The fatal grizzly bear attack on 70 year-old Erwin Evert near Yellowstone Park by a bear that may have been trapped, tranquilized, and radio-collared just hours before Evert's death raises perplexing questions. Why did Evert's wife notify Chad Dickinson of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team that her husband was missing? Normally, people would call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or Shoshone National Forest officials.
Was the area where the bear was captured posted with warnings, or was it closed? U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Chris Servheen told the Billings Gazette "it would have been impossible to enter this area" without noticing signs. What, exactly, did the signs say? If agency officials failed to close the area, could they be held liable for Mr. Evert's death?
In 1983, a grizzly bear that had been captured 20 times and drugged 12 times dragged Roger May out of his tent at a U.S. Forest Service campground near West Yellowstone, killed him,and partially consumed him. Even before the incident, there was speculation that after being trapped, drugged, and handled, bears became more aggressive and dangerous.
In the 1980s, bears were drugged with Sernylan, known on the streets as "Angel Dust." New drugs are reputedly safer, but old concerns about the effects of drugging bears have never gone away.
If trapping and drugging bears isn't dangerous, why post warnings? If trapping and drugging bears is dangerous, why not close the area?
What was the purpose of the bear research that may have cost Evert his life?
State and federal agencies tell hunters and hikers in grizzly country to carry bear spray. The agencies claim bear spray provides better protection than a firearm. Why did Wyoming Game and Fish Department wardens provide "armed security" for the Park County Sheriff's Department search and rescue team that retrieved Evert's body? Why didn't the wardens use bear spray?
Comments
Why would you call the Game & Fish if a loved one was missing?
It seems that a man made a big mistake by entering an area clearly marked for griz research. Remember, public land is open to all - officials can present information to those using it but it's ultimately up to John Q Public to make the correct decision. It seems that this guy made a poor decision.
If you read other news reports about this, you will learn that Mr. Evert's wife went looking for him and ran into Chad Dickinson along the way. It is very disturbing that if the team had not been "doing research" and tranquilized the bear, then Mr. Evert would be alive today. I read that they had not even notified the other cabin owners in the area about this dangerous study. Basically, they enraged a grizzly bear to put a radio collar on it, with no concern about the safety of the residents who live there.
Even if signs were posted you do not know if this man would have walk around anyway. Bear attacks happen even in areas where they are not testing on them. He could have easily seen a "dead bear" which was really a sleeping bear waking up. No one will ever know what really happened. Plus even tho it is more likely the bear that killed him was the "tested bear" we will not know until they recatch it and do DNA tests.
People need to realize that everytime you wander out into the woods your putting your own life at risk.
I thought in the May case, he was photographing a Griz and got too close. Your account makes it sound like a rouge bear attack when it was recorded that the guy was over-zealous in attempts to get the perfect photo shot.
Why did the wardens not use pepper spray? Because wardens are trained specifically on how to use firearms in a close situation with a bear which civilians, including hunters, are not. This is not the same a being a good shot or being a good hunter - it is different than taking an animal from several hundred yards. This is close quarters stuff and in my case I have to qualify every year in this sort or response. Wardens usually carry spray as well and only go to the lethal option if no other option is available. Conversely, you don't need training to use pepper spray. If they were thinking one of the scenarios that might be possible was a predatory bear then a sudden charge or failure of an individual to deploy the spray would result in the wardens having to shoot the bear. Typically bears that have killed humans are shot...not always...but most of the time.
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