Brown bear shot and killed in Kodiak after it charged man

Gun Watch ^ | 23 June, 2015 | Tegan Hanlon

[marktwain]

A Kodiak man shot and killed a brown bear Sunday night after it tipped a nearby trash can, returned to the area and charged him, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Nate Svoboda, Fish and Game biologist, said he met with the man Tuesday night and they "walked through the whole scenario."

Around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, the man said he was in bed when he heard a loud crash outside his window. He went outside and found a garbage container on its side. Trash covered his yard, Svoboda said.

"So the individual grabbed his pistol and started cleaning up the trash," Svoboda said. Then, "he went to go inside and out of the corner of his eye, saw a bear coming at him."

The bear was roughly 9 feet tall and started its charge at about 20 yards away. The man shot the bear by the time it moved half that distance, Svoboda said.

"It all happened in really tight quarters," he said. "He shot at it five times before it finally stopped and then once it was on the ground, it was still moving. So he shot it one more time and then it died."

[marktwain]

A man stopped a charging, 9 foot, Kodiak Bear, with a .44 Magnum revolver. He fired five shots to stop it (unknown how many hits) and one to finish it.

[SevenofNine]

Was my uncle at the scene of the crime LOL!

[Starstruck]

Witnesses say the bear had it’s paws up. Paws up. Don’t shoot. Brown lives matter.

[Charles Henrickson]

It was a Kodiak moment.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Someone got this on video right before the bear was shot.

[Michael.SF.]

How do you stop a Kodiak bear from charging?

Take away his credit card

OK, it wasn't funny when I was 12 either.

[umgud]

Here's a better bear gun.

[alstewartfan]

I thought all Kodiak bear serviced guys for free!

[MarineBrat]

My favorite bear defender. Single action and accurate... not much to fowl up.

[China Clipper]

Actually, while I share your feelings about large caliber defensive pistols for bear, Yellowstone Park Rangers say that a good bear spray is more useful. More hits against bears, ie more likely to score, and proven effective. Yeah, I know, I would STILL feel better with a large caliber handgun somewhere on my body in bear country, but I would include spray too.

Stay safe

[rey]

That’s racist. they profiled. They only shot him because he is brown.

[MarineBrat]

National Park Rangers would rarely say that a gun is the right tool, unless it was their tool. :) Though up in Alaska might be the exception.

I do carry spray while riding my bicycle. I use Velcro to keep it attached to the top of the handle bar post. My friends have teased me that one of these days if I go over the handlebars I’m going to add insult to injury and get a snoot full of capsaicin. :)

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I love the ports. As if they’d do any good at all.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Now that right there is funny!!

[ForYourChildren]

That’s hilarious.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Just curious, why would you take a SAO over a DA? Just for the stiffer frame?

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I wouldn’t want to be caught with just spray. I was hiking/camping in the Cascades some years back and a very, very large black bear (very blond actually, I had to check to ensure it wasn’t a griz) crossed our path. I had the spray but sure as heck wished I had a sidearm as backup.

Take both. Try the spray, if it doesn’t work, resort to backup.

[nickcarraway]

Charged him? Can you pay a bear with Amex?

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

How much did the bear charge him? Usurious rates or just the Prime-Plus 1?

[Delta 21]

Do not mock the snubbie!