Posted on 06/17/2023 4:47:35 AM PDT by marktwain
In the previous article, Allen Schallenberger, who did bear research in Montana for many years, recounted an incident where he fired his .357 Colt Python in defense against a large aggressive grizzly that refused to leave the area of his camp in 1976. In two other incidents, he fired his .357 in defense against bears. Allen recounts them in his own words below:
In spring 1977, I was flying with a small plane pilot out of the Choteau airport to check on the location of radio collared grizzly bears.
My spring helper Roy Jacobs and I had a few snares set in aspen patches on Ear Mountain, a prominent peak on the mountain front adjacent to the foothills and prairie about 25 miles west of Choteau. I flew over the snare sets with the pilot to check for bears and I spotted two adult grizzlies in snares and another adult hanging out with a snared bear. We immediately stopped our radio monitoring flight and went back to the Choteau airport. Roy and I caught our saddle horses and a pack animal for our trapping and radio gear and loaded up my trailer at Choteau. Roy who was a local suggested we get Wayne and Chip Gollehon who ranched on Ear Mountain to help us handle the bears for safety. I called Wayne and we met them on horses on the mountain. We had no trouble with the first large male and I quickly drugged him with a dart gun, and we measured him and put a radio collar on him. The other pair was about a mile away. We all tied up our horses to aspen trees and I gave my shotgun to Wayne Gollehon and told him his job was watch for the courting sow grizzly
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Played with da bears?
“Warning shots appear to be effective much of the time.”
—————Article-—————
There was a grizzly bear hunting season in the area mentioned until 1991. The grizzlies I contacted were still afraid of gun shots and had not yet learned to associate gun shots with gut piles or big game carcasses which happened later there.
The grizzly very much remembered that incident on the mountain the year prior. Hard to forget being given a date rape drug, molested and that collar thing around it’s neck.
I have literally made a warning shot with my .50 cal in the air and it had zero effect here in Alaska. I truly believe the bear had no idea what I was and zero experience with humans. I had to charge him to drive him off.
I was always told to load a .357 with bacon grease the other option is a 454 casual or 500 s&w magnum
“The grizzlies I contacted were still afraid of gun shots and had not yet learned to associate gun shots with gut piles or big game carcasses which happened later there.”
The same thing happened on Kodiak Island, I was there in the 70s and it was a issue then. I heard it got worse. Kodiak’s (bears) would also just come up to fishing spots and grab the fish if you had them laid out. Even if there were numerous people out on the gravel bars fishing they didn’t care, and nobody shot at one.
I spent a year on Adak did lots of fishing the nice thing was there were no bears on Adak.
“I spent a year on Adak did lots of fishing the nice thing was there were no bears on Adak.”
Came into Adak by sea about 50 years ago. Weather was so bad we were not let off base.
My nextdoor neighbor retired from his job as an Alaskan fishing guide a few years ago. He has several bear stories.
Excerpt from one of the stories: “Wayne yelled, “ Look out here she comes”! She was charging us at a trot at about 40 yards. I jerked my Colt Python .357 out and fired two shots into the air and she swerved away and did not return. Roy had laid his shotgun on the ground and had to run toward the female to get it.”
When I go into the woods here in Montana (including the plains river bottoms like the nearby Marias) I always carry a shotgun. AND I never forget one lesson from the Army: Never get separated from your weapon.
As to warning shots. I dunno.
The report from a .357 can leave your ears ringing for the rest of the day. Better have a steady hand if you intend to stop a half ton bear rushing you.
When I lived in Soldotna, AK I was charged by a brown bear sow with cubs in my yard after dark in September. To make a long story short I wound up shooting her in the butt with a 12 gauge “cracker shell” which sent she and her cubs scrambling down the hill. I had five Brenneke slugs for back up just in case. Grizzlies/brown bears are not to be trifled with.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.