Post by Woody Williams on Jul 21, 2005 19:50:01 GMT -5
14 Year old Texas Teen Fights Off Marauding Bear In Tent
DOW Reminds Campers How To Reduce Attack Risk
COALDALE, Colo. -- A 14-year-old Texas boy was injured in a bear attack early Tuesday while he and his family were camping near Coaldale, Colo. The campground is located between Cañon City and Salida.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife said Keelan Patton and his brother were sleeping in a tent at the Cutty's Resort campground when the bear came started pawing at their tent around 1 a.m. He said he never actually saw the bear, which knocked the tent down around him and pawed through the tent fabric at him.
"I think I slugged him once," said Patton.
He was bitten on the left hand and received some scratches and bruises during his struggle with the bear.
Patton was taken to Heart-of-the-Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, where he was treated for his injuries and released.
"The boy did everything right," said Jim Aragon, the area DOW manager.. "He fought back and was able to fend off the bear. After a few seconds of struggle, the bear broke off the attack and ran away."
The rest of the Patton family was sleeping in a hard-sided camper near the tent and were not approached by the bear.
Wildlife officers will set a trap for the bear Tuesday night. They have had calls about a bear getting into garbage containers in the area, but it couldn't be determined why the bear came into the tent in this incident.
The boy and his family were not identified.
State wildlife officers remind campers to reduce the risk of bear attacks by keeping a clean camp. Never leave food, garbage or other attractants lying around your campsite.
Here are some tips from the DOW to avoid bear conflicts when camping:
Keep your camp clean.
Store food and garbage properly at all times.
Keep your tent and sleeping bag free of all food smells.
Store the clothes you wore while cooking or eating with your food.
Burn all grease off grills and camp stoves.
Wipe table and clean up eating area thoroughly.
Store your food safely.
Store all your food and coolers in your car trunk or suspended from a tree -- at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from the tree trunk.
Don’t underestimate the ingenuity of a bear! Vehicles are not bear proof.
Dispose of garbage properly.
Put it in bear-proof garbage cans where available or secure it with your food and then pack it out.
Don’t burn or bury garbage. Bears will dig it up.
Sleep well away from food areas.
Move some distance away from your cooking area or food storage site.
Store any toiletries safely. Store them with your food -- the smell of toiletries may attract bears.
www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4741611/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t
DOW Reminds Campers How To Reduce Attack Risk
COALDALE, Colo. -- A 14-year-old Texas boy was injured in a bear attack early Tuesday while he and his family were camping near Coaldale, Colo. The campground is located between Cañon City and Salida.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife said Keelan Patton and his brother were sleeping in a tent at the Cutty's Resort campground when the bear came started pawing at their tent around 1 a.m. He said he never actually saw the bear, which knocked the tent down around him and pawed through the tent fabric at him.
"I think I slugged him once," said Patton.
He was bitten on the left hand and received some scratches and bruises during his struggle with the bear.
Patton was taken to Heart-of-the-Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, where he was treated for his injuries and released.
"The boy did everything right," said Jim Aragon, the area DOW manager.. "He fought back and was able to fend off the bear. After a few seconds of struggle, the bear broke off the attack and ran away."
The rest of the Patton family was sleeping in a hard-sided camper near the tent and were not approached by the bear.
Wildlife officers will set a trap for the bear Tuesday night. They have had calls about a bear getting into garbage containers in the area, but it couldn't be determined why the bear came into the tent in this incident.
The boy and his family were not identified.
State wildlife officers remind campers to reduce the risk of bear attacks by keeping a clean camp. Never leave food, garbage or other attractants lying around your campsite.
Here are some tips from the DOW to avoid bear conflicts when camping:
Keep your camp clean.
Store food and garbage properly at all times.
Keep your tent and sleeping bag free of all food smells.
Store the clothes you wore while cooking or eating with your food.
Burn all grease off grills and camp stoves.
Wipe table and clean up eating area thoroughly.
Store your food safely.
Store all your food and coolers in your car trunk or suspended from a tree -- at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from the tree trunk.
Don’t underestimate the ingenuity of a bear! Vehicles are not bear proof.
Dispose of garbage properly.
Put it in bear-proof garbage cans where available or secure it with your food and then pack it out.
Don’t burn or bury garbage. Bears will dig it up.
Sleep well away from food areas.
Move some distance away from your cooking area or food storage site.
Store any toiletries safely. Store them with your food -- the smell of toiletries may attract bears.
www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4741611/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t
