Grizzly bear attack in B.C.

Dave Rocks

Dave Rocks

Well-Known Member
Region
Canada
City
MISSISSAUGA

Man hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after grizzly bear attack in B.C.​

Conservation officers say trails closed in area after e-bikers attacked by 2 grizzly bears in southeast B.C.​

grizzly-bear-stock.jpg


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/creston-bc-bear-attack-1.7595129
 
Was within 50 yards of a grizzly last week walked bike roadside along a line of cars blocking the road then rode on. A motorcyclist trapped in the line of cars wasn't happy to be stopped with no way out. Ranger drove up to the traffic jam and told drivers to move on but they didn't comply for some time. Of course I had forgotten to bring my bear spray on the ride.
 
Chargeride said:
Imagine if bears had died out long ago and they decided to reintroduce them.

The environmental group organising it would be hung in the town square.
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:D :D

Living with bears is a fact of life now in many places — like my neighborhood — which never had them before. It’s just the way it is. Here’s a couple of pictures, below, of a youthful black bear traipsing through my back yard. What a beautiful animal! I border on a large amount of conservation land that protects a reservoir, so this it’s no surprise to me to start seeing them in my area. But, it’s new. The danger occurs when you’re dealing with multiple bears; one bear will usually back off (or not attack anyway).

Bear spray is s*it. I have more lethal weapons that I carry when I ride so I could handle a bear encounter, but I would hate myself forever if I had to use them. Grizzlies scare the hell out of me, but blackies can be very dangerous too. We don’t have grizzlies yet in central Massachusetts, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they start showing up someday.

I encountered a cougar years ago while riding the back side of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin, California. Fortunately, we spotted him at a distance and were able to keep away. It would've been bad for us if that sucker had decided it needed some human food.

I wonder if there have been any moose encounters by people on bikes… I’ve heard that moose are somewhat unpredictable, but I have yet to see one in the wild.

IMG_1889.jpeg
IMG_1890.jpeg
 
EMGX said:
Was within 50 yards of a grizzly last week walked bike roadside along a line of cars blocking the road then rode on. A motorcyclist trapped in the line of cars wasn't happy to be stopped with no way out. Ranger drove up to the traffic jam and told drivers to move on but they didn't comply for some time. Of course I had forgotten to bring my bear spray on the ride.
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did those drivers tick you that much? make sure you have the strong variety🙄
 
Chazmo said:
:D :D

Living with bears is a fact of life now in many places — like my neighborhood — which never had them before. It’s just the way it is. Here’s a couple of pictures, below, of a youthful black bear traipsing through my back yard. What a beautiful animal! I border on a large amount of conservation land that protects a reservoir, so this it’s no surprise to me to start seeing them in my area. But, it’s new. The danger occurs when you’re dealing with multiple bears; one bear will usually back off (or not attack anyway).

Bear spray is s*it. I have more lethal weapons that I carry when I ride so I could handle a bear encounter, but I would hate myself forever if I had to use them. Grizzlies scare the hell out of me, but blackies can be very dangerous too. We don’t have grizzlies yet in central Massachusetts, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they start showing up someday.

I encountered a cougar years ago while riding the back side of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin, California. Fortunately, we spotted him at a distance and were able to keep away. It would've been bad for us if that sucker had decided it needed some human food.

I wonder if there have been any moose encounters by people on bikes… I’ve heard that moose are somewhat unpredictable, but I have yet to see one in the wild.

View attachment 197450View attachment 197451
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don't worry cougars and otters are probably( with some red wolves thrown in) on the menu for you( otters have destroyed the fishing we used to have in our streams and finally ,what no coyotes?
 
Interesting. I will note for the record that I’ve had some friends’ first-hand accounts of bear encounters where bear spray has not been useful. But, neither have bullets flown, so no comparison is needed. In any case, I don’t have to contend with grizzlies, which is a boon.

Well, I may add a canister of bear spray to my kit. A loud air-horn is what I’ve intended to pack as well. Thanks for the reference, @EMGX
 
Its not seeing a bear, its the fact that you COULD see a bear, the very nagging constant consideration that an animal capable of killing an entire family, that is completely amoral and driven by basic carnivore instincts could be stalking you at any moment.

It would ruin my whole day, I go out to explore and enjoy, not become the prey for a day, I havent even got side mounted eyes.

I guess its becomes the same as knowing when you are in a safe or dodgy area , people must be..'no bears here, or holy crp, this is bear central '
 
Chargeride said:
It would ruin my whole day, I go out to explore and enjoy, not become the prey for a day, I havent even got side mounted eyes.
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The reason that soldiers travel in fire teams of at least 4. 360 degree observation, plus a guy when another is sleeping, drinking, or the opposite. The idea that a firearm protects you the individual is bear****. I do not have a firearm, but I do wear a NIJ3A kevlar vest to destinations like Wal-Mart. El Paso, Traverse City, where next?
 
A couple of years ago I went up to the Mt Seymour Valley Trailway and Spur 4 loop in North Vancouver. The ride up there was paved, pleasant, scenic, and relatively busy with hikers and cyclists alike.
I decided to find the Spur 4 road to experience a different descent. I found the short trail to get to Spur 4 and saw it was well marked, wide, and all gravel, cool! I've got the perfect bike for this!
Then it dawned on me... there was nobody around at all, and I was alone... I basically hightailed it down that road as fast as my little legs would let me, head swiveling from left to right, and one eye in the mirror. No air horn, no bear spray, no nothing, no bueno, no thanks! :oops:
 
kevinmccune said:
don't worry cougars and otters are probably( with some red wolves thrown in) on the menu for you( otters have destroyed the fishing we used to have in our streams and finally ,what no coyotes?
Click to expand...
People have destroyed the fishing like they have wolves, bears, and everything else they can can shoot or poison. My area is over run with deer who kill way more people, and cause more damage than all the wolves, cougars, bears etc put together In my country. I listen to the old farmers at the stockyard complain and piss them off with my opinion that wolves should be reintroduced to improve the country. Red wolves have actually have been released SE of me in the Great Dismal Swamp which encompasses coastal VA and NC. Good luck with that.
Bears and their ilk are what make wild spaces wild. Grizzlies are on California’s state flag…and none are to be found there.
I was happy this spring to hear of a young bear spotted in the rear of my farm. You hear of these reports because they are rare.
 
Chazmo said:
Bear spray is s*it. I have more lethal weapons that I carry when I ride so I could handle a bear encounter, but I would hate myself forever if I had to use them.
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Unless you are carrying remarkable hardware and have trained intensively for exactly the situations that come from a bear encounter gone bad you aren't likely to accomplish anything but p*ssing the bear off even more than it already is. If you even get a shot.

A bear can easily outrun a horse over short distances. In most bear encounters that go bad the bear charges from an extremely short distance, typically less than 40 feet. That gives you seconds to grab your weapon, aim, and fire. You might get off one shot but probably not two. You probably won't have time to engage the sights. And the actual locations on a charging bear where you have a good chance of stopping the bear aren't very large and are hard to hit.

In general only experts increase their safety in these situations. And most people wildly overestimate their skill. The rest of us are only endangering ourselves.

The fact of the matter is that bears should be more respected than feared. I typically have about a dozen bear encounters a year and have had them for almost forty years. So far I haven't ever been attacked by a bear, and in only a handful of encounters did the bear do anything but skedaddle as soon as it noticed me. In general wild bears are not a substantial threat but habituated bears can be very dangerous.

Bear and tracks near Rainy Pass, WA:

DSC00483.jpeg


DSC00219.jpeg


Actually the first photo has a story behind it. I was walking downhill and into the wind when I noticed the bear ahead of me on the trail. I slowed down and followed it and observed the bear doing bear stuff for about fifteen minutes before some people came up behind me, asked me what I was doing, and the bear disappeared. That was a pretty cool bear encounter all in all.
 
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