Reply #8: Bear attacks aren't much of a rarity here, unfortunately - [View All]

but 98% of them are the result of idiocy by the camper/hiker. They ignore the "keep your food unavailable", "use bear-proof trash bins (in most parks)", "make noise" etc. Many of the attacks are by bears that have become used to humans because of food left on the porch/in the garage etc.

Deplorable, and that poor child and his family. When a bear becomes acclimatized, unfortunately the only solution is to kill it. There are many, many instances of acclimatized bears being trucked very long distances after being darted - and returning to the same site within days.

Noise is probably the best you can do (unless you have a BIG gun and time to use it). There's some great info here for folks camping in bear areas in any state:

http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bears.harmony

<snip> Keeping bears away from human food is perhaps the most important thing we can do to prevent conflicts and confrontations between bears and people.

Great article by our state fish & game.