Mountain Biker killed in Bear attack

[Andrew A]

Read this today. Anymore info on this???

My condolences to the family.

Mountain biker killed in bear attack
Bear shot near body of woman on Panorama Ski Resort trail
Last Updated: Monday, July 23, 2007 | 8:35 AM PT
CBC News
Conservation officers believe a woman found dead on Sunday on a ski hill in eastern British Columbia was killed by a bear.

The RCMP shot a black bear found next to the 34-year-old woman's body on a trail near the Panorama Ski Resort close to the Alberta-B.C. boundary.

The mountain biker was reported missing on Saturday night.

Also Sunday, two cyclists escaped with minor injuries after being charged by a grizzly bear protecting her cubs in Banff National Park.

The riders noticed the cubs on the trail near Lake Minnewanka, but before they could react, the mother bear gave chase, but didn't make contact with the cyclists.

Banff National Park staff have closed down the trail.

Banff conservation officer Dave Hanna said there haven't been many problems with bears this year because the berries haven't come out yet.

[Lady Gravity]

how awful :( RIP

i thought black bears weren't supposed to attack unless you got between them and their cubs?

[Wayne P]

Black bears can do whatever they want. Sometimes they view us as food, and sometimes they might just simply feel threatened. Bears are very unpredictable, be careful out there people.

I had a large brown bear in my backyard twice this year. Kinda scary with 4 small kids.

[GeoffG]

Shit:eek:. We were in the village last night probably around 10 or so and I see this black blob running really fast away from Zogs and two guys on bikes chasing it. Turns out it was a cub, but there was no mother in sight:S.

[SEKTER13]

That is horrible. The thing with bears is that they are very intelligent which makes it really hard to predict what they will do. I't might be something more complicated then simply "they got in between the cubs". My best wishes to the family.:(

[littlemountainmike]

I just read that in the paper. This could happen to anyone.
Kinda scary. The whole mountain was closed...wow.

[wizardB]

and we only have 2 animals here Bears and Bear food!

[Air Supplier]

wow thats terrible! man I would be SO scared if I were those two cyclists getting chased by a bear...

[roy]

Man, thats the one thing that freaks me out about moving over there, going to have to take up street riding or knitting or something.

[Tom]

Google search "driver killed" and you'll see which is the more dangerous activity. Don't let the fear of something so rare scare you away from something you love.

[Joe Dick]

Black bears can do whatever they want. Sometimes they view us as food, and sometimes they might just simply feel threatened. Bears are very unpredictable, be careful out there people.


shit yeah. I run into lots of bears. the last one was 1000 feet down a steep heli block in the dark corner. about 5 feet from what looked to be a two year old. it scampered up a tree, I did the thousand beat a minuet scan for mom while scrambling up hill the f'k out of there. the bear looked a little too small to be on its own. but there was no sign of mom.

humanized black bears are scary animals. black bears in the deep woods are a little more predictable.

[patrolskid]

obviously we'll never know what circumstances led to this poor womans' demise , but my contacts in the bear business tell me that this is a particularly dangerous time of the year with respect to bears .

combination of females in heat , females protecting their cubs from males looking to breed , males looking to breed , and new , subordinate males looking to get into the breeding program , all lead to unpredictable behaviour .

[heckler]

combination of females in heat , females protecting their cubs from males looking to breed , males looking to breed , and new , subordinate males looking to get into the breeding program , all lead to unpredictable behaviour .


sounds like NBR in February

[roy]

Google search "driver killed" and you'll see which is the more dangerous activity. Don't let the fear of something so rare scare you away from something you love.

Was just joking about giving it up, would never do that but it is always something at the back of my mind when i think about riding my bike over there. only been in the winter before. I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

[Lady Gravity]

obviously we'll never know what circumstances led to this poor womans' demise , but my contacts in the bear business tell me that this is a particularly dangerous time of the year with respect to bears .

is this unusual for this time of year, or normal? last year when i rode burke in the evening i never saw a bear and rarely saw scat. this year i've seen one aleady (luckily fairly far away), seen a fair indication of bear activity, and have heard of people running into them on eagle. something to do with our long winter perhaps?

[Wayne P]

Rumour has it that grizzlies are making their way back close to Kamloops. Black bears are one thing and seeing them while I'm my dirtbike isn't scary at all, but grizzlies are not a bear that I would want to see anytime. My father in law's friend was chased by a grizzly on his quad.

[Rat]

the big snowpack pushes them down into lower elevations in search of food

[gooch]

Whilst logging one year in the wack, one of the guys was killed, and one pretty banged up by a griz, I pretty much quit after that when they wouldn't let us pack heat.

[Joe Dick]

the big snowpack pushes them down into lower elevations in search of food

thats true, but the snow pack, at least around here, is minimal this time of year. I'd bet it has more to due with a larger bear population pushing younger bears closer to civilization.

I've seen lots of rabbits and deer this year as well. could be just the high end of the population cycle?

[Wayne P]

Years ago if you were out in the bush and you saw a bear, you shot it. Well, that doesn't exactly happen anymore, thus numbers are increasing and bears are losing their fear of humans.

[Mic]

uhh, ohh....scary.

[Shaker666]

I grew up in southern Arizona and my Dad taught me how to use a gun and a knife when I started venturing out for serious daytrips in the mountains. There's been reports of mountain lion attacks on mountain bikers and hikers for years in the Catalina and Rincon ranges, so it was suggested to me that carrying a small pistol (and knowing how to use it) would be wise if I was going out alone. The gun was a bit impractical for me, but a small folding knife (4") in your short pocket became a staple. I would highly recommend that solo adventurers consider getting a quality pocket folder.

http://www.benchmade.com/

[Sharon]

A friend of ours does surveying to decommission logging roads. He carries a gun for JUST this purpose.

[CraigH]

More details of this sad story:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070724.wxbears24/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20070724.wxbears24

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=3fac8fa1-2b0c-4f1e-8a63-4b928ffe40ce&k=6812

[beer_girl]

i thought black bears weren't supposed to attack unless you got between them and their cubs?

Not true. Black bears will actually stalk you if they're feeling so inclined. It's pretty rare and I can't remember what makes them do it (hunger??) but they will.

And apparently the most dangerous bear is a bear defending it's food cache so how are you supposed to know if you're near it's food cache if you can't smell it??

Yes, I'm afraid of bears =/

Oh, and they like fudge:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/07/24/ot-chelsea-bear-070724.html?ref=rss

[Wayne P]

I grew up in southern Arizona and my Dad taught me how to use a gun and a knife when I started venturing out for serious daytrips in the mountains. There's been reports of mountain lion attacks on mountain bikers and hikers for years in the Catalina and Rincon ranges, so it was suggested to me that carrying a small pistol (and knowing how to use it) would be wise if I was going out alone. The gun was a bit impractical for me, but a small folding knife (4") in your short pocket became a staple. I would highly recommend that solo adventurers consider getting a quality pocket folder.

http://www.benchmade.com/

I always carry a knife and a can of bear spray when I'm hiking out in the woods.

[wizardB]

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Fish and Wildlife
WARNING

Due to the rising frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen, and any persons that use the out-of-doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the filed.

We advise the outdoorsmen to where noisy little bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don't take them by suprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-of-doors to carry "Pepper Spray" with him or her in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be able on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between Black Bear shit and Grizzly Bear shit. Black Bear shit is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly Bear shit has bells in it, and smells like pepper.

[Spaz]

Black Bear shit is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly Bear shit has bells in it, and smells like pepper.


You almost made me snort my ice cream all over my computer screen.

I ran into a black bear last year on Cypress with my dog. My dog was about 3 feet away from being lunch before me and my buddy came around the corner and chased the bear away. It ran about 30 feet and then turned, snorted and was pawing the ground, that was one pissed off bear. I am so glad that I was not alone on that ride.

[roasterthetoaster]

I have heard from several different sources that if you are a woman and it's that time of the month and you are in bear country you will be chased by a bear. One woman I know said she was chased monthly while she worked in the bush.

[CraigH]

BC Parks Bear Safety page:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/misc/bears/bearsaf.html

Interesting point:

The odours of cosmetics, toothpaste and insect repellent can attract bears. These should be stored out of reach with your food and garbage, never in your tent. Leave strongly perfumed items at home.

[Shaker666]

Truly a tragedy. I bet her riding companions are pretty sore over not having accompanied her down the green run. That's got to be painful to live with.

[Mic]

I have heard from several different sources that if you are a woman and it's that time of the month and you are in bear country you will be chased by a bear. One woman I know said she was chased monthly while she worked in the bush.

when I was in Banff a few years ago, rumor had it that two female tourist who were out hiking and camping in the bush were actually killed and half-eaten by a grizzly. the evidence suggested that the bear was attracted by the smell of the blood. since it was night they were attacked inside their tent.

[Jaysin]

ugh:( I'm sticking to the fast runs today:P

[mrraulduke]

and we only have 2 animals here Bears and Bear food!

That is not true.
Especially not on the Island.
Here there are 3 animals....Bears, Cougars and their food.

And it has been a busy bear year for my sightings. 3 bears on xc climbs through some recent logging and a bunch on the road to Mount Washington. It still scares the crap out of me to have a bear dart out onto the road about 20 meters in front of you. At least they run away....

Thank god we don't have Grizzlies here.

[Shaker666]

If we had grizzlies around here, I don't care about the Canadian govt., I'm riding with a .357 in my pack... or pocket, for that matter. :nono:

[chris2]

growing up we lived on the side of a ravine and had black bears wandering through the yard almost every year. We'd go and chase them from the garbage cans and I've never been scared of them, but now I'm feeling more cautious after hearing increasing reports like this one. Most of the time if there's a bear in the area you'll never know it because it hears or smells you coming and takes off. I had a wilderness guide instuctor when I was younger and he could smell a bear before seeing it.... but he could also have taken the bear down with 1 finger so unless you're also a ninja I suggest taking at least one precaution when you're riding, even if it's just making lots of noise.

[Loopie]

Black bears ARE predictable.
You either startled them, are near their cub/s, or are near their food stash. And if one ever got the chance to "stalk" you...:lol:...you are being WAY too quiet out there and unawares.
Unfortunately...sometimes you might not now that you are in that situation until you are actually IN IT.
Be aware...you will most often know the bear is there at the same time or almost the same time as the bear knows you are there. And then you can take some common sense steps to deal with it.

[Rat]

what about the masturbating bear on Conan O Brian


I doubt a bear bell would work

[trail worker]

thats true, but the snow pack, at least around here, is minimal this time of year. I'd bet it has more to due with a larger bear population pushing younger bears closer to civilization.

I've seen lots of rabbits and deer this year as well. could be just the high end of the population cycle?

most of the wildlife population is way up this year, as I have seen 2 cougars while at work in the bush, and chased another one up a road on my way to do some trail work one morning. I have also heard that a cougar was seen at the top of nelson, up by the tracks. That's 3 this year so far, usually you won't see any. I have also seen alot of black wolf tracks in mud and in the snow, earlier in the season. Found a few carcasses left over from wolves as well, which you don't usually see as often. In general, I'd say that most animals, both predator and prey is doing quite well this year.

[CraigH]

Just got back from a road trip to the Kootenays. We saw more deer & elk beside the highway than I've ever seen outside of a national park.

[Mic]

most of the wildlife population is way up this year, as I have seen 2 cougars while at work in the bush, and chased another one up a road on my way to do some trail work one morning. I have also heard that a cougar was seen at the top of nelson, up by the tracks. That's 3 this year so far, usually you won't see any. I have also seen alot of black wolf tracks in mud and in the snow, earlier in the season. Found a few carcasses left over from wolves as well, which you don't usually see as often. In general, I'd say that most animals, both predator and prey is doing quite well this year.

Just got back from a road trip to the Kootenays. We saw more deer & elk beside the highway than I've ever seen outside of a national park.

hmm..your posts indicate a change in "growth"...is it good or bad?