Two killed in Alaska bear attack

KTVB ^ | 10/07/03 | Staff Writer

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Nice link. Worth the read.

[nuconvert]

No hibernating - interesting.

Thanks.

[toddst]

Kodiaks are generally considered a subspecies of ursus horribilis(grizzly).

10-4. Another interesting piece of information - a Grizzly can run faster than a man can ride a bike. However, once fully mature they can't climb trees. Just be sure to pick a BIG tree as they have been known to pull down a tree should they be sufficiently motivated. Very nasty and powerful. Don't camp where Grizzlys live unless you want to have a short, exciting life.

[Moonman62]

Not to mention bears can get aggressive for no apparent reason(to humans at least). Being armed with a very powerful firearm is the only way to stop an aggresssive bear. I'm guessing these victims were not armed.

I'm just guessing too, but if they'd shot the bear, they probably would have been hauled off to jail.

[tang-soo]

STATE OF ALASKA
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advising bikers, hikers, hunters and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. It is advised that outdoorsmen wear small bells on their clothing and shoes to alert bears in the area who aren't expecting them. It is also advised that outdoorsmen carry Pepper Spray at all times in case of a bear encounter.

It is advised to watch out for fresh bear sign activity. You should be able to recognize the difference between Black Bear and Brown Bear sign. Black Bear sign is smaller and contains berries, Brown Bear sign is larger and contains many small bells and smells like pepper.

[r9etb]

What's your point? That if you're from CA it's OK if you're killed by a bear in Alaska?

You gotta problem with that?

[r9etb]

I'm just guessing too, but if they'd shot the bear, they probably would have been hauled off to jail.

Not in Alaska.

[wtc911]

None of us can tell from this post how many guns or tooth brushes or game boys there were in this camp. You can presume to fit your point. I wonder why though you would choose to presume that the two dead are victims of their own idiocy just because they came from Malibu. I'm not saying that you might not be accurate, it just seems to me to be taking the low road...you know, speak no ill of the dead...especially when we do not know.

[Argus]

What's your point? That if you're from CA it's OK if you're killed by a bear in Alaska?

No Joe. I'm from California too. The point was that people from Malibu are probably less likely to observe the proper precautions around bears than native Alaskans.

[nuconvert]

Funny.

And true.

[Mat_Helm]

You can always tell a brown bear turd from a black bear turd. The brown bear turd has lots of sparkly metal like belss and whistles and it smells like pepper spray!

[Squantos]

They were from Malibu.......they can't even spell gun more 'n likely. Much less have one.

Stay Safe !

[CFC__VRWC]

I'm just guessing too, but if they'd shot the bear, they probably would have been hauled off to jail.

Better to be in the clink than to be the "bear sign" the next poor slob sees right before he's attacked.

[Mark17]

They're really something, aren't they?

Yes they are. See post 52 for pics that someone else posted. As I mentioned, they are absolutely gigantic. Also, one time, at a county fair in Vallejo, CA, I paid a quarter, to supposedly go see the world's largest bull. I thought it was a joke, till I went in there, and sure enough, it was the biggest dang bull I had ever seen in my life. I did not know cattle could grow that big, but it was also gigantic.

[wireman]

Perhaps these two were the Alaskan Sigfried and Roy?

[Shooter 2.5]

There's one picture I have but I don't think I should post it. It looks like something out of a butcher shop.

On a lighter note, a friend moved to Kodiak Island a couple of weeks ago from Texas. He said he was going to get himself one of those 454 Castles. I said, Casull. He said, "Uh, yep".

[bwteim]

If you had been caught "embearassed" on camera, would that be a Kodiak moment?

[nuconvert]

Mark, are you one of those people who stops at the roadside attractions to see the "2-headed snake?

[Judith Anne]

I'd just like to say a word for bears in the lower 48. They may be smaller and only weigh 300-400 lbs, but they are just as dangerous. My neighbor recently used her camcorder to get some nice footage of a local bear eating her goat feed.

[redhead]

"Map of Alaska? Their bodies were taken to Kodiak. They were near Kaflia Bay in Katmai National Park. Is that near enough to Kodiak for Kodiak bears? Them's giant bears."

Alaska's giant brown bears are all over the place. A small subgroup is called "Kodiak," but for all intents and purposes, you can say, "Alaskan Brown Bear" and most people will know you mean a BIG, HUNGRY, cantankerous, beast. These bears are not particular. They will eat environmentalists just as quickly as they will eat tourists. They bury their food for a while so it has time to 'ripen.' I think what this does is break down the flesh a little so it's easier to pull off the bones. Of course, the usual caveats apply here: NEVER GO INTO BEAR COUNTRY ALONE UNLESS YOU ARE A GUIDE OR AN EXPERIENCED WOODSMAN, AND THEN, ALWAYS TAKE THE BIGGEST GUN YOU CAN CARRY. NEVER CHALLENGE ANY BEAR FOR TERRITORY.