Bear Kills Hiker

[ogilvyspecial]

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 ?

In a previous post I mentioned about taking certain precautions
when canoe tripping in areas with heavy bear concentrations.

One of those precautions was to talk out loud, even if I was by myself on a
portage trail, especially if I had a canoe over my head, which limited my visibility.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

I do some deep wilderness photography in many areas out west....sometimes in bear country. I do move in the opposite direction when a bear is spotted.

I had an encounter last year in Yellowstone. A buddy and I were carrying a S&W 460 and a S&W 500. We both are excellent shots and shoot competitively. We both had bear spray in our hand while walking. We surprised a sow at the bend of a trail and she bolted at us. My buddy and I both let loose with spray and she stop as soon as she caught a snoot full.

Three things I can say with certainty...from my meager experience:

1) The spray worked as advertised.

2) Even if I had my S&W 460 in my hand no way would I have made a one shot kill.....she was at top speed instantly...and I might have got off one shot....at a massive skull...moving up/down/sideways. We all like to think we are gods with a gun....but few people on this planet would have got off a kill shot....no way...no how.

3) Big bears are fast...race horse fast.

I will put the flame suit on since this always stirs the pot. To clarify, this was my situation, my (our) reaction to it, and the results (everybody went home safe). Other strategies might have worked.

 

[MP22]

nature should weed out the adults who are too stupid to take reasonable measures....dont cheat mother nature.

I agree....it seems that "higher order thinking" has taken a shift in our society.

 

[arjay]

Watching how some people behave around rutting elk in Rocky Mtn National park and the bears in Yellowstone can be eye opening.The poor rangers run themselves ragged .

 

[BrainOnSigs]

Watching how some people behave around rutting elk in Rocky Mtn National park and the bears in Yellowstone can be eye opening.The poor rangers run themselves ragged .

Include the Bison in Custer State Park. People think the big shaggys are slow and hard to provoke. I always have my camera ready when someone leaves their car to approach a big bull.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Include the Bison in Custer State Park. People think the big shaggys are slow and hard to provoke. I always have my camera ready when someone leaves their car to approach a big bull.

Seems like every year during Rally Week, some joker on an unmuffled Harley decides he has some kinship with the Mighty Tatanka and rides up to a bull with his pipes blasting. Whether the encounter is fatal depends on how far the bike and rider get tossed, and on which one gets stomped when they come down.

 

[28Shooter]

That guy should have been properly armed and given that animal a wide birth. Doggone shame that bear had to lose its life for human stupity.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I like bear threads

 

[Onomea]

I think the numbskull should have used a telephoto lens....

 

[A10]

i wonder when these folks will figure out that it ain't Yogi and BooBoo out there. They probably think steaks come from the store in little packages......

 

[MORSNO]

I've had both black and grizzly bears in my yard here in Alaska and never had one want to attack me. It's called respecting the animal and their space...when they are in the yard, it's THEIR space. They are just looking for food, if you leave them alone and do not pose a threat to them, they will usually leave you alone.

 

[Horace & Daniel]

You can't fix stupid. But bears can.

 

[MaricopaKid]

My mental diary.....

"A quick breakfast of 2 granola bars, an energy drink....and hit the trail."

"Take photos of cute, snuggly bear....then lunch."

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Remember, most PREDATORY bear attacks on humans are by BLACKS.

Pretty racist remark don't you think?????

 

[Matt C.]

[QUOTE=Texas Star;136675786 I know of one stabbed to death by an angler that had about 8 or 9 bodies stashed nearby in a food cache.


Really?
In modern times?
When? Where?

 

[kennyb]

I do some deep wilderness photography in many areas out west....sometimes in bear country. I do move in the opposite direction when a bear is spotted.

I had an encounter last year in Yellowstone. A buddy and I were carrying a S&W 460 and a S&W 500. We both are excellent shots and shoot competitively. We both had bear spray in our hand while walking. We surprised a sow at the bend of a trail and she bolted at us. My buddy and I both let loose with spray and she stop as soon as she caught a snoot full.

Three things I can say with certainty...from my meager experience:

1) The spray worked as advertised.

2) Even if I had my S&W 460 in my hand no way would I have made a one shot kill.....she was at top speed instantly...and I might have got off one shot....at a massive skull...moving up/down/sideways. We all like to think we are gods with a gun....but few people on this planet would have got off a kill shot....no way...no how.

3) Big bears are fast...race horse fast.

I will put the flame suit on since this always stirs the pot. To clarify, this was my situation, my (our) reaction to it, and the results (everybody went home safe). Other strategies might have worked.

i think you are spot on...bears have ungodly speed and agility

 

[Straightshooter2]

You can't fix stupid. But bears can.

And lions. I don't remember where I read the story but a bunch of Bambi huggers were on a photo safari in Africa. One guy heard that there was a pride of lions right down the road so he drove down and set up his video. Then this brave soul thinking they would welcome him since he was no threat walked out to pet the nice lions. All subsequent events were captured on film. His remains were NOT returned to his next of kin.

As Robert Heinlein opined, "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." Apparently this goes double when wild animals are involved.

CW

 

[M29since14]

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.

I remember that story, and not that it matters, but I believe it was a 6-inch gun. I think I saw a picture of the gun in a holster that would have been too long for a 4-incher.

Am I the only one who thinks it crazy to track down and destroy these animals for just doing what they do naturally? As Vytoland says, the "victims" are walking around in the animal's backyard, presenting what doubtless must seem to them a threatening appearance. What is the point of destroying the animal because he is a "man-killer"? They are ALL potential man-killers and all are fine IF left alone. If you have to destroy the animal to save a life, that is defensible, but after the fact...

 

[mod34]

I remember that story, and not that it matters, but I believe it was a 6-inch gun. I think I saw a picture of the gun in a holster that would have been too long for a 4-incher.

Am I the only one who thinks it crazy to track down and destroy these animals for just doing what they do naturally? As Vytoland says, the "victims" are walking around in the animal's backyard, presenting what doubtless must seem to them a threatening appearance. What is the point of destroying the animal because he is a "man-killer"? They are ALL potential man-killers and all are fine IF left alone. If you have to destroy the animal to save a life, that is defensible, but after the fact...

I was going to ask the same question: why do they track down and kill the animal??

 

[trapper704]

I lived in Alaska back in the 60's before bear spray. Anyone who went fishing or into the bush packed a rifle or shotgun with slugs, pistols didn't cut it , you needed stoping power or nothing. Your talking about animals that have no fear of humans, you are part of the food chain. The enviromentilists now days know nothing about real life . they only think of wilderness as they see Yellowstone park. I am so sick of the want to be behinds of america that I could croak. Wolves need to be exterminated again. They are enginered killers and the ranchers are the victoms. Every time a cow, horse , sheep or other farmers animals are eaten by wolves, some of the people who want the wolves back should have a horse, cow dog, or other pet killed by their neighbors. Then they might feel the same lose as their local ranchers.