Man who was high, fed bears, and was mauled, gets workers' comp

[compaqxp]

A man in Montana was granted worker's compensation even though he admitted he was high on pot when a grizzly bear mauled him at a private nature park. He was feeding the bears before the attack.

A Montana court agreed to grant workers' compensation to a man who admitted he was stoned on marijuana when a grizzly bear mauled him at a nature park.

Court officials said that Brock Hopkins acted "mind-bogglingly stupid" in November 2007 when he smoked a joint and decided to feed animals at Great Bear Adventures, a privately run park where black bears and grizzlies roam free.

Hopkins was severely injured when a grizzly named Red attacked him while he was roaming the bear enclosure, Montana's Daily Inter Lake newspaper reported.

His initial application for workers' comp was denied in 2010.

But a state Supreme Court ruling overturned that decision Tuesday, saying that Hopkins' pot habit didn't contribute to his injuries.

A major issue of the case was whether Hopkins was working at the park at the time of the incident.

Park owner Russ Kilpatrick said that Hopkins was just helping out and received some money but wasn't technically employed by the park. He also said he had warned Hopkins not to feed the bears.

Hopkins insisted that he worked there, and the court eventually ruled that he was an employee and entitled to compensation in its unanimous ruling.

During the investigation, Hopkins admitted that he was high at the time of the mauling, the paper reported.

In its ruling, the court said grizzlies "are equal-opportunity maulers" and that there was no proof that Hopkins provoked the attack because he was high, the paper said.

-LINK

[Habsfan]

I hate bears

[Thor]

I have to say....... 

If I were high at work and caused an injury to myself or others while I was USN, I would have been in HUGE trouble. Hell, one cable tv company I worked for required a whiz quiz after ANY incident. I'm certain that whiz quiz would be used against a person if it ever went to court.

[Thor]

I hate bears

They make some decent food IF one knows how to prepare bear meat. And the hide is fairly useful, too.

[compaqxp]

I have to say....... 

I'm not sure but I figured I post it anyway.

[Habsfan]

I have to say....... 

If I were high at work

I think that's when compaxp posts.

[Thor]

I think that's when compaxp posts.

LOL.....   Which is it, the high part, the work part or both??

[NHSparky]

Well, in comp's case, we know it ain't the work part.

The owner of this park isn't much smarter than the DUmmie stoner.  Had I known, I wouldn't have let the freak anywhere NEAR my business for fear of exactly what happened--liability.

[BlueStateSaint]

They make some decent food IF one knows how to prepare bear meat. And the hide is fairly useful, too.

Yup.  One of the guys in the deer camp I belong to has a great bear roast recipe that involves ketchup and grape jelly.

I also want to see if a bearskin rug is an "aid in conception" for my wife and I. The thing is, I have to shoot a bear first.

[longview]

The owner of this park isn't much smarter than the DUmmie stoner.  Had I known, I wouldn't have let the freak anywhere NEAR my business for fear of exactly what happened--liability.

Exactly.

stupid + stupid = big payout

[FreeBorn]

I love bears.

Bears eat hippies. 

[DefiantSix]

I hate bears

They never seem to finish the job when you want them to, do they...

[LC EFA]

They never seem to finish the job when you want them to, do they...

Same problem with crocodiles...

[FreeBorn]

Same problem with crocodiles...

Not always, sometimes the crocs do "finish the job".
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2010/12/white-water-kayak-expedition-cancelled-after-guide-is-eaten-by-croc/

[Ptarmigan]

You don't feed wild animals including bears. When they are fed, they keep going for more and more, like giving people handouts.

[thundley4]

You don't feed wild animals including bears. When they are fed, they keep going for more and more, like giving people handouts.

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democrat Party as they have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance. This photo is of a Democrat black bear in Montana nicknamed….. Bearack Obearma.

[FreeBorn]

If that bear doesn't get his handout soon he'll whine that it's because he's a black bear.

Even if he does wrangle a picnic basket he'll still get an ACLU lawyer to sue on his behalf because his handout was of lesser quality and quantity than what polar bears receive.

[MP_Sarge]

You don't feed wild animals including bears. When they are fed, they keep going for more and more, like giving people handouts.

Not defending the guy [who was obviously a moron] but the bears in question were captive bears.

[LC EFA]

Not defending the guy [who was obviously a moron] but the bears in question were captive bears.

Captive or not they're still considered "wild" animals because they as a species haven't been domesticated for even close to enough time to be thought of as otherwise.

Even animals commonly considered domesticated will occasionally turn on humans should they choose to. Dogs , cats and democrats for example.

[MP_Sarge]

I never claimed they were domesticated.

But saying you shouldn't feed captive bears is... basically saying you should let them starve to death.  They don't have the ability to forage for food on their own- they're captive.

That's all I was responding to- not saying they were cuddly, domesticated pet bears.

Cats are barely domesticated.  They will go completely feral in one generation.
Dogs are domesticated- the fact that they will sometimes injure humans in self-defense or territorial behavior [or because they've been trained to do so] isn't evidence of their lack of domestication.  It's evidence that they also believe in the 2nd Amendment.  

[LC EFA]

I never claimed they were domesticated.

But saying you shouldn't feed captive bears is... basically saying you should let them starve to death.  They don't have the ability to forage for food on their own- they're captive.

That's all I was responding to- not saying they were cuddly, domesticated pet bears.

Cats are barely domesticated.  They will go completely feral in one generation.
Dogs are domesticated- the fact that they will sometimes injure humans in self-defense or territorial behavior [or because they've been trained to do so] isn't evidence of their lack of domestication.  It's evidence that they also believe in the 2nd Amendment.  

My point was that captive or not they're STILL wild animals.

I wasn't implying they shouldn't be fed once captive.

If you choose to feed a wild animal in the wild and if you choose to feed a wild animal in captivity - the same set of precautions should be followed to ensure your ass don't end up on the table. Captivity doesn't change the nature of the beast.

[vesta111]

Captivity is not all that great for humans either.   

Remember the 3 punks that sneak into a zoo, drunk and high and waited until after dark and taunted and teased the big CATS.    Under normal conditions the enclose was high enough so the cats could not jump out, but under harassment one or two got the Adrenalin up and leaped 3 feet over what was considered a safe fence  12 feet high and got one or 2 of the punks.   

One does not poke a stick at a chained pit bull, tease them enough and they can do amazing things to get loose.

No animal can be tamed be it a bear or human.    Hang out with people that work in county Jails or State prisons and you will hear some tales that will give you the Willey Wases about prisoners that become more dangerous then alligator.

No Anamal is safe, be it dog, cat or ferret.    They can be tamed to a point but who knows what will set off a pet to harm the family.    Bears are by nature hunters of meat there is no such thing as a tame bear, lions, tigers or
Even TOTO that was know to snap at the film crew and Judy Garland making a movie.

[NHSparky]

Vesta, don't you have some bears to go feed or something?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Does the bear get compensated for having the taste of liberal in his mouth?

[MP_Sarge]

\

One does not poke a stick at a chained pit bull, tease them enough and they can do amazing things to get loose.

Eh.  There's nothing impressive about pitbulls, aside from the lengths which the people who like the breeds will go to in attempts to prove that they have some redeemable working value.  Seems like the breed only attracts thugs and liberals.  Why?  Anyone with any sense gets a breed that can... you know... actually do the work.  There's a reason why you see Police Departments avoid them, and you *don't* see anyone being successful with the breed in any legit, competitive sport like Schutzhund or French Ring.

Now, the German Shepherd, on the other hand...
There's a dog I wouldn't suggest poking a stick at.

Poke my puppy with a stick, I dare ya!