Sow grizzly bit foot of treed jogger

The public bear alert after a man was treed in Haines Junction last weekend was far from strong enough, says area resident Doug Makkonen.

The public bear alert after a man was treed in Haines Junction last weekend was far from strong enough, says area resident Doug Makkonen.

Makkonen said Wednesday it was almost as though the Department of Environment was trying to keep it quiet, when it should have been emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

A Haines Junction resident was out jogging with his dog on a local trail system last Sunday when he unknowingly came between a sow grizzly and its cub.

The bear became aggressive, and the man was forced up the tree, though the sow was able to momentarily bite him on the foot.

The jogger used his bear spray, and the sow and its cub finally left the area after 10 or 15 minutes, enabling the man to climb down.

In a brief public notice sent to local media Tuesday, the government notes a man who was jogging on a trail had a bear encounter and used the bear spray. The notice said the section of trail was closed, but there were no other details provided.

Out in the Junction, Makkonen pointed out, he didn’t even hear of the incident until Wednesday morning, though he does acknowledge Environment staff did put warning signs in the area and closed the trails.

But he believes there should have been a greater emphasis on letting locals know about the incident, and its severity.

“I mean, the bear was trying to pull the guy out of the tree,“ he said, adding it was potentially a deadly situation.

Emphasizing the seriousness of the situation increases public awareness, he said.

Makkonen said he also has an issue with the government recommendation that wilderness travellers carry bear spray as a form of security. Bear spray, he said, is only effective up close to the animal, and can be ineffective in windy conditions.

Makkonen said he carries a rifle or a shotgun when he’s in the woods.

Ken Knutson, Environment’s supervising conservation officer in the southern region, said Thursday the area was closed and warning signs were put up, and a public notice did go out Tuesday.

The department did not want to sensationalize the incident, he said.

He also pointed out the man involved did not want to make a big deal out of his experience, and was more interested in putting it behind him.

The injury to his foot was minor, Knutson said.