Bear Kills Hiker
- Thread starter mudcat100
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The odds are very much in your favor unless you push your luck.50 yards is too close.I've been closer a few times and it's not a good feeling.
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People seem to forget that humans are NOT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN. While salmon fishing in Alaska on the Russian River.
Our plan was simple:
1. Youngest, strongest person carried backpack that had trash bags full of fish, well sealed.
2 Everyone got in front of him and watched the woods while walking.
3 Second youngest and fastest walked behind the guy with the fish.
4 On sighting of bear all guns came out, back pack dropped and we all scrambled.
We used this techinque a couple of times, the bears were more interested in fishing themselves. Funny thing about the fishing, guys would be on top of each other "Combat Fishing" and yet you could walk up or down stream a couple of hundred yards and be with your friends having a great time with room to spare.
Our plan was simple:
1. Youngest, strongest person carried backpack that had trash bags full of fish, well sealed.
2 Everyone got in front of him and watched the woods while walking.
3 Second youngest and fastest walked behind the guy with the fish.
4 On sighting of bear all guns came out, back pack dropped and we all scrambled.
We used this techinque a couple of times, the bears were more interested in fishing themselves. Funny thing about the fishing, guys would be on top of each other "Combat Fishing" and yet you could walk up or down stream a couple of hundred yards and be with your friends having a great time with room to spare.
Just saw the news report on this sad incident. NBC stated that this was the first time a bear killed a person in Denali Park. So, certainly not a common situation...
I could have heard it wrong, but I thought they said the guy was 50 feet (not 50 yards) from the bear, taking pictures, when attacked. If so, Darwin comes to mind.
I wonder what caliber, I mean how many megapixels his camera was..?
Again, sad story.
I could have heard it wrong, but I thought they said the guy was 50 feet (not 50 yards) from the bear, taking pictures, when attacked. If so, Darwin comes to mind.
I wonder what caliber, I mean how many megapixels his camera was..?
Again, sad story.
Bill_inBouse
US Veteran
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In my experience, most of those folks who go walking around places like Denali, or Yellowstone are granola eating, tree huggers who would rather be eaten by a griz than carry a dangerous object like a GUN!! Just my opinion of course.
You should "never" believe anything on NBC News.....I've read several reports and they all say 50 yards (not 50 feet). The statement from the park service says that the hiker "came within 50 yards of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile separation required by park rules"........apparently the guy was not just mauled, but was dragged from the site of the attack and eaten with the bear guarding his food cache when rangers killed it.
Don
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EQGuy
US Veteran
I spent 3 years flying around mostly coastal Alaska in mostly helicopters repairing and changing batteries on seismographs for the USGS in the late 1970's. During that time I saw a lot of big bears but fortunately none of them were up close and personal. I had checked out from the USGS warehouse a pre 64 model 70 in 375 H&H and also a S&W model 29. Quite a few times we would land at a remote site and discover the seismic vault scattered around the hill side having been dug up by a bear. The helicopter of course made a lot of noise and if there were any big bears around they left the area. The 375 was generally leaned up against a nearby tree as it is impossible to work while holding a rifle but the model 29 was always on my person. I remember one time we were flying about 100 feet above the ground in the Alaska Peninsula when a large Brownie stood up on his hind legs and waved at us. I think he may have been inviting us to dinner. The pilot looked at me and commented that he did not want to develop engine trouble anywhere around the vicinity of that bear. We had one geologist that was attacked by a black bear while doing field work in the Big Delta area and she lost both of her arms. The bear was trying to eat her. She managed to call on her radio for help and the helicopter returned and scared the bear away. She was not carrying a gun. After that incident USGS bought a crate of Remington 870 riot guns to issue to field crews. They also instituted a firearms training procedure for field crews. While most bears will run away from you I will not be taking that chance. When I went Dall Sheep hunting with my brother 9 years ago I carried my 338 Win mag loaded with 200 grain Nosler Ballistic tips and I also carried 10 250 grain partitions for any bear that may have contested my right to be on his mountain. The only bear we saw on that trip ran over the far mountain with her two cubs when she realized what we were.
mc5aw
Member
I was out the other eve for my regular 2.5 mile hike at the nearby state park. The trail heads directly off the main road, through a tall grassy field, then up into the woods. It's a beautiful wooded walk to the top of the mountain, then back again ... takes about an hour round trip. Normally there's minimal wildlife out and about, an occasional deer or turkey, though the area is open for hunting in season. As I made my way back, I reached the grassy area, roughly 100 yards off the blacktop ... the trail itself is about 7' wide, and sandwiched by waist-high vegetation on both sides ... and came across a HUGE pile of bear scat. We only have blackies here, but seeing that one of them had come down so far on the trail and went into the tall grass ... well, it was a reminder that I'm only a guest in his domain and should always be prepared. Normally a J-frame accompanies me, but the size of the scat pile might require an upgrade to an L, or even an N.
ogilvyspecial
Member
I've taken a fair number of canoe trips in Northern Ontario where Black Bears are
commonplace and the laws prevent you from being armed, unless it's a hunting
season and you buy a license. In many cases you also have to hire a guide when hunting.
My partner & I always took certain precautions and stayed aware of what
was going on around us while out in the bush and we never had any issues.
In spite of that, when I was looking into doing the Sutton River that flows through
Polar Bear Provincial Park, on the west side of Hudson's Bay, and learned that there was a
good chance that we would see Polar Bears, I opted to play it safe and stick with Black Bears.
Trust me, the allure of 6 lb. Speckled Trout (Brookies) was tempting,
but Polar Bears out on the tundra, which is the type of terrain the
Sutton flows through, somehow overrode the temptation.
commonplace and the laws prevent you from being armed, unless it's a hunting
season and you buy a license. In many cases you also have to hire a guide when hunting.
My partner & I always took certain precautions and stayed aware of what
was going on around us while out in the bush and we never had any issues.
In spite of that, when I was looking into doing the Sutton River that flows through
Polar Bear Provincial Park, on the west side of Hudson's Bay, and learned that there was a
good chance that we would see Polar Bears, I opted to play it safe and stick with Black Bears.
Trust me, the allure of 6 lb. Speckled Trout (Brookies) was tempting,
but Polar Bears out on the tundra, which is the type of terrain the
Sutton flows through, somehow overrode the temptation.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Remember, most PREDATORY bear attacks on humans are by BLACKS. I know of one stabbed to death by an angler that had about 8 or 9 bodies stashed nearby in a food cache.
I'd carry at least a four-inch barrelled .357 in your situation, probably even a six-inch M-629. I do know of .44 Magnums having stopped bear attacks, even by grizzlies and by one polar bear. The polar bear was hit with a S&W .44 Magnum with four-inch bbl., but I'm not sure if the gun was stainless or blued.
Rather disgustingly, readers of, "National Geographic" sent letters criticizing the Norwegian explorer who shot to save his life! Some of these Bambi huggers have a very warped sense of morality.
Take care!
P.S. Another member says that he saw a photo of the Norwegian's .44 in a holster and he thinks it had a six-inch bbl. If anyone can post a link to view it, please do. I'd like to read the whole story. All I saw were letters to the editor.
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Hawker Man
Member
It just goes to show, it's not how close you get to the bear, its how close the bear gets to you that counts.
681ismyfavorite
Member
bears gotta eat too.....dont line up to be a hot lunch. hiking in bear country or anywhere dangerous game can be encountered doesnt take a whole lot of common sense to prepare for. nature weeds out the weak, the laim, and the dumb.
mc5aw
Member
The article I just read (FoxNews.com) noted that the hiker's camera had been recovered, and that it contained photos of the bear minding its own business, grazing, etc. Authorities estimated that the hiker spent at least eight minutes photographing the bear before getting attacked. If this is accurate, then the hiker tempted fate in a foolish way, and got a very expected result. A sad story ... a hiker loses his life due to carelessness and ignorance, while a bear loses its life due to the same carelessness and ignorance.
LOL, isn't that the truth, what a bunch of bunk being put out by that company! At least they keep their agenda consistent, from the early news, to the late news.... It's like one big infomercial.
Oh, and that's some gruesome details, thanks for sharing.
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681ismyfavorite
Member
nature should weed out the adults who are too stupid to take reasonable measures....dont cheat mother nature.
I've been there several times. The first when I was a young teen. I remember a dumb tourist that got out of his car and approached a sow with two cubs.
He took his camera and got with 75 yards when the sow stood up and looked at him. Then she charged breifly as people yelled at the dummy to reteat.
It was actions like this butthead that eventually resulted in visitors to ride a bus through the park instead of private vehicles.
Doug M.
Member
I recall seeing videos at Yellowstone of the outcome when some dullard would try to pet a bison like a dog. FAIL. The first four letters of "wilderness" are "wild". They are not pets, and it is their home we are invading. I have seen some of these large wild animals at closer than smart range, fortunately none of them bears. I didn't want to stay that close to the cow elk I stumbled upon, probably not even full grown at that. If I found myself that close to a bear, I would find my way out of that location with alacrity. I'm sure those are great pictures, but they were not worth dying for. I sure hope the idiot had not yet produced offspring.
My wife and I were hiking in Yellowstone, not all that far out, and I started seeing things that made me wonder if we were near a bear's hunting area. I decided that I did not like the only way to be really sure, and we headed back.
My wife and I were hiking in Yellowstone, not all that far out, and I started seeing things that made me wonder if we were near a bear's hunting area. I decided that I did not like the only way to be really sure, and we headed back.
when you surprise a bear or other large wild animal in its natural habitat you run the risk of getting your "clock cleaned". this is nothing new and comes under the heading of "common sense".
what would you do , if a stranger walked into your house, uninvited ?
what would you do , if a stranger walked into your house, uninvited ?
