A North Jersey man tangled with a bear Friday afternoon and wound up in the hospital, the West Milford Police Department said.
The man, Rob Skrypek, 35, of West Milford, in Passaic County, was bitten on the hand, forearm, upper arm and head and was scratched on the back as he tried to defend his dog, a yellow Labrador retriever, from a bear that had wandered into his yard with her cub, the police said.
"He jumped on the bear's back and gave it a chokehold," said police dispatcher Susan Testerman.
The bear then threw Skrypek off, bit and scratched him and ran into the woods, said his wife, Carol, who was not home at the time of the attack. Rob Skrypek then went into his house and called 911.
Skrypek was in good condition Friday night at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The dog, named Duke, was treated by a veterinarian and released.
The police and wildlife officials were looking for the bear.
The bear attack was the second this week in New Jersey. On Tuesday in Sussex County, a bear hit a 2-year-old boy with its paw before being shot to death by the police. The bear attacks come amid an emotional debate over a proposal for a six-day bear hunt, which if approved would be the first in the state in 33 years.
The State Fish and Game Council proposed the hunt for Dec. 8 to 13 to help control the state's bear population. Sides were sharply drawn Thursday at a hearing in Trenton. Opponents called the hunt barbaric; supporters called it necessary to protect people and property.
Carol Skrypek said her husband is now "a strong proponent of the bear hunt."