According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the body of John Wallace, 59, was discovered on August 26, 2011 along the Mary Mountain Trail. Located in a remote area, this trail is known for its large population of grizzlies. The trail is closed from March to June to allow bears to eat the carcasses of bison that died over the winter without being disturbed by humans.
An autopsy has confirmed that Wallace died of injuries consistent of a bear attack. He was not carrying bear spray. Nothing indicates that bear cubs were in the area when Wallace was attacked.
This was the second time a bear has attacked and killed a man in the national park this summer. On July 7, 2011, Brian Matayoshi of California was killed on Yellowstone's Watipi Trail after he and his wife, Marylynn, surprised a grizzly sow and her two cubs. The Watipi Trail is located about eight miles from the Mary Mountain Trail. Like Wallace, the Matayoshis were not carrying bear spray. Wildlife rangers ruled that the mother bear should not be put to death because it was defending its cubs.
I'm amazed that a female bear is called a "sow." When I hear the word "sow," I think of a pig or a hog. Not a bear!
I don't claim to be an expert about bears. Or about hiking or camping for that matter. But the Pacific Northwest is bear country. My family and I spent a week at Yellowstone National Park last June. This is what I learned there.
Before entering the national park, I recommend visiting the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. (The locals simply refer to this small town as "West.") This museum offers educational exhibits about the wildlife found in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Because bears normally avoid contact with humans, the only bears that I saw during our week at Yellowstone were the animals at the Discovery Center. Other visitors told me they saw bears in Grand Tetons National Park, but not at Yellowstone.
At the Discovery Center, we watched a grizzly uproot the pine trees in its enclosure. After the staff removed the bears from the enclosure, children were permitted inside the enclosure to set out food for the grizzlies. This was a wonderful learning opportunity.
The Discovery Center also offers tips on how to hike and camp safely in bear country. The staff puts on daily demonstrations on the proper use of bear spray. Bear spray contains a chemical found in hot peppers, which makes the solution irritating to the nose, eyes, mouth and lungs. The solution can temporarily disable a bear, but it does not cause permanent damage. Do not spray it on backpacks, clothing or other items because it does not work like a bug repellent. Use it like Mace. Bear spray costs forty to fifty dollars per can, but it is well worth the price. If you are threatened by a bear, a can of this pepper spray could save your life. Work with the wind and spray the solution into an attacking bear's face until the animal retreats.
When hiking in the national park, stay on the park's trails. Hike in groups of three or more. Be aware of paw prints and scat (bear droppings.) Hikers should whistle, hum or make noise to let the animals know they are in the area. The last thing you want to do want to do is startle a grizzly. Carry bear spray.
If a bear crosses your path, walk away slowly in the opposite direction. Don't take a photo of the animal or try to get a better view. Don't turn your back on the bear. Watch the bear until you can no longer see it and it can no longer see you.
Do not run from a threatening bear. Grizzlies can run up to 35 miles per hour. A bear can be on you in seconds.
One of the best defenses in a bear attack is to stop, drop and play dead. Sometimes a bear will walk away if it thinks the threat has been eliminated. Remain motionless until the bear is gone. If it sees or hears you move, it may attack again.
Very rarely, a black bear may think of a human as food. If a bear continues to bite you long after you have stopped, dropped and played dead, assume that it wants to eat you. Fight for your life!
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that Kevin and Julie Boyer survived a bear attack while hiking in Yellowstone's Hayden Valley on July 2, 2011. The Montana couple ventured off the park's trail when they were attacked by a grizzly sow defending its cub. Fortunately, the Boyers were carrying bear spray.
They attribute their survivial to bear spray.
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