Teens mauled by grizzly in Alaska

AP/WorldMag ^ | Jul 24, 9:17 PM EDT | RACHEL D'ORO

[heartwood]

I was in Alaska last summer: two of our guides had been charged by bears, and one was standing within a few yards of a photographer who was charged.

I don’t think I like grizzly bears much.

[vetvetdoug]

I camped and rode horses once in the Smokies. The bears gave our horses fits when they came close. We strung our food between trees also.

[dog breath]

George Droulliard, who was 1/2 Shawnee Indian, was considered to be the greatest hunter on the expedition. He was considered to be an exceptional hunter even by Native American standards. If a man with his great wilderness skills almost got killed by grizzly bears it shows that no one is safe around them.

[EternalVigilance]

I hear ya.

[EternalVigilance]

I had black bears on a piece of property I once had in the Northwest. They didn’t scare me much. The dogs pretty much kept them away.

Grizzlies are a completely different story.

I’ve only seen a few, one from a moving vehicle, and one a ways off along a tree line. Even though there was a pretty large distance between us, my hair still stood on end.

[randomhero97]

Eh, I think for just camping a pistol of that caliber would be a fine choice.

Now, if I was going to be thrown into the wilderness I would have to go with an AK47.

[familyop]

.357? I’d want at least 340 gr. in .45 caliber at over 1100 fps. (and a lot of range time in close range work beforehand). Takes a lot to blow a wound diameter over .60” (minimum from ) much of the way through a large grizzly. Brenneke slugs over an ounce would be even better.

http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/ballistics/wounding.html

[familyop]

Minimum from wound ballistics data and resulting theory, that is.

http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/ballistics/wounding.html

[editor-surveyor]

>> “first lesson in survival in Alaska, carry S&W 500” <<

.
Wonderful! - Chances are that none of these kids could have made a lethal shot with that gun.

The truth is that an educated person with a .38 special 6” would easily have fired through the mouth or eye and stopped the attack with one shot.

Big hand guns take months of training and practice for most people. knowing when and where to shoot is most of the battle.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “There should have been armed adults” <<

.
Every last one of them should have been armed, and trained, before venturing into that region.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Wrong gold rush - that was California.” <<

.
Grizzlies were common in central California in 1849, just about everywhere. They just had the sense to irradicate them.

[The Cajun]

Every last one of them should have been armed, and trained, before venturing into that region.

Yup, Alaskan wilderness is not *Jellystone Park* with Yogi and Boo Boo bear.

This whole little expedition was put together by an idiot and I'm not joking.

I won't even go in the woods down here without at least a .44 Redhawk.

[goat granny]

A great read, thank you for posting...love the fact that our ancestors were not drama queens....cannot imagine any member of congress or the white house doing such a thing...they would all be dinner..

[goat granny]

There were probably a lot more of them in those days also...Michigans upper has a lot of black bears. Any town dump is a feast for them....We use to take our kids to the dumps and there would be up to 11 bears at one time. Some idiot parents let their kids out of the car to get a closer look....Bears within 100 feet of the car and kids running around. Scared the hell out of me for their children..

[bushpilot1]

My father, and a few of his friends caught a cub in the Smokey Mountains..they had it in several gunny sacks, going back to Knoxville in a car.

They rented a cabin prior to arrival in Knoxville..carried the cub inside..while they were discussing what to do with the cub..it was becoming more and more agitated, making noises and trying to get out of the sacks.

Eventually the cub escaped ..and began to tear up the cabin...not wanting to pay damages..the cabin was vacated leaving the cub to fend for itself.

My father told me to stay away from bears..I was around 8.

[Dogbert41]

S&W 686 with 4” bbl in .357.
Xxxx

Now we’re talking!

[WorkingClassFilth]

That’s true - my bad. IIRC, the CA flag has one on it.

[SJackson]

If you’d like to be on or off this Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting list please FR mail me. And ping me is you see articles of interest. Not limited to midwest

[Drawsing]

My new theory about bears is that no one knows what they might do.

That is a very good theory....and I would go further and say, it is not a theory...it is a fact. There is a reason they call them wild animals. They are wild and totally unpredictable. I grew up hearing "play dead, leave them alone they will leave you alone, they will never bother you unless you get between a mother and her cubs, they are more scared of you than you are of them, the only dangerous ones are the ones that hang around garbage, just make noise and they will run away, don't look them in the eye....

The fact is, you cannot rely on any of those tactics. The only advice I can give is, stay away from the bears and if you must go through their stomping grounds, carry a very large caliber weapon and plenty of ammo.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Marksmanship

Did I win?