The Moral of this Story: What Goes Up Will Come Down! By Charles Taylor (Florida)
This story may not have immediate relevance at first glance to Australian readers as it involves a bear that killed a man, and the only bears in Australia are in zoos. Still the moral of the story is clear. A hunter in his lack of wisdom had shot a bear that was up in a tree; yes, bears are good climbers. One man was standing about 10 feet from the base of the tree when the bear was shot, but this was not enough clearance as the bear probably hit branches on the way down, and thus fell on the man crushing him. So, if one is shooting a bear, stand back much further than this, maybe 20-30 feet. But in general, as a parable, one needs to be aware that undue care with one's actions can lead to one coming unstuck in the most severe of ways, because, what goes up, must come down.
"On Dec. 9, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) was notified of an incident in Lunenburg County, Virginia.
A group of hunters had tracked a bear up into a tree and retreated from the base of the tree before shooting the bear, the DWR said.
One hunter in the group, a 58-year-old man named Lester C. Harvey, was standing roughly 10 feet from the tree where the bear was shot, the DWR said.
When the bear fell from the tree, it landed on Harvey.
The DWR said a member of the hunting group rendered first aid until fire and EMS arrived.
Harvey was taken to a hospital for medical treatment, and he died from his injuries four days later on Dec. 13, the DWR said.
The DWR said no charges will be filed in the incident."
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