Bear kills NJ student in nature preserve

[Still Waters]

A New Jersey university student was killed after being mauled by a black bear while hiking, in what officials called an extremely rare attack.

Darsh Patel, 22, and four friends encountered the bear on Sunday inside the Apshawa Preserve, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of New York City.

The bear was circling Patel when officials found the student's body. Police killed the bear at the scene.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-29319401

[+OverSword]

Poor kid.

[Capt.]

Has anyone else noticed how many bear attack articles include "extremely unusual?"

In 2010 Alaska had 18 known bear maulings. When it is more than a mauling there is a pretty good chance that no one will know. Alaska usually has a couple fatal moose stompings and the occasional teacher eaten by wolves.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/woman-survives-bear-attack_n_5677141.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/alaska-bear-attack/

http://www.adn.com/article/wolves-killed-alaska-teacher-2010-state-says

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jan/11/harassed-moose-stomps-man-to-death/

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/14/fl-woman-terri-frana-prays-during-vicious-bear-attack

http://www.adn.com/article/alaska-bear-attack-shot-too-late

http://juneauempire.com/stories/081008/loc_316886947.shtml

http://juneauempire.com/stories/093009/sta_499196409.shtml

http://www.kcaw.org/2012/10/15/man-dies-after-bear-mauling-near-sitka/

http://www.bear-hunting.com/2008/7/grizzly-attacks-girl-in-mountain-bike-race

[Q-C]

Such a shame. I hope his life ended quickly.

I wondered if staying in a group would have worked as a deterrent. I've read it does with grizzlies. West Milford is where we lived, in the late 80's.

Edited September 22, 2014 by QuiteContrary

[Ashotep]

Black bears aren't as big as the others but they will kill you. Playing dead with them doesn't work either. Better be prepared to fight.

They should have never split up.

Feel for the guy and his family.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Ashotep

[Davros of Skaro]

There're antiBear hunting protesters in Northern NJ that use the talking point that the last time someone was killed in NJ by a Bear was in the late 1800's.

All the years living and hiking in this general area I haven't encountered any aggression.Except one time at night I heard a Bear in my neighbors Garbage.I opened my Door to shoo it away and it charged to my Door.I slammed the Door out of shock.I do not know if someone was feeding it because it had a more of a dumb look on it's face than anger.Anyway I put a round of Bird Shot in it's Rump to teach it that Humans are bad.I have not seen it since.

Bears are oppurtunists and will go after injured (smells of bleeding), or weakened animals.One time some friends came across a Deer in the Woods that was badly injured by a Car.When they approached it (To put it out of misery) it started bleeting (crying out of fear).All of a sudden a Black Bear swooped in grabbed the Deer in it's Jaws, and ran off with it right in fromt of them.

The group scattering was a bad move for sure.

[JVG]

I have a problem with a Black Bear getting into the Garbage cans to the point where I must put the bags in the shed until trash day. Sunday I forgot and threw a bag out the back door by the patio and this guy showed up again and had a nice midnight snack. He takes it into the wood and makes a mess that I clean up after he is gone. I hope he hibernates soon or get blasted by some hunter this season...

[Skep B]

This is what happens when we start outsourcing out hiking.

OR joke option 2

...The bear uprising has begun...

[Crabby Kitten]

People should be more careful. Such a shame.

[Capt.]

Black bears aren't as big as the others but they will kill you. Playing dead with them doesn't work either. Better be prepared to fight.

They should have never split up.

Feel for the guy and his family.

I happened to be at Liard Hot Springs the day that this happened: http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/1997-08/aug22_97bear.html

Two of the gory details that I recall very vividly was that the black bear knocked the man's head off and that the bear weighed 98 pounds. I do not trust black bears at all.

I have been chased by a brown bear with her cub and a salmon in her mouth. She was happy to run down one path while I took another. You know that whole "don't run from a bear" thing is meaningless when the bear is already running at you. I have also had a run in with a black bear that was just looking for a fight. You just never know what a bear will do and it is hard for bears and humans to live close to each other. Fortunately we have lots of places for bears and wolves to live that are not too close to humans.

JVG - try pouring a bottle of ammonia on and around your garbage cans. Bears seem to really hate the smell of ammonia even weeks and months of rain later. I have found caches of bright colored plastic toys deep in the woods where black bears steal and hide them (I don't think that black bears are completely color blind like some people argue) and I have two cast iron Dutch ovens that I found deep in the woods under tree roots where the bear hid them.

[JVG]

I happened to be at Liard Hot Springs the day that this happened: http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/1997-08/aug22_97bear.html

Two of the gory details that I recall very vividly was that the black bear knocked the man's head off and that the bear weighed 98 pounds. I do not trust black bears at all.

I have been chased by a brown bear with her cub and a salmon in her mouth. She was happy to run down one path while I took another. You know that whole "don't run from a bear" thing is meaningless when the bear is already running at you. I have also had a run in with a black bear that was just looking for a fight. You just never know what a bear will do and it is hard for bears and humans to live close to each other. Fortunately we have lots of places for bears and wolves to live that are not too close to humans.

JVG - try pouring a bottle of ammonia on and around your garbage cans. Bears seem to really hate the smell of ammonia even weeks and months of rain later. I have found caches of bright colored plastic toys deep in the woods where black bears steal and hide them (I don't think that black bears are completely color blind like some people argue) and I have two cast iron Dutch ovens that I found deep in the woods under tree roots where the bear hid them.

Capt. Thanks for the tip I will give it a try..The problem with my area is that some have been caught trying to bait bears with all kinds of donuts and other sweets... The Game lands behind our property is huge and we have noticed that in the last few years the Deer and Turkey's have disappeared and now we have tons of Bear and now the Coyotes are coming off the mountain and closer to homes... Twice this summer packs of them have either attacked cats or rabbits in our yards.. the Howl is what gets you and the attacks are very violent and loud.. I would hike the area in years past with only a hunting knife but now I will not go up there without at least a hand gun...

[Capt.]

Capt. Thanks for the tip I will give it a try..The problem with my area is that some have been caught trying to bait bears with all kinds of donuts and other sweets... The Game lands behind our property is huge and we have noticed that in the last few years the Deer and Turkey's have disappeared and now we have tons of Bear and now the Coyotes are coming off the mountain and closer to homes... Twice this summer packs of them have either attacked cats or rabbits in our yards.. the Howl is what gets you and the attacks are very violent and loud.. I would hike the area in years past with only a hunting knife but now I will not go up there without at least a hand gun...

My Grandfather shot a bear in Potter Co. many years ago and that was a big deal since they were so rare then. Bears tend to have two cubs and coyotes six pups while deer have one faun. They just do not stay in balance.

Black bear baiting is allowed, with permits, in some parts of Alaska partially as a mild form of predator control to try and help their prey recover. In areas where bear baiting is not allowed or when people do not want to bother with bait station permits they have various "bear crack" recipes like lime jello mix, green skittles, green M&Ms, and green cotton candy mix. It is almost impossible for a Wildlife Trooper to find this green stuff in the grass but bears are supposed to be able to smell them up to a mile away. If someone gets caught with a pocket full of green M&Ms though they are getting ticketed. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bearbaiting.requirements

Did you see where coyotes killed a girl in Canada? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/coyotes-kill-toronto-singer-in-cape-breton-1.779304 ADF&G finally removed the season dates and limits on coyotes here. I suspect that wolves are taking some of the blame for coyotes killing moose, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and caribou calves. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=coyote.main

[JVG]

My Grandfather shot a bear in Potter Co. many years ago and that was a big deal since they were so rare then. Bears tend to have two cubs and coyotes six pups while deer have one faun. They just do not stay in balance.

Black bear baiting is allowed, with permits, in some parts of Alaska partially as a mild form of predator control to try and help their prey recover. In areas where bear baiting is not allowed or when people do not want to bother with bait station permits they have various "bear crack" recipes like lime jello mix, green skittles, green M&Ms, and green cotton candy mix. It is almost impossible for a Wildlife Trooper to find this green stuff in the grass but bears are supposed to be able to smell them up to a mile away. If someone gets caught with a pocket full of green M&Ms though they are getting ticketed. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bearbaiting.requirements

Did you see where coyotes killed a girl in Canada? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/coyotes-kill-toronto-singer-in-cape-breton-1.779304 ADF&G finally removed the season dates and limits on coyotes here. I suspect that wolves are taking some of the blame for coyotes killing moose, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and caribou calves. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=coyote.main

I have lived here for 38 years and it is only the last few where it is getting a little dicey.. When my grand kids are here I make sure they come in before dark..The lack of hunters has let the population of predators grow. Bear season is only three days and not sure what the season is on coyotes. I think if you see them you can blast away..