Bear bites Vegas hiker, gets euthanized

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GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have euthanized a black bear that they believe bit a sleeping Appalachian Trail hiker last week.


The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that park wildlife technicians shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart on Friday, three days after a 49-year-old Las Vegas man was bitten on the leg while he was sleeping in a tent near the Spence Field shelter. The victim was able to scare the bear away.
Park Superintendent Cassius Cash consulted with officials and decided to euthanize the tranquilized bear. The newspaper does not specify why that decision was made.
Officials are awaiting lab results to determine if DNA from the dead bear matches a DNA sample taken from the victim’s tent.
 
ST8ER

ST8ER

Ten Pointer
Curious as to why they didn't wait for DNA to make sure it was the same bear.....Seems strange
 
ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
ST8ER said:
Curious as to why they didn't wait for DNA to make sure it was the same bear.....Seems strange
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Probably due to the back log of human cases at the DNA lab........sure does seem like they could have waited or relocated the bear to another part of the woods to hunt down and bite more legs in a more remote spot!
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
ScottyB said:
Probably due to the back log of human cases at the DNA lab........sure does seem like they could have waited or relocated the bear to another part of the woods to hunt down and bite more legs in a more remote spot!
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I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but NO! This is how you end up with bear problems like NJ had under their anti hunting governor Corzine.

You need hunting to keep large predator populations in fear of humans. Those that become emboldened enough need to be extirpated. Especially when they have healthy populations.
 
creekhobo

creekhobo

Ten Pointer
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-euthanized-appalachian-trail-hiker/84479920/

"We recognized there is a risk of an uninvolved bear being euthanized while we wait for DNA confirmation," said park spokeswoman Dana Soehn. "The decision to euthanize an animal of any kind, especially a bear, is never made lightly."

Soehn said that as a large, dominant male, the euthanized black bear fits the profile of bears most likely to attack people. The euthanized bear also had a canine tooth injury consistent with the bite wound on the victim's leg.

Soehn said park officials also considered the fact that the bear was darted just 75 yards from where the attack occurred.

"The odds of another large, dominant male being in that area is low because bears defend their territory," she said.
 
ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
JONOV said:
I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but NO! This is how you end up with bear problems like NJ had under their anti hunting governor Corzine.

You need hunting to keep large predator populations in fear of humans. Those that become emboldened enough need to be extirpated. Especially when they have healthy populations.
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yes- total sarcasm!
 
PPosey

PPosey

Twelve Pointer
Probably enough bears in the spence field area to fill a truck,, Always been a problem there.
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
If I had been the one getting drug out of the tent by the leg in the middle of the night, they wouldn't have to dart it, it would have been euthanized right there with 14 180-grain Ranger hollowpoints.
 
darkthirty

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Way too many bears in that area. Far as I'm concerned they need to "euthanize" as many as they can.
Know a guy who has access to private land bordering the park. He said it's impossible to dog'em because dogs will split on 3-4 bears and they all run straight to the park. They're nothing more overgrown rats to a lot of the residents.
 
Weekender

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
Eric Revo said:
I told ya so, those dern black bears all look alike....buncha bear haters. :mad:....Now let's see the protestors "If the DNA don't fit, you must aquit"..."It just ain't right, it was only a bite"......"tell us the truth, it wasn't even his tooth"...where's Smokey when you need him as a black bear spokesbear.
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LOL. Good stuff, ER. ROFL.
 
PPosey

PPosey

Twelve Pointer
Spence field trail shelter usta have a chain link fence that covered the open side to keep the bears from messing with ya at night,, I have not been there in 20 years though, the bears had learned to rattle the fence at night to get food, you would get to sleep and crash crash crash there would be a bear a couple feet from you wuffing and shaking the chain link,, I was spending 1 night a week there and it was getting darn old really fast. I finally figured that if you held your camera right up to the fence and fired the super duper extra bright flash the bear would not come back that night,,,, you also got to hear the bear rebound off of every tree in their path as the fled at top speed.
 
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