Ryan Shepard Survived Bear Attack
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Ryan Shepard was bear hunting with friends in Maine when a large black bear charged at him, knocking him to the ground and biting him.
Bangor Daily News reports that the 36-year-old was attacked by the 365-pound male black bear after he and his hunting party had chased and cornered it.
Shepard told the news provider that he estimated the animal was moving at about 15 miles-per-hour when it ran towards him after he had already shot the mammal. He fired a second shot at the beast and was then knocked to the ground.
"The big deal was making the decision to shoot and making sure of the safety of the dogs and the other people around," he told the news source. "I believe he grabbed my leg with his mouth and knocked me down or pulled me down, but I went down."
The bear ended up on top of Shepard, who proceeded to try and fight off the animal while his friends and the dogs struggled to pull the bear off of him. He is unsure of when the bear died, but the man was able to walk himself out of the woods to meet paramedics who transported him to the hospital.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife states that there is no record of any hunter being killed by a black bear in the state. An estimated 50 people have been killed by the animal in North America since 1960.
The department also states that in the past 30 years, three people have reported injuries inflicted by a bear. Bear hunting season in the state lasts from late August to late November and sees some 10,000 hunters actively participate.
The U.S. Forest Service suggests that to survive a bear attack you should surrender to the animal by going limp, playing dead and curling into a ball so the bear no longer sees you as a threat.
Bangor Daily News reports that the 36-year-old was attacked by the 365-pound male black bear after he and his hunting party had chased and cornered it.
Shepard told the news provider that he estimated the animal was moving at about 15 miles-per-hour when it ran towards him after he had already shot the mammal. He fired a second shot at the beast and was then knocked to the ground.
"The big deal was making the decision to shoot and making sure of the safety of the dogs and the other people around," he told the news source. "I believe he grabbed my leg with his mouth and knocked me down or pulled me down, but I went down."
The bear ended up on top of Shepard, who proceeded to try and fight off the animal while his friends and the dogs struggled to pull the bear off of him. He is unsure of when the bear died, but the man was able to walk himself out of the woods to meet paramedics who transported him to the hospital.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife states that there is no record of any hunter being killed by a black bear in the state. An estimated 50 people have been killed by the animal in North America since 1960.
The department also states that in the past 30 years, three people have reported injuries inflicted by a bear. Bear hunting season in the state lasts from late August to late November and sees some 10,000 hunters actively participate.
The U.S. Forest Service suggests that to survive a bear attack you should surrender to the animal by going limp, playing dead and curling into a ball so the bear no longer sees you as a threat.
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