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Man (Freeper kanawa) stabs bear to death
The Record.com ^ | Jul 22, 2006 | MELINDA DALTON

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


TOPICS: Canada; Free Republic; News/Current Events
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To: Fawn

You mean to tell me that you would rather this man die in the woods due to ignorance than have his faithful, heroic dog save his life?

You need to leave. No one here wants to hear your opinion about pit bulls. It's pretty apparent that you are wrong.


741 posted on 07/24/2006 5:34:48 PM PDT by solosmoke
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To: Fawn
"Hope Rotties are next."

Presumably, that would be because you're no conservative & feel the nanny state should dictate to people & ruthlessly employ 'shotgun' approaches to all perceived 'problems'.

While believing the literal book should rightly be thrown at irresponsible dog owners of any 'breed', the rest us hold that folks like FReeper Kanawa are entitled to own any sort of dog he chooses & favor laws based upon individual responsibility & personal accountability.

BTW, coming on a thread celebrating the heroic conduct of one of the dogs you'd like to see arbitrarily banned & making the comments you did more than proves statist wannabe thugs are total morons.
742 posted on 07/24/2006 5:38:28 PM PDT by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
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To: Candor7
"I want a Kanawa Bear knife!"

ME TOO! ME TOO!!!

743 posted on 07/24/2006 5:44:16 PM PDT by tuckrdout (The good man wins his case by careful argument; the evil-minded only wants to fight. Prov. 13:2)
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To: Candor7
I also found that women who go in the wilderness for long stints become dead sexy after a week or so, but thats another story altogether

What took so long?

Or did they need to ripen?

744 posted on 07/24/2006 5:54:12 PM PDT by Osage Orange (Dreaming of 16 point bucks.............)
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To: tuckrdout
But, here in Montana, we are taught that you should roll up in a ball when you see a bear.

Like a hamburger ball?

745 posted on 07/24/2006 5:57:23 PM PDT by Osage Orange (Dreaming of 16 point bucks.............)
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To: solosmoke

Boy you assume alot.


746 posted on 07/24/2006 6:00:37 PM PDT by Fawn (BUILD A LONG TALL WALL)
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To: Osage Orange

LOL! I think you might be right...


747 posted on 07/24/2006 6:03:09 PM PDT by tuckrdout (The good man wins his case by careful argument; the evil-minded only wants to fight. Prov. 13:2)
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To: GMMAC

Jeez...Another one....Presumptions are dangerous. Don't waste my time.


748 posted on 07/24/2006 6:03:21 PM PDT by Fawn (BUILD A LONG TALL WALL)
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To: Fawn

If the pit bull breed had been banned and he was up there alone or with a leashed, muzzled dog, you can bet things might have turned out different. What am I assuming? Should we ban them now that Kanawa is safe?

We starve, torture, maim, shoot, electrocute, and kill way more of them than they even bite us. We are the problem. This dog shares such a bond with Kanawa that he was willing to die for him, and the same for Kanawa. My dog is also a pit bull, but she would have hidden behind me, as she does around cats and guinea pigs.

Why come on here and turn this into a bash? Why not enjoy the fact that Kanawa is ALIVE and well, and his precious "dangerous" pooch is also.


749 posted on 07/24/2006 6:06:48 PM PDT by solosmoke
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To: veronica; kanawa
Ah, at Clown Posse, they are defending THE BEAR.

I admit I saw that.

It was actually suggested that kanawa was just looking for a fight and just wanted to kill a bear.

No one goes looking for a bear armed only with a buck knife. Most people who are looking for a bear do their confrontation from a hundred yards with a high power rifle. The nutty ones shoot from closer-range with a bow, but not even a primal chest-beater like Ted Nugent goes ~looking~ to take out a bear armed only with a knife. You couldn't get close enough to most black bears if you tried. Any bear you can reach with a knife was stabbed in self defense. Without exception. Unfortunately, being Canada, and being that it's not hunting season, I'm not sure what kanawa's self defense options were.

If this happened to me, you bet your butt I'd take pictures, and you bet I'd post a thread to tell about it. Those pictures might even be necessary to document what happened, to both doubters and Wildlife Enforcement officers. They aren't in poor taste, they are what happened. The real life, unexpected, raw, violent and rare bear encounter this guy had.

750 posted on 07/24/2006 6:12:03 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: kanawa
A few questions:

What is a portage? How many times did you stab the bear, and where (the spine? The head? etc)? Does a bear $*!t in the woods when its got a guy on its back stabbing it to death?

751 posted on 07/24/2006 6:35:07 PM PDT by lowbridge (I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming, like his passengers.)
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To: tuckrdout

The rule of thumb is that for grizzly bears, you play dead. With black bears, never, ever do that. They will eat you.


752 posted on 07/24/2006 6:40:51 PM PDT by bodiak
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To: Fawn; fanfan; Fair Go; proud_yank; Candor7; Calpernia; feinswinesuksass; MotleyGirl70
Whoa !!!
You say "Hope Rotties are next." and then call me presumptuous when I call you on it ???

However, it's OK: given that no legitmate experts - and only PETA! - agree with your dog banning views, no further confirmation as to your intellectual deficiency was required.

BTW, it's no coincidence that, like liberals, you statist types also answer logic & facts with curt & arrogant dismissals.
753 posted on 07/24/2006 6:50:22 PM PDT by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
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To: Osage Orange
What took so long?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Aclimitization to wilderness environment. One's perceptions change and the loneliness of the wilderness often brings two people into a very high degree of intimacy. Me Tarzan you Jane? Well not quite, but you get the picture. The process takes time. Its a very rewarding experience for couples who enjoy the out doors and wilderness seclusion.

754 posted on 07/24/2006 6:52:21 PM PDT by Candor7 (Into Liberal flatulance goes the best hope of the West, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: HairOfTheDog

bttt!


755 posted on 07/24/2006 6:58:31 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: gentlestrength
All Wrong. The Bear and God are one. There is no separation.Just as you and God are one. God is everywhere and in every thing, but it takes courage and perception to see this out through one's own burgeoning ego.

Now that wisdom does not come from prosthetalizing but from experience passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, sometimes in the church, sometimes ouotside it.

All talk and no action makes Jack a very dull boy.

Why talk so much about it when you can go out in your yard and do it?

756 posted on 07/24/2006 7:02:45 PM PDT by Candor7 (Into Liberal flatulance goes the best hope of the West, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: Candor7

But by using the word God you have automaticaly created a separation......if you don't understand what I mean, sorry, I cannot explain it further


757 posted on 07/24/2006 7:09:16 PM PDT by bodiak
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To: gentlestrength
All Wrong.

The Bear and God are one. There is no separation.Just as you and God are one. God is everywhere and in every thing, but it takes courage and perception to see this out through one's own burgeoning ego.

Now that wisdom does not come from prosthetalizing but from experience passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, sometimes in the church, sometimes outside it.

All talk and no action makes Jack a very dull boy.

Why talk so much about it when you can go out in your yard and do it?

758 posted on 07/24/2006 7:10:37 PM PDT by Candor7 (Into Liberal flatulance goes the best hope of the West, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: bodiak
I understand exactly what you are saying, but then the dualism of written language and communication does have its short comings. I will send you an ESP emoticon rather than write.
759 posted on 07/24/2006 7:13:58 PM PDT by Candor7 (Into Liberal flatulance goes the best hope of the West, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: HairOfTheDog

>Healthy people who appreciate both human and animal nature can't help but be impressed with this story.<

Well said.


760 posted on 07/24/2006 7:18:36 PM PDT by Darnright (http://www.irey.com/)
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