Posted on 06/18/2018 4:21:19 AM PDT by marktwain
I was just thinking, Dont make me do this, dont make me do this, Kolis said.
As he scanned the ground where the grizzly stood on all fours about a dozen feet away, the sight of the claws spurred the thought Those will kill you. His gut told him a second charge could be imminent. Adrenaline pumping, my mind was quiet, he said, as he then calmly pulled the trigger on his Smith & Wesson Model 460V revolver. The bullet struck the stationary bear in the cheek, and she fell.
Potential harm to himself averted, Kolis started cursing up a storm, mad at the situation and himself, as the bloodied bruin rolled down a steep hillside in the Bridger-Teton National Forests Boulder Basin. He shot at least three more times to end the sows misery, knowing the gravity of what had just happened.
With the pull of my finger, he said, I just killed three bears.
Smith & Wesson 460V revolver |
The dog saw the bear, the bear came after the dog, the dog ran back to the people, he related.The sow had been involved in conflicts with people before. Cora Wyoming is inside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Grizzly bears in the GYE have a bad record of being dangerous to humans. In 2017, over five percent of the grizzly bears in the GYE were either shot and killed in self defense, or killed by government officials after being shown to be an serious threat to people and their property. In 2017, that was 35 bears out of a population of about 690.
The grizzly charged head on toward one man who was legally carrying a handgun and shot it several times as it ran to 10 feet in front of him.
It happened really quickly, Lund said.
One hiker carrying bear spray had it ready but couldnt spray the bear because the other man was in front of him.
As I pulled the revolver out, a sudden calm came over me, and I knew everything would be fine.Noah kept his cool and did what he had to do. He protected himself and his friends.
I would feel bad about the cubs, but at a distance of 10 feet I’d get over that very quickly.
National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Wyoming to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.
I have mixed feelings about this incident. Its not smart to let your dog run loose in bear country because they will find a bear and lead it right back to you causing a potentially deadly conflict. The bear had stopped it’s charge and may have chosen to run off to its cubs or continue the attack. Considering the circumstances I probably would have done the same thing.
“Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.”
I dont think I have ever come across a bear thread where someone didn’t post this. It so common it’s cliche.
I agree with you. The whole incident is a damned shame. The bear was protecting its habitat and cubs against what it perceived as an invader. Once the contact was initiated between man and bear (by the dog), the outcome was probably unavoidable. A sad tale.
Other people avoid cliches like the plague, but I like them.
Also use a smaller caliber handgun...its easier to go through a bears digestive system
Handguns have been proven to be highly effective for bear defense.
Disproving many old wife’s tales about them.
Bear cubs are often killed and eaten by adult boar grizzlys.
Interesting that the bear went after the dog, if it wasn’t really going after the man. Dogs are usually pretty good at keeping bears away. Dogs tend to hit and run a few times, effectively convincing a bear to move on.
Bears, at least Grizzly’s, belong in ZOOS, or other tightly controlled and walled off areas.
People shouldn’t have to risk their lives to take a walk in their backyards.
You chose a real oldie for this time to amuse us all.
My brother shot a black bear dozens of times with a .38 special to no avail. Got himself a .454 Cadillac...case closed!
I agree. Too many dumbasses let their dogs run wild in the forest. That dog saw a bear and went charging up to it. And that’s just what he’s gonna do to a hiker or someone else.
That 23 year old needs to control his curr.
“Got himself a .454 Cadillac...case closed!”
So, he just runs over the bear?
Will one head-on crash do it? Or, does he have to back over it, and do it again just to be sure?
BS. It supposedly stopped a dozen feet from him and he thought all these things before firing.
So, was the bear moving when shot with the .38?
At long distance?
Did the bear stick around to be shot with the .454?
Where did it all happen?
People think fast in deadly force encounters.
Did he recover the bear shot with the 38
“They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes ...”
There will be an uptick in bear stools with little bells in them.
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