Man survives bear attack, but not without scars

Missoulian (Montana) ^ | 10/29/03 | AP

[BullDog108]

Man survives bear attack, but not without scars

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) - Facing a charging bear he described as "the size of a washing machine," Enar Rosen had time to get off one shot from his deer rifle. When that didn't stop the animal, the Bozeman man knew he was in trouble.

"He was just so powerful, there wasn't much to do but let him chew on me," said Rosen, who spent one night in a Livingston hospital for observation after the Sunday attack. "I was out of options, except to play dead."

When the attack was over, Rosen had puncture wounds in his shoulder and a gash in his neck.

Rosen was deer hunting with his wife along Mill Creek, south of Livingston, when he startled the bear, which apparently had been sleeping. Rosen had just crossed a small stream when the bear charged.

Rosen retreated across the creek, then turned and fired one shot as the bear continued charging.

"I'm not sure where I hit him, but it didn't even slow him down," Rosen said.

That's when Rosen tripped and fell, and the bear was on him immediately.

"I was in his mouth and I was bouncing around, off the ground at a couple points," he said. "At first, it felt like a big vise. Then, when he shook me, I could feel things start to tear."

Out of options, Rosen went limp and played dead. The bear finally released him and walked away.

With the help of his wife, Cielia, Rosen made it back to his pickup truck and to the hospital.

The attack left Rosen with a 3-inch gash in his neck that exposed his collarbone. He also has deep puncture wounds and the bear "tore a bunch of meat away from the bone" on the back of his arm, he said.

Rosen said he didn't have time to tell if bear that attacked him was a black bear or a grizzly.

Jim Miller, a state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden who investigated the attack, said he found a blood trail indicating Rosen's shot hit the animal, but the extent of injury couldn't be determined.

"It's hard to say," he said. "They're tough animals."

[BullDog108]

Remember, never bring a deer rifle to a bear fight!

[TADSLOS]

Lucky, lucky man.

[demlosers]

He shoulda pulled out his Bowie knife.

[BullDog108]

Thanx to KG9 for the following:

'Bear-Aware' outdoorsman's tips:

1. If you intend to commune with nature by backpacking across the wilderness of the Western US, Canada, and Alaska, make sure you're armed with a rifle or handgun -- preferably equal or greater than .40 caliber for the rifle, or .44 in the case of the pistol. Don't pack it; shoulder it.

2. Don't sleep on a bear run. If you don't know what a bear run is, ask a ranger or the local sheriff for a description.

3. Don't believe any advice about running downhill away from a pursuing bear. Bears can run in circles up and down a 45-degree angle slope like an Olympic champion, and do it all afternoon. They can also climb trees better than the best human tree-climber can -- outside of a teenager from Guam who can shoot up a tree for a coconut in three seconds. There are no bears in Guam, by the way, so this example is all academic.

4. Playing 'dead' doesn't fool the bears. Playing 'giant porcupine' works lots better, but the suit is a real hassle to hump through the woods.

5. 'Gentle' black bears aren't. All bears, regardless of maturity or type, are equally dangerous. This goes double for badgers, which are just little bears with a hostile 'short guy' attitude problem.

6. Never mind the nonsense about sleeping on the ground and hoisting your food above ground in a tree. Better to sleep in the tree and leave your food on the ground far away for the bears.

7. Make an attempt to tell a local authority -- ranger or sheriff -- about your hiking plans so they know where to find your remains if you choose to ignore item #1.

8. Pepper spray will just make a bear angrier -- just like it does to a typical Los Angeles County resident. You'll never get to that damn pepper spray anyway. You *might* get to your rifle.

9. Bears are silent until you're within striking distance. They already smelled and heard you coming a few hundred yards away. A typical bear's eyesight isn't so good, but they're not Mr. Magoo. They have eyesight good enough to swat your head off your shoulders with deliberate aim.

10. Using an Elk or Deer call to attract game during hunting season has a really good chance to attract a bear instead. In kind, salmon fishing in a 'really good spot' is also where the bears fish.

11. Don't wear fragrances as they attract bears, unless it's Brut, which repels bears as effectively as it repels human females.

12. Don't wipe your hands on your pants. Forget the bears, you'll be in trouble with your mom when you get home.

13. Use a bell or whistle to both alert bears and annoy everyone else within two miles of you.

14. Never travel alone. If you're with a group, you don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun someone else in your group.

[joesnuffy]

Very fortunate man....God smiled on him...and the bear cut him a huss....

[Iowa Granny]

Boy, this is just what I needed to read about. My husband is leaving tomorrow to hunt Elk in Colorado. I think I'd better dig out the life insurance policy.

[Aggie Diller]

Always strap on a 44 mag. on when hunting anything. The bear would have instantly realized he had been smacked with something he did not like!

[Ditter]

My sister is going on a deer hunt in a few weeks near Missoula. I just sent her this.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Always strap on a 44 mag. on when hunting anything. The bear would have instantly realized he had been smacked with something he did not like!

I prefer Ruger Blackhawks in 45 Colt with the 4 5/8 inch barrel. Easy to pack and easy to pull.

[PoorMuttly]

A friend was in a trailer in a logging camp several years ago in northern California, when a black bear decided he should come out to play...so proceeded to violenty rock the trailer, as if to shake him out.

Nice to humans, they are not. This guy is the size of a tall refrigerator...but you should have seen the look on his face as he related this story. "Brown bears are O.K....but Black Bears are MEAN !

[semiarticulate]

First time in my life I can actually visualize a deer laughing to the point of tears.

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly Doctrine clearly states that when hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, ranching, strolling through the park one day...one should always be equipped to cope with the worst threat level thereabouts, and be perhaps overgunned for anything less...perhaps.

I guess this hunter found that out for himself. Muttly always try to be advised by the wounds of OTHERS, first !

[ruoflaw]

Thanks, I wouldn't want to meet a bear!

[HiJinx]

13. Use a bell or whistle to both alert bears and annoy everyone else within two miles of you.


14. Never travel alone. If you're with a group, you don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun someone else in your group.

Addition:

15. Always know what kind of bear you're dealing with. This is easy if you can see their droppings. A black bear, although dangerous, won't generally track you down, as will a grizzly. A black bear's scat is shaped like a small top hat and contains the seeds from the berries they like to eat. A grizzly bear's scat contains pepper spray bottles and whistles.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Muttly Doctrine clearly states that when hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, ranching, strolling through the park one day...one should always be equipped to cope with the worst threat level thereabouts, and be perhaps overgunned for anything less...perhaps.

I guess this hunter found that out for himself. Muttly always try to be advised by the wounds of OTHERS, first !

Oh sorry, forgot to mention I hand load those a little hot.

[secret garden]

Be careful up there.

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly fond of heavier bullets, whatever the velocity. Suppose you've tried that too. Seems to add "backpressure" burning time to powder, and impart more push to the bullet, rather than more blast at the muzzle....and did you ever blow air in a dog's face...?...we hate that. Same goes for our guns.

[D Rider]

You should also add that you should never dress out deer, elk or whatever while alone in bear country. Many bears shuch as the grizzly in Montana have been trained to come on the shot. It's sort of like ringing a dinner bell.

Remember, most hunters that are killed by bears are not eaten, but they do lose their game.

[RiflemanSharpe]

I pushed a 250 Grain hard cast lead round nose through a 3/8 steel plate, using unique powder.

[PoorMuttly]

Yum !