Posted on 10/11/2016 3:30:33 PM PDT by marktwain
Another documented bear spray failure. In this case the victim chose to use bear spray instead of the pistol he had with him. It is an interesting contrast with Kim Woodman, who was also charged by a sow grizzly with cubs. Kim had a 10 mm pistol, a Glock model 20. He stopped the charging grizzly at almost contact distance. Kim only had 30 yards to react. Todd says the grizzly charged him from 80 yards off.
I yelled a number of times so she knew I was human and would hopefully turn back. No such luck. Within a couple seconds, she was nearly on me. I gave her a full charge of bear spray at about 25 feet. Her momentum carried her right through the orange mist and on me.Todd had a pistol with him, attached to his pack. It may have been in a chest holster, but he did not access it. We do not know precisely how the pistol was holstered, the caliber, or Todd's decision making process. We know he had time to have his bear spray out and ready, and that he started spraying when the bear was at about 25 feet. It did not work.
I tried to peek out without moving but my eyes were full of blood and I couldn't see. I thought that if she came back a third time I would be dead, so I had to do something. Staying in position on the ground, I slowly reached under my chest to grab at the pistol I was unable to get to earlier. I felt I needed something to save my life. The pistol wasn't there. I groped around again but nothing. I wiped the blood from one eye and looked around.
No bear. The pistol and holster were lying five feet to my left. The bear's ferocious bites and pulling had ripped the straps from the pack and the holster attached to it. Now trashed, that backpack may have helped prevent many more serious bites on my back and spine.Todd Orr's bear attack has gone viral. Bear spray manufacturers will no longer be able to claim that bear spray has never failed.
Yes, when you look at the bear spray “research”, a lot of the spray “successes” are against bears that are not being aggressive or charging.
As guns are legally frowned upon to use against non-aggressive bears, those sort of “successes” are simply not reported or counted in the “research”.
I am not saying that bear spray does not have a place. It does. I think it can be pretty useful to a lot of people.
But the demonization of firearms as impossible to use and not effective, is not reasonable.
A big advantage of firearms, is usually you end up with a dead bear, while with bear spray, the bear is unharmed and sometimes comes back for more, which it did in this case.
We really do not have the data for a “fair” comparison, and I do not think we can obtain good data in the current legal climate.
I’ve never been attacked by grizzly but I was at cut bank entrance to Glacier park hiking when a bear has killed two young mense women campers up the trail
The old real ranger ...back then they were Cowboys...went in armed with 45-70 and a 10 gauge slug and M29 wheelgun....1976
I have a friend who lived outside Palmer Alaska who kept guns close by like his outhouse and plane hangar etc for beer attack and had shot bear
His advice was chest area or upper shoulder so they can’t run but have to attack upright if u have the time
He kept big buckshot and 44 mag
He owned a 375 bolt he hunter elk etc with
If they are upon you advise anywhere that debilitated you can put lead into
The brains are small and their skulls thicker or as than an angus bull
You watch guys shoot charging lions and they shoot heart area as much or more than head
Again I’ve never shot a bear
I notice this attack is grasslands meet pine covered ridges country
Quite different than glacier or bitteroot or challis
Major gash flap open above right ear on dummy
You only live there what do you know?
/s
It’s like me as a Mississippian here trying to explain living with blacks...I’m often shouted down by people in whitelandia
Freepers know everything
I love Montana
From Miles city to Eureka...
Yep.
Night Of The Grizzly
Was stationed in alaska off and on during my military career. Old hand up there, a lifelong local, born and raised told me to get a double barrel 12, legal length of 18 inch barrel. Load it with 00buck and a 1 ounce sabot slug . He said in the brush we were fishing I would be lucky to get off ONE shot much less two even with the double. He carried his slung down, with electrical tape over the muzzles. The gun was painted with flat grey rustolieum spray paint to prevent rust and he had six spare rounds of 00 buck and slugs on a leather stock sock with a sling.
His main points to consider, time, maybe two shots at a charging griz from the brush.
reliability of the double barrel and the fact you have two barrels, two firing pins.
A lighter weight to carry a lot and shoot a little. He could bring that shotgun into play faster than most can draw a pistol from a holster.
Saw many a gun store up there filled with “used” dangerous game rifles in 460 wthby mag, 375 H&H mag, 458 Win Mag etc .
Watching the locals.... they carried a 30-06 or 35 Whelen where I was at.
Best bear defense when fishing or out and about, camping etc was a trained bear dog or two with a double barrel 12ga shotgun.
My rig was a Ruger redhawk 5 inch 44 mag and a knickerbocker 12ga double from the american gun company with 18 inch barrels and a short length of pull with the toe of the stock shaved to accommodate foul weather bulky clothing . Sling and a gold bead front sight.
And always fish or camp with friends who owned trained bear dogs.
Guy in the photo doesn’t just look alive, he looks ALIVE!!!
On an adrenaline high.
When I go to AK, I carry a .454 SRH w/7.5” bbl. Most of the time this gun is a hunter, as is yours. For woods protection with a handgun, I’d like as big, but shorter.
Exactly!
And lucky to be so.
The pics at the site show a major butterfly cleft type gash above that ear
Death by wild animal mauling is something our forebears dealt with a lot
Now it’s relegated mostly to primitive areas and the occasional dog attack
I had a buddy attacked near Stann Creek Belize in the 70s by an older male jaguar
He was drunk..,the human...walking thru bush to his camp where he was building a perm structure after a late night drinking
The cat leaped on his back going for his back neck and he has presence of mind to open his folding gerber and start jooging with all the life he has
He stabbed it around 40-50 times with 5-6 inch blade and killed it
But man his scalp and back were eat up and are to this day
Had it been a prime cat he would have never had a chance
Dang ,,,
Great stuff,
I need to get out more!
Useful tips.
lol! Thanks. I needed the laugh.
I wanted the long barrell because it reduces the kick of the 50 cal Magnum.
Carried a 500 linebaugh built by Bowen for me last time I was there...... liken it to an Alaskan BBQ gun.
Still like a stainless 5 inch Redhawk in 45 Colt or 44 Rem Mag for EDC up there using hammerhead commercial loads that I waterproof myself after purchase.
Colorado and New Mexico carry is a SW 329PD in 44 mag where bear or big cats dwell. Colorados crazy firearms capacity laws make the 329PD an easy choice for woods or hoods.
I was an early fan of the Linebaughs. I’m now leaning toward the Ruger Alaskan .454.
Freepmail me anytime you are in the area, wardaddy. I’m originally from Georgia and have lived in the Carolinas and Florida. I can relate to your Mississippian perspective.
But I’m never leaving Montana and my wife knows where to spread my ashes, which will fertilize the grass the deer and elk eat and settle in the stream beds where the trout spawn.
Don’t be surprised I don’t show up sometime
My boys are always game for road trip from Tuscon to Kalispel
Mountains
Let’s roll
Wifey not so much
“Is there a Neiman Matcus there?”
I always notice lots of southern flagabilia and Gadsdens in the Flathead area above Missoula
I carry mine when I am out in the wilderness in NM or AZ. I carry my 1911 in the “urban wilderness”.
bkmk
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