Ok Uncle Henry, what makes this man an idiot? Because he was hiking? People hike there every day. It sounds like you are probably the idiot. Get a clue please.

Because he was exposed to killer bears and didn't have a gun to protect himself.

How do you know he did not have a gun, I did not see fire arms mentioned at all in the article.

If he had a gun it obviously was not a Bear Gun.

Here we go again because someone goes hiking in bear territory and gets killed. Now the bear has to die! Get bear spray people or stay out of the woods. I mean I go hiking in south mountain park and if a rabbit was to jump out and maul me to death I wouldn't want the rabbit hunted and killed.

It is very surprising that this has never happened before in Denali. It is a huge park and is wild even by the standards of national parks. The park rangers do an excellent job of educating hikers about the dangers in the park and keeping everyone as safe as possible. I hope that they do not put the bear down. The bear did nothing wrong, it just acted like a bear. It is too bad that the hiker either did not have, or did not get a chance to use bear repellent. Bear repellent is very effective for chasing off bears without having to shoot them. Anyone hiking in Denali, or anywhere there are bears for that matter, should have a can of it with them.

I'd rather they leave the bear alone too, but don't see anything wrong with hiking. You go into bear country, you take your chances and experienced hikers know that. Most of the time there's no problem. But when there IS a problem, don't blame the bear.

I carry a S&W 586 - but not to protect me from wildlife.

Condolences to the hiker's loved ones and friends.

Moose kill more people in Alaska every year than bears.

Anyone hiking in Denali, or anywhere there are bears for that matter, should have a can of it with them.

Interesting, JS - I've been hiking in Denali, and never even heard of bear repellant.

Typically, a bear won't attack unless startled. It's common practice, when hiking in Denali, to make sure that you vocalize frequently. If a bear hears you coming, they tend to leave the area.

Seems like this hiker was solo. Maybe he forgot?

Don't give Sarah Palin any more ideas...

Uncle Henry

i hope they leave the bear alone and fine the hikers family for a being an idiot

Henry your an idiot!!

Oh no, they'll shoot the bear(s)...But here again hiking alone?...not a good idea where the grizzlies roam, hope they piece it together, story that is and explain why was he alone, why no bear spray? I suppose guns aren't allowed in park....I was there in 77', we seen lots of griz, but they were afraid of us because most had been hunted or been shot at by humans around park area....when theres no hunting of bears for awhile they get brave and are not scared by the dinner bells on our packs or noise we make....too bad, but when its your time to go, your gone....

I mean I go hiking in south mountain park and if a rabbit was to jump out and maul me to death I wouldn't want the rabbit hunted and killed.

clarkjoebob, if a rabbit mauled you to death, I'd question what experiments were going on in your neck of the woods, no?

I've heard you should carry something that makes loud noises like a whistle or air horn. I know bush pilots long ago were required to have a gun when they flew over remote areas in Canada not sure if Alaska has the same law. I do know when a family member took a job in a remote area in northern Alaska they were required to present a firearm capable of stopping a bear before there employment was finalized. They sent a funny book called "Oh no we're going to die" with a sobering collection of short stories recounting bear encounters.

Bear's move fast even if the guy had a gun maybe he didn't react quick enough or froze up. Either way its a lousy way to die.

MD-1987898

Bells and whistles/noise makers don't work!!! The human voice does. As far as this particular bear, it needs to be known whether or not it really is predatory. If it is, it really does need to be put down. If it is not...the poor thing already has a bad rap and will be put down anyways...(I just hope they get the right one and not a young "teenager" that is more apt to test a human.) I really think that if anyone goes out into the wilds...yes true wilderness...they really need the proper equipment. Guns do work(if you have the right one/can aim and hit the target) but mostly bear spray works A LOT better in emergency cases. Just try and get the information about the area you go to first and prepare for the worst case scenario.

That requirement for pilots in Alaska was foolishly dropped about 2 yrs, most of us still do of course.

Alaska has good common sense gun laws, if you are legal to own, you are legal to carry. Open, concealed, no permit needed. Good manners are also pretty common.

I think we should fine Uncle Henry's family because he is an idiot.

We don't kill the bears for revenge or justice. We kill them because they have learned that humans are easy meals and will go after another eventually.

People have been hiking there alone for eternity and this is the first fatal attack so stop blaming the hiker; besides having more than one person won't stop an aggressive bear (not even a black bear, let alone a grizzly). Neither will bear repellent or whistles or shouting. Some bears do cross over and begin to stalk humans as prey--these must be put down.

I think we should fine Uncle Henry's family because he is an idiot.

I think we should fine you for being too fine-happy.

Maybe the bear was a mamma grizzly......let's just blame Sarah Palin?

"Where is the NRA when you need them. Wilderness hiking is the only time when you need to carry a gun."

Ridiculous. Try hiking unarmed in the "Southside Chicago National Hood", or the "Detroit Inner City Wildest (sic) Area".

bears 1 hikers 0...

In response to "coyote hunter"........."dinner bells on our packs"........how appropriate. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.

For those who have not heard of it, bear repellent spray is a more concentrated version of standard pepper spray and is in a much larger container and will shoot much further. It seems that bears do not like this stuff any more than people do and putting a cloud of spray around the bear's head will send him/her on their way.

very sad

If he would have survived that attack but later in the day had been attacked by a polar bear... what would have been the odds???

Hunt the beard down and off it. Bear meat is very declicious and less in fat than other meats. Give me another bear steak. Srumptious.

I have to agree with uncle henry. It was stupid to hike that area alone. On trails with known brown bear presence, the Canadian goverment marks some trails in the Rockies as 4 person minimun hikes. They even close trails on occassion. Sounds like the Denali rangers knew there were numerous bears in that area and should have closed the trail or restricted hikes. Or, if that's too much government interference for you people, let the bears eat a few hikers and move on with life. Your choice.

"I mean I go hiking in south mountain park and if a rabbit was to jump out and maul me to death I wouldn't want the rabbit hunted and killed."

That is why all hikers should carry a HOLY HAND GRENADE....

I just love it when liberals comment on these stories. Its like they think they are on the yellow brick road and all these killer animals are looking for is a heart, brain and some courage!! Get a clue morons. These killers become predatory after they taste human blood. Never think that the life of any animal is worth more than that of a human. In 1961 I was living in Calgary and my neighbors asked me to go with them to the mountains. We stayed in two tents, one for kids and one for adults. In the middle of the night we woke up to the sounds of snorting, then we could hear the sound of a tent being ripped open then 3 rifle shots. When that bear hit the dirt you could feel the ground move. The parents assured us that everything was OK and we went back to sleep. The next morning I hear grown ups talking and I stuck my head out and saw this Canadian Mountie talking to my friends dad. He was writing him a ticket for shooting the bear. I walked around the tent and saw this huge bear laying 1/2 inside the tent and 1/2 outside. The parents talked and soon this tow truck was backing into where we had camped. It was the old type probably late 30s or early 40s with a hand cranked wench. This guy wrapped a cable around the bears feet and began cranking. It took 3 men to get this bear just off the ground and there must have been 100 people looking at it and taking pictures. When the driver hopped into the cab and put it in gear the front wheels came off the ground. Thats how big this bear was. The Mountie said it was the biggest he'd ever seen and he'd been working that area for 20 years. Anyway the mountie wrote a ticket to my friends father for 100.00 which was a alot of money in 1961 but then told him about the tow truck driver/taxidermist who would pay him 300.00 for the bear. The moral of this story is never, and I mean never go into the woods without a good gun and always pay your tickets.

The most serious mistake was made by the hiker who, most foolishly, allowed WAY TOO CLOSE of a proximity to the bear. Unfortunately, both the bear and the hiker paid for this with their lives. Similar to the tiger that had to be killed recently because its handlers failed to properly secure an enclosure resulting in another fatal attack on its handler and the destruction of the tiger. My sympathy to the friends and families but we must be responsible and wise caretakers and remember that both animals and humans involved would be alive if proper actions and procedures had been followed. I have a lot of wilderness backpacking experience and I have always remembered that large predators are higher on the food chain than I and are to be respected at all times.

Buttons51

@Verno

what makes this man an idiot? Because he was hiking?

Nope. Did you read the story?

appeared to have come within 50 yards of the animal before he was attacked, Anderson said.

...

Park rules require people to stay a quarter-mile away from bears and to immediately back away at a slow pace if they find themselves to be closer.

Last time I checked a quarter mile is a bit more than 50 yards. 440yards to be exact.

Not half a football field more like 4.4 football fields away.

He sat there and took pictures.

The guy was an idiot, and many of us would have done the same.

I just love it when liberals comment on these stories.

I was wondering what was wrong with the comments section in this story.

Oh yeah, nobody brought politics into it yet. I think we need a Godwin's law for the word "liberal".

Micheal, I'm not sure what's worse - your needless injection of politics into the matter or your rambling, barely relevant trip down memory lane.

This guy was backpacking in grizzly country alone, and got closer than prudent in order to snap some photos. Moreover, from the looks of it he had no way to protect himself from a charging bear. Definitely sad whenever this occurs, but sounds like he either wasn't very smart about staying safe in bear country, or just knew better and got sloppy.

And for everyone pooh-poohing bear spray and going all gun crazy, 2 seperate aggregate case studies have found spray to be more effective than most firearms carried by those in the backcountry to deter bear attack. Food for thought.

Those of you who dragged Sarah Palin into this are....you guessed it....total idiots.

Poor bear!!!

Yes, sad for the backpacker, but he clearly ignored the specific requirements regarding retreating from any bear presence to at least a 1/4 mile distance. He was given this training before being allowed to hike in the park. Yes, they knew bears were in the general area where he would be hiking, but that is true of almost all hiking areas there. The hiker was also informed of this. As long as one acts responsibly it is not usually a problem, as can be seen by the incredible safety record that the park has. They do not tend to shut down hiking areas unless there is a specific danger for hikers, such as large numbers of bears feeding on salmon runs, etc.

Unfortunately, yes, they did find and have to kill a large male grizzly late today that was found by the hiker's body when they returned for it. They have also already inspected the bears stomach, and found bits of the hiker's clothing, etc. in the bear's stomach, and pictures on the hiker's camera matched the bear in question. They had to kill it, as otherwise it would have been a very serious hazard for all humans from now on as it would no longer see them as a danger, which is unfortunate, but that is the way it is. FYI: This came from Anchorage Daily News, as the above article is not up to date. There was also a smaller bear with the male that was killed, and I would not be surprised if they are forced to hunt it down and kill it, as it also appeared to be protecting the body when rangers/troopers returned for it.

I did not read every comment on this first comment posted. However I did read enough to know that most of you know nothing about bears. I know very little myself but I have been to Alaska and seen several big browns up close. This is probably an Alaskan Brown or big brown as Grizzlies are a member of the brown bear family. First this hiker was 9 times closer to that bear than he was supposed to be. Bears are very territorial and will defend their territory vigorously. Secondly the bear has to be put down because to most carnivous animals human flesh is as addictive as crack cocain is to people. Thirdly the bear believed to be the bear in question has already been shot from a helicopter. The hiker was to busy taking picture of the bear to even think about shooting it if he had a gun (which I doubt he did because it was not mentioned in the article). My sympathies to his family for their loss. Especially in this manor. Only a fool would go into the wilderness alone and unarmed. Experienced hunters never and I mean never go into hostile bear territory alone and never never never unarmed.

Not having seen the original article, it's difficult to parse on early posters reactions. As of this hour, tragic as it may be, the hiker is 100% liable for the end result; proximity, 8 minutes of picture taking, proximity again, solo voyage.... all risks evidently understood and considered worth the end result or possibility of such given actions taken.

While we're all responsible for our own actions, unfortunately the bear had to be dealt with because of responsibilities to others, so this fool didn't just do himself in but also an innocent animal. Last week pictures of board surfers, kayakers, etc... we're adored because of the extremely (allbeit not legal) close proximity of people to a huge humpback whale while feeding. Had this gone south per the whale hurting or accidentally killing someone, certainly a completely different reaction....

Stories of human animals being killed by other animals garner our attention; perhaps because sharks, bears, cougars, gators, and others in other countries rile something in most of us.... some primal fear, a percieved mismatch, 'wild' animals vs. supposed humanity. Reality is that most deaths considered more mundane by most are afflicted, DAILY, by supposed humanity; texting while driving and under the influence driving deaths alone would require each of us to have our own servers to go through the daily internet news were it to cover and give attention to each and every one of these, much less all manners of daily homicide, suicide, etc... .

There are inherent risks to all manners of untamed nature interaction, be it terrestial or in the sea. Just sayin.... those interactions and risks pale in comparison to the daily, 'civilized', completely human caused tragedies encountered daily.

ModerationInAllThings

That's the unfortunate side effect of these morphing articles the original posters are often ridiculed for not reading a story which didn't exist when they posted. When the article first went there was no report of close up pictures being taken. I believe the original story also said 8 bears in the whole park now its reported as 12 bears in the area.

Ok Uncle Henry, what makes this man an idiot? Because he was hiking?

No, because he got within 50 feet of a grizzly bear.

It sounds like you are probably the idiot.

Considering Henry thinks the man's family should be fined for something they had nothing to do with, I'd say you were right on with this one.

The guy WAS an idiot if indeed he approached the bear to within 50 yards as stated in the article. A bear that may have been the one that attacked him is dead. For no good goddamned reason other than a bozo with a camera who should have known better.

uncle henry is right- the guy was an idiot, he saw the bear then decided it was a good idea to sit and photograph it for 8 mins and approached it to closer than 50 feet. if he had any sense at all he could have easily gotten far away from that bear in the 8 mins before it got irritated with him and killed him. where did people get the idea that disney movies were true and all wild animals will be your friend nature is often ugly and violent and i dont know where we get off thinking we are somehow immune to that. combine the 2 ideas and get morons like that, who do not think for second a wild animal could do anything to them. after all they are super special people , we are civilized right? I certainly do not see killing an animal for doing what they do. most days i think the majority of people would die of stupidity and laziness if something happened to disrupt our society for any length of time

I like to hike and camp solo, but at least five times in my life I have had the small hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Two times in Utah (in different places) I came upon fresh cougar sign. In one of those instances I was tracking a jackrabbit for fun when the cougar tracks entered the trail. In the other, I had climbed pretty high and entered a lovely little green micro-valley when I saw the fresh poo pile and the tracks. That one really scared me. Then there was the rattlesnake strike in Arkansas. And the black bear with cubs in Oklahoma. An alligator entered my camp in Louisiana and I hiked out in the dark.

But the funniest solo wildlife experience was when I set up my tent on a high sand bluff next to a river on an overnight kayak trip. Apparently I was on a deer trail and about 2 am something large crashed into my pup tent, fell cursing down the embakement, and splashed into the river. We were both a bit startled!

These adventures ARE HIGH RISK. I have a lifetime of woodsmanship and it isn't without risk for even experienced hikers. You ALWAYS give ground to the wildlife...You ALWAYS read the trail, tracks, smells, and sounds. You ALWAYS take note of (and avoid) the nearby food sources that attract the wildlife. Any food you carry is a risk and an attractant. Double wrapped while hiking. It should be far from your camp (on a rope high in a tree works) before you camp. And you ALWAYS note the nearest escape route.

In respect to not going alone? Well, that depends on who is with you. I would rather go alone than bring a novice. Been there, done that. They might do something dumb like hang around a grizzly for a photo op and I would be obligated to try to either trip them or save them.

Why did they have to shoot hte bear. The stupid guy got within 50 feet of the bear. 10 times closer than recommended distance. His stupid got him and the bear both killed.

A backpacker hiking inside Denali National Park was killed by a grizzly bear after a violent struggle, the park said in a statement Saturday.

A violent struggle? Really? Wow! Ya think?

I agree with you totally PJ. It is unfortunate that the man got mauled, however he was asking for it getting within 50ft of the bear. Anyone should know that. This bear was a wild animal, not someone's house pet. The pour bear was protecting itself from danger and had to die for it. If I was stupid enough to get that close to a grizzly and stay there & take pictures, I would be planning on dieing. I just don't get what this country is coming to.

Check NC 1.44 to see who the real idiot is on this thread.

This hiker die because he was a stupid idiot. I'm sure his family members are shaking their wondering how stupid their son really is for causing the death of an innocent bear.

Look at bright side....there's one less stupid person in this world.

Poor yogi now boo boo is all alone who will get the picnic baskets now for boo boo? Now boo boo will starve to death.

Physicist-retired, you've never heard of bear repellent? Really?

Michael...

Love hand-crank wenches...they're the best!

The article says park rangers tell hikers to stay at least 1/4 mile away from bears (that's 440 yards), and to slowly back away if you suddenly find yourself closer than that. It also said this guy took pictures of the bear for several minutes from only 50 yards away. People, Grizzlies can run as fast as a race horse and cover that distance in no time at all. This guy ignored the rules and paid dearly for it (no, I'm not saying he deserved it, so don't start foaming at the mouth). Even following the advice, a Grizzly is an incredibly powerful and unpredictable animal, and has been known to attack even a group of people when not provoked, sometimes you encounter one that is just in a real bad mood. Bottom line, there is absolutely no guarantee of 100% safety measures when you are in Grizzly territory. I realize that there is a lot of beauty in our national parks, but there is also a lot of danger in some of them, exposing yourself to both is your choice to make. Personally, I don't swim in the ocean anymore or hike in bear country, I still have both arms and legs, and intend to keep it that way. Have a good day.

AG99

Moose kill more people in Alaska every year than bears.

..........Bullwinkle? Surely you jest! (I know, I know, don't call you surely).

In all seriousness, yes, moose are also very dangerous: large, ornery, and fast. They won't eat you, but can stomp you to a pulp.

Well, me being me, an irreverent SOB, I can't just let this go at that. Now what if you were out hiking and suddenly found yourself too close to a Grizzly, so you followed the park rangers' advice like a good little scout and slowly backed up....right into a moose! God, talk about having a bad day!

****** People, quit collapsing posts.

I suppose guns aren't allowed in park

Guns are allowed in Denali (took less time to Google that than it took for you to type your comment)

http://www.nps.gov/dena/frequently-asked-questions-regarding-bears.htm

12. Can I carry a gun or firearm to protect myself from bears?
If you are entitled under applicable federal and State of Alaska laws to possess a firearm, recent changes in federal law make it legal to carry firearms in most outdoor areas of Denali National Park and Preserve.

It's a sad fact that wild animals need to be put down once they lose the fear of humans and realize just how easy we are to kill and eat. Especially if they are in an area like a national park that has humans trekking thru it on a regular basis. Being killed by a polar bear in Antarctica is not the same as chances are that bear will never see a human again.

Good one. I got collapsed but the point was made over and over again anyway because it is true. Stupid human got bear killed unnecessarily. World better off without said stupid human. Also don't say things that upset white people....they get all upset and all. Nevermind what they (we, I'm white) have done to everyone else over the planet in the name of our superiority... Bunch of babies.

@ Chris from Yucaipa:

It would be EXTREMELY RARE to encounter a polar bear in Antarctica (SOUTH POLE) since polar bears are only found in the NORTERN polar regions

Yup, thus making the chances of being attacked by that same polar bear in Antarctica even rarer. :)

"No evidence given that the backpacker made any mistakes."...........he was eaten alive. Somewhere in there some mistakes were made. Hiking alone, no weapon.....something left him undefended or unawares.

No weapon, hiking alone,and probably not making noise come to mind. I live here in Alaska and especially this time of year, walking near a river, there is a good chance of a bear incounter. Fish in the rivers brings the bears out.

Mike, you need to get in contact with the investigators if you know that he was still alive when he was eaten. I think they'd want to talk to you.

JmB66 reread the first two sentences...."A backpacker hiking inside Denali National Park was killed by a grizzly bear after a violent struggle, the park said in a statement Saturday. The death was the first fatal bear mauling inside the huge park in Alaska." Kinda says it all right there.....

A violent struggle? Doesn't seem likely. A grizzly would be able to toss around a large man like a rag doll.

I think Mike and most of the other posters here make a lot of sense. There is a lot we don't know. Anyone hiking in bear country should be taking the proper precautions and know this can and does happen. Something went wrong, but I don't think we can blame the bear for being a bear.

This hiker was in the bears territory. Therefore, he is responsible for his own safety. Don't kill the bear who was only protecting his territory.

The bears will soon be denning up for a long Alaskan winter - they must put on fat before that, to survive until spring.

This is not a good time of year to be walking alone in bear country, just like springtime when the bears emerge - hungry and cranky, some with new cubs. Even with a weapon (does park allow it?) or bear spray, a person alone has to be very alert. You must be very aware, in all directions. A tired hiker at high altitude is not always aware.

Hey JmB66........"A violent struggle". Sounds like he was alive for the fight until he wasn't anymore. Read. Comprehend. Don't flame people like an ignoramus.

What do you mean this hiker was in the bear's territory...don't kill the bear who was only protecting his territory? What makes it the bear's territory any more than humans' territory? If the bear feels justified in killing a hiker who encroaches on "his" territory, shouldn't we feel justified in eliminating a man-eating bear in OUR national park?

The hiker's mistake was getting to close to the bear. 50 yards is to close to bear. It would take about 2 seconds for the bear to get to him.

@FormerCAR

No evidence given that the backpacker made any mistakes.

WRONG!!!!!!!!

He sat there at 50 yards and took photos.

The Rule is to be 1/4 mile away (440 yards). Instead of taking pictures he was REQUIRED to back slowly away.

JOregon: Well I think it is safe to say he won't do that again. Unfortunately the bear got penalized for the man breaking the rules.

GAdude: I think you are missing the point of the National Parks. Under the right circumstances all bears can be man-eating bears. If you poke a Grizzly in the eye with a stick you will most likely get hurt. They have a hard time understanding you are not a threat if you get too close. Hence the 440 yard rule. If you go into the Park you are supposed to follow the rules, or you may die. That or we have to get rid of all the WILDlife and then it wouldn't be a park would it? That's why they call it WILDlife. If you mess with the bull you get the horns.

Too bad people can't actually read the article before commenting, as usual. Guy was within 50 yards and a bear is dead because or his stupidity.

It truly is sad that a beautiful animal is now dead because a human chose to violate park rules and the creature's natural habitat.

50 yards is too damn close to any bear let alone a grissly....I can almost spit that far! The guy didn't stand a chance, as a bear that close can get to you in about 2 seconds. Even if he had a gun or pepper spray he would never have had time to pull it out and use it. They both paid a terrible price for human ignorance...Sad day for the bear...imo

We were at Yellowstone a few years back and came upon a "bear jam" where a bunch of cars had stopped to watch a grizzly walking thru the woods about 100 feet from the road. People had their kids outside the cars walking along the roadside watching the bear. A ranger came up and asked one man out there with his little girl, "Can you run 35 miles an hour?" Of course the guy couldn't and the ranger said, "Well he can, now get back in your car!" Bears may look slow and lumbering but they can run damned fast and as far as guns go, most people don't own a gun big enough to bring down a charging grizzly!! They are fast and massive and it takes a lot to kill one!!! Pay attention to park rules they are there for a reason.

Verno and any other poster believing it is not solely the hikers fault for 100% of the actions and outcome have the thickest skulls carrying the tiniest narrow minded brains in the cosmos, period. I am personally sick and tired of certain people on this planet unable to "snap" and get with the program that nature plain and simply dictates the rules regardless of what we may wish, want, dream, prefer etc! Learn that already, its not rocket science! These type of incidents are consistently happening around the globe because of ill-thinking, thick-walled surfers, hikers, divers, swimmers, hunters, photographers etc. In the end, the animal or creature that is minding its own business in its nature authorized bio dome and nature authorized existence pays the price for the stupidity of the human! This of course excludes all applicable instances like the rare occasions when a "gone mad" or diseased cougar, bear etc strays into a long standing community and kills.

GAdude, that's about the dumbest thing anyone has said yet.

Damn man had no business hiking there or alone or without some sort of protection. He got what he deserved. The bear did not.

GA(y)dude, I'm not a homophobe by any means, but judging your comment, your name says it all.

He was supposed to stay at least 1/4 mile away, he was 50 yards away. Oh well.

For those who are SELECTIVE reading and sympathized with the victim. Not trying to be callous, BUT it doesn't take rocket science to have COMMON SENSE. Stated in the article:

A camera found near the backpack showed that the hiker had photographed the bear for more than eight minutes and appeared to have come within 50 yards of the animal before he was attacked, Anderson said.

The photographs do not show the attack, Anderson said. "They show the bear grazing in the willows and not acting aggressive in any form or manner during that period of time," he said.

Park rules require people to stay a quarter-mile away from bears and to immediately back away at a slow pace if they find themselves to be closer.

if you are from the Northwest you know you should always wear bells on your feet. This gives an animal plenty of time to know you are coming and it generally scares them away.

agreed Jun06, I feel really bad for this guy and his family... However, you NEVER track a predator. They'll assume you are hunting them. The bear doesn't know any better. All it knew was it was being fallowed in in the animal kingdom when something fallows you, generally it wants to eat you.

GAdude should try thinking before making comments. I really hope you were being the devil's advocate.

OK, let see if I've got this straight. A hiker after having reveived bear awareness training hikes to within 50 yards of a bear and remains there for several minutes while taking photographs. Note that this is 1/10 of the required minimum distance.

The penalty for such a gross violation... the bear gets shot. The bear should have been rewarded for helping to thin out the human gene pool of another idiot.

Saying the bear should be killed makes me gay? I don't get the connection. In your mind it may make some kind of sense, marlane, but you totally lost me with that one.

And the info about the hiker coming within 50 yards of bear and photographing it for eight minutes before the attack, that was added into the article later, as was the info about the bear subsequently being killed. Neither of those was mentioned when the article was initially posted.

Well it's not the first, nor the last time a tourist was killed by a bear in Alaska...they all want to get close to take pictures or to look at the baby cub with mom. With that kind of idiocy...just stay in the lower 48. This is not disneyland folks!! And if you want to go back country in AK....Don't go without a decent shotgun....and know how to use it.... please.....

Again... the hiker was warned not to get too close, which he did. Now the bear is dead as well. Sad story.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein

It is very possible also that he stumbled upon the bear and this is what put him in a situation where he was too close. We were in Denali two weeks ago and walked along a similar braided river. As soon as we got out of the willow bushes (and had made noises all the way), we spotted a bear about 20 yards away from us, busy uprooting bushes and eating roots. We were obviously too close and immediately backed away while snapping pictures and with bear spray in hand. Once at a safe distance, we resumed making a lot of noise so the bear could hear us. He looked up and immediately walked away. Therefore, don't judge the solo hiker. He may have been taking pictures while stumbling upon him unnoticed. I highly doubt that an experienced hiker out for 5 nights in such wilderness would purposely get this close to a bear like a uneducated tourist. He may have backed away but tripped and the bear noticed him and started walking toward him. He could have freaked out at that point, dropped his backpack to try to distract the bear and ran instead of dropping to the ground and playing dead. Or maybe he did the right thing by dropping to the ground and the bear mauled him anyway. Nobody will ever know and nobody knows what each of us would have done in such situation.

gadude, seriously ? listen to yourself ! humans live in houses, bears and other WILD animals live in the wild, you are not dealing with something that can understand the human language. the bear(s) has every right to be there , that is where he ( they ) live, come on, gadude, seriously ! that's like me telling you to get out of your house cuz now it's mine , your comment just doesn't make sense.

Seriously GAdude and tuiuiu01, we have had tourist climb over 2 fences and squeeze thru cage bars made of 6-8 inch diameter pipe to get better picturse of the bears in the zoo in Anchorage. Of course they don't make it back out and we get a lot of people trying to put the blame on the bears and/or the zoo instead of the stupidity of the victim.

Yes, seriously. It was designated a national park for a reason--so that people could enjoy it. I'm not saying bears don't have a right to be there, of course they do, just as humans have a right to be there (though not necessarily within spitting distance of the bear, I'll admit). But when a bear or any other animal inside the park is especially aggressive or develops an appetite for humans, it's time for him to go, one way or another. This particular bear has since been killed, so obviously the park officials agree with me on this.

Poor yogi is dead now & boo boo is all alone. Now who will get picnic baskets for boo boo he will starve now.

On a side note how you going to know if your 1/4 mile from the bear? What you going to do, get a tape measure out and be like, hey bear hold this end i need to measure out 1/4 mile from you, ok heres your enaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I am pretty educated when it comes to Bears, big cats, and other predatory animals. Here is my advise if you feel the need to go into the wilderness and even take photos, never take them close up, bring a bigger lense so you are a safe distance, where you can take photos. Next make sure your are packing at lease a 45ca handgun in your bag. Male Grizzlies will track you if they spot you, and you may not even know it. If confronted your life is in grave danger, and backing away slowly does not always work, the 45 has stopping power and may even scare off the Bear if you have time to fire a warning shot. Even a big bear can run at around 30mph and can take you out with one swat of their powerful paws. If there are wolves in the area which I am sure they are, you can also be in grave danger traveling alone. Wolves will attack in packs especially if you wander too close to their den. A female Grizzy with cubs or a cub is by far the biggest threat, and she will kill you in a heartbeat if you are too close and spotted by her when she travels with her cubs. These attacks happen especially when you accidently come upon a cub and are too close, make no mistake the female is near-by and will attack without hesitation. If this happens get out of there fast, and make some good distance between you and her cubs. Even pros who take nature pics know the dangers and they are even attacked at times. Your best bet, know the area, and the terrain especially where Bears and other animals hangout. My personal opinion skip these nature walks especailly in Alaska, a Bear can smell you from a good distance and they do kill and eat humans especially if they are hungry...

@NorthernClimber-

When I did my geology research in Denali NP, it was illegal to carry a firearm into Denali or any national park. Now, while it is legal to carry a loaded weapon into the national parks, it is illegal to discharge said weapon within park boundaries. Therefore, advice to carry a shotgun into the park for the purpose of protection against grizzly bears is contra to what is legal, and I doubt very much that they have changed the backcountry video to include advice to carry a weapon which one cannot discharge. In short, the backpacker wasn't stupid not to have a gun.

FormerAK, with your post in mind, I would most assuredly be packing a 12 Gauge shotgun of good provenance, loaded with the heaviest and fastest slugs that I could find. As a matter of fact, a 12 Gauge Saiga-12--magazine fed and semi-automatic, gas operated--would IMHO be the best to carry for self protection. I would have at least two reloads of slugs, and one of buckshot. I would also follow the laws regarding ole brother grizz to the letter. However, if I did everything right and was STILL under imminent threat of lethal attack by Brother Grizz, I'd shoot the pluperfect penguin piddle out of it. The right to self defense is never denied.

Not true. If you are gonna post, have facts not hearsay.

They don't want to kill anything unless it is over populated or they are certain they have found the killer bear. They will even take DNA samples to prove they kill the right bear.

Though you want to avoid speaking ill of the dead, God rest his soul, it is important that people realize those nature shows are bunk. You should never get close to these types of animals unless you are hunting. It is for the good of the animal and the human. It seems if he would have started to slowly back away this would have been a non-story and he would have had some nice pictures. Even humans don't like being stared at for an extended period of time.

They shot a bear near the body. Maybe that bear was an innocent bystander while the smarter bears watched from the woods knowing what would happen.

patty, if you are going into a wild area what do you think is going to happen ? you will get attacked. NO animal should be shot because of human stupidity, I'm sorry that the guy is dead but he was warned about bears in that area but decided to go anyway, and guess who else paid with it's life ? the bear. if people would stay away from those type of areas these tragedies would never happen. I'am an animal lover and I defend ALL animals.

You sound a little high-strung to go out alone. Take in a movie instead. Watch out for the armed people though.

Yeah, especially the armed ones in uniform in New York.

As I mentioned before, most people don't even own a gun powerful enough to drop a charging grizzly. You can't kill one with a hand gun or even with most rifles.

greengranny, there are appropriate handguns for bear protection, as well as bear spray. We don't know if he was carrying either of these items from the article. It would behoove someone to spend the $44 on bear spray when they're buying their $209 Vasques and their $427 pack from REI. Above all, follow the rules. They are there to protect us and the wildlife. I am saddened for the family, the rangers who have to deal with this situation and for all the armchair naturalists who think they have inside knowledge to bear behavior.

A 44 magnum using 250 grain bullets can stop one. Still I wouldn't want to try, might be hard to aim that when you are getting charged and in reality you only get one shot because the gun's kick. You aren't going to get it back on target for a good second shot.

This idiot hiker should gone hiking over in Iran's border. At least this numb-nuts would still be alive right now. What a stupid, stupid human being. But then again, maybe he deserved to be eaten.

I'm curious if human taste like chicken to a bear.

ding dongs... you don't go back country in Alaska without a SHOTGUN!!

44 mag...nope, hunting rifle...nope. for you lady's... Double barrel Stoeger Coach, or a Mossberg 590 with pump action....no problem with bears. And folks, forget about the tiny bells, we call them dinner bells, whoever has the bells makes it easier for the bears to triangulate their dinner..you...lol.

whoever came up with the bear bells proved the the theory about fools and their money being soon parted.

Actually, bear spray is more effective than a gun in grizzly encounters. From the US Geological Survey: "People who encounter grizzlies and defend themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50 percent of the time. During this same period, persons defending themselves with bear spray escaped injury most of the time, and those who were injured were subjected to attacks of shorter duration and sustained less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero reached similar conclusions on the basis of his own research, which suggests that a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly bear doubles when bullets are fired rather than when bear spray is used (from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fact Sheet 8, Living with Grizzlies, Bear Spray vs. Bullets."

Gorgse, that 44 magnum would have to hit a grizzly perfectly to kill it but it will NOT stop a charging bear. A grizzly is NOT as small as a black bear. That 250 grain does not have the mass nor the powder behind it to be effective. Most of the time that slug barely penetrates into the fat layer and on the head just follows the skull under the skin.

i'll take my 44 mag over a pepper spray anytime if nothing else I would have one more shot even if he got me down and I would try for a brain box shot if possible pepper spray well it might woek if it doesn't run out of pressure or spray but you still have to hit him in the face with my 44 i would be aiming for his head too

NorthernClimbs: Have to agree with you on everything except 44 mags being for ladies. I'm a lady and I'm not going into grizzly country with anything less than a 375HH Mag, thanks. And trust me it will have enough powder it WILL BE LOADED FOR BEAR. AND I'm not getting that close to ANY bear.

Actually, bear spray is more effective than a gun in grizzly encounters. From the US Geological Survey: "People who encounter grizzlies and defend themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50 percent of the time. During this same period, persons defending themselves with bear spray escaped injury most of the time, and those who were injured were subjected to attacks of shorter duration and sustained less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero reached similar conclusions on the basis of his own research, which suggests that a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly bear doubles when bullets are fired rather than when bear spray is used (from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fact Sheet 8, Living with Grizzlies, Bear Spray vs. Bullets."

Uh huh. So, someone thinks that if I happen to be carrying something like a Saiga-12, loaded with Brenneke slugs--which will punch with energy approaching a .458 Winchester Magnum, with an initial impact area almost doubling the Magnum round--close to 450 grains at 1650 feet per second--capable of being loaded with a 10 round magazine, and I'm unloading aimed fire on the bear from 50 yards in that it will be LESS effective than pepper spray? Hmmmm. Somehow the math doesn't add up. Wonder why?

Agree. I think there are two reasons. Movies and t.v glamourize interactions and handling of wild creatures, as well as giving wild animals human properties, such as feelings, speech, compassion, etc. Sea World, Disney, and most zoos often don't even bother to educate. The wild elephants at the zoo should not have cute names, parties for their birthdays, etc. They may be entertaining, but they don't exist to entertain us.

BTW, how can a completely wild grizzly, in it's own environment, be considered "predatory?" Did he fail a civics class or something?

...hard to classify the Denali brown bears as man-eating predators when there has never been a recorded fatal attack before this. I could easily believe that there have been unrecorded fatalities in the past. It is a huge area (over 6 million acres) and became a national park in 1917. There may have been bear fatalities before 1917, or maybe some disappearances that were due to bears (no evidence found.)

The number of people who freeze to death or are killed in falls or avalanches is probably much higher than those who suffer animal attacks.

Dammit, it's Alaska. That's where grizzlies live. There is nowhere up in Alaska that is entirely safe from predators. Know that when you visit and especially if you live there. I lived there in the late sixties. Saw several men mauled by the bears, but none killed. The maulings were gruesome enough. This is just like diving in the ocean. You must respect the denizens that this is home to. It isn't fair to kill animals for doing what comes naturally to them, especially when they feel threatened, and most likely that is exactly what this bear was feeling.

In the middle of your diatribe you completely forgot the fact that this is the first fatal bear attack in Denali. You seem to be advising to never step foot there. Bears roam most of the northern states. Should we vacate all these states too? People suffer and waste away far more frequently and painfully to viruses and other disease. I'm supposed to get my undies in a bunch over a bear or shark? Heck, women have a greater chance of being brutally tortured and raped than ever being confronted by a bear. Should we vacate all cities too?

Guess what? Humans aren't the only predators on this Earth. And we take for granted how safe and sterilized we have manufactured our environments. That said, I'll still take my chances with the bear. Thanks.

Okay, Mike. I was finding myself agreeing with much of what you'd posted... up to this point. So we shouldn't engage in any activity that's potentially dangerous/fatal unless it's for the purpose of feeding our families??? Sorry, dude - that's ridiculous. Hiking is not the same as reckless thrill-seeking..... Perhaps we shouldn't go to movie theaters, fly on planes, eat pretzels...

Plus, I think your math is off. Take the billions of miles hiked and backpacked each year by millions of people and divide by the number of fatal attacks, and I think you'll find that hiking is not significantly more dangerous than anything else. And that's before you subtract the incidents that were caused by ignorance or lack of preparation from the human that got killed.

Dude came across a bear, and, contrary to everything that is taught about managing bear encounters in the wild, this guy stuck around in close proximity taking pictures. It IS unfortunate, but it wasn't terribly risky until he made it that way.

Hit Girl - I'm not saying you don't hike, surf, or swim, but I'm saying you're foolish if you do those things without protection in KNOWN habitats of man-eating predators. This guy went out alone, armed with nothing more than a camera to film his impending death. Surfing where Great Whites are known to be on a regular basis? Not for me. Taking a dip in crocodile infested waters? Nope. Surfers and swimmers especially are basically setting themslves up as defenseless prey in some zones. A hiker can at least arm himself and be awares to a certain degree, if you don't get stupid like this guy did and meander up to 50 yards away clicking pictures and letting your scent say "Here I am!". You can hike many places with precautions that have about no-chance of being eaten by a bear - but late Summer in the Denali is not it, especially unarmed and alone. My point is, and you kind of reinforced it - doing these activities without the utmost precaution because these deaths hardly ever occur does not make it more sensible to engage in them. Is the risk worth the reward? Was that wave, hike, or swim REALLY worth dying for? I doubt most would say yes at that moment of doom if they could have undertaken a similar activity in safer conditions - but that's what rationalization makes you do. I makes you think things are worth the risk, but when the tooth hits the bone -they aren't.

beekay - try thinking before you rant. If I drop your ass off in the middle of the Danali, you have a far better chance of being killed by a bear than the average woman has of being raped and attacked - based on the number of interactions women have on a daily basis amongst thousand of other humans every day of their lives, versus you walking alone in bear country. The woman has FAR better odds than you. And I never said we must vacate every state with a bear in it. Stop being a spaz.

The dumbest hikers are the ones that hike close to Communist or unfriendly countries and then go over the border and then say I did not know. Know where the hell you are hiking people or take the consequences! Don't ask us to bail you out!

It is unfortunate and very sad that this man was mauled to death, but he did NOT follow the Park Rules which state when sighting a Bear , to maintain at least a quarter mile distance between you and the bear...

It seems he was APPROACHING the bear to photograph it, the article says there were pictures he took that were at a range of a mere 50 yards away, so yeah, this guy was foolish and he paid with his life for his mistake, and took the bear with him.

He was hoping to get some pictures he could brag about back at the office? He didn't ask the bear for permission to take the pictures and a violent struggle occured when the bear attempted to destroy the camera? They were fooling around and the guy bit the bear and the bear bit back? Your guess?

I agree - people make stupid mistakes and it is indeed, highly unfortunately, that the wildlife has to pay for it. I vote for changing that rule. Wildlife has a hard enough time due to man, do we really have to make it harder on the wildlife because of a human's chosen ignorance?

me- myself- and I , I agree with you completely. I'am so tired of hearing about some wild animal being killed because of human selfishness. and the idiot that shot and killed that bear without knowing for sure if that was the bear that did it, pretty soon there will be no more bears around because they will all be shot and killed every time a human trespasses in to wild country and he or she is killed by a wild animal.

They told me that tourist season was coming up; so, I went to buy a hunting license.

Next time you have a thought.....let it go!

Dan-542129,

Don't look now, but ALL bears are predatory. The hiker invaded the bear's territory, rather than the bear setting put to stalk humans. They probably will hunt the bear down, if they can identify which bear it was, but that does not make much sense to anyone who understands them.

They're in the bear's territorty, idiot. That's the point of national parks.

No, they obviously need to retrain the bears, and if that doesn't work replace them with Disney staffers wearing bear costumes. They should also build dams to avoid any seasonal white water and make sure all rivers are at most ankle deep, kill all the mosquitoes and blackflies and make sure the trails are accessible for retirees driving electric carts. Climate control to get rid of winter would also be warranted. Nobody should ever be uncomfortable in a wilderness area.

The ultimate endgame is to set aside areas that are completely off limits to the public, or else just eradicate bears and other apex predators. It will happen sooner or later. This planet belongs to humans now. Only a matter of time before other predators become evolutionary dead ends.

No, they obviously need to retrain the bears, and if that doesn't work replace them with Disney staffers wearing bear costumes. They should also build dams to avoid any seasonal white water and make sure all rivers are at most ankle deep, kill all the mosquitoes and blackflies and make sure the trails are accessible for retirees driving electric carts. Climate control to get rid of winter would also be warranted. Nobody should ever be uncomfortable in a wilderness area.

Hah! Loved it.

To suggest that this hiker was "uncomfortable" in his final seconds is the understatement of the century.

Dan, would one of those activities you claim people have a right to be acting even more stupid and getting even closer so one can pet the bear?

It's the wild, goofball. It's the entire reason the park exists. If you can't deal with the potential risks, no one is forcing you to go. Go take a walk in the city park.

Hey, Dan... Next time you have a thought - Don't have it.

A sad ending to a successful day of photography. The guy was obviously a liberal. He didn't follow the rules. He felt in his heart that 50 yards was close to a quarter mile. He believed the bear was friendly. He expected the bear to understand his good intentions. He wanted to help the bear by taking its picture. He expected the bear to value an Obama supporter.

For many many many years any animal that attacked a human was shot and killed then buried. Once an animal gets a taste of human blood that is all they will crave and nothing will change that. Come on people think. That's why a mountain lion or whatever else is put down after an attack on a human it has been proven that once an animal tastes human blood they will keep attacking humans until its dealt with.

Isn't that why smith & wesson developed the .500 handgun....for bears..the .44 mag only pisses them off more...

Hope y'all have the front sights of those firearms filed down. That way when the bear takes it from you and shoves it up your azz it won't hurt so bad!

Smarter people carry bear spray and have less chance of being injured by a grizzly. I wish more people knew that.

LOL, grizzlies in Alaska use that pepper spray to season your a$$.

Because we think we are above nature and while we can kill other animals for food, protection and in some cases just for fun they can no do that to us.

It really is messed up.

Why do we think that? Because it's true. We ARE above bears, as well as every other species on this planet. Homo Sapiens is the most successful complex life-form on this planet bar none (or is that, bear none). Bears and other apex predators that cross our path had better learn to stick to berries and grass ASAP or they will be joining the dodo and the tyrannosaurus rex in the history books. Survival of the fittest is the reason why more species are extinct than extant. That's a fact!

Beer Mug, tell that to the guy that was eaten. There is only one problem with your theory. When we kill all the "apex predators" what good will that do? We will just kill each other then. Like it would make a difference. So then when we go out in the woods, instead of being able to protect ourselves from something with the mentality of a bear it will be anarchy. Yeah, that will solve the predator problem once and for all.

Beer Mug - not to smart of us to poison our own environment until it's not fit to live in. Even bacteria seems to be smarter than we are. Get yourself a case of the clap and see how well our antiboitics are working.

We may have a thumb, been to the moon and back but we still cant cure the common cold. At least, Nature is honest.

Well the fact is that we are still thriving so our environment is just fine moonie, nor are we killing each other off Shelley. At least not appreciably since our population is rising. You have to look at the big picture. We ARE animals; there is no difference between us and bears except that we came out on top in the evolutionary race and their days are numbered. I love wildlife, but most of it is extinct and that's just the way evolution works. Big-brained tool-wielding apes > giant muscle-bound snaggle-toothed predators.

Now they are searching for this bear, which was doing what its species have been doing for millions of years, WHY are they searching for this mammal?

They're searching for this mammal to do what OUR species has been doing for millions of years. LOL. Or are you forgetting that humans are part of nature too?

BeerMug: Just keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.

Beer mug, all kinds of species can survive endless, varying conditions on earth that a human wouldn't survive 2 minutes. We weren't the first species on this planet and we won't be the last. I think you're entirely full of yourself. No one with half an education buys your nonsense.

If you read the article you would have noticed the part about them shooting the bear from a helocopter who was still in the immediate vicinity of the hiker's body. when a bear sniffs out something dead or happens to find a weak animal to kill(like humans) it will often drag it to an out of the way place and cover it with sticks, dirt and other detritus from the forest floor. This is known as caching. It will then proceed to eat until its stomach is full, digest, and then return for another meal. the fact that the bear was in the immediate vicinity of the body would indicate that it had laid claim to that particular piece of carrion because it had made the kill or had seized control of the meal from another weaker bear. the last thing denali natl park needs is a bear who has developed a taste for human flesh.

Once a bear figures out humans taste like chicken they must be put down

Don't take life too serious, I know how it ends and none of us get out alive!

Twelve bears in that immediate area. There are far more than 12 bears in the entire park.

probably could have been avoided if the hiker had bothered to wipe the bacon grease of his face after breakfast before he set out.

Just travel the area with a liberal who doesn't run well. You don't need to outrun the grizzly.

Why ""?

And to continue to say this is the first attack in the park is misleading and a matter of technocality. How far outside the "park" was the guy last yr? A matter of yards. Tell the truth rather than propetuate the harmless bear myth. Surprise the bear on the bears turf and yes, they may come for you. They dont care if your on vacation.

Man! What a terrible, stereotypical thing to even think, let alone say.

I mean hey, it's your opinion, and you certainly have a right to it, but still....

Somewhat stereotypical but very true. Are we not allowed to state facts. There are risky things that's common to white people, and we have those that is most common with minorities. You will never see me bungee jumping, and I will probably never see you in a night club that have a young minority clientele. I also doubt that you will hang out in some local parks or projects. Never said all, I said most.

Tyrone, your comments coming out of left field. . . but most PEOPLE don't hike or sky dive or climb mountains. I knew mountain and rock climbing types in college, all of whom were white guys from very affluent suburbs (not large cities--for what it's worth)

Tyrone, here's one explanation offered by an outdoors organization which has explored the issue and taken active efforts to get more minority people involved in outdoor adventures:

“It’s something that we’ve noticed for years now,” says Turrentine, “so it was always a question of, what’s going on? A lot of it is a comfort zone issue, because kids who are minorities see [the outdoors] as a white-based world — that’s their impression.”

I don't think things like mountain climbing come out of a vacuum, more likely because you are around other people who are into that--and have the money to do it.

I shouldn't even enter this discussion, because the last thing I'd want if I just died from a bear attack would be to imagine this kind of talk being spawned by my death.

That said...Tyrone, are you kidding? I've been poor most of my life, and thus have seen a lot of underprivileged minorities (and non-minorities) along the way. I've personally witnessed a lot of poor blacks, whites and hispanics make a career out of life-threatening behavior on a daily, and esp. nightly, basis. Driving crazy in cars/accidents, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, guns, violence, jail, craziness in general. I understand what you mean though how this seems out of your element. I'm from the east coast and it always scares me to even think of hiking even in California when I hear of those bikers attacked by mountain lions etc.

Tyrone, in Chicago alone, over 300 people have already been killed this year by gun violence, most of it by south side minority gangs. So far, your argument is losing 300 to 1. Sorry, I'll take stepping into a locale where the predators are doing their best to avoid me over stepping into a locale where the predators are intentionally seeking me out every day of the week.

Well, obviously I pissed some of you off. Nevertheless, that doesn't change my views. As far as black on black crime, that is my point. Many of us have risk that we face every day from our environment, and we have no intentions of adding to them with silly, risky behavior. You continue to hike, climb mountains, camp, sky dive, bungee jump, and whatever else you want to do. As for the majority of minorities, it is an unnecessary risk stacked with unacceptable odds. To each his own, but you will not deny me of saying what I believe. I realize that I stepped into that space where some of you don't like others to go, but it's time you got use to others making comments that you don't like just as the rest of us have done. Everyone has been dealing with you with soft gloves long enough, but those days are coming to an end. Historically, you have been criticizing and degrading minorities at will, but criticizing, or saying things that you don't like is suppose to be off limits? I don't think so. Grow up and stop whining. As you become the minority, your well known privileges will fade away. At such time, you will have to deal with the world based on nothing more than substance. This is not a display of racism, it is an overdue discussion that most minorities have been fearful of having.

The hiker was to blame taking pictures so close, people aren't happy unless killing something this is where the bear belongs if you can't mind the rules keep your ass at home not bad enough people are building more and into their homes but we think we also have the right to walk and hike where they live and mess around there to. Here is an idea stay the hell out of where they live then you won't get eaten or killed

A couple grenades, 3 pitbulls, a 357 magnum and a Bowie knife. When the bear sees what you have it will ask to negotiate. It will offer you a fur coat in exchange for its life. Don't take the offer. Liberals can't understand why?

You are wrong, a black man in Harlem was arrested last year for keeping a tiger as a pet.

I can't believe how pitbulls and god and all the other silly stuff got added into a bear attack. You people are wacked. You enter my house without consent i will attack, just like the bear. Who's thinks we have more rights than another animal, after all were all animals. And my pitttie is awsome. Not the predatory animal that some say . lmfao

so what you stayed up all night and hiked (ran) by flashlight, or what?

lol

i'm not a believer in the afterlife, but i sure hope for this mauled guy's sake it's available for him, so he can get a good laugh at us right now.

He knew just how to get rid of you. But I would have made the same decision you did.

yeah, i can only think of a few other ways as bad to go. ouch.

I hike(d) quite a bit. I am a LOT more scared of Mountain Lions. Cats play with their food.....

You are so right. The bear lives there. It is stupid to go hiking there, there are a lot of places to go hiking without bears.

Plain and simple - Common sense just isn't common any more. Although this was a tragic accident, our wild life are loosing their natural inhabitant area a little bit each day. I don't know, maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture, but I can't see killing an animal for being an animal in its natural environment. People know the risks that are involved when you wander alone, unarmed. If the park services are going to kill an animal for being an animal, then keep the two legged, stupid animals out. I don't think it's that difficult to figure out.

i know when i looked up deaths from bear attack in north america, it listed like 135 going back to about 1870? that's not exactly uncommon. some of them the bears actually stalked and killed multiple people.