Dad takes down hungry bear with firewood
By D. AILEEN DODD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/22/07
It's a feat of bravery worth boasting of on a T-shirt: Chris Everhart clobbered a black bear to save his three sons.
"He killed a bear with his bare hands," bragged Everhart's oldest boy, Jake.
Yes, his bare hands and a sturdy piece of firewood thrown just right. And that's no campfire tale.
The male bonding trip to the Chattahoochee National Forest near Helen on Father's Day weekend is one this family won't soon forget. It was Everhart's first camping trip with his sons outside the wilderness of their Norcross backyard.
Everhart had planned on spending some quiet time with his sons — Jake, 11, Kyle, 9, and Logan, 6. But their vacation at Low Gap Creek campground was interrupted when a hungry 275-pound female black bear showed up after dinner was served. Everhart's heroism in the 30 seconds that followed thrust the unassuming AT&T technician and former Marine into the national spotlight.
"I was doing what any parent would do," shrugged Everhart, a rugged outdoorsman. "Heroes are firefighters jumping out of burning buildings. I just got lucky."
The family was roasting marshmallows when their unexpected guest arrived. It was about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The fish weren't biting that day, but the bears were out. The clanging of pots and pans could be heard for miles as people tried to scare off the animals.
So when the Everharts heard some rustling near their cooler they jumped to their feet. The dad picked up some pots and pans to bang. Everhart's most adventurous boy, Logan, 6, grabbed a large shovel and charged at the animal.
"He was like a knight with a spear," said Jake.
The bear was trying to slip away with the cooler in her teeth.
"Once the bear saw Logan, he dropped the cooler and started coming at Logan," Everhart said. "[The bear] was growling."
Everhart quickly ran to his truck and grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on – a hefty piece of firewood. He said his pistol and his hunting knife were packed away.
He hurled the log and knocked the bear in the head. The hungry heavyweight went down in one blow.
Everhart's boys stood frozen in their tracks as the animal fell.
"I'm a pistol shooter," Everhart said. "The hand-eye coordination is all the same thing."
He rushed his boys inside his Jeep to take cover. But the bear remained quiet.
Campers nearby ran to the scene. Department of Natural Resources officials came soon after.
Investigators had come to the campgrounds to arrest another man who tried to run down a bear with his car. Officials said he was charged with a DUI.
The investigators told Chris Everhart that his bear was dead and carted it away. Everhart and other campers had reported seeing a bear and three cubs in the area.
Everhart was later issued a $75 ticket by the U.S. Forest Service for failing to store his food properly "to prevent access by wildlife."
DNR officials said bears generally shy away from people. But because of the extended drought, bears have been more aggressively searching for food.
Chris Everhart and his sons are planning another camping trip, maybe to the same spot. However, Everhart says his ex-wife, Tracy Everhart, whom the boys live with in Lawrenceville, doesn't share their enthusiasm.
The youngsters now think their dad is braver than Luke Skywalker. "That's all done with special effects," Jake said. "He killed a bear with his bare hands. He's pretty tough."
