Two Bear Attacks, Two Different Outcomes
BY Herschel Smith
1 year, 2 months ago
On the evening of September 30, a sow grizzly bear charged an elk hunter in thick timber near Henry’s Lake, Idaho. According to an Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) press release issued this morning, the hunter yelled to alert his partner about the charging bruin before firing several shots from his sidearm that killed the bear “only a short distance way, before it was able to make contact.”
“The hunter immediately called the Citizens Against Poaching hotline to report the incident,” the press release states. “Idaho Department of Fish and Game responded to the call and conducted a thorough investigation. It was determined that the hunter acted in self-defense during a surprise encounter with the bear from a very close distance.”
This is incomplete reporting because we aren’t informed of the handgun make and caliber. But at least the outcome is clear.
A 73-year-old woman was mauled by a bear while walking with her husband and their dog in Montana near Glacier National Park on Sunday, officials have announced. The woman’s husband used bear spray to get the beast off his wife and they were able to make it back to their vehicle and drive to a location where they could call emergency services at around 3 pm.
Between bear spray and a large bore handgun, you know which one I’d choose.
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On October 3, 2023 at 9:47 pm, TheAlaskan said:
Amazingly, Fish and Wildlife personnel in Alaska recommend you carry bear spray in the bush.
Idiots.
On October 3, 2023 at 11:38 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
It is to the eternal discredit and dishonor of the fish & wildlife authorities that they continue to insist – against all of the evidence – that bear spray is a reliable deterrent against aggressive bears. We can agree that such sprays sometimes work, but that is a very different thing than claiming that they work all of the time, or that they work at 100% efficiency every time they are deployed.
On October 4, 2023 at 9:35 am, Don't mind me. said:
All Game and Fish departments recommend bear spray, Alaskan, even down here in Wyoming.
On October 4, 2023 at 12:11 pm, McGoo said:
“The hunter immediately called the Citizens Against Poaching hotline” Really? You have the number already programmed into your phone or you had to use your I’m in the middle of nowhere wifi to look up THAT particular number? If it’s a sow, no babies anywhere?
On October 6, 2023 at 7:38 pm, Paul B said:
I used to live near Henry’s lake. Bears are definitely out and about in that part of Idaho.
It is in Fremont county which is a little bigger that Rhodes Island. Nice place to live IMHO.
On October 6, 2023 at 9:32 pm, snuffy said:
2 dead plus a dog in Canada. Relied on spray. Became Timothy Treadwell.