Grizzly Bear Defense

[HCM]

No comment:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...-hunters-in-a/

So I'm not a hunter... Out of curiosity can you tell me what mistakes were made?
It's obvious to me that they didn't have enough hardware with them. I would expect both people to have a rifle or shotgun and both people to have a Large caliber sidearm as a back up.
What other mistakes were made?
Was the rifle underpowered for the bear?
It also seems the shot placement was suspect, seeing as it didn't seem to even slow the bear down. And jamming the rifle seems like an especially FUBAR moment.

It’s not “mistakes.”

Unless is a true subsistence / survival situation hunters have a moral and ethical obligation to make kills as quickly/cleanly/painlessly as possible.

Despite most American males delusions to the contrary, most hunters can barely make competent /humane shots on game animals at 100 yards, 200 max.

Taking unnecessary long range shots resulting in peripheral hits which only cause the animal pain and aggravation is a form of being what is known as a “slob hunter” aka an asshole.

Said assholes not only commonly overestimate their ability but frequently use more powerful rounds in the mistaken belief that it will make up for their lack of ability.

For example, Deer here in TX are small compared to other parts of the country and can be taken humanely with .22 center fires. However there is a sub culture that hunts them with calibers such as 7mm mag. 300 win mag etc on the theory that the extra power will make up for poor shot placement. This is another form of “slob hunter.” They are too ignorant to understand the extra recoil and blast actually makes their poor marksmanship even worse.

So yeah, fuck that dude and his sister.

[MickAK]

Taking unnecessary long range shots

Have you been to the Alaska Peninsula in the spring? Those are the shots. Same as sheep or goat. It's not sloppiness, it's geography.

One could argue whether that hunt is ethical at all since it's a pure trophy hunt as the meat is inedible. A bear that big is going to kill a bunch of other bears in the summer.

The guy made 3 good hits (well, at least two) at 480 yards after a brutal 8 mile hike. The people saying that they should have been loaded down with a bunch more iron should go try that hike and see what they can hit at the end of it. I think he made some mistakes, and he would probably agree, but by your standards sheep hunts, goat hunts, and a lot of other hunts aren't ethical either. On mountainous hunts where long range shots are the norm misses and wounded animals happen and any honest guide would tell you the same. I don't think it necessarily makes them slob hunters, they're just choosing to participate in difficult hunts.

[NWshooter]

Heck, it is not just the bears you have to beware of, even darn river otters:

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wild...-for-culprits/

If it’s not one thing, it’s an otter.

And I have the best grizzly defense advice.

Don’t go where there are bears. He has his space, and I have mine. I like to keep the relationship professional.

[GearFondler]

If it’s not one thing, it’s an otter.

And I have the best grizzly defense advice.

Don’t go where there are bears. He has his space, and I have mine. I like to keep the relationship professional.

Great... Next you'll be suggesting that getting bitten by a shark is the swimmers fault.

[NWshooter]

Great... Next you'll be suggesting that getting bitten by a shark is the swimmers fault.

Land shark, or regular shark?

You answer will impact my response. I guess it would be regular due to the swimming part.

But yeah, don’t dig the ocean either.

I am not at the top of the food chain in the ocean.

[JHC]

Look at the picture of the Fish and Game guys in the article — 12 gauge!

Giant river otters, 6 feet long, 70 lbs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUSqXEng..._web_copy_link

[Shotgun]

What other mistakes were made?
Was the rifle underpowered for the bear?

On dangerous game hunts, and even regular hunts, you can quickly go from the "hunter" to "the hunted." I always think of my hunting firearms in terms of their defensive attributes. A 1301 or Benelli with an Aimpoint and a tube full of Brenneke slugs would have been a great second long gun on that hunt.

This by our resident Alaskan.

A .338 Ultra Mag would be plenty. Still to this day you can find articles that the preferred backup gun by Alaskan guides is a .338 Win Mag. The hunter had enough gun, but was it the right rifle? The article indicates his rifle jammed after three shots, but it sheds no light as to why. Danged unfortunate to have a jam at that time. We don't know anything about the rifle or the ammunition used. I dang sure would have had a rifle with a Mauser style claw extractor on a hunt like this - think Winchester Model 70.

[Clusterfrack]

Lehigh XP 9mm 110gr (bullets only) in stock at Brownells

[GJM]

My friend just finished up his fall deer trip on Kodiak. Apparently Booboo understands use of cover when hunting, too.

[OlongJohnson]

We don't know anything about the rifle or the ammunition used.

My recollection from the article is that there was enough info in it that a quick google should be able to raise some kinda contact details for the guy. I'd be curious to hear about someone who is competent to ask the right questions calling him up and interviewing him just to get the straight scoop. I don't get the feeling he doesn't want to talk to anybody about it.