Don't Chase Bears with a Hatchet Drunk, Warns Massachusetts Police

A very unusual warning came from the police in Massachusetts – they wrote a post on Facebook saying people should not chase bears through the woods with a dull hatchet, especially if drunk. The unusual post came after a man was caught attempting the courageous task. He was arrested in woods and taken to a police station to sober up.

Bear population in Massachusetts was almost eradicated after Europeans settled the area, with the number of bears summing up to less than 100 in the seventies. However, bears have managed to survive and now more than 4500 of them live in the state. Even though they are not considered to be dangerous, bears have been known to attack people when they feel threatened. They certainly have the strength and the teeth to fatally injure a human. 

In recent years many Massachusetts residents have found bears in their backyards, going through garbage. People have tried to sort out the situation themselves, and that is why the police have advised them to call 911 instead, so that situation can be handled in an almost risk-free manner. 

One of the officers showed how puzzled he was with the incident. “We are still trying to figure out what his end game was,” the policeman wrote. “Any thoughts on what he was going to do if he did locate it? We would certainly like to hear because we have no idea.”