Posted on 07/19/2022 5:03:27 AM PDT by marktwain
The author has only found one case where a person was killed after a pistol was fired in defense against the bear.
Bears, and particularly grizzly bears, so not have much respect for anything less than what would afflict serious pain and sometimes grievous injury, as a gunshot would do. The bear spray is kind of like perfume to them. If anything, it attracts the bear.
Serious campers in Alaska carry some kind of sidearm with themselves at all times. Maybe the same thing for Montana.
I was in Montana last week. I didn’t go anywhere without my firearm.
Your description of the incident puts the reader (mentslly) on the scene. Hugely scary. Prayers for the lady that obviously loved the outdoors.
Always take a dog(s) with you while in the wild.
And a gun.
That is a given.
A dog, a gun, and person willing to use the gun are a combination which is very hard to beat.
Lying to the public about bear attacks seems standard procedure for government employees. Here in PA the Game Commission does the same thing.
Here it was black bears which they pronounced safe for a suburban area.
A Canadian researcher studied hundreds of bear attacks and among the findings was that male bears account for almost all the fatal attacks and they're attacking humans as prey. Also black bears kill more humans than other species.
My manager and her family were moving to Colorado. They were big hikers and her husband and son were pushing to get a gun for black bears or cougars. She knew I had hunted and asked my opinion. Told her I would get a gun that had a .4x in the caliber for their hikes. I had seen this same advice on here.
If the bear is there, you are in his home. Leave. Immediately.
poor woman
A Taurus titanium .357 is light and carries 7 rounds. It might be lighter than a can of bear spray.
This is what I don’t fully understand. Why the hell shoot the bear later? So it wont “attack” again?
That’s what bears do. If you are going to go hang out with the wild life, then expect there is a risk doing so. I’d rather they tranquilized the bear and relocated it.
Against a grizzly, I’d want a S&W 500 Magnum.
I am far more concerned with the predatory 2 legged critters.
What happened to the bear? Euthanized? Got away. How could they tell it was 417lbs?
I think the same way. It makes no sense. You are ijnansense invading the bears home.
People shoot when you enter their home, yet the bear is not supposed to attack when you enter its home?
Illogical.
“Why the hell shoot the bear later?”
Years back I read stories about bear attacks, and the theory was once a bear has tasted human flesh it will repeatedly seek out humans as meal. I do not know if this is fact or not, but I do recall reading it several times over the years.
I prefer my brand of bear spray....a Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum that comes with me on all my hikes. I doubt more than one “spray” would be needed to stop any bear.
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