One More For The Road

[{"type":"text","text":"It's a Harley, why wouldn't he be drinking??"}]

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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>One More For The Road: Thursday, February 27, 2025 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

It's a Harley, why wouldn't he be drinking??

One More For The Road: Thursday, February 27, 2025

 It's a Harley, why wouldn't he be drinking??

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

A Texas man is accused of exposing his erect penis and "wiggling his hips" in the parking lot of a busy Mexican restaurant in Jackson on Tuesday evening before driving away intoxicated.

The alleged incident involving Anthony Joseph Durkas happened at 7:42 p.m. outside El Abuelito Restaurant, a popular family eatery about a five-minute walk west of Jackson Town Square.

A caller told dispatch an intoxicated man pulled down his pants, exposed his genitals and was "swinging it around" in the parking lot before climbing into a white Chevrolet Silverado with Texas license plates.

The public indecency allegation, however, stems largely from what police say happened before officers ever arrived, documented in a probable-cause affidavit filed Wednesday by Sgt. Justin Lancaster of the Jackson Police Department. 

A woman who witnessed the encounter showed Lancaster cellphone video she recorded from the parking lot before providing it to investigators for review. 

The video appeared to show Durkas "passionately kissing a woman" before she reached toward his crotch. 

Lancaster notes the video showed Durkas "appeared to undo his pants facing the female." 

Then, he wrote, Durkas "turned to the side which showed his penis was erect and exposed to the general public."

According to the affidavit, Durkas then began "wiggling his hips, which caused his erect penis to move in a circular motion."

Lancaster wrote the incident occurred during the dinner rush with passing motorists and at least one witness nearby.

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As officers arrived, Lancaster reported seeing the pickup backing out of a parking space.

When the officer approached the driver's window, he said he immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol along with the faint smell of marijuana coming from inside the truck.

Lancaster wrote that Durkas had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and appeared unsteady on his feet after getting out of the vehicle.

Lancaster also said Durkas was "slow to follow commands and/or was unable" to comply with instructions.

He noted that Durkas did not respond to a request to perform standardized field-sobriety tests.

Durkas was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and taken to jail. His pickup was impounded because, according to Lancaster, it was partially blocking the parking lot.

During an inventory search of the truck, officers found a clear plastic bag labeled "MAC GALACTIC" containing suspected psilocybin mushrooms.

Inside a camper shell, officers also reported finding what appeared to be burned and unburned marijuana in a pipe along with a grinder.

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Durkas appeared Wednesday in Teton County Circuit Court, where he was arraigned on one count each of public indecency and driving under the influence, along with two misdemeanor counts of possessing controlled substances.

If convicted on all four counts and ordered to serve the maximum penalties consecutively, he could face up to 3½ years in jail and $4,500 in fines.

Teton County Circuit Court Judge Erin E. Weisman set a bond at $3,000 cash or surety and scheduled a jury trial for Oct. 27, though the matter could be resolved through a plea agreement or another disposition.

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<title>Texas Man Accused Of Flashing Penis Outside Busy Jackson Mexican Restaurant | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Texas man is accused of exposing his penis and "swinging it around" in the parking lot of a busy Mexican restaurant in Jackson on Tuesday evening before driving away intoxicated. If convicted on all four counts he could face up to 3½ years in jail.

Texas Man Accused Of Flashing Penis Outside Busy Jackson Mexican Restaurant

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Fishing

Facing extreme drought in the wake of an exceptionally mild winter, officials in Colorado and Oregon have thrown up their hands and told anglers at some reservoirs: Catch all the fish you want, because they’re going to die anyway.

Conditions aren’t nearly so dire at two of Wyoming’s premier fishing reservoirs, Flaming Gorge in Sweetwater County and Boysen in Fremont County, where limits remain in place and the angling should remain good this summer, a state park manager and marina owner told Cowboy State Daily.

In northeastern Oregon, fishing limits were lifted on three reservoirs on the Powder River, a tributary of the Snake River, which originates in Wyoming.

Colorado is allowing unlimited angling on Antero Reservoir on the South Platte River in the central part of the state, and the Nee Noshe Reservoir to the southeast.

Utah has loosened catch limits on Crouse Reservoir, east of Salt Lake City, and Nine Mile Reservoir, south of the city.

In each instance, state agencies surmised reservoirs are getting so low and stagnant the fish are doomed regardless, according to numerous media reports.

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Despite drought conditions across the state, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department doesn’t have “immediate plans to enact emergency regulations to liberalize creel limits,” according to fisheries management coordinator Mark Smith.

“However, conditions could change rapidly. If an emergency change to creel limits were to occur that information would be disseminated widely to the public and posted at the water for anglers to find,” Smith said in an email to Cowboy State Daily.

Some of Wyoming’s larger reservoirs have conservation pools, or “dead pools,” to act as buffers for fisheries when water is running low, Smith said.

Even so, “all stored water has limitations,” he added. The water at Flaming Gorge and Boysen is expected to drop enough to render some boat ramps useless.

So, Game and Fish is watching closely for a “tipping point” that might warrant a change in fishing regulations, Smith said.

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For smaller fisheries, the news isn’t quite so good.

“Ultimately, our goal is to protect all of our fisheries, but we recognize that some of our small waters have already been lost, or will be lost, to drying,” Smith said.

Sometimes that happens so fast there isn’t time to react, he said.  

“For example, when we were finally able to access roads and assess small ponds in the 33 Mile country north of Casper this May, most of those fisheries had already succumbed to low water elevations and poor water-quality conditions,” Smith said.

“Other sagebrush stock-water reservoirs could face a similar fate,” he added.

Emergency regulations require the governor’s signature.

“Emergency regulations take effect immediately upon the Governor’s approval and would be lifted if conditions improved and fish were likely to survive,” Smith said.

Boysen Reservoir has been roughly 70% full during June, Boysen State Park superintendent John Bass said.

Boysen is one of Wyoming’s top destinations for walleye, and also boasts good trout fishing.

Bass said he doesn’t anticipate the reservoir dropping to the point of mass fish die-offs or calls to lift all fishing limits.

According to Bureau of Reclamation estimates, Boysen will slowly fall, but remain above 50% capacity.

All four Boysen boat ramps are usable, he said. They are Bannon, Tough Creek, Fremont Bay and Cottonwood Bay.

“Although, as the lake starts falling, the Fremont and Cottonwood Ramps will be too shallow to use. But that’s a fairly common occurrence in my 10 years here,” Bass said. "The Brannon and Tough Creek boat ramps will be usable for the remainder of the year, until ice-up.” 

Likewise, there’s no reason to think officials will call for a free-for-all at Flaming Gorge, which straddles the Wyoming-Utah state line, Buckboard Marina owner Tony Valdez said.

“I don’t think we’ll be at the stagnant water level, where we could lose all of the fish,” he said.

Flaming Gorge draws anglers from all over the region for its prized kokanee salmon. It’s also known for lake trout and other species.

The Bureau of Reclamation this spring announced that Flaming Gorge is set for a million-acre-foot drawdown to make up for severe shortages downstream at Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona state line.

An acre foot is the amount of water that would flood an acre of land to the depth of one foot.

Valdez has previously expressed concerns the drawdown could ruin kokanee spawning areas. Kokanee are already under pressure because of competition with lake trout and burbot.

Wyoming Game and Fish and the Utah Division of Wildlife already lifted catch limits on smaller lake trout (under 28 inches) and burbot, in hopes of helping the kokanee.

Valdez said he doesn’t expect fishing limits to be suspended on any other species.

However, boat ramps could be rendered useless as the reservoir drops for the drawdown, he added.

Valdez said his marina could also tank this summer.

“This year, the marina could be gone. In fact, I’ve got to go deal with that right now, and move some stuff around (because of dropping water levels),” he said during a telephone interview with Cowboy State Daily.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Catfish Getting Scarce"}]

Valdez said if there’s any danger of water dropping to fish-killing levels it would hit first upstream, at Fontenelle Reservoir.

“If it did get that low, the first one to go would be Fontenelle, then the Green (River) and then Flaming Gorge. But I don’t see it dropping that low,” he said.

Drought has ruined some of the fishing on the Blacks River, which feeds Flaming Gorge on the west side, Valdez said.

That river once was a hot spot for catfish, he noted.

“People still catch catfish near the confluence, more so in the lake than on the river. The river gets stagnant,” he said.

While Flaming Gorge is holding its own for now, the long-term picture could be stark.

During a Tuesday meeting in Denver, members of the Upper Colorado River Commission said conditions along the river system – which includes the Green River – are dire.

Wyoming state engineer Brandon Gebhart said it could be the 

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<title>Colorado And Oregon Lift Fishing Restrictions, Drought Will Kill Fish Anyway | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Facing extreme drought in the wake of an exceptionally mild winter, officials in Colorado and Oregon have told anglers at some reservoirs: Catch all the fish you want, because they’re going to die anyway. In Wyoming, emergency measures are on hold.

Colorado And Oregon Lift Fishing Restrictions, Drought Will Kill Fish Anyway

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Thursday, June 25th.  I’m Mac Watson

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Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports the dismissal was based on allegations that Rasner “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” federal filings say.

“Rasner had been with LPL Financial for like nine years, and he, he did run for Senate in 2024 not not successfully against Barrasso, and then in 2025 was being very public about a hope to purchase TikTok, that didn't pan out, but then this year he's been running for US House, the seat that Representative Hageman is vacating.  So, the LPL discharged him in late April, that would have been several months after he, that would have been months after he declared for office, a few weeks after his campaign finance reports came out, and several months after the TikTok deal kind of fizzled.”

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) profile of Rasner says he was registered previously as a broker “and is currently registered as an investment advisor.” The profile also states that he’s held state registrations in New York and Wyoming.

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An armed female suspect surrendered to law enforcement after a multi-hour standoff on Cody's south side Wednesday afternoon. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that the woman was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, property destruction, and interference with a police officer.

“So, the Cody Police Department responded to a call of an unauthorized entry in an unoccupied Cody home around noon on Wednesday, and they found a female suspect who barricaded herself inside that home with a firearm. The standoff lasted around five hours, and then the suspect was arrested. The suspect surrendered and was arrested without incidents, and there were no reported injuries. 41-year-old Dawn Blaycock has been charged with multiple offenses.”

Blaylock is currently being held in the Park County Detention Center.

A Sheridan rancher says an “asinine, stupid” outhouse crackdown is pushing Amish families out of the Hulett area. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports that rancher Pepper Fipps says landowners were threatened with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with outhouse regulations.

“This controversy goes back to 2024 when a wastewater specialist with Crook County discovered what he considered to be an illegal outhouse on an Amish owned property, Pepper Thips is calling it government overreach and saying they're after money, and it's all about making a buck. County commissioners are saying it's about environmental quality and making sure that our groundwater is not polluted by illegally made out houses that have no, you know, no protections from the wider world, so to speak.”

Fipps tells Cowboy State Daily that about 40 Amish families live in the Hulett area. Founded in 2011, the Hulett Amish settlement is one of five in Wyoming.

A Johnson County judge ruled that anything Wyoming state Rep. Bill Allemand said while handcuffed for 12 minutes during a DUI traffic stop can’t be used as direct evidence against him. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that’s because his arresting deputy failed to give Allemand his Miranda rights.

“He was not free to leave, he was handcuffed for 12 minutes. Originally, it was for a good idea, they saw a gun on the seat, they were worried about officer safety, they detained him so they could take care of the gun, but he stayed handcuffed, and the deputy was asking him questions, and so the judge was like, look, you can't, you can't keep for your main case any potentially incriminating stuff that he said while you're questioning him while he was in custody and hadn't been warned against incriminating himself. It benefits Aleman by whittling the main evidence that the state can bring against him.”

Allemand, a Republican state representative of the Mills area, 

, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Johnson County – one day after a Buffalo traffic stop just off Interstate 25.

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

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Five young Arapaho braves snuck off from Fort Robinson 150 years ago this week and fought the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, where General Custer met his demise. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackie Dorothy reports that two of the braves later told their story to actor and adopted member of the Arapaho tribe, Tim McCoy.

“These five Arapaho men were not supposed to be where they were, and they were actually captured by the Sioux, and one thing led to another, and next thing you know, the Arapahoes, these five young men are part of the battle against Custer. The two bucks, as they refer to themselves, actually saw Custer during this battle. Left Hand saw him standing and shooting into the Indians with his pistols. Waterman, when he saw Custer, Custer was on all fours on the ground, bleeding out of his mouth with a wound in his side, and Waterman must have been impacted by it, because what he said he saw was Custer watching the Indians – silent, just watching them. This battle took place 150 years ago today, and there were no prisoners taken, because the philosophy of the Indians was that  you had two choices: you either fight or you die. There was no such thing as surrender.”

They have been dubbed by historians as the Arapaho Five, warriors who found themselves fighting against General Custer 150 years ago. Their names were Left Hand, Yellow Eagle, Yellow Fly, Water Man, and Sage.

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Colorado wildlife agents are trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman on a hiking trail in Denver and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it. Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that the woman who took video of the encounter said it was “circling her.”

“At one point, a couple other hikers joined her because they heard the ruckus, and also started yelling at the bear, and it still wouldn't leave. Eventually the bear wandered off down another leg of the trail, and apparently started following other hikers. So I reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and they said they don't think that this would qualify as what they would call a predatory incident with the bear.”

The consensus among bear biologists is that while grizzlies are more likely to attack humans, black bears are more likely to attack in a purely predatory manner.

A Casper teen accused of attacking his mother led police to a hidden cache of stolen firearms and credit cards tucked behind a secret wall in his bedroom. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that court documents paint a picture of a family dispute that escalated into a foot chase through Casper neighborhoods .

“They went into his room, where they found about four stolen pistols. There is a fifth pistol they found that they also believe was stolen, but that's not confirmed yet. So, he is facing at least four felonies for these stolen guns. His mother said that earlier she had seen a credit card skimmer or a scanner. They did not find it that day, however, they did find several credit cards, so there may be further charges in the future. I spoke to the Natrona County Prosecutor, Dan Itson, and he said this 17-year old will be charged as an adult.”

Honor Jason Wickert, 17, appeared Tuesday afternoon in Natrona County Circuit Court, where he was formally charged with four felonies and several misdemeanors, including interference, domestic battery, carrying a concealed weapon, and being a minor in possession of tobacco products. 

The owner of a Wyoming sanitation company said it's not worth it to jump in a vault toilet to retrieve sunglasses like a man in California did last week. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that Adam Fink, owner of Laird Sanitation says nothing besides a family heirloom is worth diving into a vault toilet. 

“Vault toilets can be anywhere from three to 10 feet deep, and a lot of them, they don't use water, but they might be filled with the chemicals that you find in Port-a-johns, so if you go in there, you might be floating once you're in there, because it might be so deep you won't be able to touch the ground.”

The incident occurred June 20th at Camp Edison on the Sierra National Forest, northeast of Fresno and according to media reports, the unidentified man trying to recover his sunglasses was stuck inside for about 15 minutes before being rescued.

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And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

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<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Thursday's headlines include:
* Armed Standoff In Cody
* Reid Rasner Fired By Company
* It’s Not A Good Idea To Jump In Outhouse

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Chance of rain in Wyoming on Thursday and into the evening. Highs mainly in the 60s and 70s. Lows in the 40s up to the mid 50s.

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Chance of rain (some storms could be severe), otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 73 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 54.

Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 72 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 53.

 Rain likely, becoming mostly cloudy today with a high near 74 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 10 p.m. and a low near 50.

 Patchy smoke before noon, chance of rain mainly after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 78 and afternoon wind from 11-16 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m., patchy smoke and a low near 48.

  Chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., otherwise sunny and breezy today with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 50.

Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 69 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 49.

Rain likely mainly before 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 67 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 44.

 Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 70 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 47.

  Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 72 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 46.

 Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 68 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Increasing clouds and breezy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m., a low near 45 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

  Chance of rain mainly before 3 p.m., becoming sunny today with a high near 74 and increasing clouds overnight with a low near 47.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Chance of rain, otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 65 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 7 p.m. and a low near 42.

Chance of rain, increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 76 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Increasing clouds overnight with a low near 56.

:  Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 71 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 53.

  Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m. (some storms could be severe), otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 74 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 57.

  Rain likely (some storms could be severe), otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 68 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 7 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 53.

  Rain near certain today with a high near 74 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., areas of fog after 3 a.m. and a low near 48.

:  Rain near certain today with a high near 72 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 51.

Rain likely today with a high near 69 and wind gusts as high as 29 mph. Gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

  Chance of rain, cloudy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight, a low near 53 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

:  Rain likely mainly after 3 p.m., cloudy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., a low near 51 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

  Patchy fog before 10 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 70 and mostly cloudy overnight with rain likely before 9 p.m. and a low near 55.

  Patchy fog before 8 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and gradually clearing overnight with rain likely before 9 p.m. and a low near 55.

  Rain likely today with a high near 66 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 9 p.m., a low near 48 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

  Patchy fog before 9 a.m., chance of rain, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 68 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 48.

  Patchy fog before 10 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain, increasing clouds today with a high near 77 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 76 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m. and a low near 47.

  Chance of rain, gradually clearing today with a high near 81 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 46.

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<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman Sunday on a popular hiking trail, and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it.

“We don’t know for sure, because we haven’t found the bear,” Kara Van Hoose, CPW's northeast region spokeswoman, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

The bear was thought to be a “yearling, or young adult,” she added.

Predatory attacks, in which a bear is deliberately stalking a person as prey, are extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most bear attacks are defensive or territorial.

While the bear’s behavior was alarming, CPW doesn’t think it was predatory, Van Hoose said.

“It makes us think more likely a food-conditioned bear, not a predatory black bear,” she said.

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The woman, who CPW did not identify, told wildlife agents that she was attacked from behind and suffered scratches on one leg at about 5:20 p.m.

She was on the Enchanted Forest trail in the 700-acre Apex Park near Golden in Jefferson County. CPW shut down the park after the reported attack.

The woman told investigators the bear continued to follow her despite her repeated attempts to intimidate and haze it by making herself look big, shouting, and throwing rocks and sticks.

Toward the end of the encounter, the woman was joined by two hikers who responded to her calls for help. Even with all three people shouting at it, the bear was undeterred, CPW reported.

Eventually, the bear turned down another trail, where it reportedly started following other hikers, according to CPW.

The woman is an avid hiker who has had previous bear encounters, and acted appropriately by trying to intimidate and haze the bear, Van Hoose said.

The woman gave CPW a short cellphone video she took during the encounter, which helped the agency identify the bear as relatively small and probably young, Van Hoose said.

CPW isn’t at liberty to share the video with Cowboy State Daily, she said.  

 reported the woman reached out and shared the video and details of the encounter but declined to be named in their report.

The woman told Denver 7 the bear was “circling” her.

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British Columbia bear researcher Lana Ciarniello told Cowboy State Daily she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Colorado attack, but affirmed that predatory behavior is extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most human-bear conflict is rooted in human mistakes, such as deliberately feeding bears or allowing them access to garbage or other food sources, she said.

People who recreate in bear territory should “take training courses” on avoiding close encounters, and what to do if one occurs.

And “carry bear spray,” Ciarniello said.

Van Hoose said it wasn’t known for certain whether the woman attacked in Colorado was carrying bear spray.

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Ciarniello noted that a video tutorial, “Staying Safe in Bear Country”, was made years ago by the International Bear Association (IBA) but remains a “gold standard” bear-safety training tool.

In one segment, the difference is noted between defensive actions by bears versus deliberate approaches.

Bears that deliberately approach people might be driven by curiosity or food conditioning, according to IBA. In rare instances, bears see people as prey.

Colorado wildlife agents are trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman on a hiking trail in Denver and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it. The woman who took video of the encounter said it was "circling her."

One More For The Road: Thursday, February 27, 2025

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