Posted on 02/08/2018 12:03:36 PM PST by marktwain
On 19 December, 2017, a bear attacked a dog and her master in Northern Minnesota. The attacks occurred at McDougal Lake a little after 10 a.m.
The unusual bear attack, in midwinter Minnesota, would have been a perfect reason to use a defensive firearm.
Instead, the unarmed dog owner went hand to hand with the bear, and was bitten on the abdomen.
ISABELLA, Minn. — Seeing his dog pinned to the ground in a black bear’s jaw, William Vagts ran to the bear, threw his arms around its neck and tried to pull the bear backward. “I didn’t even think. I just reacted. … I just held him for just a few seconds, which is a long time to hold a bear by the neck,” Vagts, 68, said as he knelt in the snow and circled his arms to re-enact what took place in his front yard on Tuesday morning. Letting go of Vagts’ 2-year-old corgi Darla, the bear turned around to bite Vagts in the abdomen before fleeing from the yard. The entire encounter with the bear was over in a minute, he said.
Bill Vagts keeps a loaded shotgun by the door and sometimes wears a holstered pistol. But Murphy was looking over Vagts shoulder on 19 December. He did not have his pistol and the shotgun was too far away.From startribune.com:
Vagts keeps a loaded shotgun by his front door and wears a sidearm at times, but “there was absolutely no time to think
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
That man is a hero for saving his dog! That is one tough dude!
LOL some people have a way of saying things.
While i wish he woulda just shot it, who am I to judge a man who attacks a bear to save his dog?
Sometimes “crazy” simply prevails.
You do not have to carry a gun to be armed! He outweighed the bear but still I wouldn’t want that fight. With him or the bear.
He really should have tried grinning at the bear. That would have been a true Davey Crockett feat.
Minnesota has small bears - I’m not taking anything away from this valiant man, but Minnesota bears are small.
First time I saw one on a golf course near Brainerd, MN I laughed and laughed with a fellow Montanan. Looked like a dog.
We have, um, let’s say LARGER bears than Minnesota.
Yes, I have to shoo them off of my property on occasion as winter approaches. 800# or so.
Had a VERY close encounter with two Alaskan brown bears. THEY were BIG mo’fo’s. Happy I was just out of reach but they wanted at me. 1,500 pounders at least.
Man did a great thing saving his pooch to be sure.
I agree, fortunately it wasn't a Griz.
I agree, fortunately it wasn't a Griz. "Vagts, 68" Don't mess with old guys....
Griz in Northern Gallatin Co.?
“Deputy Mike McGregor shot the bear with one round from his issue Remington 1187, with a 2 3/4 inch Federal Premium Tactical HV 00 buckshot load. Deputy McGregor says the load is impressive. The buckshot stays inside six inch patterns at 25 yards.”
Federal has a better Tactical buckshot load.
Freaking guy is 68! Wow.
As you know black bears weights vary for many different reasons.
The biggest bears in MN well go over 600lbs every year in Wis. some one shoots one pushing 700.
PA. also shoots some very heavy black bears 800 plus SC. is getting to be know for big bears as well.
And no you don’t want to hand to paw with any bear if you don’t have to.
The bear left Vagts, looking for easier prey. It attacked two carpenters building a garage a hundred and fifty yards away. The were running a power saw and never saw the bear until it was attacking. They were too tough for the bear, although one was bitten in the process.Daniel Boedeker, 58, used a six foot level to wack the bear, breaking the instrument in half. The bear stopped attacking his partner, 54 year old Gary Jerich. The bear turned its attention to Boedeker, knocking him down and biting him on the arm.
Jerich then returned the favor, pounding the bear on the head with a piece of siding. He broke a wooden saw horse over the bear's head. At this time Boedeker was on the ground, kicking at the bear's nose and jaws. Jerich grabbed a steel bladed shovel, and hit the bear so hard, between the eyes, the bear was knocked down. The bear ran into the garage.
The carpenters used the time to run to their work van. The bear came after them, but they were able to close the doors and drive away. Then they called 911.
Boedeker and Jerich were partially protected by their winter clothing. The bear only bruised Jerich.
“The bear swung at me and got me in the back of my coat. The claws went through my coat but didn’t go hit the Carharts. I had six layers on that day. So I backhanded it again and Dan came out of the garage with the level and swung it at the bear.
Boedeker, 58, ended up with marks on his left knee, ankle and a bruised toe where the bear tried to bite through his Snow King boots. His right arm has six lacerations an inch-and-a-half deep that barely missed arteries and tendons.
Well I’d say there’s no such thing as a small bear once he’s got a hold of you! I was surprised at the prevalence of bears in my semi-rural neighborhood. Here’s a link to my trail cam footage of a bear on my property in Bucks County, PA
And here’s the same bear on another camera, with a normal sized female for comparison. For scale, the bottom outlet of the Moultrie feeder in the background is 6’ off the ground. Friends of mine who hunt bear say he’s an honest 400 lbs or so:
Scan though my YouTube channel and you can see other footage of the 6-7 other bears in the area. I no longer use the feeders, as they scared the big deer and attracted only bears. I now carry a pistol at all times when out in the woods. Had a few encounters with the bears and so far they have all acted normally, i.e. they started running away as soon as they saw me. I can tell you with certainty that you will not outrun a bear in the woods. They can really motor.
Indeed. they come in all sizes. It is fortunate that this one happened to be on the smaller side.
Here's a 780 pounder shot in Wisconsin in 2014. http://www.postcrescent.com/story/sports/outdoors/hunting/2014/09/25/waupaca-county-wisconsin-huge-bear-hunt/16207813/
I guess you could call this gentleman brave ? Glad it mostly worked out for him but I'm betting he won't forget his gun the next time?
I woulda paid to watch those two carpenters fight that bear. Sounds like a real frontier-style donnybrook.
I live in the Bridger Mountain range we can get some big boys here.
He should have had a pocket knife with him.
Carpentry tools aren’t just tools, they’re weapons.
Teen age bears like this one are the most ill-behaved.
I was charged by one about this size in Wasilla, AK years ago. Shot him 4 times with a .308 Galil ASSAULT RIFLE and he was dead right there. Still had 16 rounds left in case any of his buddies showed up.
Rule #1 of gunfighting: Have a gun.
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