1 dead, 2 injured in bear attack at MT campground

At least one bear rampaged through a heavily occupied campground Wednesday near Yellowstone National Park in the middle of the night, killing one person and injuring two others during a terrifying attack that forced people to hide in their cars as an animal tore through tents.

Authorities said three separate attacks left a male dead and a woman and another male injured at the Soda Butte campground. The woman suffered severe lacerations and crushed bones from bites on her arms, and the surviving male was bitten on his calf.

LACONIA, N.H. — A black bear walked into a New Hampshire house through an open door, ate two pears and a bunch of grapes, took a drink from the family fishbowl and grabbed a stuffed bear on its way out the door. Mary Beth Parkinson said the bear apparently took advantage of the open outside door to get into her kitchen

When a bear is so acclimated to humans that it wanders around a campground, that bear needs killing. Getting a clear shot a bear under such circumstances is a bit of a challenge but hardly an insurmountable one.

I agree, though moving them is an option, but when they're acclimated, they're a danger.

As to a clear shot, 4am, in a dark tent, under attack, a clear shot isn't easy. Completely insurmountable, no, but not a situation anyone want's to be in. This caught my attention because withing the last month I had a snorting, growling something perusing my tent in a larger campground than this, about 40 miles away, at 5 am. My choice, the spray was in my hand. If that didn't work, my wife's problem. These were apparently attacks on three separate tents. I'm surprised amongst 27 campsites, you had to hear attacks on 3 tents, no one was armed or able to help. But it was 4 am.

Thanks for the lanyard tip, never thought of that but will use it.

If we're into tips, a couple in case anyone is reading. I'm one of those midwestern, and there are eastern, people who consider blacks (bears) big, entertaining racoons. That's a major mistake, they're predators, not to be underestimated as I acknowledge I've done.

As to all the advice about bells, or banging pans, honking horns and such, which I think campground bears think is a call to dinner. I have a whistle given to me about 30 years ago which is really high volume, I'll get a headache if I use it. And in fact once became dizzy when someone blew it behind me. I haven't a clue whether it's volume, or pitch, or even what to tell someone to buy. But on at least two occasions it's driven otherwise acclimated bears off. For ten minutes or so, but that's more time than you need.

My son and I camped 3 nights in the same place, Soda Creek just east of Cooke City, a week prior to this. Pretty wild, pretty remote. One of our camp neighbors told me that they were present at the last bear attack in 2008, at the next door site, and they never heard anything the night of the attack. They were cooking breakfast the next day and the rangers came up and told them to boogie because of bears. My glock would likely have not been much help if we were the targets. Poison knockout bait would do the trick though.

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