A Massachusetts police department has issued an extremely specific request to residents: Please don't get drunk and chase bears through the woods with a hatchet.

"If you see a bear, LEAVE IT ALONE and call us," a post on the department's Facebook page read. "We certainly don't need anyone going all Davy Crockett chasing it through the woods drunk with a dull hatchet. It is just a bad idea and not going to end well."

According to the post, a man was taken into protective custody after committing such an act.

About the Author

Featured

Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com