Backpacker vs grizzly bear in Denali Natl Park

This was the subject of a lively debate on another forum when some Alaskan outdoorsmen insisted the backpacker overreacted and that the bear was not menacing. That, if the bear had been truly menacing, the bear would have finished his attack.

However, the posters (on that other forum) said the bear was just "there" and that it presented no threat whatsoever, and that the backpacker shouldn't have been there in the first place since the backpacker was ignorant re bear's habits.

Edited to add: I think the dude from the other forum is here.
 
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Here is a video of a brown bear charge in Europe.
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I'd certainly shoot that bear, even though it's clearly signaling a bluff. It's just too close to take chances.

I just don't believe the nine shot fusillade from the hiker in this thread was in a situation anything like that.
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In this situation, bear spray would be the most effective deterrent, but If I am in any National Park in the near future, I will have both a hand gun and bear spray. The best method is one person using the spray and the other person back up with a gun if the spray is ineffective.
 
Not this again

Listen, the whole bear thing is really beat to death, just read the thread, and then go to DNR or any state Fish and Game wedsite with grizzly bears, or even black bears and read the bear awareness parts, hell even backpacking magazine has some good article


OR

If you happen to venture to a part of the country that has bear, ask a local or get a guide.

Bear spray is about the answer to almost all your questions, see you can use it, and it is effective, doesn't involve a long investigation if you use it, doesn't carry legal ramifications if you stop a bear

And if you have the shoot now question later attitude towards bears, you might even survive, cause wounding a bear with a handgun is likely to end with you dead, or in jail.
 
In this situation, bear spray would be the most effective deterrent, but If I am in any National Park in the near future, I will have both a hand gun and bear spray. The best method is one person using the spray and the other person back up with a gun if the spray is ineffective.
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Every one of these close range bear vids was shot with bear spray on my person. I only carry a firearm when I'm hiking deep into the back country.

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos
 
FWIW, I carry bear spray and a 10mm. The 10mm may or may not do the trick. If the bear spray is ineffective I doubt I'll live long enough to care.

I should mention that I've used bear spray on a couple of different bears and both have turned and ran.
 
I'll wade in here.

I dont get out into the bush a lot simply becasue I am at the shop 6 days a week. That being said I have a S&W Mountain gun 44 that I carry when I venture out, but more often I carry a 9mm....firepower...I have penetrator rounds for those times..

Thats if Im alone. Im with my wife or kid, sawed off 12 guage with buckshot

I have had customers kill Grizzly bears with 10mm, a respected retired guide I know used to carry a .357; Jim White, who is an extremely experienced outdoorsman and who has shot several bears carries a .44 special, Jim West feels confident in 460 Rowland and another experienced hunter I know carries a 223 pistol for bear protection.

Some folks think bigger is better, other prefer firepower. The nice thing about lighter calibers is that you can get shoot faster and more often:)

Just remember...you can hit a charging bear with a pistol when you are good enough to hit a softball fired at you by Hoyt Wilhelm at 35mph.

WildistayawyfrombearsbymakingnoiseAlaska TM
 
kodiakbeer said:
It will, if you're very, very lucky. Buy a short barreled shotgun. A handgun might be a viable alternative in the interior, but around here - not!
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Granted, the 10mm isn't optimal, even with DoubleTap 200gr WFNGC Beartooth rounds.

But the 10mm I have with me is better than the shotgun I left at home due to weight/bulk.

In the end, it should all be backup for a good can of bear spray anyway.
 
A lively discussion indeed. And discussion is ALWAYS a good thing. A thousand opinions, several levels of experience,etc.
But, if we return to this one particular case,, just for a page or two..... Look at the picture on the bottom of page one:
That's a yearling.

Kinda comes down to experience.
 
I think the young bear in the picture you referenced is from an actual bear attack, completely seperate from the original story the OP posted.
 
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Just remember...you can hit a charging bear with a pistol when you are good enough to hit a softball fired at you by Hoyt Wilhelm at 35mph.
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That about sums it up, except that the softball is bouncing at 35 mph. I know I'm not good enough to hit such a target with a pistol. I carry 00 buck simply because my shotgun shoots that to point of aim at ten yards, but throws slugs a few inches high.
 
jgcoastie: Granted, the 10mm isn't optimal, even with DoubleTap 200gr WFNGC Beartooth rounds.

But the 10mm I have with me is better than the shotgun I left at home due to weight/bulk.

In the end, it should all be backup for a good can of bear spray anyway.
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I think you're OK here on the Kodiak road system. Most of the bears are used to seeing people and have a healthy fear, so I rarely carry more than pepper spray, even when photographing bears.
They act very differently off the road system, they're much more aggressive and liable to challenge you for a fishing hole or react badly if you walk up on them by accident.

When it really goes bad (and I know by experience!), it happens so fast that it's a blur. That's why I recommend a shotgun since it's an instinctive point/shoot weapon. Pepper spray is fine for most encounters since the bear gives you a display of some kind, but when they really want to take you down they silently edge up to 15 or 20 yards and rush you, usually from the side or rear.
 
kodiakbeer said:
When it really goes bad (and I know by experience!), it happens so fast that it's a blur. That's why I recommend a shotgun since it's an instinctive point/shoot weapon. Pepper spray is fine for most encounters since the bear gives you a display of some kind, but when they really want to take you down they silently edge up to 15 or 20 yards and rush you, usually from the side or rear.
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Well put. However, I don't venture off the road system for fish. There's enough of them here and I typically only have a couple hours at a time to run jump in the river. The Russian and Buskin both see me a lot because they're close to home. A half-day means the Olds or American. All day is typically out to Psagschak or Saltry (very rare).

Hunting is a different story. However my typical off the road blacktail hunts involve a boat, Raspberry Island and a quick stalk down the beach. Even still, I'll be carrying a rifle so an extra long gun (shotgun) is not very practical.

Regardless, I'm never alone unless I'm on the Buskin or Russian and everybody I go with carries.

My G20SF 10mm is not the ideal bear defense gun, but pretty much all SD guns are a compromise of some variety. Like you said, it'll do on the road system..
 
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This story reminds me of a joke one of my Gun Safety instructors told when I took the class at age 16:

"How can you tell if a bear shot by a hiker was attacking or not? If there are holes in both of his paws you know he wasn't attacking." rim shot!

Also at about the same time I read a book, (can't remember the title,) documenting bear attacks where guns were used as a defense. In most cases the bullets bounced off the skulls or did little damage to the charging bears in time to stop someone from being killed. In one case the bear's heart was completely shot to pieces (with over 30 bullets in him) and he/she killed the hikers before dying. two words in addition to a gun:

BEAR MACE
 
In most cases the bullets bounced off the skulls
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Bullets don't bounce off bear skulls. The problem is that most people instinctively shoot for the forehead and the only thing behind there is a bony crest for the neck and jaw muscles to attach to. The brain is low in the head, directly behind the nose.
 
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