Posted on 05/31/2010 5:52:39 AM PDT by marktwain
Jackson, Wyo. » The successful prosecution of a Jackson Hole hunter who claimed self defense after killing a grizzly could set a precedent in Greater Yellowstone, where the grizzly population is expanding and loaded guns are now allowed in national parks, experts say.
A jury recently found 41-year-old Stephen Westmoreland guilty of a misdemeanor charge of illegally taking a grizzly bear stemming from an incident in September when he shot a bear. He argued self defense in a trial that hinged on the behavior of the bear, among other things.
Mark Bruscino, bear management program supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, testified at the trial about how bears act before they attack a person and told jurors that most often bruins will retreat during an encounter.
"This whole thing adds up to that people need to make sure they are in a self-defense situation," Bruscino said in an interview after the trial. "You can't kill wildlife based on an undemonstrated fear of an unrealistic threat."
Last year, seven grizzly bears were killed by hunters and hikers in self defense situations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Teton County Attorney Steve Weichman, who prosecuted the Westmoreland case, said it is one of the first instances in the country where a person was convicted of taking wildlife when claiming self defense.
Westmoreland shot the animal at 40 yards after he encountered it feeding on a moose carcass. The animal died on the other side of the moose from Westmoreland and without charging.
(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...
You don't have grizzly bears in your state do you? They don't act or display like black bears.
City folks don’t seem to understand grizzlies are not black bears, I have had black bears make fake charges and grunt when encountered, I slowly backed away, no problem, usually they just run with an amazing speed in the other direction. Grizzly bears do not warn, 40 yards is nothing, it would be on you in seconds, if he took a step towards me, I would fear for my life. Grizzlies to black bears, like pit bulls to poodles.
A backpacker recently fired nine rounds from his .45 caliber, semiautomatic pistol and killed a grizzly bear with his handgun in Alaska’s Denali National Park.
Park officials are determining the justification for the shooting. It’s legal to carry firearms in that area of the park but illegal to discharge them.
The whole planet is humanity's domain. By order of the Creator.
Bears are dangerous. They are given to attacking suddenly and for no apparent reason. Ever been around them in the wild? No? I have, in the Cherokee national forest in NC. I came close to shooting a mama bear once. Those things are HUGE, and you suddenly feel very small.
Yes!...and the horse he rode in on.
I try to avoid hiking anywhere grizzlies are. I also don’t like to swim with sharks or drive into Memphis, TN.
This country was settle that way in case you missed that ...used to be Grizz about everywhwere.
If they are humanity’s domain then why is it that He didn’t supply us with fire arms to deal with the rest of His creations?
Bear’s rule the forest as the apex predator. If you go into their domain because you want to be in nature then be clear that you might run into them and there is a chance you don’t come out alive. Same goes for sharks or orcas in the ocean.
Well aware of that fact but the fact remains, they do exist and if you go into their domain you might not come out.
all the more reason to be prepared
maybe the guy panicked...who knows?
Well, if the bear decided to charge you at that close a distance, you would be dead before you could get a shot off...ever try to hit a running griz?. they could cross that distance is 2 seconds..
That's pretty close. The human record for that distance is under 4 seconds. I'm guessing a bear could do it about as fast. What constitutes aggression at that distance? Eye contact? Not much time for a rational decision.
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