[at-l] Dad Kills Bear With Bare Hands!

[David Addleton]

http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2007/06/22/gwxbear0622.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

Barehanded bear killing to save sons pins Norcross dad as hero

By D. Aileen Dodd <adodd at ajc.com>
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/22/07

It's a feat of bravery worth boasting of on a T-shirt: Chris Everhart
clobbered a black bear to save his three sons.

"He killed a bear with his bare hands," bragged Everhart's oldest boy, Jake.

Yes, his bare hands and a sturdy piece of firewood thrown just right. And
that's no campfire tale.

The male bonding trip to the Chattahoochee National Forest near Helen on
Father's Day weekend is one this family won't soon forget. It was Everhart's
first camping trip with his sons outside the wilderness of their Norcross
backyard.

Everhart had planned on spending some quiet time with his sons —- Jake, 11,
Kyle, 9, and Logan, 6. But their vacation at Low Gap Creek campground was
interrupted when a hungry 275-pound female black bear showed up after dinner
was served. Everhart's heroism in the 30 seconds that followed thrust the
unassuming AT&T technician and former Marine into the national spotlight.

"I was doing what any parent would do," shrugged Everhart, a rugged
outdoorsman. "Heroes are firefighters jumping out of burning buildings. I
just got lucky."

The family was roasting marshmallows when their unexpected guest arrived. It
was about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The fish weren't biting that day, but the
bears were out. The clanging of pots and pans could be heard for miles as
people tried to scare off the animals.

So when the Everharts heard some rustling near their cooler they jumped to
their feet. The dad picked up some pots and pans to bang. Everhart's most
adventurous boy, Logan, 6, grabbed a large shovel and charged at the animal.

"He was like a knight with a spear," said Jake.

The bear was trying to slip away with the cooler in her teeth.

"Once the bear saw Logan, he dropped the cooler and started coming at
Logan," Everhart said. "[The bear] was growling."

Everhart quickly ran to his truck and grabbed the first thing he could get
his hands on —- a hefty piece of firewood. He said his pistol and his
hunting knife were packed away.

He hurled the log and knocked the bear in the head. The hungry heavyweight
went down in one blow.

Everhart's boys stood frozen in their tracks as the animal fell.

"I'm a pistol shooter," Everhart said. "The hand-eye coordination is all the
same thing."

He rushed his boys inside his Jeep to take cover. But the bear remained
quiet.

Campers nearby ran to the scene. Department of Natural Resources officials
came soon after.

Investigators had come to the campgrounds to arrest another man who tried to
run down a bear with his car. Officials said he was charged with a DUI.

The investigators told Chris Everhart that his bear was dead and carted it
away. Everhart and other campers had reported seeing a bear and three cubs
in the area.

Everhart was later issued a $75 ticket by the U.S. Forest Service for
failing to store his food properly "to prevent access by wildlife."

DNR officials said bears generally shy away from people. But because of the
extended drought, bears have been more aggressively searching for food.

Chris Everhart and his sons are planning another camping trip, maybe to the
same spot. However, Everhart says his ex-wife, Tracy Everhart, whom the boys
live with in Lawrenceville, doesn't share their enthusiasm.

The youngsters now think their dad is braver than Luke Skywalker. "That's
all done with special effects," Jake said. "He killed a bear with his bare
hands. He's pretty tough."

 Staff
Map pinpoints the site of the bear attack near Helen, Ga. Inset map
outlines area of detail in Georgia relative to Atlanta.