Black bears are considered less dangerous game animals than brown bears or grizzlies — but a hunting accident this month shows that encounters can still be deadly.
On Monday, Dec. 9, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources was notified of a hunting incident in Lunenburg County. A group of hunters were pursuing a bear when it climbed up a tree. A hunter in the group shot the black bear, causing it to fall on Lester C. Harvey, Jr., 58, of Phenix, Va., wildlife officials said in a statement.
Harvey was standing about 10 feet from the bottom of the tree, officials said. He initially survived the incident, with a member of the hunting group giving him first aid until local fire and EMS arrived on the scene. Harvey was then transported by ground to a nearby hospital. On Friday, Dec. 13, Harvey succumbed to his injuries, officials said.
“The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is not currently seeking any charges related to this incident,” a spokesperson told GearJunkie.
Lester was “a friend to all and never met a stranger,” according to an obituary. An avid outdoorsman, he is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters, and eight grandchildren.
In a tribute posted to Facebook on Dec. 11, Harvey’s son Josh initially hoped that his father would recover from the injuries sustained in the accident. Josh and some of his dad’s “good friends” were together when the accident occurred, he said.
“If you know my dad, you know a hard working, kind, caring man,” Josh Harvey wrote. “A man who has never missed a day of work. A man who would give you the shirt off his back…. A man who loves the outdoors and wouldn’t miss a good hunt for nothing!”
Black bears have killed 61 people across North America since 1900, according to the North American Bear Center. And it’s estimated that less than 100 Americans are killed each year in hunting accidents, Target Tamers reported. Given that millions of Americans purchase hunting licenses every year, accidents like these are statistically very rare.
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