Boy Killed by Bear in American Fork Canyon

The Associated Press ^ | June 18th, 2007 | Courtney Orton

[george76]

An 11-year-old boy is killed by a black bear overnight at a popular campsite in American Fork Canyon. This morning authorities are searching for the bear.

The boy was asleep inside a tent he was sharing with his family at the Timpooneke Camp area, about 10 miles up the canyon. The family was camping about two miles up a dirt road from that campground.

The boy, his mother, stepfather and a 6-year-old brother were sleeping in a large tent with several sections, and the 11-year-old was in a section of the tent by himself.

Around 11 p.m. family members heard a scream and a loud commotion. They found the tent ripped open, and the boy and his sleeping bag gone.

Harris said the body was found about 400 yards from the tent in the direction of another campsite, where a bear sighting had been reported earlier in the weekend.

Crews are using dogs to search for the bear this morning.

[tertiary01]

Our grandparents almost had these things extinct - most of us agree they were smarter than we (collectively) are now about such things.

Many pioneers and emigrants had learned the hard way how wolves could be used against a populace such was done in Britain and Europe. We have since forgotten the historical perspective.

[Fawn]

LOL.. I’d want the hallway and the air myself.

[Fawn]

Bears reagularly kill fawns and...

[MarineBrat]

Bear shot?

Sorry... :) My pet name for 300 grain Federal Premium CastCore .44 magnum. I have a New Model Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag, stainless with a 7.5" barrel. I used to do lots of solo backpacking in the Sierra Nevadas. Today it's mostly car-camping with my telescopes.

[radioman]

People camping in bear country should also be required to have a dog of an appropriate kind with them - Plott Hound, etc.

Any kind of dog will work. The barking will wake you and the dog will distract the bear from you. There aren't many bear attacks because black bear rarely stalk humans. When they do, there is no animal more dangerous.

Prowling black bear are almost a daily occurence where I live. I use pepper spray on them. Works great but don't buy the kind that has red dye in it. It actually attracts them.
.

[ZULU]

Maybe you should change your forum name!!!

[oldenuff2no]

Seems like a little city thinking to me. I'm a packer and we often camp many miles from the nearest road and it's not in a cabin or camp trailer either.
I've had a bunch of interaction with bear and some with big cats while out and about. I always have livestock with me so I have no problem with the locals if I kill a cat or bear in my camp. I also keep two or three dogs with me. Between the mules and dogs ears, eyes, and noses nothing is going to sneak up on me either.
I guess the part of this that I find to be stupid to the part of being criminal is why people who go out into the bear's and cat's back yard and set up house keeping do not take the time to protect themselves and their families.
I have run across many campers who were scared to death the morning after a bear raided their camp. Most of them do not own a firearm and if they do they don't know how and when to use it.
Out in that neck of the woods there are no cops, cell phones don't work, and you either take care of your self or won't be found with meat on your bones. Bears love stupid people and they don't even need salt. There are many more bear attacks around the parks where city folks all camp on top of each other so they can commune with nature. These flatlanders have trained the bears well over the years that they will be well fed in those camps. It really makes me angry when after they have spoiled and ruined the bear they transplant the problem animal up into our country and leave their problem for us to solve. The bear either goes back to where it started or gets shot.

[ZULU]

“I use pepper spray on them. Works great but don’t buy the kind that has red dye in it. It actually attracts them.”

Chomp, chomp, Wuff!!! Pass the pepper and salt please!!

I know Plotts are good bear dogs. So are Black Mouthed curs and Karelian bear dogs. But for a barked warning, I guess even a pekenese is o.k. (I think they are dogs?)

If I had a gun and few Plots with me, I put an end to the rascals’ human poaching.

[radioman]

It turns out some bears love the stuff, positively are attracted to it, will seek it out and roll in it to lick their fur to eat it

It's the kind with the red dye in it that they love. You have to make sure that you buy a brand without the red dye.

Seems only a direct shot up their nose when the can is held about a foot away is effective

Yes, you have to get up close and personal. Spraying from ten feet away does nothing.
.

[Suzy Quzy]

Why am I not buying this story??? Didn’t they hear the bear RIPPING the tent?? Unless it was raining or thundering or they had their TV on so loud they couldn’t hear a BEAR RIPPING a TENT......

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Exactly. I feel no need to experience what life was like before air conditioning and electricity. If I had been one of the marooned characters on Gilligans Island, I would have withheld food from the professor until he Maguyvered me back to the air conditioned civilization.

[radioman]

If I had a gun and few Plots with me

My wife's little Jack Russell terrier has run off more bear than any dog I've ever owned. I don't know how that dog has managed to stay alive the way he harasses bear!
.

[angkor]

we had 2 people killed in AK last year in their tent and they had handguns

where did that happen?

[Fawn]

So you purposely camp in bear/cat territory? Doesn’t seem right.

[Fawn]

I’d like to actually. Wish there was a way without becoming a newbie and getting harrassed about it :)

[PapaBear3625]

Seems only a direct shot up their nose when the can is held about a foot away is effective,

Seems like a direct shot up the nose with a .44 Mag would be better, and you can do that from more than a foot away

[Rocky Mountain High]

Cool!
What are your thoughts on .357 for anti-bear purposes? I have a .45acp, but I’m thinking about stepping up.

[EdReform]

bookmark

[ZULU]

Probably can out-manoevuer them. Russells are fearless like most terriers - great dogs.

[ZULU]

“I guess the part of this that I find to be stupid to the part of being criminal is why people who go out into the bear’s and cat’s back yard and set up house keeping do not take the time to protect themselves and their families.”

You said it at the beginning of your post - “city people”.

All they know about animals is what they learn from Walt Disney. All they know about guns they learn from people like Diane Feinstein and Chuckie Schumer and Winnie Brady.

What kind of dogs do you use? Do you hunt bear?
I have a .54 caliber fintlock, a .577 caliber Enfield Minie Rifle, a ,30-06 M1917 Eddystone and an M1 Garand. I guess I couls use any one of them to take care of most bears. I suppose the authorities wouldn’ approve of the Garand - but it is .30-06, 8 shots to a clip.