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Uinta National Forest blames deadly bear attack on dirty campers
Robert Walz
UINTA NATIONAL FOREST - A heap of garbage with half eaten food stuffed into a fire ring at a campsite in American Fork Canyon illustrates what some campers leave behind and what officials with the Uinta National Forest Service claim triggered the bear attack that killed 11-year old Samuel Ives.
"It's usually the person who pays the price did not cause the problem, it's prior camp experiences the black bear has had with dirty campers," said Uinta National Forest Service District Ranger John Logan. "Wildlife fear humans and stay away from humans. It's just when they have these food familiarities that we have problems."
Around a half a million black bears roam the forests in North America but they have killed humans only 29 times in recorded history. More people die from spider bites than from black bear attacks.
But Logan said that once the bears experience the easy of leftovers they lose their fear of humans. "Maybe a potato that you didn't want and threw in the bushes, or a marshmallow that fell into the fire pit. These things all become attractants to bears." Logan said.
Less than a month ago a 250-pound black bear wandered through yards and basements in Jeremy Ranch looking for a fast meal. No one got hurt but according to the Forest Service the bear now poses a threat to humans and will likely need to be hunted down and killed.
An examination of the stomach contents of the bear shot by officers in American Fork Canyon confirmed it mauled the Ives boy. If they had not found the killer bear officials said they would have closed off sections of the forest to campers until they did.
Rangers did post warning signs around the campsites but admit they would have taken more precautions if they had known the seriousness of the bear activity that had occurred before the deadly attack. "It was reported as only a brush by," Logan said. "Not the detail of what that really was."
The forest supervisor will review the actions taken up to the deadly attack but said a change in the habits of campers will do more to protect people from bears than any change in division policy.
Family of boy killed by bear upset with Forest Service
Terry Wood
Chris Jones
The grandfather of an 11-year-old boy who was killed by a 300 pound black bear late Sunday night says more could have been done to avoid the tragedy.
Eldon Ives addressed members of the media on Tuesday, he asked why forest service employees didn't shut down the park or at least warn campers about a bear attack just hours earlier.
"We do feel that the camp ground should have been closed down and there should have been a warning to campers that there had been a problem with a bear in that area," says Ives.
Bear warning posted on DWR information sign
Several hours earlier Jake Francom and his girlfriend of American Fork were attacked by the same black bear in almost the same location in the Uinta National Forest.
Sam Ives was attacked in his tent while he and his family slept late Sunday night.
"They heard his screaming, 'leave me alone,' or something to that affect," says Ives. Sam was dragged from the tent, that screaming woke the family who went looking for him immediately.
"The step father didn't know what was happening, by the time he got up, there was a hole in the tent and Sam and his sleeping bag was gone," says Ives.
Sam was found, mauled, about 400 yards away.
"We're still in shock here, it's difficult to comprehend and to come to terms with," Says Ives.
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I go up that canyon all the time, honestly I have never even seen a bear in Utah. I was at a local free concert tonight and they dedicated it to the boy, I believe the family was from my city. From what I've heard the same bear ripped through a tent in the same camp earlier in the day, I think they should have closed the campground after that, or at least warned people.
I've seen several in Yellowstone/Tetons, even a couple of grizzlies. But I have a bear phobia too, I'm really paranoid when tent camping, I don't let any food in the tent, period, everything has to be stored in the car, etc. and my friend thinks I'm nuts. I told her about this and she still says I have an irrational fear of bears. 
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
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