When you think you're alone in the Alaskan forest, you probably aren't.
Posted on 07/26/2006 8:03:17 PM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Fourteen-foot grizzly killed in Alaska
By D.A. Ray, outdoor correspondent The Sun
Deer hunting is one of the major seasons in Oklahoma. What would you do if you were doing just that and a huge bear charges you? An employee of the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska recently faced just that scenario. Although it was not bear season in the Last Frontier State, he was justified in killing the bear in self defense.
He was out deer hunting when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The guy emptied his 7mm Magnum semi-automatic rifle into the bear, and it dropped a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot it several times in the head.
The big bear was just over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12 feet, six inches high at the shoulder and 14 feet to the top of his head. It is the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Just imagine an animal of these proportions charging straight at you with nothing but hate and destruction in its very being.
The Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did not let the U.S. Forest Service employee keep the bear as a trophy. It will be stuffed, mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport to remind tourists of the risks involved when in the wild. Hunters who hunt bears in Alaska are also very familiar with the fee associated with taking a trophy bear in addition to the cost of a hunting license. The last price I heard ran in the $3000 range.
The really bizarre part of the story started when the bear was examined by the United States Forest Service. Based on the contents of the bear's stomach, it was established that the bear had killed at least two humans in the 72 hours before its demise which included a missing hiker.
The U.S. Forest Service, backtracking from where the bear had originated, found the hiker's 38 caliber pistol emptied. Not far from the pistol were the remains of the hiker. The other body has not been found.
Although the hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the bear with four of those shots (the Service ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs along with twelve 7mm slugs inside the bear's body), it only wounded the bear and probably angered it immediately.
The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days prior to the bear's own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker. Think about this: If you are an average size man; you would be level with the bear's navel when he stood upright. The bear would look you in the eye when it walked on all fours!
To give additional perspective, consider that this particular bear, standing on its hind legs, could walk up to an average single story house and look over the roof. It could walk up to a two story house and look in the bedroom windows. Think about what was running through the mind of the U.S. Forest worker when this huge thing was charging.
I have been fortunate enough to go to Alaska about a half dozen times. This trip is always exciting and offers spectacular fishing, scenery, and crisp air. On my first trip to Craig, Alaska, the guide gave me a 44 Magnum pistol and told me that black bears were numerous in the area and to only shoot if one was on top of me. Well, a four hundred pounder showed up across the stream from me and let me tell you, that was an eye opener. Thankfully, the bear was more interested in the salmon than he was of me.
After seeing the story on the 14-foot grizzly, hunters, hikers, and fishermen will be more aware of the potential dangers traveling the wilderness in Alaska. Although I am sure an encounter with a bear this size is very rare, encounters happen just the same.
Lol, I remember it was a shoulder launched missile. Let me ask you this...did you realize at the time that it was just a furry version of "Jaws" - complete with a Matt Hooper, a Quint, a Mayor and a "Chief Brody"?
Where the bears hunt you...
Even at 10'6", the bear is big enough to scare any sane person (and a few insane ones, too). Thanks for the link.
Yes, plus we (high school buddies) were mad that we wasted money on the movie.
In bear country I think I could justify having that Desert Eagle .50 cal I want. ;o
bttt
the .38 is for your self when you can smell the bear's breath on your neck.
Those drive-by bitings are the things nightmares are made of. I hope that moose fried.
The Alaska Fish & Game service has a survey on guns used by Alaskan hunters. 6.3% use the .375 H&H and it is considered a brown bear gun. They mention at the end of it that hunters who use the bigger guns seldom get enough practice to be effective hunters. The kick wears them out during practice and good aim is more important than foot pounds of killing force, that a 30 ought 6 will pass through most large game. 46% of hunters tested on a moose silhouette at 100 yards had a "kill" with 3 shots.
This bear liked Human meat. A Chinese friend of mine told me bear meat was ok, but the absolute best meat was dog meat. I still haven't tried it even though I used to live on a dog restaurant street - it smelled awfully good.
Yeah, if he stopped to reload. Twice.
When you think you're alone in the Alaskan forest, you probably aren't.
*Funny*
As the old joke goes, make sure to file off the front sight if you do, so it don't hurt so much when the bear shoves it up your @$$.
-ccm
....no kidding....I wouldn't feel all that comfy with even a .454 Casull....God, if I can't have a at least a .350 Magnum.....or if I'm packing it....a 45-70 Gov't... then forget it....I ain't going.....
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. ;~)
Snopes isn't your favorite? Why not, and who is?
Hee hee - thanks for starting my day out with a chuckle!
The Alaska Fish & Game service has a survey on guns used by Alaskan hunters. 6.3% use the .375 H&H and it is considered a brown bear gun. They mention at the end of it that hunters who use the bigger guns seldom get enough practice to be effective hunters. The kick wears them out during practice and good aim is more important than foot pounds of killing force, that a 30 ought 6 will pass through most large game. 46% of hunters tested on a moose silhouette at 100 yards had a "kill" with 3 shots.
In a way you are both right. I read an article once about a guide who kept meticulous notes on over 100 guided hunts, including what type of rifle his clients used, how many shots were fired, how many hit, and whether he had to fire a shot to finish the bear. The most often used and statistically effective gun was the 300 Win Mag. There were many kills with 30-06 and several with 7mm Rem Mag, and a good number with the 338 Win Mag. Larger calibers tended to require a surprising number of second shots due to bad placement (probably from flinch). The smallest gun used was a 270 Win, which was a one shot kill.
The thing to note is that most hunters do not shoot charging bears close up. The average distance was about 100 yards. Guides OTOH generally shoot either because the bear is dangerously close, or because the bear is wounded and running for cover. In either case they need to put it down NOW! For that they need a bigger gun than the hunter they are guiding, who will likely be taking a broadside shot at a slow moving animal from a distance.
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