Another Day in Montana (With Bears)

I can think of several reasons not to haul around an injured and unconscious bear in the back of my truck.

First, it’s a bear.

Second, it’s an injured bear.

Actually, that’s enough reasons right there.

I have experience with this sort of thing.  Not with bears.  With a big bull snake.  I once flipped one I found on the road into the back of my truck with a stick and drove down the road a short distance to show my buddy.  I mean, this thing was big!

When I got to where my buddy was: no snake.

Oh, dear.   Where was it?  Had it climbed down and wrapped around something on the undercarriage of the truck?  Was that possible?  Had it dropped itself back on the road again as I drove along?  Just to be safe, I parked my truck outside the garage that first night.

Now, back to Bear World.

Seems a would-be rescuer, chanced upon a black bear that had been struck by an automobile near Polson, Montana the other day.  Somehow, the man managed to hoist the bear into the back of his truck.  He then drove to nearby Confederated Salish and Kootinai Tribal Complex in Pablo, hoping to find help for the injured bear.  That’s when the bear became not-so unconscious.

Remember…first, it’s a bear.

Just to remind ourselves, let’s go down the bear list here:

1. Giant claws (check)

2. Mouth filled with long, sharp teeth (check)

3. Deep growl (check)

4. Six-times stronger than the Terminator (check)

5. Standing upright in the back of the pickup (check)

6. Really, really angry (double-check).

The folks in Pablo were more than a little concerned about the angry bear in back of a pickup.  In just the last few weeks we’ve had a couple grizzly bear attacks.  It didn’t take long before a tribal law enforcement officer arrived.  Sadly, the officer had no choice but to dispatch the bear.

Me?

It’s been years, but I’m still on the lookout for than darned snake.

--Mitchell Hegman.