Misfire at Oregon bear results in death of two US brothers

[Mr. Sparkle]

An Oregon man took his own life after accidentally shooting his brother while loading a gun to fire at a bear on their property, police have said. The man called 911 to report the tragedy, but turned the gun on himself before police arrived. The incident took place on Tuesday morning in the community of Sunny Valley in rural Josephine County, just north of the border with California. Neither of the men involved has been identified.

Some 25,000 black bears live in Oregon and homeowners are typically urged to avoid confrontations with them. According to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, the 911 caller said he had been loading his weapon with the intent of shooting at the bear. When police got to the home, they found both men dead, each with a single gunshot wound.

The case is currently under investigation by the sheriff's office and Oregon state police. Their findings will be forwarded to the state medical examiner's office. Rising gun ownership in the US has been accompanied by higher rates of death and injury caused by unintended discharge. Nearly 500 people die every year in unintentional shootings, data from the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence shows.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60342175

[lapfog_1]

1. do we have any evidence that there was ever a bear?

or was this a murder suicide with an attempt at an "excuse"?

[Effete Snob]

3. Good question

[BeerBarrelPolka]

4. That

That was my first thought as well.

[2naSalit]

7. First thing I thought of...

The bears get blamed for all kinds of stuff they don't really do.

[Effete Snob]

2. Thankfully, the bear was unharmed

[Raine]

6. Good, I was worried about the bear

I'm relieved it's alright. 🐻

[Throck]

5. I've lived and hiked amongst Eastern black bears for 50+ years.

Unless momma is with cubs they're oversized annoying racoons. Food opportunist in that they won't turn down an easy meal. They'll raid your garbage cans, bird feeders and steal the dog food but for the most part they'll leave when through and not bother people. I've seen cases where they raid chicken coops only to steal feed and eggs. When camping, keeping the campsite clean and storing all the food-smellables out of the campsite keeps them out of the camp foraging. My rare first hand encounters they basically were scared off. My wife and I make lots of noise when we walk in areas that could conceal bears. I would never approach one but wouldn't panic if another crossed my path.


Brown bears, grizzly, kodiak and polar. The above observations do not apply.

[Paladin]

9. K&A. Good comments. (nt)

[Hortensis]

12. A black bear keeps someone I know here in FL company

during her long walk down her dirt drive through wilderness scrub to get her mail. When I visited, I found I'd joined their morning walk. As you say, oversized raccoon, but I was glad he prefers to remain protectively in the scrub.

[NutmegYankee]

13. Just a mile from me in Conn. a black bear attacked sheep.

The bear killed one sheep and maimed a second. The farmer shot it dead to prevent further losses.

[Throck]

15. Do you know if they were lambs or sheep?

This is a rare event and I'd love to talk to the farmer. I know they've crossed the cow/horse pastures with calves and colts without incident, but the pastures were probably 20+ acres. Coyotes have been a bad predator problem but never the bears. The predators seem to show up at birthing time.

I wonder if the farmer had a herd dog or two?

[NutmegYankee]

17. Sheep.

The specific incident I cited I can't find an article for, but the local paper did document several other attacks.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20181009/black-bear-rising-state-sees-population-attacks-soar

https://www.theday.com/statenortheast/20170602/black-bear-kills-eats-connecticut-familys-donkey

https://www.theday.com/statenortheast-news/20190521/connecticut-police-kill-bear-that-fatally-attacked-dog

[Throck]

18. Really good articles.

Thanks.

I'd be interesting to see the density of the local habitat. How far man has encroached on open space. Here, local area is hills and streams, swamps, I'm hoping forever wild to preserve habitat for the critters.

[Duppers]

20. Agree 💯%

GSMNP hiker here.

Ck out this lady's Instagram page. She lives among black bears, even names the ones she's known for yrs.

https://instagram.com/onelaneroadphotography?utm_medium=copy_link

[DenaliDemocrat]

23. Except there ARE predatory black bears

Not common, but they exist. They will hunt you with the intent of eating you n

[Blues Heron]

8. Rising gun ownership in the US has been accompanied by higher rates of death

[sanatanadharma]

11. Comes free with the right to bear arms

[albacore]

14. It comes with people with no training buy guns as some kind of fashion accessory....

..or statement.
"Unintended"....?
Bullshit.
It's "Negligent".

[Crunchy Frog]

10. Hope that the bear is okay.

[Xolodno]

16. A simple airhorn would have sufficed.

And a bear pepper spray can in the other hand. If it was after you, there no time to load a gun as it was probably long since stalking you and could be at you before you knew it.

[Throck]

22. Pots n pans work in camp.

Air horns are annoying. Just ask Ottawa.

[maxsolomon]

19. Its not Bear season.

That's in the fall.

If you're shooting at a bear in February, there are 3 reasons:
1. You're a professional hunter hired by timber companies to stop starving bears from stripping bark off trees to get at the cambium.
2. You're trying to scare it off, in which case there are other methods that don't involve firearms. Like banging pots and pans, or just waiting.
3. You're a poacher.

This is yet another firearm negligence death, followed by a guilt/shame suicide. Condolences to the family.

[roamer65]

21. Let's go, Darwin!!!!!

[we can do it]

24. Bye idiots.

[LiberatedUSA]

25. Why all the gleeful posts?

Do we know if these were rightwing, Trump-voting individuals? Even if they were…

But still just owning a gun does not make a person a right winger. Maybe they had the typical hunting rifles Democrats don’t usually want to ban.

Or is it now any gun owner that dies it is time for a happy dance? Does that apply to all the gang members in the inner cities or do they get a pass cause a gang member using a hand gun is the fault of a white AR-15 gun owner in another state?

Even if you have glee, why the glee over both deaths? One of the dead was just simply there. A casualty of negligence.

And do you honestly believe these CT that this was a murder suicide? It is way more believable that the extreme shock of killing his brother was so much he ended himself right there, because rational thought was gone under such duress?