Battle of the Bears | National Geographic

a steep-sided forest rapidly narrowing
as it descended it was a place that
immediately made Matson nervous it’s the
kind of place that just intrinsically
leaves you feeling ill at ease because
there’s not much of an easy way to get
out once you get in Matson knew that
hooroo Creek was rife with bear activity
and bears were David Madison’s business
as soon as he reached the bottom of the
drainage he knew that something was
wrong there was the stench of death
incredibly distinctive kind of odor
almost a palpable thick odor Madsen
tracked the smell to its source
and that’s when he saw it lying on the
forest floor was a severed paw
it was sheared off just above the rest
from the sighs Matson Katella came from
a large bear
the short claws meant it was a black
bear but where was the rest of it no
other remains were visible Madsen had
spent most of his working life studying
bears in spite of the dangers he pressed
on
1,000 feet away deeper into the drainage
who made another strange discovery there
was a severed black bear’s head the body
was nowhere to be seen
the Bears head was perched on a pile of
debris surrounded by sticks and dirt
almost like a display one of the most
mcoppins I’ve ever seen the removal of
the head and paws was the sort of thing
a big-game hunter might do but what sort
of hunter would leave the most obvious
trophies and make off with the body
there was only one logical answer a
hunter that wanted to eat it
you