Oregon Fire Tower Bear Attack In 1958
BY Herschel Smith
4 years, 7 months ago
In the cabin, there was a gun rack. David’s father left four guns hanging on it when he went to fight the fire. There was a double-barreled LC Smith 12 gauge shotgun; a surplus O3-A3 Springfield .30-06, sporterized by Sedgely; a Remington model 721 .300 H&H Magnum; and a Winchester model 61 pump-action .22 rifle. David’s father kept the .22 loaded for when it was necessary to dispatch a porcupine (porcupines do enormous damage to timber) or to harvest a grouse for the pot.
[ … ]
She screamed at the bear, to get out and grabbed the little Winchester .22 pump from the gun rack. She knew it was loaded.
David looked at his mother. She had the .22 rifle in her hands. She screamed at the bear again. Get Out!
The bear ignored the screams and started working its way in through the window.
David’s mother stopped screaming. She brought the rifle to her shoulder and started shooting.
[ … ]
David’s mother explained what had happened. The two men loaded the .30-06 and the .300 H&H Magnum and followed the blood trail.
There, behind the woodshed, was the bear, dead, only 30 yards from the kitchen window.
David watched his father and brother skin out the bear. As he watched, his father pointed to the wounds his mother had inflicted on the bear with the .22 Winchester model 61 pump-gun.
One shot went into the upper left jaw. Another shot went through the left eye. A third shot was just above the left eye. A fourth shot was in the nose, and a fifth shot was just below the right side of the jaw, in the neck, cutting the carotid artery on the right side. That shot was fatal. Blood had squirted from the artery, spraying the kitchen sink, the window frame, and on to the porch. The blood trail was heavy, and lead to the dead bear behind the woodshed.
A bear’s brain is located low, between and behind the eyes. A shot to or above the eye will often miss the brain.
That was a mighty fine shot, but I’ll tell you what. I’d much rather have a large bore gun for large predators.
On April 20, 2020 at 10:46 am, MTHead said:
Amazingly tough animals. Whatever caliber you use in a situation like that won’t seem big enough!