Grizzly problems

[BigSky56]

Hunter has a runin with a sow grizzly on the west slope of the cabinets. danny
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/loca ... 002e0.html

[AJMD429]

He kept yelling and the larger bear charged, closing within about 25 yards when the hunter fired at it.
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"The hunter was very disappointed he had to shoot the bear, but he feared for his life," the press release states. "FWP law enforcement is ruling this as a justifiable self-defense shooting."
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However, Fish, Wildlife and Parks recommends that all hunters carry bear pepper spray, which has proven to be highly effective in deterring bears when used properly.

Sorry, but I'd do just what he did. If I couldn't avoid the bears, I'd try to 'alert' the bears, and give them chance to change course and avoid me. If one is 25 yards from me and closing despite all that, I'm not sure I'd reach for the 'pepper spray' unless I already had my sights lined up in case I had to go to "plan B".

[Hobie]

I'm all for conserving wildlife but I'm not seasoning myself for dinner.

[KirkD]

Use pepper spray? First of all, just how close does the charging bear have to be before you can reliably hit the bear in the face? I'd say 10 yards max, if you are good and your hands aren't shaking too badly. Now what if the pepper spray doesn't work? How much ground between 10 yards and closing would it take you to realize it ain't working? Let's say the bear covers 5 yards during the time you realize it isn't going to stop him. That leaves you with a charging Grizz at 5 yards. How much time does it take a charging Grizz to cover 5 yards? Is it enough time to drop your can of spray, jack in a round, and shoot and stop the Grizz? Not a chance. Whoever gave that moronic advice needs to get their naive backside off their office chair, get out in the bush with a can of pepper spray, and show the rest of us how it is done. I won't be bringing my children to watch either, as I imagine it won't be a pretty sight.

We had an incident in British Columbian several years back where a Grizz attacked two female hikers. One of the women emptied her entire can of pepper spray into the bear's face at point blank range while it was tearing up her friend. It had no effect; the bear was too riled up to notice.

[madman4570]

Absolutely would have shot the bear under those conditions.Its one thing when a single bear whether its a boar or sow alone(pepper spray ???) A sow with two cubs(he would have been dead meat)she wouldnt have stopped! Also dont know if I would have yelled/waiving the gun etc at that distance.I think it would have been better slowly backing away and not act threatening(at that distance)????and with the sows youngsters.
But I sure am no bear expert/just what I would have done! Though I would feel terrible having to do it!

[shdwlkr]

I have to agree with those who have said they would have shot the bear. I am one that if I saw two in trees I would have backed out of the area and hope not to be noticed.
I am not convinced that pepper spray would save my life, but I do know a well placed bullet will increase my chances of seeing the next day.

[Blaine]

I was told on a tour of Oregon Caves Park that if I shot one of " his " bears, I'd better have a arm ripped off, or I'd be in jail These Greeners love their bears

[madman4570]

I was told on a tour of Oregon Caves Park that if I shot one of " his " bears, I'd better have a arm ripped off, or I'd be in jail These Greeners love their bears

Blaine, I would just have looked at him and said somthing like "uh huh" thinking to myself ya right pal!
That choice is still pretty easy even if he is right. 1==possibility of doing some jail time or 2===being dead, half consumed with the other half rotting under some leaves and brush being consumed by somthing later!

[Doc Hudson]

Absolutely would have shot the bear under those conditions.Its one thing when a single bear whether its a boar or sow alone(pepper spray ???) A sow with two cubs(he would have been dead meat)she wouldnt have stopped! Also dont know if I would have yelled/waiving the gun etc at that distance.I think it would have been better slowly backing away and not act threatening(at that distance)????and with the sows youngsters.
But I sure am no bear expert/just what I would have done! Though I would feel terrible having to do it!

+100!!

I'd be more likely to carry Roman Candles or some cherry bombs than hot sauce. That might be a Mexican grizzly that likes pepper sauce on it's dinner. I figure the fireworks might have a better chance of making the bear go away , and if it didn't I'd still have a rifle.

If I lived and hunted in grizzly country, my squirrel rifle would be a .45-70!

[RIHMFIRE]

How do you tell the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat?
Black bear scat has berries and tubbers in it...Grizzly bear scat has little bells
in it and smells like pepper! BANG!

[kimwcook]

I'm all for doing what's right and it's sad to think those two yearlings are now on their own a year early. I think if I were in the same situation I'd of tried to back out, but if the bear saw me and started charging, I start yelling and then if it didn't stop, I'd start blazing with my rifle. I don't carry pepper spray in the woods and don't plan on starting. Given my profession I don't even carry it on the street. Too many things in ones hands makes one sloppy and confuses the brain. Bad things can happen. I'm glad it turned out okay for the guy on both ends.

Danny, you be darn careful out in them there mountains.

[Tristan]

I was told on a tour of Oregon Caves Park that if I shot one of " his " bears, I'd better have a arm ripped off, or I'd be in jail These Greeners love their bears

OK, let's see, I have a choice between having a limb ripped from my body and facing a prosecutor and judge the next day and explaining why a huge carnivore got his ticket punched.

Easy choice.

- Tristan

[Buck Elliott]

SHOOT THE BEAR !

Hades has reserved a few special cells for guys like the Oregon tour guide.

Since when does the man who won the fight have to "feel bad" about having won...?

The bear picked the battle; the man chose the outcome.

What has this world come to.?

[BigSky56]

You know its easy for a bureaucrat to say what you should or shouldnt do and of course they dont practice what they preach every bear team is armed with handguns and shotguns and DG rifles, the USF&G dump all their problem bears from glacier/bob and yellowstone in the cabinets/yaak area then wonder why we have conflicts. Several of the transplant bears kept up the problem activity and where shot by homeowners half of the time the people were charged and fined up to 2500$ and lost their hunting privileges for a few years. All the times Ive had run ins with bear its come down to one of 2 things sows with cubs or any bear forted up on a carcass and defending their food. A bear can move pretty fast I saw one at 35 yds in the alder drew my pistol and thumbed the hammer he was at 10 yds in that amount of time, I was able to turn him without dumping him, it happens real fast. danny

[KirkD]

Perhaps one of those bureaucrats can show us how it's done. It shouldn't be too hard to leave a ripe dead cow in Grizz country and wait until a big ol Grizz takes possession. Then we can start the cameras rolling for the training video as the bureaucrat walks up to the Grizz to provoke a charge. When ol bruin suddenly bolts toward the bureaucrat, he can show us just how to stop a Grizz charge with his can of pepper spray. They say it is "highly effective in deterring bears when used properly", so they obviously must have actually had some summer student working for the natural resources department test the procedure on enough different Grizzlies to assure us with such confidence just how 'highly effective' it really is. However, I just can't find any training videos on YouTube that show how to 'use it properly' with a real Grizzly. So lets get a fat bureaucrat off his backside to show us how to 'use it properly' on a charging Grizz.

[mescalero1]

Danny,
Be careful out there.

[Buck Elliott]

Kirk's suggestion has great merit.

I have a couple bureaucrats in mind for purposes of demonstration...

BTW, a sprayed bear is still a threat -- now or later. A dead bear is not.

Wyo G&F had to put down a marauding grizz just a few days ago. It had already been tagged and moved (relocated) a couple times before...

[Bogie35]

Tell that tour guide that he'd better hope the bear gets both your arms.

bogie

[Bogie35]

If a bear threatens me, I'll take off all my clothes and charge him screaming. Even a grizzly won't stick around for that!

bogie

[KirkD]

If a bear threatens me, I'll take off all my clothes and charge him screaming. Even a grizzly won't stick around for that!

Whoa! I don't think I could even run if I saw a sight like that ..... I'd be plumb passed out on the ground, clinging to life by a hair!

[PaulB]

These Greeners love their bears

Just a darn wildlife bureaucrat. You know what good they are.

I don't think yelling at grizzlies works very well. Backing off quietly makes more sense to me.

[KirkD]

I don't think yelling at grizzlies works very well. Backing off quietly makes more sense to me.

Well, all humor aside, as PaulB has stated, along with others earlier, I also think it is a tactical mistake to yell at Grizzlies to get their attention. Black Bears, yes, but Grizzlies that don't even notice you, well I'd say it is time to make a quiet retreat and detour. Of course, if I got a bureaucrat along, he can get up front with his can of pepper spray and show us how its done while I cheer him on from a safe distance.

[Buck Elliott]

I don't think yelling at grizzlies works very well. Backing off quietly makes more sense to me.

Well, all humor aside, as PaulB has stated, along with others earlier, I also think it is a tactical mistake to yell at Grizzlies to get their attention. Black Bears, yes, but Grizzlies that don't even notice you, well I'd say it is time to make a quiet retreat and detour. Of course, if I got a bureaucrat along, he can get up front with his can of pepper spray and show us how its done while I cheer him on from a safe distance.

Excellent suggestion ! ! !

Backing off quietly (whenever possible) is the best way to leave the field to Mr. Bruin.