Man Forgot Taser; Stabs Bear With Machete

Man fights off bear attack
Edmonton Journal
Published: Friday, August 17, 2007

A man suffered serious injuries after walking between a mother bear and her three cubs Wednesday evening.

The man was checking an area near Grovedale, 20 kilometres south of Grande Prairie, for the upcoming deer hunt when he disturbed the bears.

Armed with a large machete-style hunting knife, he managed to stab the bear three times before it took off, said Grande Prairie RCMP Const. Leanne Beattie.

A man working outside heard cries for help and called the fire department around 9:30 p.m. The victim had bite marks and scratches and appeared to have at least one broken limb.

"That's good condition, considering," Beattie said. "He ended up unintentionally cutting between the mom and the cubs, and as a result, mom got a little upset and went after him."

After the attack, the man walked almost a kilometre back to the road. Despite his injuries, "he seemed all right," said Troy Smith, captain of the Grovedale volunteer fire department.

By the time the man was put into an ambulance, it was too dark to search the bush for the bear, Beattie said. Several Fish and Wildlife officers were unable to find the bear Thursday. Officials aren't certain what type of bear attacked the man.