Surviving two Grizzly Bear Attacks

bany

Senior Member
Wow! That’s unlucky and lucky and over again. No doubt you gotta play dead!
 

jiminbogart

TCU Go Frawgs !
The dude is carrying a gun and uses bear spray to stop a griz in a death charge. He should have been killed and eaten to take his genes out of the gene pool.

The boy was dumb.
 

JustUs4All

Slow Mod
Staff member
I guess some of us are just better than others. It is in the nature of things. Perhaps, one day you will get to put your skills to the test. I hope you come out as well as this fellow did.
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
I figure he came out lucky. Always heard to play dead if a grizzly attacks, and fight back if a black bear attacks. To shoot and injure a bear at that range might make the attack even worse. Hard to say unless you`re in that position. None of us know how we will react, until it is happening to us.
 

GeorgiaBob

Senior Member
10mm, charging Griz, about 1.5 seconds to draw, aim, and fire. Just enough time to really tick the bear off with shoulder or foreleg wounds, or perhaps bouncing a round off her forehead - that is, IF you get on target before a giant paw swipes the 10mm pistol off to the next mountain! I tend to believe the people who have been in these situations and survived - shooting a charging bear with a pistol is NOT an excellent choice.

Of course, pepper spray clearly ain't a perfect alternative either!

That guy is tougher than Rambo!
 
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jbogg

Senior Member
The dude is carrying a gun and uses bear spray to stop a griz in a death charge. He should have been killed and eaten to take his genes out of the gene pool.

The boy was dumb.

Pretty harsh. I heard him interviewed on The Rich Outdoors Podcast. He has made a living outside in bear country his entire life and has taken over 25 elk over the years with a pistol. I’m not sure I would question his outdoor IQ. He survived the attacks which is proof his decision was the right one.
 

zedex

Gator Bait
Lucky dude.
I often go bear hunting alone. Lots of people are afraid of bears and how quickly they can run up on you. A fear well founded and one that lingers with me when I go.
That fear keeps me totally tuned in to everything around me.... sounds, movements, smells....
I carry bear spray, a large knife and a hard hitting rifle. If I could take a sidearm, it would be the Smith and Wesson 500.
Having run on many bears, I know they are serious critters to deal with
 
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DannyW

Senior Member
I met a guy who was involved in a grizzly attack about 10 years ago. I think his dad started the Zoom Bait business. (This guy may even be a member here...I don't know.) One minute he and his guide were quietly glassing for elk and without warning they had a furious 500 pound grizzly in their laps.

The grizzly zoned in on the guide and mauled him. The guide had a pistol on his hip but it happened so fast that he didn't even have a chance to pull it out. The hunter managed to get a shot off but apparently missed the bear. The whole attack lasted just seconds.

The keyboard commandos on another website had a field day describing how THEY would have calmly shot the bear off the guide, without shooting the guide of course, and how poorly the hunter handled the situation. The reality is that none of us are prepared for that kind of situation. My opinion is the guy did the best he probably could have done given the situation.

The attack was featured as a full length story in Outdoor Life magazine about a year later.
 

Limbhanger2881

Senior Member
The dude is carrying a gun and uses bear spray to stop a griz in a death charge. He should have been killed and eaten to take his genes out of the gene pool.

The boy was dumb.
Unless you have lived in or hunted in Grizz country, sir you have no idea what you are talking about. Bear spray is the best choice at preventing a bear attack. shooting a charging Grizz is absolutely luck if you end up hitting it in the "Right Spot" Bear spray is no joke and prevents numerous attacks every year.
 

jiminbogart

TCU Go Frawgs !
Pretty harsh. I heard him interviewed on The Rich Outdoors Podcast. He has made a living outside in bear country his entire life and has taken over 25 elk over the years with a pistol. I’m not sure I would question his outdoor IQ. He survived the attacks which is proof his decision was the right one.

How is survival proof his decision was the right one? Anyone faced with a full on charge from a grizz that decides to use bear repellant instead of a pistol is an idiot.

BTW, I'm did not question his "outdoor IQ" I question his IQ period.
 

jiminbogart

TCU Go Frawgs !
Unless you have lived in or hunted in Grizz country, sir you have no idea what you are talking about. Bear spray is the best choice at preventing a bear attack. shooting a charging Grizz is absolutely luck if you end up hitting it in the "Right Spot" Bear spray is no joke and prevents numerous attacks every year.


I'll unload a pistol on any animal before I'd spray him with repellant. When the pistol is empty I'll start spraying the Raid.

Bear spray may "prevent numerous attacks every year" or it may not. Were the attacks "real" of just charges? Would a firearm has better suited the folks who actually got attacked?

Lets wrap you in T-bones and set a grizz loose on you. You start spraying repellant and let us know how it goes. You'd better pray the wind isn't blowing.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
How is survival proof his decision was the right one? Anyone faced with a full on charge from a grizz that decides to use bear repellant instead of a pistol is an idiot.

BTW, I'm did not question his "outdoor IQ" I question his IQ period.

Not sure I follow your math. I imagine that in any full blown grizzly attack success is defined as surviving the attack. The fact that he survived is beyond dispute. Since your crystal ball doesn’t work any better than mine I’m guessing an equally successful outcome using a pistol as the first line of defense is pure speculation on your part. I don’t agree with your characterizing him as an idiot.
 

Limbhanger2881

Senior Member
I'll unload a pistol on any animal before I'd spray him with repellant. When the pistol is empty I'll start spraying the Raid.

Bear spray may "prevent numerous attacks every year" or it may not. Were the attacks "real" of just charges? Would a firearm has better suited the folks who actually got attacked?

Lets wrap you in T-bones and set a grizz loose on you. You start spraying repellant and let us know how it goes. You'd better pray the wind isn't blowing.

I have packed a lot of elk, deer and mountain goats out of the backcountry with "tbones on my back" in the Grizz country. I have been woken up at night with Grizzlies outside my tent. I have walked up on grizzlies in the backcountry. I would almost ALWAYS use bear spray as a first defense. Now don't get me wrong there could be an instance where I do use a pistol or rifle. However, I will know that situation when that time comes. Now with the wind in consideration, knowing how hard the wind blows in the west, I may would use a firearm in that instance. However, I can guarantee that you have a better chance of hitting a charging bear with Bear Spray versus a bullet.
 

TomC

Senior Member
I'd be carrying a Glock 20 with the stoutest rounds Underwood makes in hopes that I'd have one bullet left for me :):) but NO QUESTION I'd reach for the bear spray first.
 

strothershwacker

Senior Member
The gun and spray both are for peace of mind and are never a guarantee. I've worked in some gang run hoods where even armed I was fully aware that I was not in controll of my mortality. I ain't Clint Eastwood or Jeremiah Johnson. I've never hunted in grizzly country. I'd want a bear bomb with a ripcord and a hawg leg! If I survived I'd want a roll of Angel Soft!
 

Raylander

I’m Billy’s Useles Uncle.
If your in Grizzly country you carry a pistol to protect the people your with, not yourself. If that charging bear is zeroed on you. Your toast. They are big, strong, fast, silent, and on your tail before you know it. Bout the time you hear that stick pop- you head just got smacked down the mountain. Better hope your buddy is a good shot..
 
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