs.Thankfully cubs ran uphill and momma followed.I would of hated to have whooped her butt.
Al

It's almost always the kids that start the trouble. I have seen a lot of black bear out there, they aren't the threat the other is though.
Sometimes they come in different colors

 

[manumuskin]

The experts claim grizz are quicker to attack in self defense or cub defense but almost never eat a person they kill.On the other hand black bear have been known to develop a taste for people.Probably not the taste but the ease of the kill.It is almost invarably young males with no set territory who are still experimenting with what to eat wand what is best left alone.They are usually hungry from inexperience and being beat up and ran off by every bigger bear they come across.
I have a wood wise friend from above Jim Thorpe Pa who says he was stalked by a bear for over a mile.The bear never gained on him unless he stopped in which case the bear kept coming.He turned off a trail up hill and the bear lost him.My friend for some reason as tough as he is is scared of bear.I think maybe the bear may not have realized he was there.He was on a rr grade and the bear was 200 yards behind him.They are near sighted and if it didn't catch his scent probably never knew he was there.Or it may have been a young male who wasn't particuarly hungry but still curious?
Al

 

[46er]

A very good friend in montana works with the counter assault spray folks and the state doing bear education. The recommendation if confronted by a black bear is to stand your ground and fight back hard, for a griz you play dead. I've heard some stories of lone hikers being trailed by black bears. If they do not run off with some noise and aggressive behaviour on the hikers part, you probably have a problem. The second fatality in YNP this year of a solitary hiker had much of the body consumed. DNA evidence showed it was a griz. I don't think there are any hard and fast facts on what a particular bruin will do in a given situation. Best advice I've been given is to always carry spray. Scariest thing we've encountered is coming upon a fresh kill on the trail one time, got the cold sweats. Not a good place to be; between a mother and cubs, or between a bear and its food.

 

[manumuskin]

wouldn't be good for a bear to come between me and my food either.I know what you mean

 

[bushwacker]

i was up in alaska over the summer. everywhere you go there are reminders to be bear aware.
they suggest you wear a bear bell when hiking and carry pepper spray.

they also suggest you learn to identify bear signs and scat.

they say you can tell grizzily bear scat by the bells in it and the peppery smell

 

[manumuskin]

Nice one Bushwacker I'd be afraid the bells would attract "Tinkerbear"
Al

 

[46er]

 

[manumuskin]

There he is! Right above me! The infamous Tinkerbear!