Bear attack suspected in mountain biker's death

[dudewithasock]

@puresyn

Yes I look sympathetically upon a 6 year old child who steals candy from the store or a bear that steals food, or on rare occasion mauls a human being.

Would you look sympathetically upon a 6 year old child who mauls a human being?

[wickedbob]

I I think think so so unless unlees it it kills kills them them like like a a little little baby baby…

[john_childs]

From a Whistler area newspaper

Biker’s apparent mauling hits close to home Cyclists, runners urged to take bear precautions

The tragic killing of a cyclist near the Panorama Ski Resort serves as a reminder for Whistler residents and visitors to use bear sense in the backcountry, local officials say.

…

“Joggers and especially mountain bikers come fast and a lot of time they are quiet,” Allen said. “It is important to make a lot of noise and yell out every once in a while.”

Allen also said the Whistler area could benefit from a Sea to Sky Bear Awareness Program to educate riders on the best way to react to a sudden encounter with a bear while on a bicycle.

“Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing summer sports and new trails are being built. But a lot of time wildlife is not taken into consideration,” Allen said. Allen said people should not be afraid to head into the backcountry but do need to take certain precautions. First, they need to be aware of their surroundings, which means listening to headphones in the backcountry is a bad idea, he said.

…

“If a bear does approach you, don’t turn around and run in the other direction. Make yourself look big and back away slowly. Never turn your back on the animal,” Doyle said.

Doyle said a few surprise encounters have occurred in the corridor, which resulted in a few bites or swipes. He also said those instances tend to be quite rare and serious injuries have not resulted.

“When you compare how many bears we have to the amount of encounters, the numbers are extremely low,” Doyle said.

…

[puresyn]

@kington99

You don’t know Billy.

I look forward to meeting him at a unicycling event.

@kington99

And on a seperate note, how can you put “you haven’t travelled”, “you draw conclusions quickly” and “i have yet to… make a judgement about you” in the same breath? Pretty much all you did was pass judgement and present your wild guesses about his personal life as fact. I understand that you were riled by what he said, maybe wondering how anybody sane could be making these comments seriously (and of coursee the thing was he wasn’t) but still, more than a whiff of hypocrisy.

An attack on a man’s idea or history is not an attack on a man’s character. Who said I am sane? People who volunteer for war usually aren’t.

@monkeyman

Haha, you fell into Billy’s trap. You liberal wimp.

Don’t worry, it happened to all of us at one point.

Or maybe he fell into my trap? He will have a sense of fear if we ever meet at an event and will see how much of a wimp I am. I LOVE CONFRONTATION. I hope you got his back. Big talk requires big fortitude.

[wobbling_bear]

@john_childs

From a Whistler area newspaper
“If a bear does approach you, don’t turn around and run in the other direction. Make yourself look big and back away slowly. Never turn your back on the animal,” Doyle said.

I am not sure this is completely pertinent… how about having a big pair of eyes
on your backpack - I am surprised that this is not offered as an option- it is supposed to work for some feral beasts and probably may work for bears provided you walk slowly and watch the distance …
the other good advice in this document is “use your ears”

[Jerrick]

@puresyn

Or maybe he fell into my trap? He will have a sense of fear if we ever meet at an event and will see how much of a wimp I am. I LOVE CONFRONTATION. I hope you got his back. Big talk requires big fortitude.

Off topic I know, but… Hahahahahaha.

[Elmer_Fudd]

That is my line.

Hahahahahahaha

The beaws I know are fwiendly.

[BillyTheMountain]

So do yooo really think it was a bear that is responsible for her death?

They didn’t find the right bear yet.

[ivan]

If you ever encountered a bear and had the choice of being killed or having one leg, one arm, one ear and one eye(and half of your nose) eaten by it but you could still live afterwards, which one would you go for?

[Zzagg]

@ivan

If you ever encountered a bear and had the choice of being killed or having one leg, one arm, one ear and one eye(and half of your nose) eaten by it but you could still live afterwards, which one would you go for?

… I don’t know
I Might choose the second option if it’s still possible to ride a “halficycle”

[BillyTheMountain]

@ivan

If you ever encountered a bear and had the choice of being killed or having one leg, one arm, one ear and one eye(and half of your nose) eaten by it but you could still live afterwards, which one would you go for?

One ear.

There are good prosthetics, and I can grow my hair over it.

[dudewithasock]

Killed.

[uni57]

@BillyTheMountain

One ear.

Billy, were you absent when they taught sentence diagraming? Your parser needs adjustment. Improving your listening skills would serve you well when interacting with the customers at Walmart.

The choice is whether to be killed or to have one side of your body and head ripped off. Re-choose, please.

I always choose life. Matt, wouldn’t you rather live through the experience? It would make a great story. If someone commented on the extent of your injuries, you could respond, “yeah, well, you should see the bear!” (meaning the bear got the worst of it)

[BillyTheMountain]

@uni57

Your parser needs adjustment.

If someone commented on the extent of your injuries, you could respond, “yeah, well, you should see the bear!” (meaning the bear got the worst of it)

Of course, the bear got hunted down by a gang and shot to death!!

I’m riding my Coker over to you now to get my parser adjusted!! Thanks for the diagnosis!!

Billy

[BillyTheMountain]

@BillyTheMountain

Of course, the bear got hunted down by a gang and shot to death!!

I’m riding my Coker over to you now to get my parser adjusted!! Thanks for the diagnosis!!

Billy

And John hasn’t posted the truly bad news.

The bear that got shot has been EXONERATED based on DNA evidence!!!

She was INNOCENT! And she got DP!

[john_childs]

A bear attack today on a local Washington MTB trail

Black bear attacks bicyclist in park

Banner Forest MTB trails

Olalla, WA

[puresyn]

I feel really bad for the rider, dog, and the bear. I hope the bear gets away and never attacks another human. I hope it’s an isolated incidence where the bear had to attack but will not do it again.

[eric53]

@john_childs

A bear attack today on a local Washington MTB trail

Black bear attacks bicyclist in park

Banner Forest MTB trails

Olalla, WA

Does anyone carry bear-pepper spray or a hunting knife when they muni alone ? …and which of the two - mountain lions or bears --pose a greater threat, would you say ?..

[john_childs]

@eric53

Does anyone carry bear-pepper spray or a hunting knife when they muni alone ? …and which of the two - mountain lions or bears --pose a greater threat, would you say ?..

Mountain lions are more scary since they may stalk you and then pounce. Bears generally don’t stalk with the intention of making you a meal. But bear attacks are more common probably because there are more bears than mountain lions.

This bear attack seems to be a case of bad luck on the part of the rider and the bear. It seems a bear with cubs was spotted up there recently. May have been the same one. The mountain bike rider had two dogs with him that were off-leash. Perhaps the dogs were harassing the cubs and that got mom aggressive. Then the mountain biker comes up to where the dogs are and the bear attacks.

We should find out more soon as the details about what happened come out.

[eric53]

…thanks for the clear explanation…