Man shoots grizzly bear sow that charged him near trail off Chena Hot Springs Road (Alaska)

[Dial H For Hero]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-shoots-grizzly-bear-sow-134700654.html

Jul. 21—A man shot a grizzly bear sow Monday morning after it charged him and his son in a remote area off a trail near Chena Hot Springs Road northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska State Troopers said.

The injured bear had not been located by Tuesday afternoon.

The man and son happened upon the sow and cub around 11:12 a.m. while walking in a remote area near Smallwood Trail off Chena Hot Springs Road, troopers wrote in an online statement.

"Once the adult male and the sow made eye contact the bear charged," troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel said.

[we can do it]

1. I call bullshit.

[Dial H For Hero]

3. Based upon what, exactly? The Alaska State Troopers are backing his story.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

4. Alaska State Troopers don't share your opinion,

and they were the ones that investigated it, so what are you basing your statement on?

[we can do it]

8. They didn't witness it, they're going on bear shooters story.

[secondwind]

11. The shooter was in a remote area....

OFF A TRAIL. Who does this, with a young child in tow?

[we can do it]

12. Exactly. Gun humping asshole.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

32. Judge much? nt

[EX500rider]

116. Hiking in bear country in Alaska- a hi powered rifle is a good idea. nt

[Dial H For Hero]

14. How old is his son? The story didn't say.

[sarisataka]

21. OMG, he took his son

OFF THE TRAIL????

CHILD ABUSE!!!!!!!!

My children have never stepped off pavement in their lives!

[Zeitghost]

23. I do

I've hiked and backpacked with my kids since they were born, off trail and on. They started on our backs and had their own (small) packs by 3. We just got back from a 50 mile wilderness trip. It's been a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby for the family.

[DenaliDemocrat]

111. Pretty much everyone in Alaska

There are no roads n the state

[MarineCombatEngineer]

27. Ok,

so what are you basing your statement on?
Are you calling the dad and son liars?
If so, then why?

[we can do it]

33. Unless he had his dick, er um gun already in hand, it's unlikely he'd have time to shoot.

Looking for something to kill comes to mind.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

35. Again, you know this...............how?

All your doing is wild speculating without any facts to back it up.
I think I'll believe those that were there and those that investigated it, not someone on a chat board who has no fucking clue as to what went on and is making wild accusations without any facts to back it up.

[we can do it]

36. Try taking a class on back country wildlife / hiking safety and get back to me.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

38. And there you go again, wild speculating,

there's a saying that goes something like this:
It's better to keep one's mouth shut and let people think they're a fool rather than open it and prove them right.
You might want to heed that.

[we can do it]

45. Whatever that means. I do extended back country hikes and have seen grizzlies and black bears.

Its their home.
But hey shoot anything that moves.....

[MarineCombatEngineer]

49. And just what makes you think that I haven't?

You know nothing about me and my life, other than I spent a lifetime in the military and am a owner/operator truck driver, which are in my profile, yet you make wild accusations without any proof.

Once again, it's better to keep one's mouth shut and let others think one is a fool rather than open one's mouth and prove them right.

Just sayin.

[Devil Child]

52. No no no! Don't stop, please keep this discussion going!

Quite entertaining reading about this roaming father-son duo searching for bears to murder.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

54. LOL.

I see what you did there.
Well played.

[sarisataka]

37. That's racist

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215643641#post14

[MarineCombatEngineer]

39. LOL.

Well played sir, well played.

[we can do it]

42. ok whatever

[Dial H For Hero]

46. Ha!

[Devil Child]

53. That's a bingo!

Well done.

[Dial H For Hero]

43. Per another story I just found, that is not the case.

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/07/21/fairbanks-man-shoots-grizzly-bear-he-says-was-charging-him/

Wyble said he yelled at the bear but the animal kept charging.

“She was coming fast and she was growling,” he said.

Wyble, an experienced hunter, said he drew a .44 pistol he carried in a chest holster and took aim.

“I think she was maybe 5 or 10 yards from me when when I shot her and then Kendall said that she rolled and then she was about 5 feet from me. And then she took off,” he said.

[DenaliDemocrat]

18. Lol? As an Alaska resident

Why? This happens every year.

[Bucky]

121. It's important to know why bears charge

It's cause they don't carry cash

[Zeitghost]

24. Poachers

Don't file police reports.

[we can do it]

26. CYA, bear walked away.

[Sgent]

115. Yep

and also don't hunt with a pistol.

[TheBlackAdder]

108. If the guy was a poacher and didn't possess the carcass, why even admit to shooting at it?

[Kali]

2. ...

[Wounded Bear]

5. A mother bear with her cub is a dangerous thing...

hope she's OK.

[uponit7771]

17. +1, I still wonder why mother bears see humans as a threat other than "humans are stupid ...

... and its best to kill them" being socialized among bear community.

Do they have bad eyesight?

answered my own question, their eyesight is as good as ours

https://blog.nwf.org/2013/12/5-myths-about-bears/#:~:text=Myth%3A%20Bears%20have%20poor%20eyesight,the%20back%20of%20their%20eye.

tia

[we can do it]

40. They startle them and get between mother and cub.

You’re supposed to stay 100 yards away at least. Other animals are smarter.

[uponit7771]

58. 👍🏿

[uponit7771]

59. 👍🏿

[Bucky]

122. It's instinct. They know that we are apex predators.

Plus bears ain't dumb. Like many big mammals they can plan, worry, and have a rudimentary understanding of what humans are. They sure must know that guns are loud and scary and that humans carry them. For a million years we've outcompeted with them for being top of the food chain. It makes perfect sense that one would start something with a human, if their cub is nearby.

[Bayard]

6. Protecting her cub

So now she's out there wounded, and the cub probably won't make it.

Hiking with a .44 Magnum means you don't have to follow normal bear precautions.

[Dial H For Hero]

7. Which precautions did he not follow? Nothing in the story indicates he was careless.

[secondwind]

9. He was in a remote area...OFF A TRAIL

[Dial H For Hero]

13. Per the story, he was near the trail.

In any case, what difference would it have made had he encounted the bear while on a trail? Grizzly encounters happen all the time to people on trails.

[DenaliDemocrat]

19. Which is what 99.999999% of Alaska happens to be

It’s not fucking western Pennsylvania

[onethatcares]

31. Amen to that.

and people that have been attacked by the bears of Alaska have said, "I couldn't believe something so large could be so quiet or move so fast".

I was stationed in Ft Richardson 1972 and did the stupid. Hitched a ride to near Kings mountain and went into the woods, pitched a tent near a stream. About an hour later I look up stream and see a big bear. I decamped and walked out of the woods hollering and beating a frying pan. I had no firearm with me.......none........zip......nada. I was amazingly lucky that bear didn't get an attitude and kill me for the hell of it. I had as much right to those woods as he did.

I read that from the git go, bears get hurt and they can't go to therapy or the chiropractor, or they might chip a tooth in a fight with another bear and their insurance won't cover that so they walk around in pain just looking for someone to kick the jeebeezuzzz outa.

Can't say I blame them.

Never camped alone again, anywhere.

[DenaliDemocrat]

50. I was charged on a job site up at Kotz

I can’t stand it when people with a thimble full of knowledge feel compelled to express their righteous indignation

[onethatcares]

57. the wilderness between Anchorage and Fairbanks

is mindboggling, and the bears have first dibs on the prime real estate.

I always think of the Far Side cartoon showing a bear picking his teeth and saying to his mate, "Not bad, no hair, no claws and easy to digest"

[EX500rider]

117. So bears won't attack you on a trail....good to know...lol

[we can do it]

34. All of them.

http://www.bearsmart.com/play/bear-encounters/

[DenaliDemocrat]

51. Just for the record

How much time have you spent in the bush.

[we can do it]

56. A few weeks every summer.

Favorite is Glacier National Park, prime grizzly country.

[USALiberal]

94. Are we not gonna have to hear your story about how long do you have?

[we can do it]

60. More info

This U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service publication Fact Sheet #8 – Bear Spray vs. Bullets – Which offers better protection? (pdf file) states that since 1992, 50% of all people that attempt to protect themselves from grizzly bear attacks with a firearm were injured. Those that used pepper spray “escaped injury most of the time”, and if they were attacked, their injuries were less serious and the attacks did not last as long. So if you plan to hike or hunt in grizzly bear country, get yourself a magnum sized pepper spray canister and keep it handy in a holster. It will be as useless as an unloaded gun if it’s in your backpack. I take that back. An unloaded gun can be used as a hammer.

https://www.backcountrychronicles.com/bear-spray-pepper-spray-vs-gun/

[MarineCombatEngineer]

61. Yeah? So?

How does this prove your initial statement that the father's story is bullshit?

[DenaliDemocrat]

66. You have never even seen a grizzly outside of a zoo

Have you?

[we can do it]

67. I have, twice fairly close.

[DenaliDemocrat]

69. Well I had one in the fucking parking lot

Down at Seward. So quit pretending you understand…because you don’t

[we can do it]

71. How do you know that exactly?

[DenaliDemocrat]

88. Because I have bear safety training as part of my job every year

And you have no idea what you are talking about as it directly contradicts everything we are taught (well, maybe not all, but most). It is taught by local experts

[USALiberal]

97. Link to classes please! Nt

[DenaliDemocrat]

103. It's in person

Not online

[USALiberal]

104. I mean to sign up! Nt

[DenaliDemocrat]

131. It's a government trainer

I don’t know that there is a link. I have helicopter safety training and ATV training yearly too.

Our trainers tell us bear spray is better than most handguns, but first choice is a high powered rifle followed by a 12 gauge with BRASS slugs. We check out firearms as part of our field work. Many jobs have a bear watcher who sits high on a chair like a lifeguard watching for incoming bears.

[USALiberal]

132. Thank you! Nt

[we can do it]

92. A parking lot, wow. Must have been close to a building.

[USALiberal]

95. Did you have to open fire with your guns? Nt

[USALiberal]

101. It was a serious question, or did they just leave? Nt

[DenaliDemocrat]

106. I have been charged- yes!

I did not shoot, but much like the person in this story, I was PREPARED to shoot. I was working up above the Arctic circle and had a .338 RUM with Swift A frame bullets for bear safety. Like this story, she had a cub, but we did not startle her, she wandered into our area. She bluff charged four times and broke each charge off about 20 yards out. There was a brown patch of ground that I made a mental note “If she crosses that patch, I have to shoot”. Four times she charged, four times she stopped short. Then she raised on her hind legs woofed and then ran off.

[DenaliDemocrat]

107. I have been charged- yes!

I did not shoot, but much like the person in this story, I was PREPARED to shoot. I was working up above the Arctic circle and had a .338 RUM with Swift A frame bullets for bear safety. Like this story, she had a cub, but we did not startle her, she wandered into our area. She bluff charged four times and broke each charge off about 20 yards out. There was a brown patch of ground that I made a mental note “If she crosses that patch, I have to shoot”. Four times she charged, four times she stopped short. Then she raised on her hind legs woofed and then ran off.

[we can do it]

10. Probably not making a sound and startling bear.

Could have been a bluff charge
Gawd forbid gun humper would carry bear spray.

[Journeyman]

16. It's very easy to avoid all types of bears, even Grizzlies. . .

In Montana, when I hiked there some years ago, there was sage advice posted at the trail head.

The sign warned that both Black Bears and Grizzlies were in the area and advised that the way to safeguard from attack was to wear small bells on your clothing, to alert the bears you were nearby, and to carry pepper spray to use if the bears got too close.

The sign said the best way to determine if there were bears nearby was to look for fresh scat along the trails. Black Bear scat, it said, has small berries and bits of fur mixed in, all part of the bear's diet. Grizzly scat was easier to identify as it's larger, smells like pepper spray, and has little bells sprinkled throughout.

[we can do it]

20. I agree. Another shoot first asshole.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

28. And you know this.........how?

Were you there?
Did you witness it?
If you did, then you should get in contact with the Alaska State Police and give your side of the story.

[LanternWaste]

125. Chill fella... the bear is dead and the guy with the gun walks w/o a scratch

All is well with your world. The bad old bear was shot and killed. Can't really imagine why you act so aggrieved and frustrated (fingers crossed it's merely an act).

[Journeyman]

44. "Son, I say, son . . ."

[PTWB]

90. LOL

*WOOSH*

🤣🤣🤣

[DenaliDemocrat]

68. Live up here for 20 years

Then tell me about it. Shit happens. Most everyone up here is reasonably bear smart. There are a ton of grizzlies, some as much as one per square mile. Ran into in Kincaid Park. Had one walk out on the field while my daughter was playing softball.

Really, it’s a bit more complicated than you seem to imply

[Journeyman]

70. Post #44, just above yours . . .

[Bayard]

113. LOL!

[DemocraticPatriot]

119. HA! That's a good one, lol

"Grizzly scat was easier to identify as it's larger, smells like pepper spray, and has little bells sprinkled throughout."

[MarineCombatEngineer]

30. Is this you?

Is this how you know his statement is bullshit?

[Polybius]

47. How about bears learn this:

Don't wanna die? Well don't charge a human."

[Devil Child]

72. This gun humper carries both

Bear spray doesn't always work, the situation may be such that bear spray is not usable, that is where a firearm comes in.

Hell, I even have a bear-whistle attached to my shoulder strap that is always in reach just in case I run into a bear. Again.

[Dial H For Hero]

75. Per the 2nd story, he tried yelling at the bear (which didn't work), drew his revolver, and waited

until it was within 5 to 10 yards away before firing.

[we can do it]

76. Yelling after he startled it.

[Dial H For Hero]

78. It's Alaska. One can startle a bear unexpectedly virtually anywher.

[BGBD]

15. Judging by the comments

It seems a lot of posters are upset the man and boy weren't eaten.....based solely on him owning a gun.

[we can do it]

22. SMDH

[Dial H For Hero]

25. I blame Disney.

Cartoon:



Reality:



Only half-serious, but the Disneyfication of some people's feelings about wildlife is a real cultural phenomenon.

[USALiberal]

102. So your idea is to make cartoons that kill people? Nt

[Dial H For Hero]

109. The only cartoon I know of that kills people is Judge Doom.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

29. It would seem so,

especially one poster here.

[sarisataka]

81. In most human vs predator cases

The replies one or more of three responses:

-you should just scare the predator away
-why were you in the predator's area anyway
-just submit, maybe you will not be harmed

[Dial H For Hero]

83. Let's not forget:

-too bad the human won

[Devil Child]

112. You are omitting my favorite, death penalty for "trespassing" on mother nature's turf

The palpable rage at someone daring to go outside and do. That's just my read of it when reading some of the venom.

Seen that with climber deaths, skydivers, or similar when these events happen.

[sarisataka]

127. Apparently we are allowed to go outside

Of our cities in Alaska as long as we STAY ON THE TRAIL.

I wonder however, did the animals make the trails so we know where we are safe to walk?

[Dial H For Hero]

139. Someone just chimed in with #2. That didn't take long....

[DemocraticPatriot]

118. It isn't "a bunch of posters", it's just ONE know it all

getting his ass handed to him by everyone else.

[BGBD]

120. eh...

it's four or five. I'll give you that most of them were hit and run and one has been the majority of the posts from that camp.

[Dial H For Hero]

41. More details:

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/07/21/fairbanks-man-shoots-grizzly-bear-he-says-was-charging-him/

Robert Wyble, 48, said he and his son Kendall and the family dog were hiking Monday in a familiar area past the end of Smallwood Trail near Mile 7 of Chena Hot Springs Road when the grizzly sow charged.

“Both of us kind of thought it was a moose for a split second and then then I could tell for sure that it was a bear,” Wyble said.

Wyble said his son and the dog moved off the trail.

“Kendall did really well: he didn’t panic, he didn’t scream, which I’m thankful (for). That way the bear saw me first,” he said.

Wyble said he yelled at the bear but the animal kept charging.

“She was coming fast and she was growling,” he said.

Wyble, an experienced hunter, said he drew a .44 pistol he carried in a chest holster and took aim.

“I think she was maybe 5 or 10 yards from me when when I shot her and then Kendall said that she rolled and then she was about 5 feet from me. And then she took off,” he said.

[Treefrog]

82. I don't live in Alaska, but pretty sure I wouldn't mistake a bear for a moose!

And yes, I’ve seen both.

I’d stay the hell away from both also.

[Dial H For Hero]

84. He did say he only did so for a moment. Perhaps it was in cover when he first spotted it.

[Treefrog]

85. I guess. At any rate, this thread is a hoot!

That being said, I’m hoping the bear will survive.

[DenaliDemocrat]

114. If they are in the alders and head is down

All you know is it’s big and brown

[Treefrog]

129. Good point.

Scary.

[Devil Child]

86. Thank you for the additional info

Sounds like he did everything right.

[USALiberal]

48. I assume you posted this to make some type of pro gun statement.

[Dial H For Hero]

55. Beyond "guns are useful tools with which to defend one's self against bears", I don't find the story

particularly pro-gun. I have found that many here will automatically take the side of a wild animal over that of a human under virtually any circumstance, and was curious if they would do so in such an obviously justified case of self defense (a man defending himself and his son from an attack by a grizzly, his story backed up by the authorities).

Question answered.

[we can do it]

64. Guns are less effective than bear spray against bears.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

65. Not in this case. nt

[we can do it]

74. He didn't even try, neither needed to be injured.

[Dial H For Hero]

77. The bear was charging him. What should he have done differently when it was within 10 yards?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

99. Aaaannnndddd again,

you're making assumptions without facts, which seems to be your agenda here.

[Dial H For Hero]

73. Perhaps because the average person will find spray far easier to use than a handgun in the class of

a .44 magnum. In any case, the man in question was (per the 2nd story to which I linked) an experienced hunter.

Question: Upon making contact with the bear, what should he have done differently? It was some distance away, so he yelled at it. He drew his gun and waited until it was 5 to 10 yards away, then fired, driving it off.

[Devil Child]

62. You say that like it is a bad-thing. This story is a real example of why I support open-carry laws.

I am a back-country hiker and always carry bear-spray and a handgun due to bears and big-cats.

I have encountered a female black-bear and her cub while hiking, quite an intense experience. I can't imagine coming into contact with a grizzly.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

63. +100. nt

[we can do it]

79. One more person who doesn't know what he's talking about.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2008/12/use-pepper-spray-instead-guns-stop-charging-grizzly/

[Devil Child]

80. That is great to read, if anyone here was arguing against the utility of bear-spray.

Bear-spray is one solution, but not the only solution. I determine what goes in my tool-kit not forum posts. Choose what works best for you and stay safe while enjoying mother nature.

[kabelad]

87. hmmmm

its just not that easy.

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/does-bear-spray-work/

this guy wasn't off trail, and how would bear spray have made a difference?

https://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/survival/animal-attacks/2009/08/charging-grizzly-killed-alaska/

personally, in the states, I never carry a firearm hiking. I've hiked the AT, pinhote, palmetto trail (swamp fox passage) parts of PCT and Colorado trail along with hiking all over smaller trails. at home in Colorado, I've never felt the need to carry a firearm, and never had a problem. walked up on plenty wildlife unawares.
in Alaska, I carried bear spray. never had to use it. closest I got to a brown bear in the day was 100 feet. he/she wasn't interested in me thankfully.

but I would never dismiss anyone that wanted to carry a firearm for their safety in the woods. attacks happen, and sometimes they are blind sided and don't have time for some textbook taught encounter.

I live in the woods way away from pavement, and nature visits daily. in most cases if you don't do stupid human things, the wildlife stays wild and will ignore you.

[we can do it]

89. It would make a difference to the bear, who was in her home

[kabelad]

98. in reality

I read right, there was no dead bear body right?

good chance the bear wasn't even injured. probably hit it in the skull and it didn't penetrate, just caused the bear to roll and run. 44 magnum isn't exactly the best round against a brown bear.

look, its easy to armchair quarterback after the fact, could have should have would have, but there is no clear proof bear spray would have been as effective in this case.

textbook answers are great, but sometimes they fail in real world application.

[onethatcares]

124. In reality,

I agree with you. She could take a round to the shoulder, the head (even between the eyes) and just get more pissed off.

From what I've read, when attacked they go for the head and can pick a two hundred eighty pound man up off his feet and sling him around like a chatty cathy doll.. Even if they don't get a grip on your head, they have these things called "PAWS" that have things called "CLAWS" that can gut a person in a heartbeat. In 1973 a woman was attacked or stumbled upon a sow and her cubs outside Wassilla. They showed her face on the teevee machine while asking for donations to reconstruct her face. It wasn't a pretty sight to say the least.

Yeah, it would have been nice to ring the doorbell and tell the sow you're there, but she doesn't really care about you, at all. You're either predator or prey and she had two cubs to feed while teaching them how to fend for themselves.

They aren't Russian dancing bears.and they don't speak english or any language very well.

[DenaliDemocrat]

110. And at our bear safety course

We are told in order

1) High powered rifle

2) 12 gauge with BRASS slugs

3) Pepper Spray

4) handgun (.44 or larger preferred)

But you backpack once a year, so we all defer to your infinite knowledge

[Dial H For Hero]

135. Brass shotgun slugs? Isn't that a bit...exotic? They can't be common.

Better pentration than conventional lead slugs, I presume?

[DenaliDemocrat]

136. Yes. You don't want a bullet that mushrooms

Your goal is to break them down NOW! You want deep penetration and hope it breaks bone.

I think what most hear don’t realize is no one in Alaska WANTS to shoot a bear in self defense. A few years ago a lady was out jogging in the morning, unbeknownst to her a winter killed moose was at the end of the culdesac just off the street in the woods. It was early May and still snow patched. A bear had come out of hibernation and found the moose and was laying next to it when she came jogging by.

My friends live on the upper hillside in Anchorage and had a grizzly kill a moose calf in their driveway.

People here have no idea. The person who is a know it all because they hike in the lower 48 once a year is particularly annoying

[sarisataka]

91. This generated way more discussion

Than the shooting of 5 people

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215639307

[BusterMove]

93. Good on him for being prepared.

Black bears around here - no so fun when they have Cubs and you have small children.

[Dial H For Hero]

96. I completely agree. In all likelihood, he saved the life of both himself and his son.

[LanternWaste]

126. No doubt, a lot of people will pretend no other options existed.

[Kingofalldems]

128. Looks like a gungeon thread from here.

[Dial H For Hero]

130. Nah. In the Gungeon most would be debating the pros and cons of .44 Magnum vs. .454 Casull.

Whereas if the thread was in Castle Bansalot, almost everyone would be calling him a gunner who should have his firearms taken away. The sole exception would be someone disagreeing, who is then promptly banned from the group.

[Ohio Joe]

134. Agreed...

I thought these threads were not allowed in GD.

[Sympthsical]

133. LOL, what is this thread . . .

Thoroughly enjoyed it, though.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

137. Lmaooooo this fuckin' thread

[totodeinhere]

138. How dare he shoot that magnificent animal?

He was trespassing on her turf. She had every right to protect her cub.

[Dial H For Hero]

140. What do you suggest he should have done as he was being charged?

He was trespassing on her turf. She had every right to protect her cub.

Per the Alaska State Troopers, he had every right to protect himself and his son. Thankfully, he was able to do so.

As for her "turf", I would point out that one may encounter grizzlies in something like 99.99% of Alaskan territory. Should people not walk anywhere except the most densely populated 0.01% of the state?

[Dial H For Hero]

141. One does not simply walk off the trail in Alaska.