Bear Eats Alaskan Woman's Kayak, Ignores Her Protests

by
posted on October 2, 2015

Bears have made their way into many a "Wilder World Outdoors" entry—the furry little guys just have a knack for getting into trouble. They fight each other in people's lawns, get their heads stuck in cookie jars, interrupt baseball games...there's no end to their shenanigans. So long as you're not in the crosshairs of a hunter's optic, the world's your playground when you're a big ol' bruin. An Alaskan woman found that out the hard way earlier this week.

In a video posted to YouTube, a black bear confronts a woman who's purportedly on a small island in Berg Bay, Alaska, before ultimately chowing down on her only means of transportation: the kayak she paddled in on.

Posted on Sept. 29, the footage is shot from the perspective of a concerned kayaker, who allegedly parked her boat on the shore before heading into a nearby cabin for lunch. Upon investigation, she found a black bear milling around the entryway. Prepared for just such an occasion, she makes a racket and ultimately the bear—which visibly tries to approach her—with her bear spray or, as she describes it "pepper spray." The canned defense does the trick, to an extent, and the bear retreats a bit.

Much to her horror, though, the furred menace turns its attention to her kayak, putting tooth and claw alike to work on the boat's frame. As the video continues, the kayak's owner vehemently protests this, screaming "Stop bear, please stop!" and other objections in an increasingly shrill tone. She threatens to spray the bear a second time, but doesn't follow through—and, as a result, Boo-Boo continues to put a hurting on her ride. Fortunately, the bruin never does turn its attention back to whoever was behind the camera. Must have been a tasty kayak.

Or, hey, as a colleague put it earlier today, maybe the guy's name wasn't "Bear." It's a fair point.

Latest

001 T608 W Cover 01
001 T608 W Cover 01

Tested: The Taurus 608 .357 Mag. Revolver

Can a large-frame, double-action .38-caliber wheeler still serve as a multi-purpose handgun? Read on to find out!

NRA Names New President, Reelects EVP & CEO Hamlin

Bill Bachenberg Elected NRA President, Doug Hamlin Unanimously Reelected as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO.

First Look: Ravin R470 Crossbow

Ravin has announced the brand's most advanced crossbow to date, the R470. Designed to be the most accurate, user-friendly and high-performance crossbow on the market, the R470 combines a compact design with speed, durability and a silent, effortless cocking system.

Wildlife Violations Lead to $900,000 Fine

In early April, a federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced two men for trafficking protected birds and eggs into the United States in violation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Dr. John Waldrop of Cataula, Ga., was ordered to pay a $900,000 fine—one of the largest-ever for an ESA case—and serve three years of probation. Toney Jones of Eufala, Ala., was sentenced to six months of probation.

Federal Custom Shop Adds 28-Gauge, Heavier 12-Gauge TSS Turkey Loads

Federal Ammunition has expanded its Custom Shop offerings with the addition of two new 28-gauge and four new 12-gauge TSS loads, providing even more flexibility for hunters seeking to elevate their performance. These latest additions are now available exclusively through the Federal Custom Shop.

Know How: Foul-Weather Toms

Wondering how to surprise a foul-weather tom? Scott Haugen has some answers in this month's Know How.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.