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[New Jersey] Bear attack takes on greater menace; Teens pawed and bitten by prowling cub
Newark Star-Ledger ^ | November 19, 2004 | BRIAN T. MURRAY

Posted on 11/19/2004 9:52:01 AM PST by d-back

The encounter last weekend between three bears and two Boy Scouts at a camp in Warren County was more harrowing than originally reported, as the bears pawed at the teenagers for an hour, bit one of them and attempted to bite the other, according to a report by state wildlife investigators.

The boys, who were later vaccinated for rabies, cowered on a rock as they fended off the two 60-pound cubs and the mother bear at the Yards Creek Scout Reservation in Blairstown on Saturday night, wildlife investigators said.

One of the boys was bitten twice by a cub. The animal first bit down on the boy's left arm -- leaving four scratch marks as the youth pulled away -- and then bit the boy's right hand, leaving three puncture wounds, according to a Division of Fish and Wildlife report obtained by The Star-Ledger on Wednesday. The second boy escaped injury when the second cub bit his coat sleeve -- but missed his arm -- and tried to pull him off the rock, the report said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection did not release the report until last night -- after being pressed by The Star-Ledger-- leaving officials from the Central New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts to field questions about the incident. The council initially reported the incident as a brief, minor encounter with two bears, and said only one bear had "scratched" a scout's hand before the cubs ran off. . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: animalrights; bang; banglist; bear; bearhunt; bearpepperspray; bears; bearspray; blackbear; blackbearhunt; boyscouts; bsa; bsalist; counterassault; delawarewatergap; dontpetbears; dwg; elf; highpoint; hunting; ifitbreatheskillit; killeverything; killingislikeviagra; morris; newjersey; nj; peta; scouts; sussex; union; vegetarians; warren
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To: d-back

remember last year when Campbell blocked junior hunters from participating in the hunt even though they were accompanied by an adult hunter?? After they'd gone through all the courses, paid out good money.

That had me spitting mad. I called Campbell's office several times and reamed them and Fish and Wildlife Council new ones while I was on a role.


41 posted on 11/19/2004 10:27:52 AM PST by Freemeorkillme
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To: Jersey Republican Biker Chick

A friend of mine had bears behind his home too...never bothered him. Course, he didn't try to go pet it's cubs either.


42 posted on 11/19/2004 10:28:17 AM PST by zoobee (Stupid is as stupid does....)
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To: ZULU

I do not feed him, and I have fenced in my yard to keep him away from my dogs. Hopefully, just watching the bear pass by at a distance is as far as it will go.


43 posted on 11/19/2004 10:28:44 AM PST by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (Never play leapfrog with a unicorn!)
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To: d-back; Alamo-Girl; onyx; ALOHA RONNIE; SpookBrat; Republican Wildcat; Howlin; dixiechick2000; ...
Bear attack takes on greater menace;
Teens pawed and bitten by prowling cub


Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.


44 posted on 11/19/2004 10:29:22 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
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To: Legion04

"stupid kid..don't feed the bears."

Stupid legion, the kids weren't feeding the bears.


45 posted on 11/19/2004 10:31:45 AM PST by monday
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To: XRdsRev
OK--THREE votes!

I spent an hour with Strahan at my friend's TV studio about 7 years ago. This guy is one smart cookie (and the biggest human I've ever been around). Funny as h*ll also...

46 posted on 11/19/2004 10:33:11 AM PST by Pharmboy (Listen...you can still hear the old media sobbing.)
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To: MeekOneGOP

Thanks for the ping!


47 posted on 11/19/2004 10:33:22 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: EdReform

Do you know how to tell the difference between grizzly scat and black bear scat?









bells and pepper spray in the grizzly scat.


48 posted on 11/19/2004 10:33:52 AM PST by Mercat (I call, You hear me.)
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To: d-back
I used to spend a week or two each summer at Boy Scout camp in Blairstown.

Never gotten eaten by a bear there though.

49 posted on 11/19/2004 10:34:59 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: d-back

When Bear cubs are outlawed only outlaws will have bear cubs.


50 posted on 11/19/2004 10:36:38 AM PST by FreedomSurge
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To: Jersey Republican Biker Chick

Well, not feeding him is a good idea.

But the fence won't help much.

Bee-Keepers in New Jersey have found even electrified fences don't deter a determined bear. A bear is strong enough to rip open a car trunk if he smells food there, so I guess he can go through most fences if he really has a mind to.

Most black bears will probably not attack people - especially if they have not come to associate people with food and have acquired a fear of human beings through hunting.

The last two probabilities are extremely unlikely in New Jersey. New Jersey has more people per square mile than Japan. Its unlikely any bear there with half a brain won't make the connection between hikers, backyards and a food source. And since they are not regularly hunted there, its also unlikely they will acquire any natural fear of people.

Personally, I thin a bear hunt in early December is probably not a good idea. If it gets cold early, they will go into brumination early (bears don't hibernate - they bruminate) and not enough will be moving around for a substantial kill.

Maybe you should get yourself a Karelian Bear dog or a pack of Plott Hounds. They really like to chase bears.


51 posted on 11/19/2004 10:37:46 AM PST by ZULU (Fear the government which fears your guns. God, guts, and guns made America great.)
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To: dead

Up until about ten years or so ago, bears weren't very common in Jersey.

They were confined to the Delaware Water Gap and High Point area.

When the hunting season for bears ended several years before
that, their numbers began to increase and have done so ever since.


52 posted on 11/19/2004 10:39:56 AM PST by ZULU (Fear the government which fears your guns. God, guts, and guns made America great.)
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To: d-back
Thanks for the ping.

Once again, the New Jersey DEP and Bradley Cambpell are playing politics with people's lives. There are WAY too many Bears here in New Jersey. With regular hunts, hopefully the Bears will regain their natural fear of humans.

53 posted on 11/19/2004 10:41:25 AM PST by NJ Freeper
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To: yoe
"but my guess is those Scouts had food smells all over them if not on them along with using their clothing to wipe hands after eating "

lol... the scouts smelled like food because they are food, for bears. You are too. News flash. Bears eat people. They are omnivores and you are on their menu. You can do all of that stuff if you want, but better defense is to wear a cow bell so bears can hear you coming and won't be startled, and carry a .45 or .357 mag hand gun for protection.
54 posted on 11/19/2004 10:41:56 AM PST by monday
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To: ZULU
"Maybe you should get yourself a Karelian Bear dog or a pack of Plott Hounds. They really like to chase bears."

I have two chihuahuas. The one was a rescue dog. She was abused. She will chase after any animal, no matter how much bigger the animal is compared to her. I know that the bear can get through the fence if it wants, but she can't get through the fence. So far the bear has not taken an interest in her loud high pitched yapping.

55 posted on 11/19/2004 10:42:54 AM PST by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (Never play leapfrog with a unicorn!)
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To: d-back
It's just sick that people in NJ and elsewhere would rather see infants being eaten by a bear in the Catskills and boy scouts getting almost mauled to death at Camp rather than have a hunt. It just boggles the mind.  The same for deer hunting, where now with an abundance of deer people are actually getting killed in car accidents with them.

The BSA is getting progressively liberal. Years ago when one received Boys' Life magazine it would be replete with gun, shooting, target shooting and hunting advertisements, today you see nothing at all.  IMO, The handbook has been dumbed down and is full of pictures and charts.

The official BSA Handbook used to have sections about animals, tracking, stalking and requirements for cooking and fire building using only wood with 2 matches to get the fire going, not any more.

Bears Attack Boy Scouts In NJ Park

Pentagon Stops Sponsorship of Boy Scouts

Pentagon Scouts on the FR

56 posted on 11/19/2004 10:45:27 AM PST by Coleus (Abortion and Euthanasia, Don't Democrats just kill ya! Kill Humans, Save the Bears!!)
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To: Jersey Republican Biker Chick

Most fences will not stand up to a 350 pound black bear if he wants to get in. Be careful--your dog is bear bait if he's hungry enough.


57 posted on 11/19/2004 10:46:47 AM PST by Pharmboy (Listen...you can still hear the old media sobbing.)
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To: dead

I beg to differ: see your screen name.


58 posted on 11/19/2004 10:48:06 AM PST by Pharmboy (Listen...you can still hear the old media sobbing.)
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To: Jersey Republican Biker Chick

There was a news item on the radio a few weeks back.

A shepherd in Romania was attacked by a bear. While running away, he fell and broke his leg. His dog saved his life.

His dog, named "Bear" was a Pekinese who chased the bear into the woods.

As if New Jerseyites didn't have enough to worry about, there have been several sightings there and in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts of cougars. If anything, cougars are probably more dangerous than bears, and brain-dead Campbell is no more likely to allow hunting of them than of bears.

I first registered to vote as a Republican when Reagan ran in the primaries too. Have been one ever since.

You really should get out of Jersey - you deserve better company.


59 posted on 11/19/2004 10:48:10 AM PST by ZULU (Fear the government which fears your guns. God, guts, and guns made America great.)
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To: ZULU

We also have a mountain lion that has been seen a few miles down the road. I have seen coyote chasing the deer behind my house as well as seeing the bear. So, I've got all kinds of wild life to observe. I have seen the bald eagles flying too. It is a beautiful thing. There are two sets of breeding pairs nesting in Warren County, NJ. They are hoping to be able to get a few more around NJ as well.

As far as company goes, at least my county and the surrounding ones went to Bush. I have to take solace in that fact.


60 posted on 11/19/2004 10:54:47 AM PST by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (Never play leapfrog with a unicorn!)
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