Doesn't say what type:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/28/bear-attack-kills-person-injures-campground-near-yellowstone-national-park/?test=latestnews

My old man sent this one to me today

http://www.localwireless.com/wap/news/text.jsp?sid=25&nid=17151217&cid=86&scid=-1&title=Entertainment+News&ith=1%22

I would guess black since it says he was smashing tents. Ursus?

I'm guessing not Polar.

Question: What kind of bear is best?

Can't go by tent smashing for ID . I have seen some unbelievable stuff that Griz have torn up.

I didn't know black bears were notorious for smashing tents?

[This message has been edited by AggieGunslinger (edited 7/28/2010 1:48p).]

prolly not a panda

Koala is out.

99% chance they didn't bear bag appropriately.

you have to look at the scat for bells!!!!!!!!!!

Doubt it was a sloth bear since the name implies they're too lazy to smash tents.

my money is on bipolar

I got my money on the Bear Cavalry

That area (the Bluetooth's) near Yellowstone is gorgeous. You'd think campgrounds are generally safe. T&P for the victims and their families...

Bear spray or no, when I'm camping out there in griz country overnight, I'd have a single shot breakover .308 or something with me at least. Something that could really stop a bear.

I've done it before in glacier sans rifle, and sleeping at night in a griz bear area is a little tough when all you have is a hatchet.

[This message has been edited by MouthBQ98 (edited 7/28/2010 4:50p).]

Cowboy, you are correct that you can't exactly call species simply on hitting a tent. That being said, when you have an unprovoked, tent related fatality and both species are present, it tends to go towards a black bear.---I will say, the Yellowstone area tends to throw a kink in this trend. Yellowstone area grizzlies probably about the most human conditioned grizzlies out there, so they have some behavioral stuff that is occasionally slightly different.

There are some details that apparently aren't released yet that could make it pretty fast to determine the species.

Bears eat beets.

Bears beats battlestar galactica

What??????

Try again after you have slept it off.

lol details to id .. like tracks

In Griz(Blackies too) country I would be very careful in campgrounds, too much food trash etc for me to be comfortable. When I am out, I have an ultra clean camp ie no food, eating, or cooking within 75 yards or so of where I sleep.

Ord, who was that for??

ursus,

any idea where in glacier that attack happend i posted?

On the way back down from Grinnell where it bottlenecks down quite a bit.
They were actually charged by a 125 lbs cub, mamma seemingly wasn't an issue. He sprayed the cub a total of 3 times.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 7/28/2010 9:25p).]

Not surpised. That whole area was shut down last year because of the high bear activity. My closest encounter with a black bear was at the mine shaft on that trail.

Yeah last time I was up there that trail was closed. The largest known male was hanging out near the trailhead. Later in the morning I spotted him by the river behind Many Glacier. I got to talking to one of the bear guys and they were looking at bringing in the Karelians.

Pepper Spray is a good idea. You can discharge it with one hand, while the other hand grips the .45 you will want with you should the spray fail. Sort of like how a LEO holds a gun and flashlight. Pepper spray is NOT enough IMO.

And works pretty good IMO.

And worked as it should in the Glacier incident.

bells > bear spray

Ok, odd small world. They think they may have caught the bear, and are leaning towards it being a grizzly.

Now the odd, small world aspect. Turns out a friend/colleague of mine happened to be in the campsite at the time, and is being labeled one of the heros.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/28/yellowstone-bear-attack-k_n_662828.html

What they don't mention in the article is that Wilhelm is a long time wildlife biologist with the USFWS. Apparently he was up there on vacation.

[This message has been edited by huntnfish (edited 7/29/2010 2:55p).]

update

4 bears - mamma griz and 3 cubs.

When I lived in Wyoming the old joke was "What kind of gun is the best bear gun?". The answer: "a .22 you only need to shoot your buddy in the foot and then run"

I only have two rules in bear country:

1. Carry a big gun.
2. Don't sleep in a tent.

Why are black bears more inclined to mess with a tent than grizzlies?
Is it because black bears become more "tame" around people?

I believe the two girls that were killed by grizzlies on the same night in different parts of Glacier NP were sleeping in their tents.

[This message has been edited by Neches21 (edited 7/30/2010 3:34p).]