Posted on 05/25/2022 6:58:43 AM PDT by SJackson
The 12-year-old was sleeping under the stars with his buddies when the bear jolted everyone awake
"Be Prepared" may be the motto for the Boy Scouts, but a 12-year-old from New York was anything but prepared for the encounter he had while on a recent camping trip -- one that saw his leg end up in the jaws of a black bear.
The uninvited guest was peaking around a campsite late at night at Harriman State Park in Rockland and Orange counties, in search of some human food, when it stumbled on a group of Boy Scouts from Cooperstown.
"It moved my friend John, and then it moved me — but instead of grabbing my sleeping bag it grabbed my leg and it bit me," said Henry Ayers.
The 12-year-old was sleeping under the stars with his buddies when the bear jolted everyone awake.
"It was absolutely crazy!" said Henry. "I mainly sat up and I screamed! There was a giant bear leaning right over me. I screamed and I kicked at it and it wandered back a little."
Fortunately, Henry wasn’t seriously injured, save for a few scratches on his leg. The group headed over to a nearby shelter to sleep the rest of the night — but the bear wasn’t done. It came back hours later, still going for some food, even though the Scouts made sure to hang it all out of reach.
"A little after 4 in the morning was the final time it came and I thought to take out my phone and take a video of it and I was trying to reach," said Scout Master Diana Nicols. "It was very close to reaching another hiker’s bear bag."
The group went on their scheduled hike the next day. Park officials later found the bear, and as per state rules, they they had to euthanize it.
"I wish they didn’t euthanize it," Henry said. "It associated us with food. But we know that was our fault not the bear’s fault. It was just you know, being a bear."
Meanwhile, Henry has a story he’ll never forget — an important lesson about how humans should protect wildlife. He said he plans on going camping again very soon, at Boy Scout camp this summer.
"I am not scared of camping anymore! And I’m not scared of bears, its completely OK," he said.
These scouts learned some good lessons. It won’t be hard to convince them to put ALL of their food in the bear bags. They’ve learned to place the bear bags farther from sleeping area.
Now THAT’S funny!!
“Boy” Scouts should carry bear spray in their purses
Quick justice. NYS should apply the standard to attempted murders and assaults in the state.
Scariest animals in the Eastern woods are people, second scariest are people’s dogs, third scariest are feral dogs.
Absolutely wrong! The reason black bears are generally not aggressive is because the aggressive ones were historically shot and killed thus breeding out the aggressive gene.
Governor Prince Phil (of Boston) must allow bear hunting to resume in New Jersey to deal with the overpopulation and scout masters should be armed.
Camping rules about food in or around sleeping areas are the most broken rules in the woods, especially when 12-year-olds are the subject of the rules. As a Scoutmaster, I have seen tents and sleeping gear destroyed by raccoons and field mice just because food had, at one time or another, been in or around the tent. And that doesn’t just mean during that weekend camping trip or week-long hike/summer camp excursion, either. Food smells linger and will draw wildlife, plain and simple.
Yes, it is good to follow bear country rules about hanging food and “smellables” well above the reach of the bear and away from the camp site. However, food preparation/eating areas also need to be separated, along with the dish-washing/clean-up location. It requires knowledge and discipline to keep a clean campsite and that may include thorough laundering/airing of tents and sleeping bags to remove food smells before even heading to the campout.
I have a newphew who lives down in Briar Cliff, in Westchester County, just below Chappaqua. This year they have seen a bear come down into their yard for the first time, and found bear poop on the tree covered hill that runs up from the back of their lot. When you don’t hunt them enough, and your residential area grows as their numbers do as well, bear human clashes increase.
“unless the bear had already ingested some LSD”
Well, bears do eat ‘shrooms, so who knows?
The kid did not believe his scoutmaster and kept some food in his tent rather the high up in a bear bag.
That won’t happen again
The kid did not believe his scoutmaster and kept some food in his sleeping bag rather the high up in a bear bag.
That won’t happen again
Armed humans are the top predators any where in the world.
If they were not we would not need all the laws protecting animals from them.
What the heck is a phone going to do? Lower the bear's social justice rating?
It is very obvious that you know nothing of killing animals.
Porcupines are very easy to kill with most any objects,
I have done so many times.
Armed with a good firearm.
I am armed any time I am out and about.
I am the top predator in the woods.
With any distance weapon Bows atlatl’s, spears humans are the top predator’s.
I have killed hundreds of heads of big game including bears.
Even a good club works well on the smaller critter.
Get out of the basement and go hunting.
Badly written article. Leaves out a detailed description about how the kid got away. Obviously the bear was not too serious or the kid would have never gotten away.
Not for the bear.
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