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AKcrab · Apr 27, 2004, 02:55 PM

April 26 - A 15-year-old boy attending a youth camp near Wrangell survived a bear attack.

Joseph Ahgeak of Barrow woke up Saturday and found a bear sitting on his feet. The boy pulled free and tried to run away from the tent, but the bear caught him, biting his right elbow. Ahgeak punched the bear several times in the face and turned to run, but then he was bitten on the right side, just below the ribcage.

The bear chased Ahgeak around a tree until the teen picked up an airhorn and called the camp staff. They fired flares over the bear and shot pepper spray, causing the bear to run off.

Troopers returned to Deer Island and shot and killed the bear. Alaska State Troopers say food around the campsite had not been properly secured and it attracted the 400-pound sow.

Ahgeak was taken to Ketchikan General Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

It really burns me that they had to shoot the bear. Camp staff should be shot for not doing their job to protect their campers AND nature.

Camping in bear country is serious business.

mixin visuals · Apr 27, 2004, 03:05 PM

yeah. but just like michael jackson, its tasted young boys. gotta get rid of it

gorickey · Apr 27, 2004, 03:06 PM

[Impersonation]

May the boy get better quickly and his family grow closer with one another during this tough time.

I know the bear will find a glorious resting place and will be taken care of in his past-life.

[/Impersonation]

philzilla · Apr 27, 2004, 03:10 PM

i thought the thread was called "Teen survives beer attack"

AKcrab · Apr 27, 2004, 03:13 PM

Damn, bunch of comedians in here today!

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Apr 27, 2004, 03:19 PM

I'd be scared if I woke up with this at the end of my bed also!

murbot · Apr 27, 2004, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
yeah. but just like michael jackson, its tasted young boys. gotta get rid of it

My first actual outloud laugh today. Thanks!

philzilla · Apr 27, 2004, 03:26 PM

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
I'd be scared if I woke up with this at the end of my bed also!

because it's only a tuesday and he's on fridays, right?

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Apr 27, 2004, 03:27 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
because it's only a tuesday and he's on fridays, right?

Who would have thought you would be the first to come up with an obvious gay joke? Mindfad must be on lunch break

olePigeon · Apr 27, 2004, 03:34 PM

They shoot the bear because people are f*cking retards. They should've shot the camp officials instead.

djohnson · Apr 27, 2004, 03:43 PM

Why not shoot the person for leaving food unsecured??? Who goes camping with bears and leaves food out and expects not to get a visitor???

Scientist · Apr 27, 2004, 03:43 PM

Poor bear.

stevesnj · Apr 27, 2004, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by olePigeon:
They shoot the bear because people are f*cking retards. They should've shot the camp officials instead.

Well I agree they shouldn't of killed the bear but shooting people is not the answer...I know this is a rhetorical comment but people come first before animals.

ASIMO · Apr 27, 2004, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by gorickey:
[Impersonation]

May the boy get better quickly and his family grow closer with one another during this tough time.

I know the bear will find a glorious resting place and will be taken care of in his past-life.

[/Impersonation]

Impersonation? Were you reprimanded for using the name?

gorickey · Apr 27, 2004, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by ASIMO:
Impersonation? Were you reprimanded for using the name?

Of course not...just spicing it up a little bit...

Scientist · Apr 27, 2004, 04:03 PM

Originally posted by stevesnj:
Well I agree they shouldn't of killed the bear but shooting people is not the answer...I know this is a rhetorical comment but people come first before animals.

You wouldn't say that if you were a bear.

DeathToWindows · Apr 27, 2004, 04:18 PM

but i;m not...

Scientist · Apr 27, 2004, 04:22 PM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
but i;m not...

I never said you were...

stevesnj · Apr 27, 2004, 05:49 PM

Originally posted by Scientist:
You wouldn't say that if you were a bear.

AKcrab · Apr 27, 2004, 06:42 PM

Slightly more detailed story

Benson said the counselors the evening before had checked on the campers to make sure there was no food left out to attract bears.

The boy had some Rice-A-Roni he wanted to keep.

"He said, 'No, don't take this. I'm going to eat this in a little while.' Apparently he fell asleep before he got it done. There was some food left at the foot of his tent," Benson said.

The boy was being sent home to give his wounds time to heal, Prysunka said.

"I think he is the biggest, baddest thing in the woods. He punched the bear," Prysunka said.

olePigeon · Apr 27, 2004, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by stevesnj:
Well I agree they shouldn't of killed the bear but shooting people is not the answer...I know this is a rhetorical comment but people come first before animals.

Maybe in your religion.

Tulkas · Apr 27, 2004, 07:36 PM

How did killing the bear solve anything???

stevesnj · Apr 27, 2004, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by olePigeon:
Maybe in your religion.

Right....in my Religion we think killing people is a sin.

angaq0k · Apr 27, 2004, 08:11 PM

True story:

A few years ago, I was living far up North, by the Arctic circle in a very small town (1400 inhabitants).

There was an Inuk hunter explaining his tale of survival after a hunting trip.

Hunting alone, he faced a Polar bear. His gun jammed and could not shoot the beast that was dressed on its legs.The hunter ran towards the bear, hugged it and pushed it from him. He actually did it 2 or 3 times, then the bear ran away, apparently fed up with the little, but determined hunter.

A legend from the Inuit of Northern Quebec goes like so:

A long time ago, during one of those long and very cold winters where barely any games could be hunted, a family had decided to let go of one of the Women Elders. Her fingers were of no use, and she had very bad vision. She could also barely walk straight, and used a stick to walk. She was a useless mouth to feed. The leader decided to leave her behind, against the ancestral wisdom forbidding to leave anyone behind.

The woman was left on her own with nothing to drink, nothing to eat. All she had was the stick to help her walk.

A polar bear found her. At the moment the bear came to get her, she used one of her mits, put it at the tip of the stick, and shoved it in the mouth of of the bear.

The bear choked to death.

In the meantime, the leader of the family, full of guilt, came back to get her. He was full of shame to see that the Elder, left alone, with nothing but her stick, had killed the only game they saw in several weeks.

I had polar kills not even 200 meters from my home, 5 years ago, and escaped from a face to face with a polar bear about 13 years ago. I had nightmares of running away from polar bears for several years...

Lucky boy there.

istallion · Apr 27, 2004, 09:22 PM

Originally posted by AKcrab:
Link

It really burns me that they had to shoot the bear. Camp staff should be shot for not doing their job to protect their campers AND nature.

Camping in bear country is serious business.

Is it really an attack if the boy survived?

I guess 400lbs is a somewhat small bear though.

kmkkid · Apr 27, 2004, 09:45 PM

Originally posted by Tulkas:
How did killing the bear solve anything???

Because like all wild animals, once they get a taste for human blood they'll keep attacking people. It was the best thing to do in this case, before anyone else got injured or killed.

Chris

olePigeon · Apr 27, 2004, 09:49 PM

Originally posted by stevesnj:
Right....in my Religion we think killing people is a sin.

Except when they're not in your religion, then it's OK.

AKcrab · Apr 27, 2004, 10:41 PM

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

On Monday 4-26-04 at 2029 hours, USCG Juneau advised Alaska State Troopers that they were responding by helicopter to Pybus Bay on the S.E. side of Admiralty Island for a reported bear mauling. A rescue swimmer was dropped into the water and began assessing the best plan for the rescue.

The victim, Scott D. Newman, 39 years old of Petersburg, was recovered by the Coast Guard and transported to the hospital in Sitka via USCG helicopter. Newman suffered fractures to his left leg, left arm, left ankle, right hand and right forearm.

Troopers interviewed Newman at the hospital. According to Newman, a licensed big game guide, he and his client were on the last day of a ten day hunt when they spotted the bear. The men stalked the bear to an area where they could get a good shot. The client shot twice, hitting the bear, and then Newman fired as well. The bear ran into some brush, and Newman went after him. Newman came upon the bear in the brush and the bear turned and charged. Newman fired again, but isn't sure if he hit the bear. The bear began biting Newman on his legs and arms, then turned away and lay down. Newman pulled out his radio and contacted the Coast Guard.

Troopers are returning to the scene today to complete their investigation.

Not so smart for a 'licensed big game guide'. Can't be good for business.

mixin visuals · Apr 27, 2004, 10:47 PM

bears cause aids

Tulkas · Apr 27, 2004, 11:24 PM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
Because like all wild animals, once they get a taste for human blood they'll keep attacking people. It was the best thing to do in this case, before anyone else got injured or killed.

Chris

Taste for blood? We look pretty much like anything else a bear would kill, don't see why they wouldn't try. Im not knowledgable bout bears but i thought they weren't big-time carnivoirs.

kmkkid · Apr 28, 2004, 12:28 AM

Originally posted by Tulkas:
Taste for blood? We look pretty much like anything else a bear would kill, don't see why they wouldn't try. Im not knowledgable bout bears but i thought they weren't big-time carnivoirs.

Erm, they eat fish. Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt fish meat?

Chris

Scientist · Apr 28, 2004, 12:32 AM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
Erm, they eat fish. Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt fish meat?

Chris

Bears are opportunistic. They eat fish, grubs, deer, berries, eggs or whatever they can find.

mixin visuals · Apr 28, 2004, 12:57 AM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
Erm, they eat fish. Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt fish meat?

Chris

i hear little boy meat has a different texture than fish meat

Gee4orce · Apr 28, 2004, 03:05 AM

Sounds like the kid is a real survivor - punching a bear in the face takes some courage ! Mind you, 400 pounds is not a very big bear.

True anecdote: a collegue of the witness was a highly experienced bear expert. They had sedated a grizzly, and the collegue approached to measure/tag it. He was too hasty, and forgot for just one moment to make sure the animal was properly sedated. The bear decapitated him with one swipe !