Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

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Pete44ru
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Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by Pete44ru »

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Friday, September 14, 2018 in the Teton Wilderness while field dressing an elk near Terrace Mountain, approximately 5.8 miles northeast of the Turpin Meadow Trailhead.

https://buckrail.com/two-elk-hunters-at ... l-missing/

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FWiedner
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by FWiedner »

Preventable?

Loss of situational awareness?

A defensive firearm needs to be on your person.

Bear country. :?

:idea:
Government office attracts the power-mad, yet it's people who just want to be left alone to live life on their own terms who are considered dangerous.

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JerryB
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by JerryB »

I just can't imagine carrying a self defense firearm in a back pack in country that has bear attack every elk season in known bear country. Sorry for the families.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

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JB
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by JB »

"Chubon was able to run to his pack a few yards away and retrieve a pistol but was unable to safely fire a shot at the bear that had pounced upon Uptain."

Please if any of you guys see an attacking bear already on top of me, don't worry about the shot being safe. Just do your best and shoot the darn thing!
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crs
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by crs »

I hate to be a Monday Morning QB, but,,,, So many ways this might have been avoided.

I plan to be hunting bear next spring and will have a big bore rifle and magnum side arm to improve my odds.
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piller
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by piller »

If state law allows it, I would feel much safer carrying either my .44 magnum or my .480 Ruger caliber handgun when hunting in bear country. I feel sorrow for the family. May they be comforted.
D. Brian Casady
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fordwannabe
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by fordwannabe »

A little over a month from now we will be elk and mule deer hunting in Colorado. This is the third trip and each time I had to loan at least one guy abig bore revolver. I will have a 44 mag 29 on me, he will be using a super Blackhawk and we all agree, if you shoot something someone else is standing bear watch while you dress it out. Sorry for the families.
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
Nath
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by Nath »

Couldn't get a safe shot!
Get closer then!!
Psalm ch8.

Because I wish I could!
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crs
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by crs »

As Sgt. Friday said, "Just the facts, m'am".

A Texas hill country rancher once told me that he had allowed hunting of deer with gun and archery for a few years, but went to
"rifles only" after discovering a large number of arrow kills that were never found by the bow hunters. However, those bow hunters kept hunting until they did take a deer.

Not my ranch or story, but just the facts.
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draperjojo
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by draperjojo »

In case you want to help out the family, mom and 5 kids are on their own now.https://www.gofundme.com/mark-uptain.
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Blaine
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by Blaine »

Mom Grizz and her cub.... That's bad juju to run across. :|
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ywaltzucanrknrl
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by ywaltzucanrknrl »

So, I’ve been a Wyoming resident for all my 58 years. I live close to Yellowstone and we should have been hunting the grizzlies for many years---but politics get in the way. Are there too many bears or too little food---well, there are two answers to that question and only one is correct. Grizzlies love to eat and stuff—probably their two favorite things in life—well, maybe. The bears here have come to depend on us for food in many ways that aren’t all that apparent. Just for example, they are in Cody eating apples. You can’t plant a new apple tree on your private land on any of the drainages toward Yellowstone or a fruit tree for that matter (existing trees are grandfathered), plus all garbage containers in most areas have to be “bear proof”. The bears love the oat fields and travel many miles through the desert to eat corn and other crops, including honey. When you hunt here, your camp and food and kill has to be “bear proof”. They eat the dead critters killed by cars along side of the highway and roads and they relish finding a gut pile or wounded deer or elk. You can’t leave a critters gut pile where you kill it, it has to be hauled a certain distance from the trail or road. The relationship between us and them is complicated, but the real issue it that Wyoming has no right to manage their own game---it’s always subservient to some judge who thinks he knows something about science or by some law suit brought on by anti-hunters or animal activists.
As far as getting attacked, well, I’ve been lucky, but some of my friends haven’t. And as far as packing bear spray, well, you should. If only because you will be treated more favorably by the officials or jury if it goes to that. Fines here are typically approaching five figures, even in some cases that were apparent self-defense, + legal costs. I often comment that I’d rather let the bear work on me than kill it because if you survive your life with the legal system and meddling jerks is going to be hell anyway.
But, packing anything (everything) never benefitted any of my friends---it was just bam, and they were hit. Their rifle was knocked away, the bear was on top of them, biting them and they were focusing on their struggle to breath with little or no thought to getting their pistol or spray out. Other people I’ve talked with have seen it coming and I know of at least one person who was successful with spray---and several others who were successful with a rifle and killed them. As far as pistols go, I know of several people who have shot them, and although the bears left, they did not die and at least two I know of became more of a problem later in the season. There is always plenty of action around here this time of year and if you are a hunter, you wonder if it’s going to be your year or someone you know.
Just pointing this out to show there is plenty of onus on the hunter and local resident around here to make things “right” with the bears. And yes, it’s easy to second guess, and I admit, I get complacent, but things happen fast and no matter how well prepared we are, even the best laid plans fail.
So, we all make our choices and take our risks. I choose to hunt. The real disgusting part and what I see getting worse every year is the lack of empathy, respect and in some cases sympathy for the victims of the bear attack. Social media has made these incidents a sickening war of words with anonymous people making comments to dehumanize the victim. Comment’s like “happy the bear won” or “he deserved it”---terrible! I’m not knocking any of the comments on Leverguns. The bear didn’t win, the G&F or feds put it down the next day I believe---it’s a no win situation.
He was a hunter and a guide, yes, but also a father and a husband making some seasonal money, just like plenty of my friends do around here---it is a way of life for many. It’s terrible to think that someone would put out those kinds of comments for his wife and children to see. We should respect and support his family. Bears are bears, guides are guides and hunters are hunters, but those anonymous people out there making hate filled comments are the real animals and trash of society.
I hope this didn’t tread too far into politics for this forum.


Jon Carlisle
Cody, Wyoming
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fordwannabe
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by fordwannabe »

Well said. I often wonder if any of the commenters have ever seen a real bear, or if they have a clue about bears?
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
Pete44ru
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by Pete44ru »

ywaltzucanrknrl wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:15 pm
things happen fast and no matter how well prepared we are, even the best laid plans fail.


"No plan survives contact with the enemy" (Prussian military commander Helmuth van Moltke, in 1880)


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JerryB
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by JerryB »

Thank you for some local first hand info about this. It really bothers me to read the comments from the idiots on the the story from New Mexico, such ignorance and hate is hard to believe.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

JOSHUA 24:15
jkbrea
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by jkbrea »

This is a link to an update of what occurred. I also spoke with a friend of the guide. He learned the guide sustained numerous cuts to his knuckles from punching the bear repeatedly while the client was able to escape. He also deployed his entire can of bear spray at some point and was able to walk/crawl some distance before he died. Both bears were involved in the attack and later put down.

https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/env ... 6a744.html
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FWiedner
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by FWiedner »

In spite of the complaints about arm-chair quarterbacks and such, I don't believe that it's wrong to examine a situation or review the events and then speculate on what else might have been done, or what might not.

Trying to put ones-self in another man's shoes is a traditional learning tool, even if there is some perceived criticism. Learning from someone else's mistakes we used to call it.

Thanks for the update. Those guys were in a tough situation.

:|
Government office attracts the power-mad, yet it's people who just want to be left alone to live life on their own terms who are considered dangerous.

History teaches that it's a small window in which people can fight back before it is too dangerous to fight back.
Pete44ru
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Re: Bear Attacks Elk Hunters, Guide Killed

Post by Pete44ru »

jkbrea wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:59 am This is a link to an update of what occurred. I also spoke with a friend of the guide. He learned the guide sustained numerous cuts to his knuckles from punching the bear repeatedly while the client was able to escape. He also deployed his entire can of bear spray at some point and was able to walk/crawl some distance before he died. Both bears were involved in the attack and later put down.

https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/env ... 6a744.html

Wow ! :shock:

IDK what else to say, except may the guide have gone Via 'con Dios... :cry:

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