Hunters in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas have killed a bear likely responsible for fatally mauling a 60-year-old camper at the Sam’s Throne Recreation Area in Newton County last week.
MeatEater’s Clay Newcomb was closely involved with the attack investigation as well as the hunt for the bear, and he provided further detail about this unprecedented series of events.
On October 2, the body of the Springfield, Missouri man was discovered outside his campsite with extensive injuries, including bite marks on his forearms and face consistent with defending against a bear attack.
The man’s family had contacted the Newton County Sheriff’s Department after losing contact with him two days earlier. The deputies dispatched to the scene discovered evidence of a protracted struggle as well as drag marks 194 feet into the woods. The state medical examiner later determined that the man’s cause of death was “animal mauling.”
Dogs were released to pursue the bear almost immediately, but with the trail more than two days old, the dogs weren’t able to pick up the scent. After the Sheriff secured the area, authorities with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) then set up several baited bucket and tube traps in hopes of catching the bear, as well as game cameras to monitor the scene.
The victim had taken photos of a juvenile male bear in his camp and sent them to his family earlier in the week, and so officials knew what kind of animal to watch for. The bite and scratch marks on his body were also consistent with a yearling bear.
On Sunday, October 5, the first bear that returned to the scene and appeared on the AGFC cameras matched that description, but wouldn’t approach any of the traps. On-call hunters scrambled to the campground and released their dogs once more, and this time the hounds were able to locate the trail immediately.
“Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler, as well as Stacey Clark and Spencer Daniels of the AGFC deserve a ton of credit for how they handled this complex and demanding situation,” Clay said. “But the true heroes here are the competent houndsmen and dogs who trailed this bear. With so many acorns on the ground this season, the bear had no incentive to come into the bait in these traps. Without expertly trained dogs to go out and find him, that bear would still be out there, without a doubt. Within just 90 minutes of the dogs setting out after this bear, they had him treed. Simply outstanding work.”
Outside of this unique case authorized by the AGFC, pursuing bears with dogs is illegal in Arkansas. The local hound hunters involved in this chase exclusively go after hogs within the state, but they also legally hunt bears out of state, including in New Mexico and Virginia, where they honed the skills that were deployed here.
After the hunters killed the treed bear, his carcass was carried out of the woods in a body bag. The remote and difficult terrain prevented easier access, and the bear will undergo a full necropsy to discover any brain abnormalities that may have influenced his behavior. Sheriff Wheeler also added, “I feel extremely confident this is the bear we have photographs of from the scene of the attack. To be 100% certain, we will have to wait on possible DNA matches, but all indications are that this is the bear responsible for the fatal attack. This is a relief to me and the community, and I thank God for this outcome. This was a dangerous bear.”
This incident happened just a month after a strikingly similar attack in Franklin County, Arkansas, just 50 miles northeast of the Sam’s Throne campground. On September 3, 70-year-old Vernon Patton was spreading gravel on a roadside when he was attacked by another juvenile bear and suffered mortal injuries. Black bear attacks are exceedingly rare in general, but for two people to be killed by juvenile bears so close together within such a short time is like lightning striking the same penny twice in a row.
As genuinely rare as these attacks are, however, it’s also a sign that we’re entering a new era in black bear management.
“The comeback of the black bear since its extirpation in the East had been phenomenally successful, which is cause for real celebration. At the same time, with more people than ever recreating in the outdoors, this tragedy should refresh our respect for the bear,” Clay said. “If a bear comes close and doesn’t seem afraid of you, holler, shout, get in your car, and leave. As a rule, black bears aren’t aggressive, but they have all the tools to turn deadly, so don’t get too comfortable.”
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