Bear injures two boys on NJ section of AT

[Dennis R. Blanchard]

Two boys injured by yearling bear encounter.

 

The thing that caught my eye was that there have only been 16 sightings this year? I had four just on my trek across NJ on the AT in 2008. I suppose most people don't report them. Anyway, I guess this bear was aggressive and a warden fired a shot and hit it, but I don't know what happened to the bear.

 

The boys did have injuries, but it looks like they'll recover okay, but I'm certain the memory will stick with them!

 

Dennis "K1" Blanchard

Author of THREE HUNDRED ZEROES: Lessons of the Heart on the Appalachian Trail

 

[Bob Workman]

I woule really like to know if the kids had food in the tent or not.

[Dennis R. Blanchard]

I can only speculate that they did since the bear seemed determined to find something. It certainly wouldn't surprise me.

[njHiking.com]

And here's another article on it:

2 boys injured in bear attack in Sussex County's Stokes State Forest

 

My first thought was 'did the kids have food in the tent', too, but this article doesn't mention that either.

The 16 sightings this year seems pretty low, not sure what criteria they are using there. However, we have noticed a lot less out while out hiking: none this year, 1 last yr... while we saw 6 in 2009.

At any rate, those boys have one heck of a "what I did over the summer" story for school :)

 

Dawn

[Daniela Wagstaff]

I was thinking the exact same thing about food in the tent.  Or campers before them with improperly stored food having conditioned the bear to know where to look for it.  Running into bears out in the middle of nowhere doesn't bother me - I totally respect the fact that I am a guest in their home - but I tend to be very cautious hiking around shelters and campgrounds because not everyone follows food storage rules.  It's not a bear problem, it's a people problem.  On a lighter note - Dennis, I was looking for your bear at Wawayanda last weekend to give her your regards but I didn't see her :)

[Dennis R. Blanchard]

Daniela, you gave me a laugh on that one! That bear and I have broken off our relationship and we're no longer talking!

[Daniela Wagstaff]

Here is the latest:  http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/bear_attack_update_nj_offi...

Turns out the kids were not injured by the bear at all and now the poor bear is running around with a bullet in his neck. 

[Bob Workman]

Gotta luv this stuff.  So the DEP sends out a peerson that can't shoot, injures a wild animal (making it more of a threat), and then cant find the wounded animal.  Talk about a knee jerk reaction.  Then have to luv the statement that they would have put the animal down anyway as its been deemed aggresive...and still no official word about food in the tent.... 

 

All comes down to people that want to exp the wilderness and the wildlife, but if it gets too close call in the folks with guns.

Ah yeah sorry for the Firday rant!!! 

[Daniela Wagstaff]

http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/local/i_came_face_to_face_with_...

So it appears the camp counselor in charge of 11-13 year old kids camping in a park where you are pretty much guaranteed to encounter a bear was a 21-year-old from the UK?