Former runner killed while mountain biking

You should have added his name to your post because people might remember him here. Brad Treat. I didn't know him at all, but vaguely remember his name, probably because he was a fast high school runner back when I was volunteering/coaching at my old high school in CA. Maybe I saw his name listed in the back of TNFN or something.

zzzz wrote:

You should have added his name to your post because people might remember him here. Brad Treat. I didn't know him at all, but vaguely remember his name, probably because he was a fast high school runner back when I was volunteering/coaching at my old high school in CA. Maybe I saw his name listed in the back of TNFN or something.

Ok.

Condolences to Brad and his family - terrible way to go.

Terrible thing to happen.

But it's not an animal problem.

Horrid. I live in bear country (about 4 hours from there) and will not go out in small groups/without bear spray. That said, generally bear attacks are a lone hiker/hunter-not-on-horseback problem and the fact that he was on a mountain bike is disturbing, to say the least.

Thoughts to his family....the man was well loved here in Montana and an asset to the sporting community.

: (

This is really messed up. Guy just wants to ride his bicycle, and his last moments are of him experiencing his flesh being torn off.

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

Fckin griZzzly

Why the Memphis Grizzlies?

Not sure you can defend yourself from a bike moving at speed when you startle a bear. Riding in bear country is dangerous... Running is quite dangerous as well but at least you aren't moving, generally, at the same speeds and you could potentially prepare for a confrontation. I've had a few friends charged by a bear when running and they said they had no time to locate and/or discharge bear spray. Luckily the bears were bluffing.

absolutely terrible wrote:

This is really messed up. Guy just wants to ride his bicycle, and his last moments are of him experiencing his flesh being torn off.

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

- Don't startle (hike in large groups, make lots of noise)

- Take bear spray

Ndndndo wrote:

Why the Memphis Grizzlies?

Formerly Vancouver.

absolutely terrible wrote:

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

Depends on the bear and depends on the situation. Is it a momma bear or does it want to eat you?

Black bear: usually fight back. Grizzly: usually play dead. If the bear just wants to eat you, always fight back.

Bear spray is great, but you are susceptible to wind and it is sometimes ineffective anyway. I always carry it if I'm running in bear country.

Here's an Alaska bear-related XC news story following a 2014 race:

http://www.adn.com/sports/article/after-prevailing-over-bear-thorne-bay-runner-ready-state-cross-country-meet/2014/10/04/

And this snippet from an April 2015 MileSplit interview with Kodiak, AK's Levi Thomet, soon to be an Oregon freshman:

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/151020/friday-focus-levi-thomet

Bears. I've really only run into two on runs. One was when the whole team was warming up for regions and one decided to sprint across the course, the other was by my self during a workout. I was just coming over a hill going about 5k pace when I looked up and was probably 15ft from a young one. The first instinct was to climb a tree, but as soon as it saw me it took off running and disappeared. Definitely made me forget about the workout for a second though and gave me that extra wind to finish hard!

Very sad & tragic.

He is an old acquaintance and friend of many people here in NW Montana. Excellent Flathead High and UM runner. Wife but no kids.

It was just a super unlucky freak accident. Initial story from yesterday is he was cruising around a blind corner and basically hit the bear, which then got back up and attacked. No word whether it was a couple unlucky bites a worse mauling. It's 24 hours later and they are still searching for the bear, which must have been pretty big. Might be a black bear or a Grizz. His cousin was riding with him & witnessed some or all of it.

Brad was a mere mile from a well-traveled highway and as a FS employee who spent most his life out there he would know about as much about bears & the area as anyone.

absolutely terrible wrote:

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

If biking/hiking/running in bear country, wear a bear bell(s). Cheap and quite effective.

Sad news, I remember Brad Treat from his UM days and he seemed like a good guy. As the article says, just really bad luck... "The death is the first fatal grizzly attack in Northwest Montana since 2001, when an elk hunter was killed on the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range near Ovando."

1. Grab a large, colorful umbrella.

2. Rapidly extend and retract the umbrella towards the bear.

3. Yell loudly or use an airhorn.

4. Bear will sh!t

It shouldn't have happened, flagpole says runners and cyclists are only in danger when on the roads!

TTTB wrote:

It was just a super unlucky freak accident. Initial story from yesterday is he was cruising around a blind corner and basically hit the bear,

Agree that this was unlucky, tragic and sad, but if you are riding (or running) quickly around a blind corner you are taking chances.

You do not know what you might find yourself in the middle of, whether you are on a trail, sidewalk or street.

One of my friends once ran around a corner into an alley and found himself between two guys with knives pulled out. He just kept running and the element of surprise may have saved him from harm (they did not react as fast as a bear).

If they had guns instead of knives the outcome might have been different.

What might occur if a biker runs into an upset hiker with a gun?

absolutely terrible wrote:

This is really messed up. Guy just wants to ride his bicycle, and his last moments are of him experiencing his flesh being torn off.

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

I always carry a picnic basket -- if the bear charges you, just toss the basket. Works every time.

Friend of the Bears wrote:

absolutely terrible wrote:

This is really messed up. Guy just wants to ride his bicycle, and his last moments are of him experiencing his flesh being torn off.

Serious question:

What's the best way to deal with a bear that you inadvertently startle???

I mean, should everyone in the woods have like an "elephant gun" or something?

I always carry a picnic basket -- if the bear charges you, just toss the basket. Works every time.

Maybe -- it will work for sure if you are also carrying a high-powered rifle. Then, when you the bear goes for the basket, you can shoot it. Finally, fir good measure I also carry a spare handgun, untraceable back to me. I plant it on the dead bears's body, and when the authorities come to investigate, I can say that bear drew on me first, but I was quicker. Self-defense.