Outdoors-411.com

[Todd]

This is the only thing on-line so far...

A real tragedy for the family.......


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Bear Attack in Polk County
4/13/06

Three Hurt in Polk County

Three people were hurt Thursday afternoon in a bear attack in Polk County, Tennessee.

Sheriff's officials confirm one of the injured is a two year old child who was been flown by Life Force helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center.

The attack happened in the Chilhowie recreation area at the top of Chilhowie Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest. Another helicopter has also been dispatched to the area.

We have crews at both Erlanger Medical Center and Polk County. Watch for a full report on Channel 3 Eyewitness News at 11.who was been flown by Life Force helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center.

I will update the following link/article regularly over the next couple of days as more information comes in.

Information on Tennessee Black Bear Attack
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[Todd]

Here is the latest on the bear attack...

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Young Girl Killed in Polk County Bear Attack


A young girl was killed and two others injured Thursday afternoon in a bear attack in Polk County, Tennessee.

Sheriff's officials confirm that a six year old girl died in the attack. Her two year old sibling and their mother were injured. They are now listed in critical condition at Erlanger Medical Center.

The attack happened in the Chilhowee recreation area at the top of Chilhowee Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest. The bear who attacked the family from Ohio was shot but still on the loose. A search continues for the injured animal.

The family was from Ohio. Forest rangers have closed the campground
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[1stimestar]

How sad. Let us know when they have more info.
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Why do I live in Alaska? Because I can.

http://cloud9doula.wordpress.com/

Does this 12 gauge make my butt look big?

[paddlenut]

I just heard on the Today show that the Mother and Daughter are expected to make a full recovery. But, the bear is still "at large".

[Big John aka Mod 12]

I am so saddened to hear about this. From what I understand, bears are no longer really afraid of humans and once a bear has such easy success in killing a human, they become more bold. They are seeing that in B.C. where more and more people are injured by bears and big cats. The thing about parks and especially U.S. citizens going to Canada is that you can't carry a gun for self defense. I always carry a big knife in B.C. but it makes me wonder what good it would do. (I did just pick up a very nice, used, early Effingham BJ 1-7 with stacked leather handle on ebay. I'm still looking for the Trail guide.) I'm sure not hunting bears and cats with hounds has something to do with this, too. Lately I've been subbing for K-1st graders and a 6-7 year old is so fragile, they don't stand a chance against a bear or a cat.
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Big John aka Mod 12

[Todd]

I have a 6 year old so I know how easy it would be....

To me this is a pretty typical black bear attack, predatory.

This attack actually happened in an area where bear hunting is allowed. However, it is within a mile or two of a bear refuge where NO hunting is allowed. This same area is also where numerous "problem" bears are moved to from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. If this turns out to be one of those bears I would anticipate a law suit.

This is the second fatal black bear attack in Tennessee, the last one was 6 years ago in the Smoky Mountains National Park which is in the same general area.

Fatal Black Bear Attacks
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[Big John aka Mod 12]

I remember that other attack. I think we covered it at Field and Stream.

In "97" I went on a walkabout (in my old Volvo wagon) and ended up in Clinton, B.C. While I was up there a woman and her son were attacked and killed by a blackie up on the Laird River. They're getting bolder.
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Big John aka Mod 12

[Todd]

Bear may have stalked family
By ROBERT WILSON, rlwilson2594@msn.com
April 14, 2006


BENTON, Tenn. — A black bear that attacked a family, killing a 6-year-old girl and critically injuring her 2-year-old brother and mother, may have been stalking them, authorities said Friday.
The bear attacked the family about 4:30 p.m. Thursday as they left a pool below a waterfall on Benton Springs Road in the Chilhowee Mountains in southeastern Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The 640,000-acre park runs along the Tennessee-North Carolina line southwest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the attack site is about 70 miles southwest of Knoxville.

A witness told authorities the children had run ahead of their mother on a trail leading from the wading pool when they saw the bear, TWRA spokesman Dan Hicks said.

They turned around and ran back to her while the bear paralleled them on the trail before attacking the boy, Hicks said the witness told authorities.

The bear then attacked the mother who was trying to fend it off her son and was found standing over the girl’s body about 100 yards down a trail from the attack scene.

"I think there is a very good chance this is a predatory attack," said Bob Miller, a spokesman for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"People forget sometimes that bears are predatory animals and may have simply seen her as something to eat."

The acorn mast, a primary staple for black bears, is low this year and other sustenance, such as berries, is not available.

The bears are subsisting on grubs and worms, he said.

"Little morsels" are all they can get, Miller said.

A witness used a cell phone to alert authorities to the attack, saying a bear had injured a boy and girl was missing. Another witness drove to a nearby ranger station.

The family, whose identities have not been released, are from Ohio and were believed to be day visitors and not campers. They were with a large group of people at the wading pool when they departed.

The bear grabbed the boy’s head in his mouth, Hicks said witnesses told investigators. The mother and other visitors began battling the bear with sticks and rocks when she was attacked.

The bear dragged the woman about 50 yards off the trail, Hicks said, before being frightened off.

The other visitors realized the girl was missing and began searching for her. About 10 minutes into their search, the visitors were joined by some members of the West Polk Fire and Rescue Squad.

After an intense 20-minute search they discovered the girl’s badly mangled body about 100 yards down a trail with the bear standing over her, Hicks said.

Squad member Danny Stinnett shot the bear once with a .380-caliber pistol, Hicks said, and it ran away from the girl. Stinnett said he hit the bear.

No blood was found at the scene, authorities said, and the bear has not been seen since.

A search for the animal was suspended about 2 a.m. Friday, and authorities placed two culvert-type traps baited with honey buns and donuts trying to lure the bear.

Friday morning they were awaiting six more traps and snare-type traps.

The search has been called while they see if the traps will be successful. All of the campers in the area, which has 88 campsites, have been removed.

The trapping area is 1,000 acres around the waterfalls and is about 10 miles from the nearest highway.

The boy and mother were taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga where both were in surgery until early today.

The boy had puncture and claw wounds, particularly to the back of his head, Hicks said. His prognosis is good, but he is in critical condition.

The mother had lacerations and punctures to her right upper arm and thigh, Hicks said. She is under sedation, in critical condition and unable to talk.

"We have not been able to talk to her," Hicks said. "She may not remember the attack at all."

The bear actually picked up the mother in its mouth, Hicks said.

"A bear that could this would probably weigh between 350 and 400 pounds," Hicks said.

The little girl’s body was taken to a mortuary in Cleveland, funeral home owner Ralph Buckner said.

While authorities don’t know the gender of the bear or the cause of the attack, Hicks said bears are territorial.

"Male bears, however, this time of year get very territorially," Hicks said. "That may have been what happened to these people, he was protecting his territory."

Black bears rarely attack people, and authorities also are considering whether it is suffering from a disease that affected its behavior.

"It is possible that the bear has some kind of disease, possibly even rabies, that have caused this," Hicks said. "It might even be a parasite."

Any bears found in the area will be euthanized and taken to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine where a necropsy will be performed.

There have been 42 sightings of bears in the national forest in the past two weeks, Hicks said, but this is the time of year that bears become active.

In May 2000, a woman was killed by a black bear near Gatlinburg in the national park. Glena Ann Bradley, a schoolteacher from Cosby, was attacked by two female bears when she took a walk on a trail near a Smoky Mountains campground.

Miller said that attack was a predatory one.
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[chief joe]

Would this be the season for new bear cubs there? This would be about right up north where they hibernate wouldn't it? A sow would be just out with new cubs and hungry from hibernation.
Nothing more dangerours than coming between a bear and her cub(s) or a bear and a food source.
Once about four years ago when I was working for a youth organization we took the kids to Cades Cove. Even after a stern warning one of our middle school age boys was chasing a bear cub. It was either an orphan or one that had been chased away by a new mother bear. It still gives me chills. We were fortunate and the cub ran!
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Joe Beran
"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull." - W.C. Fields

[Todd]

Actually attacks by black bears with cubs are very, very rare. In fact often times biologists doing research on cubs get the cubs and gather the data while the female watches on afraid to approach.

Fatal attacks by brown bears with cubs is another story though. I read somewhere that somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% of fatal brown bear attacks are sows with cubs.

Here is what the worlds formost expert on black bears, Lynn Rogers says about black bear attacks.

"I put these events into two categories – offensive attacks, which are very rare, and defensive actions, which are easily avoided.

Offensive attacks include all the killings by black bears. These are generally unprovoked, predatory attacks. Most victims were eaten. Offensive, predatory attacks have almost always been in remote areas where the bears had little or no previous contact with people.

What can you do in the rare case of being attacked by a black bear? Fight back.

What are defensive actions? Those are fearful swats or nips toward people who behave like bad mannered bears.....

A defensive action might also result when a person uses food to lure a very hungry half-tame bear closer than it feels comfortable. The bear might feed calmly enough from the person's hand until the food is gone then suddenly feel crowded without the food distraction. Too fearful to turn its back and leave, it defensively slaps, giving itself an instant afterward to turn and run. In a related scenario, fearful people often jerk their hand back each time a bear opens its mouth to take food from it. Some bears just give up and leave, but very hungry bears sometimes try more quickly and bruise a finger.

www.bear.org/Black/Articles/How_Dangerous_are_Black_Bears.html
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[git r bayed]

we get a lot of those problem bear up here to ya gotta really watch yourself around some of them because they have no fear of people and in spring when food is scarce it can get ugly if ya don't know what to do.
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http://www.gitrbayed.com

[Todd]

Authorities May Have Nabbed Killer Bear: Necropsy Set for Today to Determine if the Animal is the One That Attacked Family

By J. J. Stambaugh, stambaugh@knews.com



April 17, 2006

Animal experts from the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine will perform a necropsy today (around 2:00 p.m. EDT) on a black bear suspected of killing a young girl in the Cherokee National Forest and seriously injuring her mother and brother. Authorities believe the male bear they killed Sunday is the same animal that attacked the family near Benton. But they will continue to trap bears in the area where the attack occurred until they can confirm the bear's identity, said Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Dan Hicks.

"There still could be a danger in that campground, and we've been working closely with the U.S. Forest Service," Hicks said. "We've determined that the best thing to do is to continue to trap, and the U.S. Forest Service is going to keep those camping areas closed for now."

When the postmortem examination is performed on the bear today, authorities will search for signs of disease and for any type of evidence that can tell them if it's the same animal that killed the child.

UT officials said it will probably be several days before they know for sure if they have the right bear.

The first priority will be to test the animal's brain for signs of rabies, said Dr. Linden Craig, a pathobiologist at the U.T. facility where the bear's remains were taken Sunday.

"If it doesn't have rabies, hopefully we can find something else wrong with it that could explain its behavior," she said. Normally, postmortem exams are conducted to determine why an animal became so ill that it either died or had to be euthanized, Craig said. The necropsy that will be conducted today by Dr. Bob Donnell, however, will focus on questions that U.T. veterinary experts are rarely called upon to answer.

For instance, hair samples from the dead bear will be compared to hairs that were found at the attack site, Craig said. X-rays will be taken to see if the bear had any bullet wounds, and samples will be taken from its gastrointestinal tract to determine if the bear had consumed any human tissue.

Also, the bear's bite will be compared to the wounds sustained by the victims, she said.

Luke Cenkus was in fair condition and Susan Cenkus remained in critical condition Sunday, hospital officials said. They are both expected to recover.

Hicks said the animal that was killed early Sunday afternoon was a "young and sleek" black bear that appeared to weigh about 300 pounds. Authorities didn't disclose how the bear was killed.

Authorities had set a half-dozen traps in the vicinity of last week's attack. The suspect bear was found in a trap that had been installed on a sandy patch of ground by the pool near the attack site, Hicks said.

"They're very territorial, and this time of year, they're not going far from where they've been denned up for the winter," he said.

On Saturday, officials discovered some tracks in the sand near the trap and took measurements, Hicks said. They used branches to erase the tracks in the sand before leaving, and when they returned the following afternoon, they found the suspect animal in the trap.

"We had a motion camera set up at the trap and it was activated at 9:09 p.m. Saturday, and we feel like that's when the bear went into the trap," he said.

The tracks found Sunday were "a pretty close match" to those found a day earlier, Hicks said. "That does indicate that there was no more than one bear in that general vicinity, at least over the past several days," he said.

J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[Todd]

No rabies probably predatory as I first suspected.



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Officials: Bear attack probably predatory
By J.J. STAMBAUGH, stambaugh@knews.com
April 17, 2006


The brain of a black bear suspected of killing a young girl in the Cherokee National Forest did not show signs of rabies, officials said today, leading them to believe the attack Thursday was predatory.
Brain samples taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center and tested today did not show any obvious lesions or swelling, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Dan Hicks said.

Hicks and other officials at an afternoon press conference said they are leaning toward this being "a predatory attack."

"This is a real lean, tough time for bears," said Joe Clark, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

The bears are just emerging from hibernation, they have been living on fat all winter and are hungry and possibly aggressive, Clark said.

Elora Petrasek, 6, was killed Thursday afternoon as she and her family were leaving a waterfall pool on a rugged, 1,800-foot-high mountaintop, about 10 miles from the nearest highway in Polk County.

The bear also bit 2-year-old Luke Cenkus on his head, puncturing his skull, and attacked the children’s mother, Susan Cenkus, 45, who tried to fend off the bear with rocks and sticks when it attacked her son.

Her daughter apparently ran away. Almost an hour passed before a rescuer found her body about 100 yards off the trail with the bear. The rescuer said he shot twice at the bear with a pistol before it ran away.

Officials are going ahead with a necropsy to determine if the animal is in fact the same bear that attacked the family near Benton last week, Hicks said.

It may be weeks before the testing is done, he added.

Initial x-rays did not show any bullet fragments, but the bullets could have glanced off or passed through soft tissue, Hicks said.

Authorities are continuing to set bear traps in the area where the attack occurred until they can confirm the bear’s identity.

"There still could be a danger in that campground, and we’ve been working closely with the U.S. Forest Service," Hicks said. "We’ve determined that the best thing to do is to continue to trap, and the U.S. Forest Service is going to keep those camping areas closed for now."

Normally, postmortem exams are conducted to determine why an animal became so ill that it either died or had to be euthanized, according to Dr. Linden Craig, a pathobiologist at the UT facility where the animal was taken Sunday. The necropsy by Dr. Bob Donnell, however, will focus on questions that UT veterinary experts are rarely called upon to answer.

For instance, hair samples from the dead bear will be compared to hairs that were found at the attack site, Craig said. Samples will be taken from its gastrointestinal tract to determine if the bear had consumed any human tissue.

Also, the bear’s bite will be compared to the wounds sustained by the victims, she said.

The family from Clyde, Ohio, in the area to visit Cenkus’ college-age son and participate in an Easter weekend religious service in Cleveland, was among several groups of visitors leaving the waterfall when children reported seeing the bear.

Luke Cenkus was in fair condition and Susan Cenkus remained in critical condition, but both are expected to recover.

Hicks said the animal that was killed early Sunday afternoon was a "young and sleek" black bear that appeared to weigh about 300 pounds. Authorities didn’t disclose how the bear was killed.

Authorities had set a half-dozen traps in the vicinity of last week’s attack. The suspect bear was found in a trap that had been installed on a sandy patch of ground by the pool near the attack site, Hicks said.

"They’re very territorial, and this time of year, they’re not going far from where they’ve been denned up for the winter," he said.

On Saturday, officials discovered some tracks in the sand near the trap and took measurements, Hicks said. They used branches to erase the tracks in the sand before leaving, and when they returned the following afternoon, they found the suspect animal in the trap.

"We had a motion camera set up at the trap and it was activated at 9:09 p.m. Saturday, and we feel like that’s when the bear went into the trap," he said.

The tracks found Sunday were "a pretty close match" to those found a day earlier, Hicks said. "That does indicate that there was no more than one bear in that general vicinity, at least over the past several days," he said.
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[Todd]

Hey Jeff looks like they are now calling this predatory. Looks like that world famous writer isn't quite as bear smart as he thinks.


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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[git r bayed]

nope and the weight wasn't what they thaught either
who knows their bear?
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http://www.gitrbayed.com

[Todd]

Necropsy finished, this may not be the bear.....



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Black Bear Necropsy Completed

April 18, 2006

(Knoxville, Tennessee)- The University of Tennessee Veterinary School, in Knoxville, has completed the necropsy on the black bear suspected of killing a six year old girl and mauling the girl's mother and two year old brother last Thursday afternoon near the Chilhowee campground in the Cherokee National Forest.

The suspected bear was captured, at 1:00 p.m. EDT Easter Sunday, near the campground where the attack took place. Upon arrival at UT, the bear tested negative for rabies.

No obvious evidence was detected during the necropsy performed earlier today under the direction of Dr. Robert Donnell, UT Vet School, to positively identify this bear as the one that attacked the Ohio family last Thursday afternoon.

The samples gathered are being transported to the appropriate testing facilities for further forensic analysis. Wildlife officials hope that DNA comparisons will identify this bear conclusively as the attacker.

U.S. Forest Service officials say that the Chilhowee and Parksville campgrounds will remain closed until law enforcement officials conclusively identify this as the offending bear.

TWRA officials encourage anyone who might have witnessed the event last week to contact the agency's Region III office in Crossville at 1-800 262-6704.
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[git r bayed]

with a good pack of trained hounds this case would have never lasted this long! just another screw up
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http://www.gitrbayed.com

[Todd]

USDA Forest Service - Cherokee National Forest Bear Attack Update



April 20, 2006

Information Regarding the Various Stages of the Bear Attack and On-Going Investigation


The Attack
An attack by a black bear on April 13, 2006 in the Cherokee National Forest ended in tragedy with two injuries and a fatality. The bear seriously injured a 45-year old woman and her two-year old son and killed the woman's six-year old daughter near the Chilhowee Recreation Area, about 22 miles east of Cleveland, Tennessee. This attack on humans by a black bear is a very unusual and rare event. This is the second recorded fatal attack by a black bear in the Southeastern United States.

Shots were fired at the bear by a rescue worker but it is unknown whether or not a bullet hit the animal. No employees of the USDA Forest Service (USFS), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) or Tennessee State Parks were involved with the shooting.

The Chilhowee Recreation Area will remain closed indefinitely while the investigation is being conducted.

The Capture
The TWRA set traps in the area, one close to the site of the attack and several others in a one and a half mile area surrounding it. The bear captured Sunday was found in the trap close to the attack site, while the one captured Monday was found in one of the perimeter traps. Since the second capture, all the perimeter traps have been deactivated. The one near the attack site is still active.

Bear 1- Captured April 16
A male bear weighing over 200 pounds was found on Sunday, April 16 in a trap set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) near the site of the incident. The bear's body was taken to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Knoxville. There was no evidence, like ear tags or tattoos, to indicate the bear had been captured before or had been brought in from outside the Cherokee National Forest.

Bear 2- Captured April 17
A male bear weighing between 100 and 120 pounds was trapped approximately one and a half miles from the site of the attack Monday, April 17. The bear is alive and being held while the forensic tests on the first bear are being conducted.

The Forensic Investigation
The body of the bear captured on April 16 was taken to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Knoxville. X-rays showed no evidence of a bullet on the body and results of the rabies test were negative.

Samples have been gathered and are being evaluated by appropriate testing facilities for further forensic analysis. The results of the analysis may take longer since the techniques and technology normally used to deal with human-on-human incidents are being adapted to deal with a wild animal.
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"Nothing is easier than spending public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody." - Calvin Coolidge

"I'm the guy that originally wrote the assault weapons ban" Joe Biden

[whitetiger]

has there been any more news about weather or not the bears that they have were the bear that killed the little girl

[TnEncore]