http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3055619/posts

Bear Attack in Wexford County (MI)
9 and 10 news ^ | 8-16-2014

Posted on Friday, August 16, 2013 4:50:15 PM by Darren McCarty

The 12 year old girl from Haring Township is in stable condition after undergoing surgery after a black bear attack. She suffered deep cuts in her thigh.

Just after 9 PM, Abby Wetherell, was heading home from a cabin down a two-track, north of Cadillac, when she saw a black bear. She began to run, hoping to make it to a nearby house.

The bear attacked and clawed her. Abby got to her feet and started running when the bear attacked her again.

The girl shouted for help. A neighbor heard her and ran to her aid, calling out Abby's name. The bear was startled and ran off.

DNR is actively searching for the bear by setting traps were the attack happened. After finding the bear, DNR will kill and test it for disease.

DNR wants area residents to stay away from where the attack occurred. They are working hard to catch the bear.

If you see the bear, please contact DNR Cadillac Operations Service Center at 231-775-9727 or the DNR Report All Poaching (RAP) Hotline at 800-292-7800.

Michigan has about 8,000 to 10,000 bears, 90% of the population in the Upper Peninsula. There is an established bear population in Wexford County where the attack occurred.

Black bears are generally fearful of humans and usually leave the area if people are near. Most black bear attacks happen because the mother bear is protecting her cubs

poor kid, i cant imagine the fear she felt, and the pain.

I have to disagree that most bears attacks are in protection of cubs.

Most black bear attacks are predatory meaning they are looking to eat you.

12 yoa girl would be equal to a yearling deer in size.

The report I read said that she was attacked while jogging.

She was jogging attacked, got away attacked a second time neighbors heard her scream scared the bear off she was released from the hospital this afternoon. DNR shot the bear. About 50 mi south of where we live more and more bears around here a lesson learned bears are very unpredictable regardless of where you are or what you doing.

quote mutz: "She was jogging attacked, got away attacked a second time neighbors heard her scream scared the bear off she was released from the hospital this afternoon. DNR shot the bear. About 50 mi south of where we live more and more bears around here a lesson learned bears are very unpredictable regardless of where you are or what you doing."

Bears are not always friendly furry forest critters.

Just another reason to carry bear spray and use caution around them

quote riverrunner: "I have to disagree that most bears attacks are in protection of cubs.
Most black bear attacks are predatory meaning they are looking to eat you.
12 yoa girl would be equal to a yearling deer in size."

Yup, there's so much bad info and too many experts out there that think they know what a bear is going to do. Juveniles and big males are the ones that I would be most inclined to watch closely, although; I've had a big one run from me like I threw scalding water on him. The only thing "Predictable," about a black bear is that they're "Unpredictable." Anyone that tells you otherwise......

quote ozarkpaddler:Yup, there's so much bad info and too many experts out there that think they know what a bear is going to do. Juveniles and big males are the ones that I would be most inclined to watch closely, although; I've had a big one run from me like I threw scalding water on him. The only thing "Predictable," about a black bear is that they're "Unpredictable." Anyone that tells you otherwise......"

I have deer in my large yard(seen up to 6 at once--esp. in spring when grass is starting to grow) and while I try to go out and shoo them away, I am very cautious when they stop and sometimes take steps toward me. You just never know what a wild animal might do or what his/her hormone level is telling him/her.

quote OldFingers57: "Just another reason to carry bear spray and use caution around them"

Or something else...

quote PuffinGin: "

quote ozarkpaddler:Yup, there's so much bad info and too many experts out there that think they know what a bear is going to do. Juveniles and big males are the ones that I would be most inclined to watch closely, although; I've had a big one run from me like I threw scalding water on him. The only thing "Predictable," about a black bear is that they're "Unpredictable." Anyone that tells you otherwise......"

I have deer in my large yard(seen up to 6 at once--esp. in spring when grass is starting to grow) and while I try to go out and shoo them away, I am very cautious when they stop and sometimes take steps toward me. You just never know what a wild animal might do or what his/her hormone level is telling him/her."

Most of the time deer take off with tail held high, but every once in awhile.... Margaret and I have both had deer stomp their feet and false charge us. Margaret had one threatening experience a few months ago. Usually little ones are around (seen or unseen). We see them pretty much every day of the year and you never really know what they're going to do. One day they'll come within 20'feet of you and another day you can't get within 100 yards?

According to the news this morning the little girl had multiple bites and lacerations somewhere around 100 stitches after surgery but home smiling in good spirits. The DNR did shoot the bear which was reported to be a large bear and are currently testing for rabies or anything else.scary part is after she got away the first time it attacked her a second time

I listened to an interview on the radio with the little girl and her mother this morning. The bear knocked her down and bit her on the leg. The bear turned and walked away at which time the girl got up and ran. The bear then chased her down a second time. She thought that maybe petting the bear would help, but it just made him mad! She finally played dead and the bear lost interest in her and walked away.

Brave kid.

The DNR shot a bear a couple of miles from the incident, but the girl said she is not sure if it is the bear that attacked her. She says the bear that was shot appears to be bigger then the bear that attacked her. They are doing DNA testing to check.

She and her mother were both treating the incident with some humor, but I can tell you if that bear had attacked me, I would have been messing my pants.

Did you know that the DNR was only able to shoot the bear after a neighbor wounded it as it came after him.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3056190/posts

Newest update for this little girl. The bear that came after a man about 1/4 mi from the original attack was a male, DNA tests have determined the bear that attacked the girl was female so the hunt is back on for the female bear so tests can be done to make sure it didn't have rabies or any other diseases that could affect her.

I took my familiy out west this summer for a vacation and we read a lot about bears since we were going to be in the backcountry quite a bit hiking.
Here are some things we were taught. Never run from a bear and don't make any sudden motions. If the bear is not coming towards you, just slowly back away - as far as you have to. If attacked - you need to know if it's a black bear or a grizzly. If it's a grizzly - play dead and if it's a black bear - fight back. They also talked about making yourself as big as possible and black bears rarely attack but if they do - you need to fight back - they are usually very timid.

Every wild animal is unpredictable but I am guessing that a 12 year old girl alone brings about different variables than an adult.

I still don't worry about black bears here in MN - but being in grizzly country scares me a lot.

quote brerud: "I took my familiy out west this summer for a vacation and we read a lot about bears since we were going to be in the backcountry quite a bit hiking.
Here are some things we were taught. Never run from a bear and don't make any sudden motions. If the bear is not coming towards you, just slowly back away - as far as you have to. If attacked - you need to know if it's a black bear or a grizzly. If it's a grizzly - play dead and if it's a black bear - fight back. They also talked about making yourself as big as possible and black bears rarely attack but if they do - you need to fight back - they are usually very timid.


Every wild animal is unpredictable but I am guessing that a 12 year old girl alone brings about different variables than an adult.


I still don't worry about black bears here in MN - but being in grizzly country scares me a lot."

One should study predatory black bear attacks just do a google search might open you eyes a bit. They are not the friendly furry forest critters Disney would lead you to believe.

Not highly dangerous but some do see people as food. As with ay large animal one just needs to take care with them.

I am wondering if rabies has any role in predatory bear attacks. I think it may be suspected though the last documented case was in 2004.

Increasingly bears are amongst us. We have one bear for every 25 people here. Surely they must be increasingly exposed to animals known to carry rabies.

Though they live around me, and seem to live in peace, we don't ever trust them.

quote brerud: "Here are some things we were taught. Never run from a bear..."

This is really important to note.

I think I read that the 12 year old girl that was attacked was out jogging.

I have a friend who has a cabin on Burntside Lake and she was chased by a large black bear last summer when she was jogging up the road to her cabin. She stopped when she realized the bear was chasing her and stood her ground, waving and yelling. It gave her one bluff charge and then left. I can't believe she had the presence of mind to stop and confront it... I think my natural instinct would have been to try (probably unsuccessfully) to out run it.

quote luft: "

quote brerud: "Here are some things we were taught. Never run from a bear..."

This is really important to note.


I think I read that the 12 year old girl that was attacked was out jogging.


I have a friend who has a cabin on Burntside Lake and she was chased by a large black bear last summer when she was jogging up the road to her cabin. She stopped when she realized the bear was chasing her and stood her ground, waving and yelling. It gave her one bluff charge and then left. I can't believe she had the presence of mind to stop and confront it... I think my natural instinct would have been to try (probably unsuccessfully) to out run it."

If one does any reading on predatory black bear attacks it seems that on larger prey that black bears like to size up their prey to see if they can take it. They often approach large prey to size it up and see it going to resist or hurt them.

They can do this by circling, watching, following often moving closer and closer. A lot of time they well move in and make contact to see if they meet resistant's if not they follow up with and attack.

A very good example of this I saw was a video of a Black bear killing a wounded car hit deer. The bear moved in slowly touching the deer then backing off them moving in and slowly laying on the deer then backing off. Then laying on the deer a second time and when the deer started to move it attacks it.

I also know of several people who have been approached by black bears in such a manner but because like your friend they confronted it they were able to keep the bear back. One of them had the bear followed him back to the his truck circling him until the bear was about 20 feet away when he reached his truck. The bear was first seen about 100 feet away and kept getting closer.

Playing dead is the wrong thing to do with a black bear fight back and fight back hard use any weapon at hand.

I talked to a gal who decide to sleep out side of her tent (wrong thing to do in bear country) (BWCA) she woke up with her left foot in a bears mouth being pulled along the ground. Her screams woke up her camp mates. They were able to rescue her and drive the bear off. I talked to her (saw the teeth marks) and the group all 9 of them confirmed the attack.

The bear was later shot during season near the same camp site.

If you don't believe this about black bears read many black bear attacks do some research. You well find the same type of behavior in many of them.

No one doesn't have to run around the woods being afraid but be aware.

Did the girl who was attacked and being dragged by the leg not report this BWCA attack? I can't seem to find a record of this. When and where was this.

I'm not questioning the validity of the story. I'm just curious why an incident like this wouldn't be reported as a warning to others.

He got the story from a bulletin board like this one. Here is the main story which happened in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Sorry, I now see you are referring to the previous post.

quote inspector13: "
Sorry, I now see you are referring to the previous post.


"

Right, because it specifically mentions BWCA.......Many people on this forum decry the need to carry mace or firearms as protection against bears in the BWCA and always site the rarity of attacks.

Bears aren't the only potentially dangerous animals in the BWCA so I will be prepared and hope I never, ever, have to use anything other than banking pots and pans to scare the nasties away.......

quote LuvMyBell: "Did the girl who was attacked and being dragged by the leg not report this BWCA attack? I can't seem to find a record of this. When and where was this.


I'm not questioning the validity of the story. I'm just curious why an incident like this wouldn't be reported as a warning to others."

I don't know if she reported it or not I talked to her and her group at the landing My canoeing partner and I were going in and they were going out. I told her that she should tell someone.

The next day we did meet two wardens who were very interested in any bear actively in the area we were in. Also that morning we saw a float plane with a kayak attached to it look like it was landing in the next lake over.

I asked the wardens if they were coming in to shoot the bear that bite the gal. They did not look to surprised but asked how I knew about it.

Take it for what you want the bite wasn't serious but did leave marks 8 women told my partner and my self the same story.

quote LuvMyBell:Right, because it specifically mentions BWCA.......Many people on this forum decry the need to carry mace or firearms as protection against bears in the BWCA and always site the rarity of attacks.

Bears aren't the only potentially dangerous animals in the BWCA so I will be prepared and hope I never, ever, have to use anything other than banking pots and pans to scare the nasties away......."

I hear you. Most of the time I don’t understand why people care what kind of equipment anyone else brings, or doesn’t bring on their trip, as long as they follow the rules. I think I could even "see" some eyebrows being raised about your fence.

But some of it might be the fear of weapons themselves, the fear of inappropriate use of those weapons in a vacation area, and even the fear that any attention to possible problems could drive away tourists. Maybe it’s a genuine inquiry that just comes off the wrong way. Maybe there is an ulterior motive behind the post; a hidden agenda. Maybe some type of political position?

Although the risk of any animal attack is minuscule compared to the risk of getting there, or even the weather encountered, I still bring pepper spray. I like to mitigate risk. Any nay-sayers better not be playing the lottery. : )

Makes you wonder how many other incidents of actual physical contact aren't reported???? I suspect the number isn't high.

I also wonder how many incidents of thwarted attacks by aggressive bears aren't reported????? I suspect this is much more common.

For me personally I will continue to do my annual BW trips and will continue to be prepared for any contingency with my layered approach to security in camp - clean camp, proper food storage, bear spray, electric bear fence and firearms.

quote LuvMyBell: "

quote inspector13: "
Sorry, I now see you are referring to the previous post.



"

Right, because it specifically mentions BWCA.......Many people on this forum decry the need to carry mace or firearms as protection against bears in the BWCA and always site the rarity of attacks.

Bears aren't the only potentially dangerous animals in the BWCA so I will be prepared and hope I never, ever, have to use anything other than banking pots and pans to scare the nasties away.......


"

Do "many people on this forum decry the need to carry mace"? I can't recall one person doing that.

With your bear fence and your mace and your firearms and your big groups, the bear that wanders into your campsite is going to need some serious therapy afterwards. Maybe Valium and a week in Cancun. ;-)

Missmolly, the bear or any other critter will only need therapy if IT decides not to play nice.

My responsibility is to know what the appropriate response is to the threat I'm faced with. For instance I would never use bear spray without first trying to scare the animal away with noise. If the animal was just curious and passing through and no threatening behavior I would consider that as a treat and not even try to scare it away.

Being prepared and having the defensive tools I bring doesn't mean I have to use them. I sincerely hope tha t those that choose not to bring defensive tools never are in a position to wish they had. One thing I will never be is a.victim.

EDITED TO ADD: Sorry , I never answered your question in my response regarding mace. Many people, in numerous threads have expressed their opinion that they do not carry mace and further, that it is not needed in the BW as protection from bears.

Agree with luvmybell and the only way not to be a victim is to be prepared when the unexpected happens.

quote LuvMyBell: "Missmolly, the bear or any other critter will only need therapy if IT decides not to play nice "

A very true statement for me and the people who I know that go armed we go out of the way to avoid using them.

A common misconception promoted by the anti gun, anti hunting, anti self defense crowd.

That gun owners, hunters and people who carry for self defense are blood thirsty killers always looking to shoot something.

The opposite is the case they tend to be the most courteous law abiding people as they have the most to lose if they use their firearms in the wrong way.

quote riverrunner: "

quote LuvMyBell: "Missmolly, the bear or any other critter will only need therapy if IT decides not to play nice "

A very true statement for me and the people who I know that go armed we go out of the way to avoid using them.


A common misconception promoted by the anti gun, anti hunting, anti self defense crowd.


That gun owners, hunters and people who carry for self defense are blood thirsty killers always looking to shoot something.


The opposite is the case they tend to be the most courteous law abiding people as they have the most to lose if they use their firearms in the wrong way. "

riverrunner I'm confused by a couple of your statements that I've read recently. Here you're stating that you "go out of the way to avoid using them" in reference to firearms, but in another thread you state:

quote riverrunner: "08/11/2013 07:21AM

Nothing like using a caller and owl decoy and having 50 to a hundred crow yelling around you.


A good shotgun, lots shells and a couple of buddies to reduce the crow population. Good fun."

Could you please explain to me why you think it is a "misconception... always looking to shoot something" when you shoot crows because it is "Good fun"? Aren't you playing right into that misconception?

Rurally-challenged people often have a hard time distinguishing between the sporting use of firearms and self defense, and even criminal predation. Somehow or another, in their feeble minds, if you grew up hunting and shooting, you're automatically demented. Whew, just shows how out of touch with reality these people are, and how few normal people they know and how little they trust themselves.

quote Beaverjack: "Rurally-challenged people often have a hard time distinguishing between the sporting use of firearms and self defense, and even criminal predation. Somehow or another, in their feeble minds, if you grew up hunting and shooting, you're automatically demented. Whew, just shows how out of touch with reality these people are, and how few normal people they know and how little they trust themselves.

"

An apt description Beaverjack. ++++++++1

damn missing period.

quote Beaverjack: "Rurally-challenged people often have a hard time distinguishing between the sporting use of firearms and self defense, and even criminal predation. Somehow or another, in their feeble minds, if you grew up hunting and shooting, you're automatically demented. Whew, just shows how out of touch with reality these people are, and how few normal people they know and how little they trust themselves."

a false and sweeping generalization.

They don't have any idea if they got the right bear but by damn we're gonna kill somethin' over this!

A neighbor shot the bear the dnr had to kill it a lot of bear in the area so they tested this one hoping it was the right one if it was the thought we are going to kill something there would be a dozen dead bear not one. the dnr is telling everyone don't shoot a bear just because you see one. The thought here is to kill the bear that attacked her not every bear in Wexford county.

quote kanoes: "

quote Beaverjack: "Rurally-challenged people often have a hard time distinguishing between the sporting use of firearms and self defense, and even criminal predation. Somehow or another, in their feeble minds, if you grew up hunting and shooting, you're automatically demented. Whew, just shows how out of touch with reality these people are, and how few normal people they know and how little they trust themselves."

a false and sweeping generalization."

I would not have agreed with Beaverjack had he said 'always have a hard time' instead of 'often have a hard time'.

The former would have been a false and sweeping generalization IMO.