Story Archive

Black Bears Matter

Rick Nelson, 61, of Sudbury, Ont., Canada, was walking his dog when he “sat down on a log and [a] bear cub poked its head out of the shrub nearby,” he said. “It let out a yelp, because I scared the heck out of it.” That brought its mother running, and “I knew right away I was in trouble,” Nelson said. He had nothing to fight off the 300 lb. adult bear, not even a rock or a stick. “I knew it would swing first with its left but it would really come with its right, because most bears are right-handed,” Nelson explained, so he took a swing first. “I had the perfect shot to take. I did an underhand and hit it right in the snout,” he said, which left it “snorting blood.” The cub squealed again, so the mother went to it instead of attacking Nelson. He walked away with just scratches. “Black bears really aren’t dangerous unless you have a cub involved,” Nelson said. “So sometimes black bears get a really bad rap.” (RC/CBC) ...Right in the snout.