little girl killed by bear in gun free zone

[gunsmith]

Are firearms allowed?
Use, possession or transportation of firearms, bow & arrows and other arms or ammunition are prohibited, except during designated hunting seasons. While possessing a firearm for the purpose of hunting you must have a valid state hunting license in your possession for the species you intend to hunt. The firearm possessed must be of the type legal for hunting the species that are in season. Firearms must be unloaded during transport. While camping firearms must remain in camp except during legal hunting hours.


my guess is that this family outing didn't include hunting so they had no guns. If they are going to prohibit guns for self defense then they should outlaws bears teeh and claws

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041302305.html

6-Year-Old Girl Dies in Tenn. Bear Attack

The Associated Press
Friday, April 14, 2006; 12:09 AM

BENTON, Tenn. -- A bear attacked a family at a camp site in the Cherokee National Forest on Thursday, killing a 6-year-old girl and injuring her 2-year-old brother and mother, authorities said.

The attack took place near a pool of water on Chilhowee Mountain, said Dan Hicks, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

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Witnesses described the bear picking up the boy in its mouth while the mother and other visitors tried to fend it off with sticks and rocks, Hicks said. The mother was injured before the bear was chased away.

The girl ran away during that attack, but was found dead a short time later with the bear nearby. A park ranger fired at least one shot at the bear before it bolted off.

The woman and her son were flown by helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, where both were being treated for wounds consistent with a bear attack, Hicks said.

Hospital officials did not immediately return calls for comment, but Hicks said the boy was listed in critical condition. The victims' names were not released.

Forest Service employees, TWRA game agents and several hunters were searching for the bear in an area spanning several thousand acres.

The 640,000-acre park runs along the southeastern Tennessee border with North Carolina, southwest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

[Baba Louie]

Tenn Bear Attack, 6 yr. old dies

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060414/ap_on_re_us/bear_attack

BENTON, Tenn. - A bear attacked a family at a camp site in the Cherokee National Forest on Thursday, killing a 6-year-old girl and injuring her 2-year-old brother and mother, authorities said.

The attack took place near a pool of water on Chilhowee Mountain, said Dan Hicks, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Witnesses described the bear picking up the boy in its mouth while the mother and other visitors tried to fend it off with sticks and rocks, Hicks said. The mother was injured before the bear was chased away.

The girl ran away during that attack, but was found dead a short time later with the bear nearby. A park ranger fired at least one shot at the bear before it bolted off.

The woman and her son were flown by helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, where both were being treated for wounds consistent with a bear attack, Hicks said.

Hospital officials did not immediately return calls for comment, but Hicks said the boy was listed in critical condition. The victims' names were not released.

Forest Service employees, TWRA game agents and several hunters were searching for the bear in an area spanning several thousand acres.

The 640,000-acre park runs along the southeastern Tennessee border with North Carolina, southwest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

OK Watch out for hungry bears when traipsing through the woods. Wonder what type, size, etc of firearm the initial park ranger used to (ineffectively?) stop the darned thing.
Bears are just bears and unfortunately, people are just people and nary does the twain mix in the wild.

 

[gunsmith]

HEY i WAS FIRST!

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=195009

 

[Baba Louie]

mea culpa. Mods, delete or merge please.
Thanks gunsmith (not a real gunsmith... maybe ya oughta take a class or two from C&S )

 

[SJG26]

Darn both of you................was gonna post myself........

and say.........to hell w/ no carry in State/National parks & forests.

"Witnesses described the bear picking up the boy in its mouth while the mother and other visitors tried to fend it off with sticks and rocks"


I camp with the family often-------------and no way will I be unable to protect us from 4-legged AND 2-legged predators. There are bears in the PA woods too....................

Not per letter of the law........YES.............do I feel guilty----NO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chaz]

I used to camp and run around all over up there. It is a very popular campground and day trip area. Never saw any bears though but I did see many a snake in that pond.

 

[Leatherneck]

Cherokee National Forest

Not the same as a National Park, although the writer blurs the distinction by mentioning "the park" several times. Weapons are illegal in all National Parks (and monuments, seashores, etc.). Restrictions in National forests are different and vary widely.

TC

 

[Missashot]

I feel so bad for that family.
I have often wondered about the laws for not carrying guns. I think that if a life could be saved, then it would be far better to carry a gun.
I used to go camping a lot, and I have been very lucky. I have seen bears, and had a mountain lion and her cubs come near my site, and nothing happened. However, one time there was a man who kept circling my campsite and watching every move I made. It really unnerved me. Luckily, my cousin was with me. Needless to say, I stayed up all night with our only weapon, a hatchet. Sadly, I didn't own any guns back then. There is no way I would go camping without a gun now.

 

[Stand_Watie]

Weapons are illegal in all National Parks (and monuments, seashores, etc.).

Check before you go!

I was told that this is the case last year when I went to Padre Island National Seashore on this forum, because I couldn't find anything on their website. I left my gun at home, and when I arrived at the park found signs indicating that guns had to be unloaded and locked in the trunk. I don't know if there is variance in the law, or if Padre Island NS ignores NPS policy.

I'll take a gun locked in the trunk (wink, wink) over a gun 400 miles away any day.

 

[cookekdjr]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/Bear_Attack.html



Another reason to carry...

 

[1911Tuner]

Grin and Bear it

All I can say is that it was a good thing the family didn't have a gun! They mighta shot that bear, and then they'd have been in REAL trouble!

Rant off...

 

[Pilot]

ALl I can say is that it was a good thing the family didn't have a gun! They mighta shot that bear, and then they'd have been in REAL trouble!

You gotta wonder what would really happen if the father did have a gun and shot the bear saving the kid. I know it would be worht any price, but I wonder if he'd actually get busted for having a gun.

 

[Pilot]

I left my gun at home, and when I arrived at the park found signs indicating that guns had to be unloaded and locked in the trunk.

That is true. Guns are not "illegal" in National Parks. You must store them unloaded and seperate form the ammo in your trunk or similar inaccesible space.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I just read about that on a forum for east TN motorcycle riders. One of the members was riding on a nearby road and actually stopped to see if he could help when they were pulling the girl out of the woods (he's a fireman with all the first responder experience). The members of the forum are talking about having a benefit ride/poker run for the family. If they have one, Missashot and I may have to run up there for it.

 

[PX15]

I'm a senior citizen who was born and raised in south and southeast Georgia. I lived in Waycross, Ga. (on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp) growing up and this is the absolute first time I've ever read of a black bear attacking and killing someone.

I don't mean it's never happened, I just mean we never even considered the bears as a danger factor when I was growing up. We would camp all over the swamp and woodlands and while we'd be mindful of poisonous snakes, panthers, alligators and even wild hogs we just never thought much about danger from bears.

I wonder what circumstances caused a bear which would ordinarily not be aggressive to humans to go wacko? I wonder if it was injured or hurt in some way to preclude getting food naturally, or whether it had just been around humans so much it had lost it's "natural" fear?

Weird. Tragic all the way around. My heart goes out to the family and now black bears will start getting a bad rap too..

JMOFO

JP

 

[1911Tuner]

Black Bears

Howdy PX,

While it's true that bears would much rather avoid contact with people, the southeastern blacks are more prone to stalk humans for food than the big browns. Many things could have caused that attack...and it's likely that nobody will ever know except the bear. Cubs nearby...Stashed food supply...
Territory...Invading the bear's comfort zone...Pain...Sickness...It could have been anything up to and including rabies.

I've encountered a few blacks during deer season, and all but one hightailed it
outta there as fast as feet would carry'em, with furtive glances over their shoulders as they went. One stood out, though. He put me on notice that he was most assuredly my Huckleberry if I didn't keep my distance. I did.

 

[Duramaximum]

No, no, this must be a joke. Bears don't attack people, the chances are too slim, that never could have happened. I should hock my .454 Casull. We never really landed a man on the moon. I'm going to vote for Hillary Clinton . Can I stop now, this is starting to make me sick. Give me a break!:banghead:

Just in case you can't tell, the everything I just said is a load of crap!

 

[thatguy]

Bears and big cats are the only land animals that routinely kill (and sometimes eat) people. You never know what might trigger a bear attack, which is extremely rare but horrible when it does occur. Menstrating women have been attacked and the theory is the bears could smell the blood causing hunt mode to kick in. God help you if you get between a sow and her cub. Males in rut may see you as a rival and attack. The bear may be sick or injured and be looking for an easy meal (and we are easy compared to other animals).

I do carry in the woods and I don't give a whooping damn about the law. The gun ban in parks is to prevent illegal hunting. Well, I am not hunting and a powerful handgun carried concealed is obviously not for hunting.

My favorite woods gun is a S&W Model 58 in .41 Magnum. Not the most powerful, but pretty big in caliber and fairly compact for the power level. Any bear that attacks me or anyone around me is getting six 210 grain Winchester Silvertips for his trouble. If they want to make an issue of it later I'll just have my attorney show the jury photos of bear attack victims.

 

[1911Tuner]

Charges

Pilot...In all liklihood, the shooter would be charged for having a gun in a national forest. Rules are rules...

I'm with thatguy. I'd rather take my chances with a circuit judge than with a 500-pound bear...or the human excrement that sometimes lurks for easy pickin's in these areas. Concealed is concealed. Damn the rules! Side note: I'm a fan of the M-58 myself.

 

[PJR]

Damn shame. I live in on the fringes bear country and don't particularly worry about them UNLESS I am in a park or in places where there is a lot of human/bear interaction. There are way too many people packing a head full of Disney who think bears are cuddly and cute and feed them. Once bears associate humans as a food source then EVERY human that comes after will be so regarded.

It's not hard to be bear smart and avoid encounters. I've never been in a situation where I've felt I had to shoot a bear. Been close a couple of times though.

And I absolutely do NOT ever, ever carry a firearm into those isolated areas where it's not allowed. That's my story officer and I'm sticking to it. Now just don't go poking too closely in that pack sir.

I decided a long time ago I'd rather stand before the man and take all he had to give me than at the hospital bed or the grave side of someone I care for.

 

[george_co]

I always carry a 57 or 58 w/ 250 grain CorBons when hiking here in the Rocky Mtns. My kids always want to know why? I tell them I have carried all my life, never needed it, never expect to need it, but you just never know.

My prayers for the family, this is a tragic event. It will be interesting to see what the Park Rangers have to say about the reason. I assume that the Bears are just coming out of hibernation and are hungry. I would have to guess a picnic basket is involved somewhere.

 

[Sistema1927]

Pilot...In all liklihood, the shooter would be charged for having a gun in a national forest. Rules are rules...

Show me the "rule" that says that you can't carry a gun in a National Forest. National Park, yes, but not a problem in a National Forest. While sad for the family, this is not a case of someone being killed in a gun free (victim rich) environment.

My wife and I spent our honeymoon in a National Forest in Eastern Arizona. I had a sidearm strapped on, and one afternoon a very wierd looking character wandered into our campground. Seeing my weapon, he made a hasty retreat. A couple of days later, while in town to buy supplies, we learned that another honeymooning couple had been knifed to death that same day about 1/4 mile from our camp. I immediately went to the Sheriff's office and described our intruder, but to this day (almost 28 years later) I don't know whether they ever caught the murderer. However, I have no doubt that my possession of a sidearm, in a National Forest, saved our lives.

 

[rbernie]

Show me the "rule" that says that you can't carry a gun in a National Forest. National Park, yes, but not a problem in a National Forest.

Well, sorta. It used to be true that National Parks prohibited open fires and carrying of firearms and such (which is why I used National Forest land for hiking and such). But it appears that each National Forest allows the state to impose additional restrictions.

A simple Google turned up bunches of National Forests that allow open carry in general, but it also turned up this verbage from the Cherokee National Forest web site:

Are firearms allowed?
Use, possession or transportation of firearms, bow & arrows and other arms or ammunition are prohibited, except during designated hunting seasons. While possessing a firearm for the purpose of hunting you must have a valid state hunting license in your possession for the species you intend to hunt. The firearm possessed must be of the type legal for hunting the species that are in season. Firearms must be unloaded during transport. While camping firearms must remain in camp except during legal hunting hours.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/cherokee/faq2003/#03

 

[utahminirevolver]

george-co +1 "prayers for the family". They have my sympathy and prayers too.

I'm a little confused. I thought we are supposed to obey all the laws. Thus, no packing self-defense handguns in National Parks, in spite of what common sense (not to mention the Second Amendment) might suggest for bear country.

But our society's highest elites are turning a blind eye to an estimated twelve to thirty million scofflaws who have disobeyed our laws about entry into this country, and are even saying how economically wonderful this is.

Some enterprising lawyer ought to write a pamphlet clarifying which laws need to be obeyed versus which are optional, and by whom (ie who's politically correct enough to get away with disobedience and who'd better watch their step. Darn it, I suspect I'm in the latter group).

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I wonder what circumstances caused a bear which would ordinarily not be aggressive to humans to go wacko? I wonder if it was injured or hurt in some way to preclude getting food naturally, or whether it had just been around humans so much it had lost it's "natural" fear?

Black bears will readily kill and eat juveniles of any species, if they can get away with it, even juvenile people if hungry enough. To them we are potential food. Yes, dangerous food, but food. The answer is to make yourself dangerous enough that the bear will decide he's not so hungry he can't wait for something else to come along. Even a hand axe is a good weapon against a black bear, if you are reasonably capable. Naturally, a gun would be worlds better.