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.
Glad he's OK, wish the bear was.
per state rules, they they had to euthanize it. Perhaps New York should apply their bail rules to bears.
“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.”
Harriman State Park in Rockland and Orange counties is a bad place to be peaking. Especially at night.
(Note for those uninitiated into drug culture: The writer should have said “peeking,” unless the bear had already ingested some LSD.)
Instead, perhaps NYS should apply their bear rules to certain violent offenders!
Nice catch.
L
Campfires were roaring that night!
Reminds me of the time I told a group of my friends about coming face to face with a bear while I was hiking alone.
As I came around a bend in the trail I saw a bear on the trail and it started coming at me. I turned and ran and when I felt the bear getting close I suddenly stopped and the bear slid on by. I turned and ran in the opposite direction. Once again when the bear got close I stopped and the bear slid on by. I turned ... one of my friends then interrupted and said if that happened to me I would have crapped my pants. I said “What do you think the bear was sliding on?”
Women Scout Masters, God bless them, stepping in to fill the role that men should be doing. Where are the men, especially the dads, at home playing video games and watching porn?
That park is on the border with northern NJ. There was a NJ college student killed by a bear in that same area, on the NJ side, in 2014
I was wondering the hour at which bears peak.
Maybe the bear has climbed a bunch of fourteens in Colorado and was just back from his trip, ravenously hungry.
Completely indoctrinated.
We have plenty of black bears. The numbers must be thinned.
It makes sense to take out those which have learned to associate humans with food, first.
It was the bear's fault. It was being a bear, a bear that learned very bad habits.
“”The writer should have said “peeking,” “”
Obviously no proof reading...
“One sock too many...”
Are we certain it was a bear and not...
A TIGER?!?!?!
“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”
“Human food” takes on a whole new meaning! LOL.
Yeah, and more than likely, as single and never married as the day they were when they knocked up mom...
Perhaps New York should apply their bail rules to bears.
Perhaps apply “Bear Rules” to perps?
LOL!!!
Anyway ... I'm assuming this bear wandered out of the park where he was supposed to be. :-P
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