See Bear, Shoot....pictures

General General Discussion
1

First, RIP kid. Two, I’m amazed at the modern responses to obvious or potential danger is to whip out your cell phone vs RUN or help. I see vids all the time of a huge flood coming at people and they are getting it on their cell phone. If you see a bear in the woods and you’re not armed, run or prepare to defend yourself with a stick, throw rocks, etc. If you see a flood coming at you RUN. If you see someone in trouble, put the f-ing phone down and HELP. This would be funny if not for the tragic ending.

Darsh Patel: Hiker Took Pics Of Bear Moments Before It Killed Him

Darsh Patel, the New Jersey hiker who was mauled to death by a black bear in September, took several pictures of the animal before he was attacked.

The Daily News reports that Patel took the pictures with his cell phone moments before the attack began.

The 300-pound bear is featured clearly in the pictures that were taken on September 21.

On the day of the fatal attack, Darsh Patel along with four other hikers visited the Apshawa Preserve of West Milford. Reports show that they were advised at the entrance of the preserve of a bear on the loose. All five of them were encouraged to turn around and reconsider their travel plans.

However, they all decided not to listen to that advice and kept going.

David Suh, one of Darsh Patel’s friends that were with him, confirmed that a couple gave them that advice. Even though he hesitated initially, Suh claims that the rest of the group (including Patel) wanted to see the bear, so he went along with them.

When the black bear was first spotted about 300 feet away from Darsh Patel and his friends, according to NJ.com, the bear seemed to only be curious. It did not charge, pop its jaws or bluff — all of which are signs of a bear acting aggressively.

The 22-year-old Rutgers University student started taking pictures of the black bear when he was nearly 100 feet away from the animal.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1635373/darsh-patel-nj-hiker-bear-pics/#15OfHLAVzP0G1bdy.99

2

So was he by himself at the time of attack? You’ve got to wonder if the old adage “I don’t have to run faster than the bear, I just have to run faster than you” is true. (EDIT: just saw the paragraph that detailed…yes all you need to do is out run your so called “friend”…and the bear will kill him)

Secondly, don’t go into the bear woods without spray, firearm, or at least a plan (other than, “take pics of cute bear”).

3

Watch the parents sue the park department for allowing them in in the park after being warned there was a bear running around.

4

This is called Natural Selection. The only difference between now and one hundred years ago is the advance in technology.

5

Had his friends or himself brought a weapon and/or found a means to kill the bear, some animal lovers would then ask whey they had to kill such a cute innocent animal, meanwhile threatening the lives of him and his future children…

6

“The .45 Luke – use the .45” (evoking Star Wars voice).

7

Stupid people and nature generally don’t mix, ha.

This is something that befuddles me, to a point. Idk if it’s just human nature or what but our first inclination as humans is to kill with extreme prejudice whatever it is we encounter, be it nature or something else. I am always shocked literally at people who become besides themselves when a violent encounter in nature be it a bear in woods, sharks in the ocean, etc happens. Like, really? What lives in the woods? Bears, bears live in the woods. The ocean? Sharks… Idk. Nature is violent at times. Just the way it is and were not always the apex predator in the food chain.

The animal activists are lunatics but 1 or 2% of what their about is genuine. We (man) is pretty unnecessarily destructive bunch at times.

That made me chuckle

8

A bear’s response when encountering people is a real crap shoot. It’s dependent on so many factors, most of which are unknown to the person involved.

Twenty years ago, I went camping with a girlfriend and her daughter. I was anticipating the camp ground was going to be pretty busy, summer season and all, but amazingly there were only a couple of spots occupied. So we pull in, set up the tent (we were car camping), got a fire going, and settled in. When the ranger came by early that evening, I asked what was up with all the vacant camp sites. He told us a bear had come through the night before, tore the shit out of a tent or two, trashed a few coolers, and scared the bejeezus out of everybody, most of whom had broken camp and beat feet at first light.

The ranger didn’t tell us to leave, but strongly suggested we sleep in the truck bed with the topper and put our cooler up in a tree. So we stayed, I drank beer, slept on the ground next to the fire, probably passed out with a bacon burrito in my hand. In retrospect, I didn’t use a lot of smarts and was probably damn lucky.

9

Are we surprised by this, even remotely?

Kids today do not understand imminent threats and sure as hell don’t understand how to act when in a dangerous situation.

10

… and the bear scat smelled like pepper spray, and had little bells in it? :rolleyes:

11

Unfortunately many people equate the word “Park” with petting zoo. I live next door to Grand Teton Nat. & Yellowstone Nat. Park & the amount of tourist stupidity never ceases to amaze me.
Put little kid next to Bison, get gored. Step between Mother Moose & calf…well figure that outcome. Griz or black bears are the least of my concern. Learned long ago If It’s big, hairy, grumpy and capable of pounding me to a pulp with no remorse Leave it Alone!
Had a lawsuit against the GT Park years ago, Plaintiff’s claimed not enough warning signs that spouting geysers shouldn’t be use as hottubs.
Met a couple that from Hawaii that would watch tourists jump off trail to see how hot lava was! Uh it’s flowing molten rock!

12

Personally, I’ve seen black bears a number of times while camping (California, mainly). Mostly 30+ yards away. I’ve never felt that unsafe, and they’ve never approached after an appropriate amount of noise, rock throwing, etc (BTW, don’t aim for bear, cuz you’ll hit him. oops).

So, I can see if this kid has been ‘desensitized’ to bears in the wild or something. I know my first reaction isn’t to pee my pants, or run away in blind panic, or whip out Ole Bessy and light a few rounds off. My reaction is “Cool,” and move on. ESPECIALLY when the bear is 100 yards away (as some articles have attributed the distance, initially). Hell, I don’t even carry bear spray or a pistol in the back country.

Mind you, this is all the typical CONUS black bear. You get me around a grizzly and I’m going to be treating the situation different.

13

People’s stupidity isn’t even original anymore…

14

Liberal logic. I won’t defend myself, but I’ll take pictures with my phone so that it the police can find the person. Opposed to burying the mother****er in the ground and calling the cops yourself. Stupid, stupid, ****ing people. My only hope is that he did not breed.

15

This is the guy that got ate right?

16

Yep…by one of his so called friends.

Excellent Werner Herzog Doc on it…

//youtu.be/gWycuaWJFCM

17

He got what he desired…eaten by a bear.

18

He truly became one with his best friend…

It used to be ‘never get between a fool and his money’.
These days it’s more like ‘never keep an idiot from taking cellphone-pictures’

I live close to a place where VERY large gators roam freely, have had to warn dumb tourists on several occasions that these are real mean predators that can outrun their cute cuddly 2-year old any given moment, perhaps not a good idea to do family portraits 20 feet away from a ‘sunbathing’ group of 12-foot males.
During mating season when they are even more aggressive…these tuckfarts will get out of their friggin car thinking it’s Disney-land or a petting zoo, I shit you not.

Sigh…how much I want to give natural selection it’s due course.

19

All the more reason why we to build a real life Jurassic park. Instead of reading about ice cube IQ level persons being eaten by alligators or a lion it’ll be velociraptor. Way more entertaining.

20

Having been a volunteer for many years, at a state park that has as it’s many attractions, alligators and I see visitors pose their children next to them while alligators bask in the sun.

Yes, photos of such things are really neat, until your child is grabbed, drowned and eaten by one.

In another vein, after many occasions recusing people from being lost when such was completely unnecessary if common sense was used, I’m never surprise…

People aren’t idiots - they just don’t understand that once you get off the sidewalk you’re in nature…

Having been something of a nature guy all my life, I don’t see myself as superior to city folk, they simply don’t know what the hell what they’re getting into after they get off the sidewalk…it’s not the same as strolling down the lane.

Nature can and will kill you if you don’t know the particulars / same for city life…