RIDGE RUNNER CHRONICLES: Why Are Black Bears Getting So Aggressive?

By Editor | September 30, 2025 |

By Bill Hoagland

On Sept. 3, Vernon Pattan, age 72, was driving a small tractor in northwest Arkansas when he was attacked by a black bear and later died as a result of his injuries. This attack was somewhat puzzling because Pattan was on the tractor mowing when the attack occurred; he had not deliberately provoked the attack. But here is what is so bizarre about this incident: the bear, a very young male, weighed only 70 pounds—not much more than a cub, really. Tests conducted on the cadaver of the bear later were negative for rabies or distemper. Wildlife authorities in Arkansas have been stressing how unusual this attack was, as it was the first fatality in Arkansas resulting from a black bear attack in years.
Frankly, you have to wonder how “unusual” this black bear attack really was. Unlike the aggressive grizzly bear, black bears have traditionally been regarded as non-aggressive. But lately, the black bear is becoming much more aggressive and downright dangerous. Here are examples of what I am talking about (and by the way, we probably can’t blame social media for this conduct, can we?).
On Sept. 16, a black bear entered a Dollar General store in Vernon, New Jersey mid-day and bit a shopper in one of the aisles. On Sept. 6, a man was attacked by a black bear in Boulder, Colorado while walking his dog late at night on a public street. On Aug. 15, Alexander Rojas was attacked by two black bears and dragged off of his porch in Florida. On July 12, Karen Frye was attacked and killed by a black bear in her yard in Barron County Wisconsin. On June 22, Elora Pewtrasek was killed by a black bear that broke into her RV at Lake Tahoe, California. On May 5, a black bear broke into the camper of Robert Markel, age 89, in Jerome, Florida, and dragged him outside and killed him.
While the Arkansas incident was unpredictable, the other incidents, with a little common sense, probably could have been avoided. For example, if you are in bear country and sleeping in a camper or RV with those notoriously flimsy doors, why aren’t you “packing heat”, especially if you are elderly or female? There are plenty of handguns that would prevent a “critter” from breaking down that flimsy door–whether we are talking about a black bear or the equally dangerous homosapien. Same goes for walking a dog in the dark in bear country as happened in Colorado or failing to check your yard carefully before stepping outside in bear country as happened in Wisconsin and Florida. We just need a little common sense and the ability to assess our surroundings before we get beyond our safe zone. And we need to realize that black bears are potentially more dangerous than they used to be.
For years, I turkey hunted in the Missouri Ozarks in a very remote area that over the years had an increasing number of black bears. When staying at a friend’s cabin down there, I loved to go outside in the middle of the night and “water the bushes” and “owl hoot” at the same time—admittedly weird but not illegal, right? Then my friend showed me a trail camera photo taken a week after one of my mid-night excursions; that photo showed a 600 pound male black bear at the front door of the cabin. Attached is a photo of that bear in our turkey camp. (Yes, that put an end to the plant watering and owl hooting at 2:00 a.m.).
So much has changed in today’s world, including the frequency of our encounters with bears, other wildlife and, yes, with scary humans too. You need common sense more than ever.
–––––––––––––––
■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].