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Safety First: Man Kills Black Bear with Hatchet

Updated: Sep 4, 2019


Nature. Whether camping, hiking, swinging in a hammock, or biking, you expect to enjoy the outdoors and for it to be a relaxing getaway from your normal life. Yet, we sometimes forget that the forest is home to a plethora of other creatures. From lichen growing on the trunk of a fallen tree, to the 13-lined ground squirrel gathering food, or the white-tailed deer standing motionless watching you pass by, wildlife is everywhere! Some creatures are more shy and rarely seen. That is why most people would not expect to be attacked by a bear, let alone even see one.


Enter Alex Woods, a forest pathologist in British Columbia. He was out for a routine study and was attacked by a black bear. Woods lived to tell the tale - but not only did he live, he fended the bear off inflicting an incapacitating blow. He can credit his life to his dad’s vintage hatchet. The bear, found days later in the same spot with an open head injury, was humanely put down by conversation officers. 


You can read his full first person account Here (article from Outdoor Magazine).

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - you should always carry an axe or hatchet with you in the woods. You’ll never know when you’ll need it, how it might come in handy, or how it could save your life. We hope you never face a bear attack and recommend following common bear safety rules such as carrying bear spray, being aware of when cubs are born and foraging with their protective mothers, and if you do see a bear don’t turn your back to it, instead make yourself big, and try to backup slowly.


Referring to time spent in the forest, Woods was quoted as saying “I’ve always felt if anything really hit the fan, I’d want to have a hatchet or an axe.”


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