Alaska Bear Mauling Recorded on Tape

Yahoo ^ | October 8, 2003 | Rachel D'Oro

[ableChair]

Exactly. These people who supposedly know so much about bears are a bunch of idiots.

[Pukin Dog]

"Now, you just play dead, until or unless the bear takes a bite out of my ass. If that happens, I want you to stand up and say: Hey Bear! Then I want you to hit it, so that it will start to eat you instead of me, while I run for a tree. I promise to remember you as a generous person."

[gg188]

Johnny Lee, actually. But still a point well taken.

[FreedomCalls]

That's similar to the old joke about how you don't have to be able to run faster than a bear, you just need to be able to run faster than the person you are camping with.

[Sloth]

When I was in college, a couple of exchange students from Warsaw and Prague went camping out in the Ozarks in Devil's Den State Park. When they didn't come back, a big search party was organized, and eventually the camp was found all torn apart by bears.

Park rangers and animal control officials found a mated pair of bears nearby, and killed both to see if they were responsible for the students' disappearance. The coroner examined the female bear's gastric and intestinal contents and verified that they included some of the Polish student's remains. So, even before they confirmed it forensically, they felt pretty confident in promising "the Czech's in the male."

[Revolting cat!]

THIS JUST IN:

Informed sources have informed that the Las Vegas tiger sent a private congratulatory message to the Alaskan bear.

[Skip Ripley]

Johnny Lee...

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Groan. : ) (And I'm part Czech.)

[speekinout]

She's telling him to play dead, then it changes to fighting back.

It's been a few years since I've been to Alaska, but I thought you were supposed to yell at grizzlies, and curl up for black bears. Is it the other way around?

[Jorge]

Seems like a bad week for those who like to get up close and personal with wild predatory beasts.

[doug from upland]

I don't know about heavy metal, but I've done the song to RUNNING BEAR.

[randog]

LOL!! I was thinking along the lines of, "Among Grizzlies: Living Inside Wild Bears in Alaska."

This story gets even better. Read this article to get the inside scoop on this Darwin Award candidate:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/997664/posts

[Sloth]

Seems like a bad week for those who like to get up close and personal with wild predatory beasts.

True.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping for more on the bear story.

[stylin19a]

I was thinking the same thing, unless there was more than one bear. The article seems to say there was.

An autopsy on the human remains confirmed Wednesday the couple were killed by bears.

[FreedomPoster]

Earlier thread on this story with many worthwhile posts.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/997103/posts

[johnwayne]

I never read this guys book but I found a review which indicates this guy appeared to truly have a death wish.

"On the surface, Timothy Treadwells book "Among Grizzlies" is a book about one of my favorite subjects: bears. This is why I read the book from start to finish. But it isnt long after one begins the book before one realizes that just beneath the surface this is actually a book about a man with a death wish and all the talk about bears (which can make for an adequate "bear read", mind you) is really a series of descriptions of this sad individuals numerous attempts to force a horrible death upon himself."

http://www.outdoorshub.com/Among_Grizzlies_Living_With_Wild_Bears_in_Alaska_0345426053.html

[LasVegasMac]

Alone in Alaska with nary a firearm between them. Does tragedy disqualify one for Darwin award contention? I hope not.

Truly sad that they died doing what they loved to do.

I can't help think, though, they did not "think this through".

In 1996, I went to Alaska as a DOD contractor for a JCSAR (Joint Combat Search and Rescue) exercise. Part of the exercise called for a pilot to be inserted in to a "remote" area (way out in the boonies) and play the part of the "rescuee". PJ's (Para Rescue) and other assorted special op's types were then inserted into the area to "do the rescue".

All involved were armed. Heavily. 9mm / 12 ga. with 00 buck and slugs.

Live ammo is not the "norm" for an exercise.

Alaska was the reason for the live ammo.

There are critters there that can eat you.

LVM

[Ronin]

Did they get eaten or were they just mauled? I can't tell from the different stories floating around.

[nevergiveup]

Hikers are advised to carry pepper spray and bells when going into bear country. The sound of the bells should scare the bears away, and if that doesn't work the pepper spray will.

Locals call them "dinner bells" with condiments