10/30/2022 0 Comments Glacier park night of the grizzlies![]() ![]() In the meantime, the bear dragged Helgeson into the woods. Once the bear stopped, Ducat scrambled to his feet, sprinting to a neighboring camp for help. He stayed as still as possible despite the onslaught. Next, it went after Ducat, biting and clawing him mercilessly. Despite doing everything right, the bear attacked, pouncing on Helgeson. Young and in love, the couple decided to take their chances as they snuggled in a single sleeping bag.ĭucat would later tell rangers he awoke to Helgeson, whispering for him to remain quiet. Why? The spot they chose sat by a path frequented by bears. Like Koons and her friends, Helgeson and Ducat received a warning before making camp that night. Both worked at the East Glacier Park Lodge. Eighteen-year-old Roy Ducat and 19-year-old Julie Helgeson set up camp a quarter-mile away from the Granite Park Chalet. On the same night that Koons was mauled to death by a grizzly on the shores of Trout Lake, the unthinkable happened 20 miles away at Granite Park Chalet. ![]() As a result, the 20-year-old sow was desperately thin, weighing just over 200 pounds. This condition made it difficult for the bear to eat. The forensic expert also determined that the bear had glass embedded in its teeth, the result of consuming garbage. After slicing the bear’s stomach open, the expert retrieved a ball of blond hair. They called in a forensic expert to verify whether or not the sow had killed Koons. Gildart and Leonard acted quickly, shooting the animal in its tracks. But this one was afraid of no man, including the rangers. Incredibly, the bear started towards Gildart, a highly unnatural behavior for wild bears who usually scattered at the sight of humans. Just 30 feet away from the ranger station, they saw a bear raised on its haunches, looking out over the lake. The next morning, though, they faced a rude surprise. Landa and Gildart spent the rest of the day searching for the hunter to no avail. Rules were lax in the 1960s with a hands-off approach, even towards the most menacing individuals. A week before, it had chased a group of girl scouts, only backing off after taking their food. ![]() They were searching for a bear that had long troubled the area around Trout Lake and Lake McDonald. Then, Gildart and Landa set out to find and kill the sow. With fellow ranger Leonard Landa, Gildart found Koons’ body about 40 yards away from the campsite. Gildart responded to their frantic call for help. When they finally came down, they sprinted to the nearest ranger station. The campers stayed in the trees until dawn. Her last words were, “Oh my God, I’m dead.” She replied that the bear was ripping off her arm. The other campers called from the trees, begging her to escape her sleeping bag and climb into a tree. But Koons’ sleeping bag zipper was stuck, and her yells only enraged the bear. She started screaming, and the other campers darted out of their sleeping bags.Ī frantic scene ensued with the campers climbing into nearby trees. Unfortunately, when the bear came to Koons, the young San Diegan had a different reaction. Paralyzed, she waited for the bear to leave. She felt its hot breath on her hair and scalp. Huckle would later tell rangers that she awoke to a bear sniffing her sleeping bag. Eventually, the campers fell asleep, and the fire died down. They also lit a bonfire to keep the bear away. To be on the safe side, the campers moved their sleeping bags to the lake’s shore. She stole some of their food before retreating to a nearby log jam. Soon after making camp, a hungry, emaciated sow approached them. Koons also brought her dog Squirt along, a violation of the park’s regulations, even at the time. The campers included Paul Dunn, Ron Noseck, Ray Noseck, and Denise Huckle. In the 57 years that had passed since the park’s opening, no grizzlies had ever killed a human within the park. Hours before, Koons and her friends had hiked to Trout Lake, passing a group that warned them about a bear. The night of Saturday, August 12 th, lightning lit the skies of Glacier National Park. ![]() Here’s what we do know and how it has changed national park management. What had caused the attacks of August 12th? To this day, the strange coincidence still can’t be fully explained. Incredibly, Gildart was investigating the second mauling of the previous night. ![]()
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