Photo-BRENDA GRUNDT, WWW.WAWA-NEWS.COM
Posted on 07/22/2006 5:30:03 PM PDT by kanawa
A Waterloo man and his dog made a harrowing escape from the clutches of a vicious black bear Thursday while portaging near Wawa, Ont.
Tom Tilley, 55, killed the nearly 200-pound bear by jumping on its back and stabbing the aggressive animal with a six-inch hunting knife after his dog alerted him and distracted the bear.
"Love is a very powerful emotion and my thought right away was, 'You're not going to kill my dog,' " Tilley said yesterday.
"I really consider my dog a hero. Without that first warning I would have had the bear clamping down on my neck."
Tilley had planned on spending 12 days portaging through the area near Wawa with his American Staffordshire, Sam.
Four days into the trip, as he was making his third trip back to the water near Abbey Lake to retrieve his gear, he heard his dog growl and noticed the bear closing in on him. He said he did what he's been taught to do when a bear is close -- he starting waving his arms and slowing started backing away from the animal.
The bear moved off the trail, but a few seconds later reappeared, cutting off Tilley's escape route.
"That's when I knew I had a serious problem . . . I was lunch," he said.
Sam, who was behind Tilley before the bear moved up the trail, was now between the bear and his owner. Instead of taking an aggressive stance, the dog stood sideways blocking the bear's route.
"The bear took a few steps down the trail and clamped its mouth on the back of my dog," Tilley said. "By attracting the bear's attention like that and distracting the bear from me it gave me the quick opportunity I needed to run around to the back of the bear, get on its back and with my knife start stabbing it."
Tilley had recently purchased the knife that would save his life after reading the story of Jacqueline Perry, the young Cambridge doctor who was killed by a bear last September.
Perry's husband attempted to fend off the animal with a Swiss Army Knife -- the only weapon he had.
"When I read the report about her death, it really hit home to me that these things are possible," Tilley said.
"I owe her husband a real debt of gratitude because if I hadn't heard her story and got that knife, I wouldn't be telling this story."
After making sure the animal was dead, Tilley realized he had suffered a wound to his hand and Sam had two puncture marks on his back. He needed to get help, but was a two-day portage away from civilization.
Dragging his canoe across the short portage, Tilley paddled for about an hour before he came across a pair of Americans who happened to have a satellite phone.
They called for help and two hours later, a cargo plane arrived to take Tilley back to Wawa for medical attention.
He was treated and released from hospital.
News of his feat passed quickly through the small community, with a population of just over 3,000.
"He had a lot of cojones to do what he did," said Brenda Grundt, who operates the local news site Wawa-news.com and drove Tilley two hours back to where he'd left his van after the incident.
LUCKY TO HAVE KNIFE
"It's pretty amazing. Here's a guy that wouldn't be here if he hadn't happened to have a knife on him."
As for Tilley, it wasn't until he was back in his van alone with Sam that he took in the gravity of the situation.
"I just thanked God I was alive and that my dog was alive and cried a bit, but they were tears of thanks and relief," he said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has sent the bear's body to Guelph and Ottawa for testing.
"It's very unusual for a bear to attack a person (and) pretty amazing this gentleman was able to kill it just with a knife," said Jolanta Kowalski, spokes-person for the ministry.
Because Wawa doesn't have a veterinarian's office and a specialist wasn't available to treat his hand, Tilley decided to push through and make the long journey home that night.
Back in Waterloo, news of his experience trickled back to amazed friends and family. Despite the danger, Tilley said the incident hasn't erased his love of the outdoors.
"My daughter says I'm not allowed to go up there anymore," he said with a laugh. " But I left my canoe there knowing I'll have to go back to get it."
Photo-BRENDA GRUNDT, WWW.WAWA-NEWS.COM
Nice job! Way to keep your cool and take care of the situation at hand. You are great example for the rest of us to live up to.
Thanks;-)
Big Bad Bear Bites the Bigun Bump
Bless you and Tilley and when you go back in to the forest be prepared and alert. Nature has invited you deeper into it in a way that few men experience in modern times. In this , you are both fortunate and blessed.
So many jackasses. So little time.
Some years back there was a book written called The Gift of Fear The author interviewed people who had gotten away from serial killers - the few who had lived through the process. What he discovered was very similar to what happened to you. The survivors acted on instinct - and made choices that they were later able to explain, but didn't understand while the event was happening.
You aren't kidding about the bears and mountain lions around here, as I well know. Another neighbor saw a mountain lion take a calf out of a pasture in broad daylight. He was on his horse, and didn't have his rifle. He said no animal made a sound, not even his horse, or the calf, or the lion.
We don't go out in our yard without the dogs, day or night, being surrounded by a couple of thousand acres of woods.
I own that book. It's outstanding.
Same to you bub.
I have had several "Pit Bull Terriers", with zero problems.
The original post illustrated their loyalty and intelligence, YOU are the one who just had to be first to trot out the tired MSM supported stereotype!
Chuck Norris ain't got nothin' on that guy...
Thanks! It's nice to be appreciated.
You are blessed to have such a great dog and he is blessed to have such a fine owner/dad.
You two have such tremendous courage and may your relationship with Sam last for many years.
It's amazing how the Lord prepared you for all of this, too! Don't listen to Candor's mysticism about the bear's spirit etc. Just trust the Lord to continue to protect you. He sure was faithful! PTL!
What a beautiful boy! No wonder you love him so.
God bless you and your faithful Sam! I offer God thanks for your safety...
Good job by the both of you. There have been many a dog voluntarily lay down his life for his owner, but I'm glad it didn't come to that this time.
Folks who aren't pet lovers just can't grasp that bond .. a beloved pet is another child to us. What a Super Sam, the angel .. his instincts kicked in like yours did .. totally breathtaking. He sure does he love you. You've both lived through something none of us ever will, and both deserve medals. Thank you so much for sharing this .. I hope both your wounds heal well and quickly. Maybe .. stay out of the woods for awhile, and keep us posted on the movie ;).
Yes, bit me in my sleep, made it to the end of the bed and keeled over. I finally figgured out why he was in my bed, I use to sleep on a roll neck pillow full of barley husks.
He must have been looking for a midnight snack.
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