WY: Fisherman uses Pistol to Defend Against Grizzly in Park

Gun Watch ^ | 19 November, 2017 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On August 25, 2015, a 27 year old man was fishing in the Snake River about 3/4 of a mile downstream from the Jackson Lake Dam, in the Grand Teton National Park. 

He heard a noise and turned to see three grizzly bears approaching him from behind, a sow and two cubs. The fisherman was carrying a pistol and bear spray. The sow stood on its hind legs. He fired a shot into the ground near the bear. The three bears then left the area.

The angler said that the bear spray could not be used in the incident.

This appears to be an effective use of a pistol to deter bears, much in the same way the bear spray is credited with being an effective use when the bear has not injured a person. From jhnewsandguide.com: 2015

On Aug. 25 a Snake River fisherman in Grand Teton National Park scared off a grizzly by firing his handgun. The grizzly, which had two cubs, stood on its hind legs but did not charge before the Star Valley resident discharged his weapon, aiming toward the ground.

“The fisherman was issued a mandatory appearance citation for discharging a firearm within a national park,” a Grand Teton park statement said. “Initial reports indicate that the fisherman had bear spray but was unable to use it.”

The fisherman was from Star Valley. He reported the incident to park officials, and was issued a mandatory court appearance citation for his trouble. Carrying and possessing loaded guns is legal in the park. Using them is not, except in particular circumstances. Using them for self defense is legal.  What constitutes self defense is decided in court. Here is the code from CFR 26 § 2.4. From cornell.edu:

§ 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.

(a) None of the provisions in this section or any regulation in this chapter may be enforced to prohibit an individual from possessing a firearm, including an assembled or functional firearm, in any National Park System unit if: 

(1) The individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm; and

(2) The possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the National Park System unit is located.

(b)

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:

(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net

(ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net

(iii) Using a weapon, trap or net

The violation, as far as I can determine, is for (b) (1) (iii), Using a weapon, trap, or net.  From chapter 36, Penalties shall be a fine or imprisonment up to six months.

In  2014, the U.S. Attorney's office for Glacier National Park dismissed all charges against Brian D. Murphy in another grizzly bear self defense case. In that case, Murphy shot the bear with a .357 revolver after his bear spray failed to stop the bear's charge.

The Missoulian reported that the penalty for discharging a firearm in the park was $500.

I searched a year of sentencing records from the Yellowstone Justice Center, at Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming for any record of the case. I was unable to find any report the fit the grizzly/ fisherman pistol discharge event. Perhaps it was dismissed as well. A case that was dismissed would not show on the database.

No name was given for the pistol and bear spray packing fisherman.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[marktwain]

I wonder if he simply paid the fine? He is local, so maybe it was dismissed.

[Vaquero]

So keep your mouth shut next time you scare away a bear. You kill it?

3 S’s. Shoot Shovel Shut Up.

[ZULU]

Must have been Obama appointees involved.

[neverevergiveup]

I don’t think most handguns would guarantee the grizzly wouldn’t just laugh it off and then maul you.

[Vaquero]

There are no guarantees in life. All you can do is prepare the best you can.

Grizz? A Ruger Alaskan in 454 casull Or .480 Ruger will kill a grizz. Question is would the mortally wounded grizzly kill you after you shoot?

Hopefully I’ll never have to find out.

[marktwain]

I have been looking for pistol defense against bears failures.

Have not found any so far, but a dozen cases where pistols worked to stop bear attacks or prevent them.

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2016/10/where-are-bear-attack-pistol-failures.html

I am updating the article with several more successful uses of pistols to stop bear attacks. About 20 now.

[neverevergiveup]

Thanks. Yes, it sounds like the ‘handgun ineffective against bears’ thing is a bit of a myth. Still, I wouldn’t want to be in the situation to find out. When in areas with grizzly bears I also hike with bells or some other kind of noisemaker, and when I’m stationary I try to make intermittent noise, sing, or whistle, to mark my presence. I guess it could be my singing that keeps the Grizzlies away.

[MarMema]

More Sierra Club and friends PUKENESS.

Yellowstone felt there was an overload of grizzlies and was about to authorize a hunt. Sierra Club and friends have it tied up in the court system.

Meanwhile, expect grizzly attacks to continue as they complete decimating the elk herds, and move on to other prey.

Wildlife needs management. Agenda 21 wants to rewild it all and let it run loose without management or human intervention. Those of us who live in flyover country know this is assinine.

[umgud]

To write such a ticket is pure chickensh!t. To self-report is ............

[Hambone 1934]

Let’s put all the excess wildlife in urban housing....They should enjoy their time there...All those delicious humans...

[MarMema]

What we on the anti-wolf right have long said...put them in Portland Oregon in the middle of the city.

There was a wolf pack discovered an hour east of us and officials went door to door telling people to keep small children and all pets indoors. Since when do we have to make our lifestyle so restrictive for vermin wolves?

We here in Michigan are anxiously awaiting the removal of federal protection for this vermin and a legal wolf hunt.

[MarMema]

What we on the anti-wolf right have long said...put them in Portland Oregon in the middle of the city.

There was a wolf pack discovered an hour east of us and officials went door to door telling people to keep small children and all pets indoors. Since when do we have to make our lifestyle so restrictive for vermin wolves?

We here in Michigan are anxiously awaiting the removal of federal protection for this vermin and a legal wolf hunt.

Grizzlies are in process of being placed in the mountains outside Seattle, even though it is against the law. That should be interesting for the hikers there in their sandals and ponytails who never carry.

[Hambone 1934]

In the middle of Portland sounds good,too...Sooooo many places,so few wildlife to put there...

[lacrew]

I suspect a handgun would be more effective than ‘bear spray’.

[Cen-Tejas]

Every year for seven years I’ve spent several weeks each summer on the Yukon River alone either in Yukon Territory, Canada or Alaska. Late one night over the gurgling sound of the Yukon I heard what were clearly bear noises like grunts and groans and roars. (I heard it because you don’t sleep real well by yourself on a Yukon River bank.)

I always have a cold camp and never cook anything where I sleep. So, my guess (at the time) was it was a random bear and he had not seen me or smelled me. Anyway, I saw him across the river which at this point was only about a thousand feet wide. On me I had my .500 S & W Magnum and my Remington 870 Tactical loaded with 000 Magnum shells.

Fortunately for me the bear just hung around in the river about ten minutes and then ambled back off into the woods.

I made my mind up during that ten minutes that if I was forced to kill the bear I would not report it just for stupid laws and regulations like this one.

Fortunately, I did not have to but it was the hairiest ten minutes of my life.

Oh, some of you may not know that it never get’s dark on the Yukon. It gets down to a sort of “dusk” that you can clearly see in. Sun’s back up between 2 & 3 a.m. Goes down after midnight.

[neverevergiveup]

“I suspect a handgun would be more effective than ‘bear spray’.”

I would agree, especially since the guy in this incident said the bear wasn’t close enough to use bear spray on. How close does the bear have to be? I don’t think I’d want to find out. Sounds like spraying a wasps nest with the hose from a few feet away.

[lacrew]

"How close does the bear have to be?"

Not knowing anything about bear spray, I will stand by: Too Close.

[Georgia Girl 2]

His first mistake was reporting it.

[Professional]

He’s required to appear and explain the circumstances for firing a gun in a National Park? Ok, that doesn’t sound completely unreasonable. I’m assuming he explains the situation, and then that is the end of it because his actions were justified and his display use of force was totally reasonable. If, and ifffffff, he got in trouble then THAT would be a problem.

Or am I missing something here?

[minnesota_bound]

#15 You are lucky the other bear on your side of the river missed you too : )
Jurassic Park ref.