Predatory black bear attack in NJ

[icemanat95]

Blue Jay, if that was directed at me, you may note that if you read my previous posts carefully you would find that while I am an advocate of personal firearms rights, I DO NOT advocate carrying a gun while hiking. I can foresee some situations under which I might choose to do so, but I do not advocate it. If someone is set on carrying a firearm while hiking, I will offer practical advice, but I still usually recommend against it. The risks brought on by pinheads who can't grasp the concept of inanimate objects being unable to wreak havoc on their own diming out the hiker to the cops combined with the practical problems of keeping a firearm concealed, but available and in good condition, outweigh the benefit of having the thing on the extremely off chance that one is attacked by a predatory animal either 2 legged or 4 legged.

I have explained this over and over.

As far as humor is concerned. We all see humor in different ways. I find cracks about finiding drugs and prostitutes on the AT to be non-humorous and intentionally disruptive.

[EarlyRiser]

I think it might be best to return to the topic of this thread. There are threads already established in which firearms are discussed. I certainly encourage anyone interested in further discussion of the topic to please move to that thread, or if really needed create another for the purpose of discussing the topic.

furthermore, some of the more offcolor jokes being posted on this and other threads are getting a little offensive and i think that those responcible should reconsider what they have to say before hiting the submit reply button. I really dont want to have to edit or delete others posts but please remember that children do occasionally browse through Whiteblaze, and yes it is partially their parents responcibility to sensor what their children view, but it is also our responcibility to run a respectable website. afterall that is what whiteblaze was created to be, an informational website where trail concerns can be discussed freely and openly without harrasment. i am personally shocked at the turn this site has has taken in the past few months. i hope that everyone can act more mature in the future, thank you for your cooperation.

[Russet Apple]

that girl is no fun she didn't want to get eaten....

last attack in the smokies by a bear was when the bear ate the woman..

bear like to eat women don't you?

Great bear jokes guys.

Here's mine (not quite to those standards but decent all the same):

What do you call a bear without an ear?

A b...

Moving on to other trail wildlife jokes:

What do you call a fish without an eye?

A fsh

What do you call a blind deer?

No idea

What do you call a blind deer with no legs?

Still no idea

What do you call a blind deer with no legs and no knob?

Still no f***ing idea

compromise

(Leave it Mod! )



Rock & roll

See all my super friends next year. Training is going swimmingly.

[Waterbuffalo]

Back to the bear attack thing and way from the debate on what is funny or not. I heard a story in a survival class I took in college about a Marine who was attacked by a Brown Bear in Alaska and he did his only instinct He punched the bear straight in the nose and got in several good shots. He walked away from the incedent the bear left him alone and I guess had some pretty hurt feelings too. Good thing the girl used her 1st instinct to fight it.

[squirrel bait]

A good one on the nose does wonders. Had a bull one time that always knocked the feed bucket out of my hand, everytime, really got annoying. Well one day my knee accidently touched the solar powered electric fence while I was pointing and yelling at him when the biggest blue spark lept from my finger tip right on to hisbig wet nose. Funniest damn thing that bull never knocked that bucket out of my hand again.

[Waterbuffalo]

SB you have me laughing just thinking about that one!

WB

[steve hiker]

I think the diversion to humor over the last month or so may be attributable to the summer doldrums. At least where I live, there is no summer hiking without traveling close to 1,000 miles because of the heat and humidity. So without recent hiking, many folks blow off steam and boredom with a little humor. Me included.

Things will return more to normal with the fall hiking season. I myself will kick things off with a trip next month to Colorado (knock on wood). Ahhhhhh, nothing better to releive the suffering of a long, hot Louisiana summer than the aspens in the fall.

[Waterbuffalo]

You may be right about the humor I havn't hikes since the second week of june and it was so hot I almost gave up and went home and that was in Asheville NC. I'll keep paddling for another month or so then back to the trails.

Oh by the way everybody
Waterbuffalo is back in da house!

WB

[EarlyRiser]

i also think that things will return to normal when the current thruhikers return to the site and begin posting their thoughts again.

[steve hiker]

Friday, August 29, 2003

By JENNIFER LILLY
NJ Herald Staff Writer

A Frankford man who chased a black bear out of his home by punching him in the face has come to the defense of the Wawayanda bear attack victim.

The 18-year-old woman, who declined to have her name released, was attacked by a bear in Wawayanda State Park in Vernon earlier this month. Some members of the Bear Education And Resource Group have questioned the validity of the attack. Jo-Ann Floridia, a member of the group, said that the main concern was that an innocent bear was not put down because of the incident. Some doubt whether a 105-pound woman would be able to fight off a bear in predatory mode.

Tom Thum disagrees. Thum was thrust into the spotlight back in 1998 when a bear tried to break into his house by smashing in his screen door. Fearing for his family, Thum socked the 250-pound bear on nose. His blow knocked the bear off of his porch and, according to Thum, the bear sneezed, then wobbled off as if intoxicated. The bear stopped at the back edge of the yard and sat down, sneezing five or six more times before Thum chased him off. Thum said he didn’t see the bear again for more than six months.

“I can attest that if you crack a black bear at the end of his little black nose, he will run away,” Thum said. Thum believed it was his duty to defend the woman because from his experience, “there is no possible way this didn’t happen.” While he admitted that at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he is much larger than the Wawayanda victim, Thum said size doesn’t matter when it comes to pressure points. “A good shot in the nose and you’re going down,” Thum said.

Floridia said it isn’t that the group doesn’t believe the woman, just that her story seems very strange. She said it doesn’t make sense that the bear would have attacked the woman out of nowhere because this is not a behavior that the group has had with bears before. “We are not trying to call her a liar, we are just trying to understand what happened,” Floridia said. “It may very well be that it went down the way she said. Maybe she packs a heck of a wallop.”

Thum believes the bear was probably unable to find the woman hiding behind a tree because he wouldn’t have been able to see or smell properly after receiving an elbow to the snout. Thum said he finds it hard to believe that everyone who claimed to be in the park at the time of the attack were all members of the BEAR Group.

The BEAR Group has consulted with several professionals, who have also questioned the story surrounding the attack, according to Floridia. She said that the group would like the woman to call Director Lynda Smith because they are just trying to understand the series of events.

“The BEAR Group should shut up. I think they should leave it up to the experts,” Thum said. “They are just a bunch of people (upset) because they are not getting their way.”

[smokymtnsteve]

or jokes about bears smoking dope??

what's the world coming to????

[Flash Hand]

About bear attack, I learned in here that elbowing or punch in the bear nose is the best last thing you can avoid a serious injury. So, can anyone care to explain me what is the BEST way to avoid an incident like this? Stand still? what would you do if bear walk or run toward you?

Lil Allan

[Peaks]

If a bear comes toward you, I believe the best precaution is to stand up and make your self as big as possible by extending arms, etc. Then back slowly away.