Man attacked by bear

[Gonzo]

I could be thinking of a different breed, but I always thought black bears, especially females, might behave differently than brown or grizzly bears with respect to the lay down and play dead tactic. I didn't think the same strategy worked for both and one may need to grab a weapon and fight back if you see the bear saying grace while you are playing dead. :)

Although it is dangerous, if not deadly, to run from a bear, it is understandable. The flinch response and the fight or flight response usually requires training to overcome. FWIW, I think it's expecting a lot from occasional hikers to be able to overcome their reflex and panic responses, no matter how tragic the result.

Gonzo

 

[JonnyRadar]

I go both ways with this one. The guy's an idiot for not being prepared in the bush with a better weapon than a lighter, but props for pulling it out when all else had failed... Grit doesn't necessarily come with smarts, though tons of grit nonetheless...

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=Gonzo]
I could be thinking of a different breed, but I always thought black bears, especially females, might behave differently than brown or grizzly bears with respect to the lay down and play dead tactic. I didn't think the same strategy worked for both and one may need to grab a weapon and fight back if you see the bear saying grace while you are playing dead. :)[/quote]

The two bear types do in many cases behave differently. However, a female black or grizzly will understandable in maternal cases with their young react exactly the same; naturally so. But black bears tend to be much more proprietorial, creatures of opportunity and thus a little less predictable, imo, in their aims.

Playing dead however needs to be weighed against many factors and it is not necessarily a good choice. The problem is that being surprised, as is much often the case, there are only seconds to react. If the action of the bear is predatory, often in black bears especially, then playing dead may not be wise whatsoever, in fact, fighting with everything you have available might be the only thing that helps. On the other hand, a 600 lbs grizzly may charge at 30 km/hour directly at you, only to stop, if you play it right, mere feet away, huffing, puffing and smacking the ground only to turn away and leave. In many cases it becomes a kind of test of wills and running excites food or threat instincts.

Although it is dangerous, if not deadly, to run from a bear, it is understandable. The flinch response and the fight or flight response usually requires training to overcome. FWIW, I think it's expecting a lot from occasional hikers to be able to overcome their reflex and panic responses, no matter how tragic the result.

Like you say it is understandable to flee and it is much to expect from occasional hikers, not understanding bear nature, to do the right thing - knowledge, as in all things protects.

Have mentioned this author before as he has worked in study near where I live and it is highly recommended to help with understanding bear natures in regards to encounters and other matters.

Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (revised edition)
by Dr. Stephen Herrero

What causes bear attacks? When should you play dead and when should you fight an attacking bear? What do we know about black and grizzly bears and how can this knowledge be used to avoid bear attacks? And, more generally, what is the bear’s future?

Bear Attacks is a thorough and unflinching landmark study of the attacks made on men and women by the great grizzly and the occasionally deadly black bear. This is a book for everyone who hikes, camps, or visits bear country – and for anyone who wants to know more about these sometimes fearsome but always fascinating wild creatures.

_http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/423975.Bear_Attacks

 

[bltay]

Another hiker was killed by a bear in Yellowstone.

http://news.yahoo.com/autopsy-confirms-grizzly-killed-yellowstone-hiker-164640318.html

 

[bltay]

I could be thinking of a different breed, but I always thought black bears, especially females, might behave differently than brown or grizzly bears with respect to the lay down and play dead tactic. I didn't think the same strategy worked for both and one may need to grab a weapon and fight back if you see the bear saying grace while you are playing dead. :)

Although it is dangerous, if not deadly, to run from a bear, it is understandable. The flinch response and the fight or flight response usually requires training to overcome. FWIW, I think it's expecting a lot from occasional hikers to be able to overcome their reflex and panic responses, no matter how tragic the result.

Gonzo

Gonzo, I would completely agree that it is very difficult to overcome the panic and not run. However, in the case of the couple who was attacked in Yellowstone, it was the runner who was killed and the wife that went to the ground who survived. There are many other instances in the area of Yellowstone where this technique has worked. They are just not sensationalized as much as the bear killings are.

I don't pretend to speak for how bears behave in other parts of the country or world, I just know what I have experienced, seen, and heard in the Yellowstone area. You are not really playing dead when going to the ground. It is more like you are showing the bear you are not a threat. I think the bear is more likely to be saying grace as he chases whatever he perceives to be running from him/her as dinner. Bear attacks on humans are still the great exception there, although it is very sad to see anyone die. I just wish more people would take the time to acquire knowledge before venturing into bear habitat.

 

[Voyageur]

Just to add here further, that like people, bears become sick, physically and mentally, which is a another influence to contend with and as such they will often act outside their very nature. Bears, like us, are exposed to much the same toxins; heavy metals etc. Bears subject to pathology testing after an event oftentimes list out many different causes for their actions due to sickness. Sometimes it can be the fact that an adolescent bear is removed from its mother by way of mortality and they just have not learned the lessons. Conversely, a mother may also kick them out at a time not appropriate or they never properly guided their offspring before doing this.

Trying to figure out all these things in a chance encounter, given only seconds to act, is never going to be easy. Fear though is something they seem to understand, as is their nature and that needs to be overcome as well.

 

[Gonzo]

Wow, Parallax. I'm a little embarrassed to think I never considered the effect of our toxic environment on animal behaviour.

Thanks for bringing that up,
Gonzo

 

[Voyageur]

Wow, Parallax. I'm a little embarrassed to think I never considered the effect of our toxic environment on animal behaviour.

Thanks for bringing that up,
Gonzo

Don't be It is likely more localized to bears in close urbanization areas; ethyl-glycol, dumps, toxic water sources, arsenic, lead, and so on. Even vitamin A excess's (polar bears) in liver is being noted. Some remote lakes have been assessed with higher toxins (rain/snow melt initiators) which goes through the food chain. Older forest management techniques (60/70's) would see areal spraying of PCP's that is still built up in the water. Old mine sites have arsenic that had spilled all over, some just sitting in rusted out drums. Also, natural plant toxins like Yew can be devastating to their health, to name just a few, and young bears left alone have not learned lessons from their mothers of these plant food type toxins.

One other thing, some bears wander around for years having had encounters with humans, having been injured by bullets. Came across a deer a few years ago in town with an arrow through part of its neck, just walking along the road. These bears or animals understandably do not have good memories of mankind.

Like us, it seems the cards are staked against them.

 

[monksgirl]

Just to add here further, that like people, bears become sick, physically and mentally, which is a another influence to contend with and as such they will often act outside their very nature. Bears, like us, are exposed to much the same toxins; heavy metals etc. Bears subject to pathology testing after an event oftentimes list out many different causes for their actions due to sickness.....

Voyageur, you seem to be thinking along the same lines I have over the unprecedented number of bear attacks this year. I wonder about the proximity of the ELF GWEN towers to these attacks and what effect HAARP has on the animals, as well as the animals' exposures to chemtrails and any of the exotic infections that have affected other species, such as the parasites that have reduced amphibian populations worldwide.

 

[Gonzo]

Hi monksgirl,
Speaking of chemtrails, have you had a chance to read the SotT article Chemtrails? Contrails? Strange Skies (http://www.sott.net/articles/show/221199-Chemtrails-Contrails-Strange-Skies)?

It might offer a few thoughts about chemtrails you mightn't have encountered before.

Regards,
Gonzo

 

[RyanX]

Just to add here further, that like people, bears become sick, physically and mentally, which is a another influence to contend with and as such they will often act outside their very nature. Bears, like us, are exposed to much the same toxins; heavy metals etc. Bears subject to pathology testing after an event oftentimes list out many different causes for their actions due to sickness.....

Voyageur, you seem to be thinking along the same lines I have over the unprecedented number of bear attacks this year. I wonder about the proximity of the ELF GWEN towers to these attacks and what effect HAARP has on the animals, as well as the animals' exposures to chemtrails and any of the exotic infections that have affected other species, such as the parasites that have reduced amphibian populations worldwide.

It might be worth considering what comet dust (and its associated microbes) might have on wildlife.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234667-Pestilence-the-Great-Plague-and-the-Tobacco-Cure

Also, who needs chemtrails when you have comets?

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=RyanX ]


It might be worth considering what comet dust (and its associated microbes) might have on wildlife.

[/quote]

Yes, very good point. Makes me think of the 'White Nose' syndrome that is taking out bats, and there seems to be no real clue.

 

[monksgirl]

also colony collapse disorder in the bees; isn't that and the white nose syndrome in bats, the cancer in tasmanian devils, for that matter the chlamydia in koalas, all symptoms of immune dysfunction in the wild? We also have had a creuezfeld-jacob like syndrome in elk in North America. I am sure everyone can think of some others. Whateve r-comets or chemtrails- has been affecting human health has obviously been affecting our friends in the animal kingdom. There are plenty of physical disorders in humans that have psychiatric symptoms.