That's a lot of "what if's" and things experienced people like that would not do(eating in a tent). Their first check in they were at camp came at 5pm.
Either way, I'm sure they were in the tent and couldn't run given those weather conditions. The food in the tent thing, is of course a wild guess and an attempt at finding a reason why the bear would attack them in the tent. They were experienced and I'm sure they knew better, but complacency is real.
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Last edited by BlackArcher101; 10-04-2023 at 04:26 PM.
Sorry, did I miss an article where it said they were actually in the tent? "Couldn't run given the weather conditions"? I guess I don't get that, either.
You are assuming they made a msitake, or were complacent, but it's probably more likely not much they could have done would have changed the outcome. People who do stuff like that regularly aren't really shut down by a bit of rain and cool weather, they would have clothing and supplies to deal with it.
Sorry, did I miss an article where it said they were actually in the tent? "Couldn't run given the weather conditions"? I guess I don't get that, either
It's a theory for crying out loud, and I thought that was obvious. You hike in rain all day, last thing you want to do is sit outside in the cold, dark and rain for... fun?
Both bodies back together, so sounds like the last one alive went to the other to attempt to save them.
There we have it, spray was emptied. The bear must've been delirious and raging to continue in spite of this. We don't often think of an animal that's gone mad making it an exception to the "rule", but maybe this was the case.
Last edited by TrentCrimmIndependent; 10-04-2023 at 05:47 PM.
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Looks like ambush in a confined space that ended up outside as injuries mounted.
If they didn't immediately know where they'd placed their spray, that could've ####ed them quickly.
If the distress call went out at 8 pm, it likely was dark under the current weather conditions. That would make it harder for the bear spray to even be used properly as the couple probably could not see much or where to spray.
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Sorry, can't help speculating towards what happened. I would guess they were lying in the tent, heard the bear approach, and after the bear broke through the tent they probably shot it with bear spray. If you shoot bear spray in the tent it's going to seriously affect your own eyesight and respiratory system. To what extent the bear was incapacitated well never know, but maybe it was OK enough to come back in a few moments and continued what it started. It's possible the couple were worse off from the bear spray. I was in a house once where a can was discharged just lightly and you had to leave the house, I was on a different floor and sleeping and I had to leave, it was so bad.
Either way, tragic, they seemed like a nice couple.
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Both bodies back together, so sounds like the last one alive went to the other to attempt to save them.
There we have it, spray was emptied. The bear must've been delirious and raging to continue in spite of this. We don't often think of an animal that's gone mad making it an exception to the "rule", but maybe this was the case.
Unfortunately, bear spray isn't 100% effective. If they were running or dodging a charging bear, the can could have been emptied without really affecting the bear. Also, aggressive bears intent on attacking don't give up easily. Bear spray is more effective on bears in defensive mode.
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Nice to see you read the studies. Are you ready based on the conclusion of those studies to allow hikers (who the average one certainly won’t be proficient as the gun carriers in the studies) isn’t going to help.
Right now you sound like Seewhyguy in the Covid threads parsing random comments out of the studies rather than following the broad conclusions.
Is this some kind of sarcastic parody? I am apparently the only one who actually read and understood these studies as both you and a couple others have cited stats, variables, or conclusions that exist in neither study and scoffed at information actually contained in the study. You got indignant about a comment regarding more bear deaths, when that is exactly what the study says. Someone who read it would know that. I accept your apology in advance.
Hikers are already allowed to carry guns for wildlife protection in Alberta. The conversation was not about equipping more of them, it was about expanding the remote areas they can carry them in. I’m sure you agree that having a gun you know how to use and bear spray is better than one or the other, and the difference between bear spray (90%) and handguns (84%) is not remarkably different, especially when dealing with such a narrow and limited data set.
Though it has been fun being compared to a climate change denier and then to a COVID denier. I hope “flat earther” is coming next.
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Based on the most recent info I’m going to assume the bear was drawn to the tent by the dogs scent. Bear in that condition is looking for easy meals this time of year. The only thing I don’t really get is when the bear attack msg was sent. A sos was sent which requires only to flip a cover and press a button but to send a msg means the bear likely retreated after the first attack to come back a second time. I also thought I had heard a report that they attempted to scare off the bear? So I’m not sure if that meant they used bangers or not.
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If i was doing a multi day trip in a remote area like where this couple was, I'd invest in the portable electric bear fence @ 1:54 for overnights:
Just don't want to forget you set it up if you have to run to the bush at night.
Not sure what Parks Canada has to say about using those in their backcountry though. I'd imagine that, like with other protective measures, they aren't fans.
Very sad outcome for sure.
Ultimately a fatal bear attack is an objective hazard, albeit a rare one.
The amount of times I've encountered grizzlies, often NOT exercising the best practices of wilderness travel, and not come to grief makes me feel that this was just a terrible one-off.
Also, I feel that capsicum spray is heavily overrated here. I'd rather have it than not, but I don't even want to consider counting on it against a grizzly.
I think hikers out on a multi-day hike are packing as light as they can. The “portable” electric bear fence that Cabela’s stocks is 15lbs and costs $500. Hindsight is 20/20 and it may have helped, but it’s a big piece of kit to haul around.
I do wonder if the time of year had anything to do with it. Maybe this time, just prior hibernation, with all the bear activity isn’t the safest time to travel the backcountry.
I think hikers out on a multi-day hike are packing as light as they can. The “portable” electric bear fence that Cabela’s stocks is 15lbs and costs $500. Hindsight is 20/20 and it may have helped, but it’s a big piece of kit to haul around.
I do wonder if the time of year had anything to do with it. Maybe this time, just prior hibernation, with all the bear activity isn’t the safest time to travel the backcountry.
Unfortunately it's also the most scenic time.
I'd still bite the bullet on the fence, or at least the proximity alarm.. maybe.
I've been out camping west of Sundre, and around Ya Ha Tinda many times when I was younger. One time we returned to our campsite after a day out riding with the horses to find all our tents had been flattened by a bear while we were away. I did not sleep well that night in our hastily repaired tents, I can tell you that much.
When this news broke my heart sunk because a Singaporean friend and her husband are on a hiking holiday in Banff at the moment, and I feared the worst for them. While I'm relieved they are safe, my heart grieves for this other poor couple. Grizzlies are no joke.
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Based on the most recent info I’m going to assume the bear was drawn to the tent by the dogs scent. Bear in that condition is looking for easy meals this time of year. The only thing I don’t really get is when the bear attack msg was sent. A sos was sent which requires only to flip a cover and press a button but to send a msg means the bear likely retreated after the first attack to come back a second time. I also thought I had heard a report that they attempted to scare off the bear? So I’m not sure if that meant they used bangers or not.
It's possible the bear had backed off, and that message was the last thing one of them did.
