Grizzly Attack

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”
Most recently a hunter was attacked by a Grizzly while hunting around Fernie, British Columbia. His hunting partner killed the bear but in the process accidentally shot his friend. Fortunately, the shot wasn’t fatal and yesterday he made a statement to CBC.

The hunter wasn’t hunting bear, like most were quick to assume on Facebook, but he was hunting elk.

This confrontation brings me back 35 years ago, when a young hunter went missing up north in the Chilcotin region by Williams Lake British Columbia. The true story of Rivers (not his real name) was savagely hunted down by a Grizzly. Without aid of a partnering hunter, his grizzly encounter made a dreadful impact on the decisions early that winter day in November, 1980’s.

Not to reveal the whole story, I wrote a screenplay, MISSING UP NORTH about his ordeal.

LOGLINE:
MISSING UP NORTH – Young Hunter goes missing deep within British Columbia’s rugged wilderness, only to be hunted by an 800 lb Grizzly.

The Controversy

Hunting has recently been controversial due to radicle people who appose hunting all together.

Myself, I believe hunting is an important part of our food chain. When we take out of the equation of humans not hunting at all, it takes away the fear animals have on humans and also subjects them to numerous diseases.

For example :
A few years ago, around Rocky Mountain House , Alberta, the road towards Nordegg was over-populated by herds of deer. At the time, no one was allowed to hunt deer in this particular area. A couple years later, the Fish & Wildlife ended up having to cull the area,(basically killing off) due to disease. Nets full to-the-brim with deer, as helicopters hauled them off to an undisclosed area. Most recently the same incident happen near Elkford, B.C. when an 8 year old boy witnessed the culling.

Culling isn’t the answer, hunting is.

You are always going to get the pros and cons of hunting, but if properly managed, it can be in the best interest of wildlife and human beings. Of course, I’m not in favour of those who Trophy Hunt. Hunting should be a means of putting food on the table and clothing on your back.

Many a times I was grateful to be able to hunt, in order to put food on the table for my family.

On a world-wide scale, it’s also important to protect animals on the endangered list, who are vital to our eco-system. The cycle of life needs to be balanced.

With proper education and regulations of wildlife, we can all live together in harmony.

But it’s important to realize animals are dangerous and won’t think twice to kill you for food. Just because our ancestors have stepped out of the wilderness into our megalopolitan concrete jungles, doesn’t mean we were never apart of the wilderness.

Becoming the hunted is more unfortunate in Canada, because we aren’t really able to protect ourselves. Hiking or fishing within our vast parks and crown-land, we are vulnerable to our surroundings. And yes, we have the right to be there.

Every year we hear of the unfortunate attacks of defensive-less individuals.

It’s even getting to the point where wildlife are coming into our cities looking for easy pry. And I’m talking about cities, like Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

I’m more than sure, the BC hunter was happy his son-in-law was able to use his rifle, saving him from inevitable death. And, 30 years before this, Rivers fate could have been another story all together.

And as for the above saying,” Winner, winner, chicken dinner.” Never ever run !

By Bari Demers