Montana man survives grizzly attack

Casper Star Tribune ^ | June 28, 2003 | n/a

[kitchen]

More bear mounts form the same taxidermist over here.

I watch with interest any stories of bear attacks, as some have selected my neighborhood as the prime target for large predator reintroduction. We're already overrun with mountain lion and black bears that go around 400 pounds, so that leaves grizzlies and wolves. Frankly, there are enough folks around these parts who trace their ancestors to the last wolf hunt that I doubt any reintroduction attempt would last more than a few weeks.

A few years ago my family was camping in the woods just north of town. We were awakened by a bear pushing against the tent, sniffing for goodies. I only had a .45 colt with snake and badger loads so I was seriously undergunned. After what seemed like hours the bear finally wandered away. All the food was enclosed in our vehicle or hung up in a tree, but he apparently found the tent interesting. As Elmer said, "... overgunned? Hell, it's better than the alternative!" I now carry some 300 grain teeth rattlers in my "sleeping bag" gun and keep a shortened and long chambered .45-70 loaded with 350 grain FPs for the "tent gun." But I don't sleep too soundly in the woods if it's a dry summer.

Here's a real hair-raising story of an Alaskan bear hunt chipped in from a viewer of the photo in post 105.

phurley posted 01-20-2003

That picture brings back my Bear hunt, like it was yesterday. I will make it short, because I have told it here before and don't want to bore those who have heard it. I was hunting near Cold Bay with a close friend, who was a Bear guide, my brother-in-law who lived there two years and another hunter.

On the third day of the hunt we spotted a big Bear in a Salmon stream and crawled a half mile up the stream. At 90 yards I shot the 91/2 ft. Bear with a .300 Win mag using my 200 grain Nosler Partition handloads at 2900 fps. The Bear fell splashing water 20 ft. and made a tremendous roar I will never forget. Immediately, three more Bears rared up from other Salmon streams close by. We had crawled with 20 yards of one, the others were with 30 yards of us.

The guide said G.D. shoot bears. We killed two more bears, one took 5-shoots the other 4-shots from a .375 H&H, and another .300, and a 30-06. The fourth left with gusto flinging sod that would weigh 10 pounds per piece behind him, much like our Ky horses on a muddy track. He also sounded like a large horse running on dirt, you could hear the footsteps and feel the ground shake plainly. I cannot describe the roar's, shooting, screaming, and general confusion, that occured, and will hear everytime I see a Bear's picture. A young Bear guides coolness, green hunters following his instructions, saved the day.

We were tagged for three Bears but certainly didn't want them all at once, because each is a formidable skinning job.

Well that is my story, a repeat to some of you and my apologies for that, but that picture made my hair stand on end, bringing the sounds and smells of Alaska back in living color. I hear debates on rifles adequate for the big Bears, and listen with interest. My next Alaska trip found me with a .340 Wby and my next, this fall, will find me with a .358 STA shooting a North Fork 270 grain bullet at nearly 3000 fps. I have a buddy in the ground up there that thought a 30-06 was enough gun.

[null and void]

I have a buddy in the ground up there that thought a 30-06 was enough gun.

I *think* a 30-06 is plenty enough gun when you are hunting the bear, and have time and distance for accurate shot placement.

On the other hand, when the bear is hunting you...

[Grizzly Bear]

Thanks for the story, Kitchen. BTW, the pics from that link are just awesome. If you have a bear story ping list, add me to it.

Grizz

[kitchen]

Consider this: a good sized black bear is every bit as big, fast, and ferocious as an African lion. Brownies and grizzlies are easily two or three times as big. In countries where lions are hunted, a .375 H&H is considered the legal minimum. There is historical precedent from old colonial Africa to keep people from feeding themselves to the fauna, and we should note the lessons of history.

As you note, there is a difference between the cartridge you select when walking in the woods, hunting, or what you'd pick to stop a charge. Carrying a string of trout out from a secret spot in black bear country, I'm happy with a 6 pound .45-70. If I were hunting the big bears with a .30-'06 (which I wouldn't) I'd want the coolest SOB in the world next to me with the biggest big-bore he could control.

[kitchen]

You're welcome. Sorry, I have no bear ping list. I get infrequent chances to post and not enough time to nurse a thread. Usually, my posts are more like thread killers. :)

[hoosierskypilot]

Was your .416 Rigby a double rifle or bolt action? I don't think I'd trust my skill with a bolt action. I'd get so rattled I'd forget to chamber a second round. I would dearly love to be able to live in Alaska for about a year, with or without the bears.

[theDentist]

I remember this guy! We always made fun of his lack of a haircut, hairy back, arms, heck, hair all the way up to his fingernails. But his technique was almost flawless. And when brute strength was needed for some of those tougher extractions, he was like a bear. Picked up the nickname "Grizzly Adams". Very protective of the kids, too.

[BigFisherman]

Yes. Incredibly fast. My pup loves to tease the cats. They can't even touch him. He taunts them to swat, and then nips them (gently) on the haunches.

Also saw him do this to a German Shepard. The big white beast got incredibly agitated, but couldn't touch the little guy. My pup would leap and twist and avoid the jaws in mid air. He was having way too much fun. The German Shepard eventually dropped from exhaustion. Simply amazing.

Guess several hundred years of hunting has selected out the slow bear dogs.

[BigFisherman]

a bolt action. with hindsight probably should have bought a double barrel.

[FourPeas]

Any good mountain man would know not to move quietly through bear country. Surprising large wildlife is always a bad move.

[tdadams]

Wow, that's impressive. Like Prodigal said earlier, get out the tape measure. 12'6" is a big beast.