Fatal Bear Attack in Arkansas by 70lb Black Bear

A 72-year-old man, Vernon Patton, was working on a gravel road with his tractor when a 70-pound juvenile male black bear attacked him. The attack happened on September 3, 2025, in the Mulberry Mountain area of Arkansas.  The attack occurred near Highway 23, just south of the Mulberry Mountain lodge. Vernon’s son came by to check on him. The son saw his father being attacked and drove off the bear by throwing rocks at it. From foxnews.com:

A 72-year-old man had to be airlifted to the hospital this week after he was mauled by a 70-pound bear in Arkansas, state Game and Fish Commission spokesperson Keith Stephens confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

“His injuries were extensive,” he told Fox News Digital. 

He added to the Arkansas Times: “It was a pretty severe attack. It attacked him on his face, his arms, his upper body.”

Patton was being cared for in the Intensive Care Unit in Little Rock. It appears he never regained enough to describe what happened. From  4029tv.com:

“Our beloved father, grandfather, husband and hero, Vernon Patton, was seriously injured in a bear attack while he was doing what he loved, working on his land with his family. Vernon is currently being cared for in the ICU in Little Rock. While he remains in stable condition, his injuries are extensive and ultimately not survivable. 

On September 14, 2025, Vernon Patton succumbed to his injuries. From nwahomepage.com:

The family of a Franklin County man attacked by a bear earlier this month says he has died.

Vernon Patton, 72, died from his injuries on Sept. 14, his family told KNWA/FOX24.

The bear was found a short distance from where the attack occurred. Arkansas Game and Fish personnel killed the bear. A necropsy determined it was the bear which had attacked Vernon. Testing was done for diseases. The bear did not have rabies or distemper.

Most  fatal black bear attacks are accomplished by young male black bears and are predatory attacks. Some people are attacked by sows with cubs, especially if they run from the bear or attempt to climb a tree. Black bears do not commonly attack people, so their first attempts are usually cautious, as the “test” to see if this new “prey” is dangerous or not.

This is the smallest bear this correspondent has read of which successfully killed an adult human. Bears have a very powerful bite and sharp claws which can be used to tear and rip. They often attack the head. Even small bears are very strong.

People have successfully fought off black bears with knives, clubs, and rocks. Firearms are the most successful device to stop a bear attack.

Bears were wiped out in Arkansas by the 1930’s, but were re-introduced from 1948-68. Hunting was allowed starting in 1980. There are now over 5,000 bears in the state. 765 bears were harvested in 2023, the latest season with records shown online. Most of the bears are harvested with archery equipment. Hunting with most modern rifles is not allowed in zones 4 and 5, where most of the bears are harvested. Bears may be baited on private land. Bears are not allowed to be taken when pursued by dogs.

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About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.