yes, actually, I am.
You are, of course free to look at it any way you want, but to me, you could say the bear put people in danger or you could say the people put themselves in danger by voluntarily going into "bear country". And keeping in mind that the guide was equally in danger, and apparently the only one armed, and able to do something about it, and he did, AND was successful, I don't see that he put people in danger, rather the opposite.
We can argue about how his choice (and why he made it) differs from what we would choose, the fact remains no people were injured.
Not having ANY gun would be something that would bother me. Having a gun deemed "insufficient" by most people BUT USING IT SUCCUSSFULLY is, to me a much different matter.
The guy gets lucky and people want to chalk this up to skill. Amazing.
Whenever you go into a dangerous area, you have to do what you can to maximize your chances of survival. Anything less is negligent. Did Phil know he would get time for 8 shots that day? Not sure how many stories I've read of someone getting 8 shots on a bear in 3 different areas of the scene... pretty much just this story. So Phil knew the scenario that would present itself would allow him to get off a few shots, then the bear would stop and swat and thrash at his impacts and then after the bear is done swatting or posing for more shots, run off into the wood line and collapse? Who would plan for that? What is the more likely scenario we plan for in AK? Me, it's a sudden charge hoping you have time to get a one shot off. And do you drill with a 9mm?
Maybe I am off on how I look at the responsibility of a guide. I picture a guide with a couple from NY and I assume this guide is not just there to operate a GPS and let them know when it's time to eat lunch. If I'm guiding someone or group I'm not going to give them a safety brief before we depart that reads like a list of ways I'm not responsible for their lives. I don't expect the guide to be responsible for their lives if there is an earthquake, but to help them enjoy their trip safely and make sure they're alive, that is the minimum I would expect of myself as a guide. This is a couple by a river and not a hunting party.
I asked some questions in my other post. Who here would be comfortable knowing their friends or family were headed off to coastal brown bear territory with a guide that just has a 9mm? Let's say you have some life long friends that don't know anything about guns and they're checking in with you before they head out and you ask them a few questions about this guide and what he's carrying. How about if they are your family? Do you just say, "good luck Dad, I hope this guide knows what he's doing?"
Me, I'm asking to them to put the guide on the phone. I wouldn't be interested in hearing any BS about why he is just taking a 9mm, I don't care if they are Kryptonite FN. In my former profession, hitting fast moving targets is expected of us, under high stress. I consider a brown bear in dense brush to be as dangerous a situation as there could be. There is not one person I know that would, 1, use a 9mm intentionally to go up against a brown bear or feel like they were adequately armed if there was even a remote possibility of a brown bear being around, and 2, there is no one I would agree to have cover me with a 9mm in that scenario.
I've seen enough worst case scenarios play out. I don't plan based on the best case scenario.
ADDING THIS: Certain people, they know who they are, feel free to not respond to me. None of my post is in response their post.
