Montana man survives grizzly attack

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

[decimon]

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) -- A retired Montana railroader turned mountain man knew the odds were good he'd have a close encounter with a grizzly bear someday while alone in the back country.

"It finally happened," Bob Johnson said Thursday from his hospital bed in Livingston. "She tried to kill me."

Johnson said he was attacked by the grizzly Wednesday in the Tom Miner Basin, north of Yellowstone National Park.

He said he couldn't remember how big the bear was. "How can you tell, when the SOB is trying to give you dental work?" he said.

Johnson, 55, remembers grabbing the bear by the nose with both hands as it tried to bite his face and throat. And he remembers taking an incredibly hard blow to the head. Doctors used 75 staples to reattach his scalp to his skull.

He also has a deep gash under his right arm, claw marks on his chest and back, bruises all over his body and some deep teeth punctures on his left forearm.

Johnson still hobbled several miles to his truck and drove to the B Bar Guest Ranch for help.

"He was not a pretty sight," said Aaron Davis, the chef at the ranch. "That scalp wound was downright gruesome."

Johnson said he was moving quietly through the woods, looking for petrified rock and believes he probably awakened the napping female grizzly with a cub.

He said he heard a sound, looked up and the bear was coming at him in full charge. The bear knocked him on his back and went for his face.

"I thought, I'm gonna fight until I die," he said.

Johnson, who lives in Clyde Park when he isn't in the backcountry, said family members want him to stay out of the mountains, but "I'll never do that.

"This was just bad luck."

[kms61]

Here's the thing, though: Most of the time if a grizzly knows a human is around he'll avoid the encounter if he has a choice....that's not always true with a dog in the equation. Dog smells/hears grizz, or vice versa, and there's a conflict.

Denali National Park has a high concentration of bears AND a lot of backcountry users. They've had exactly one bear attack since 1983, and it only resulted in minor injuries. Everybody who goes into the park's backcountry gets a detailed briefing on how to avoid bear contact, and is required to carry their food in a bear-proof container. If they don't have one, one is provided. The bears don't associate humans with food, and pretty much ignore the humans they come into contact with. The program seems to be working.

[CholeraJoe]

Never go out in the back country without a gun.

I live in Montana. I spend alot of time outdoors. I either carry a .357 Mag loaded with JPF or a 12 gauge loaded with 3 inch 00 buckshot. Montana's CCW law exempts anyone engaged in outdoor activities outside city limits from permitting requirements, as it should be.

[Colorado Doug]

Wear little bells and carry pepper spray

You Know how to tell if your in bear country don't you?

[Colorado Doug]

Look for little bells and crushed cans of pepper spray in the feces.

[kitchen]

OK, these are Kamchutkas, but I don't think most people, especially city folk, have any idea about the relative size of a grizzly or brown bear. The taxidermist standing in the display is about 5'6" or a bit bigger.

[null and void]

I never understand the environmentalist that try to live among the bears without proper protection. They seem often to end up dead.

You say that like it's a bad thing...

[LibWhacker]

But Denali is a very special case, I think. The Park has succeeded in isolating and effectively training their bears not to associate humans with food. This is good, but atypical. Elsewhere, throughout the backcountry, bears do make this association, unfortunately.

Please note I said dogs, plural. I wouldn't like to go into grizzly country with only one dog. Bears will flee from a pack of dogs every time, not because the dogs pose any immediate danger to the bear, but because they just want to get away from the noise and confusion after seeing they are not going to be able to catch one of the dogs.

If the bear doesn't flee, the dogs will literally "hound" them to death.

Of course, your dogs have to be trained to break off the chase on command, else they'll end up scattered all over the wilderness, with perhaps some of them dead. Definitely not a job for your typical couch potato pooch.

The advantage of taking dogs with you is that no one gets hurt. Not the dogs, not the bear, not you.

[LibWhacker]

Yep, very, very impressive. Thanks for the pic. Saved it. I think polar bears can also grow to 12'. Every second counts when one of these guys is "bearing" down on you!

[spunkets]

Nice pic. They're fast too and I'm not refering to ground speed. Be nice to show a clip. Maybe one nailing a watermelon.

[spunkets]

"I never understand the environmentalist that try to live among the bears without proper protection."

One was on a PBS documentary once. She explained, it's the bear's home, she was an intruder. She was missing the left half of her face.

[spunkets]

Every milisecond counts when one of these guys is "bearing" down on you!

[Manic_Episode]

"I think that you should do a little research on hand guns and as bear protection. I know you well find lots of cases where a hand gun not only stops but kills the bear. Wasn't that long ago in AK. A fellow shot and dropped a brown with one shot of a 9mm
. For those who follow your advice might as well just stay out of the woods. Personal I rather shove the thing into the bear and touch her off a few times. Fighting is better then letting yourself become bear food.

Yes I have hunted and kill a few bears and know lots of people who have also. Have You."


Perhaps I was jesting. Anyways, shot placement is everything. Even a .22 would be better than nothing. And to think the guy in the article fought one with his bare hands! Hell of a story.

[JoeFromCA]

I've backpacked in Montana, and in fact the best defense (other than a gun) against a grizzly is to talk loudly as you walk ("Hey, Bear" is the recommended call) and carry bear spray, which is actually a very large pepper spray cannister (costs about $40 at REI).

[mtg]

I live in Montana just a short distance from the Bob Marshall wilderness (many more grizzlies there than in Yellowston Park). I fish the Bob Marshall quite a bit and so far have not been attacked by a grizzly. See tracks all the time though. This guy was lucky. A grizzly doesn't leave much remains when it starts chewing on you. The worst thing you can do is surpise a grizzly (or any bear for that matter). Also, stay away from a sow and her cubs.

[paul51]

WHOA! I've been reading with interest the post re hangun vs long. After seeing that pic, I don't care what anyone says. Forget the handgun

[Grizzly Bear]

Man, that is one awesome pic! Thanks!

[Hinoki Cypress]

"If you are going to make a hole, make it as big as possible".

I just bought the Beowulf .50cal and can vouch for its power and hole-making ability. Check out the ammo page, at:

http://www.alexanderarms.com/beowulf.html

[BigFisherman]

Real nice dog, but lots of "spirit." Like a husky on meth. But they won't hide behind your legs after flusing out a predator. Good for keeping irate moose away from the kids as well.

[BigFisherman]

I worked as a biologist in AK. My boss, an old timer, used to do surveys on Kodiak. Never had a problem, several false charges every season, and was proud that he never fired a shot. Then, after 20 years, he had to kill two in one day. Fired from just a few feet away. Did it with a 30-06. Head shots. Amazing skill, or dumb luck.

I worked the streams in Chignik area on Native Corp land. Bears everywhere, but charges were very rare. I am convinced that 99% of cahrges are false charges. Bought a .416 Rigby to protect the bears. Didn't want to shoot until the last minute, as did the old timer. But didn't trust my shooting well enough to rely on 30-06 (or hand gun)head shot on a moving animal at close range. .416 will knock a bear down if hit in head, spine or shoulder blades.

[LibWhacker]

A few years ago I think I saw some footage of a Karelian Bear Dog in action. They are incredibly, unbelievably quick, aren't they?

This little black and white dog I saw on the tube was darting in and out and nipping the bear on the behind, which would cause the bear to spin around in a flash so as to try to get at his tormentor, but before he got turned all the way around, the little dog had completely circled him and had darted in and bit him on the butt again. I was laughing my a** off. The bear was totally outclassed and could only put up with that mistreatment/indignity for about 30 seconds or so before he decided to hightail it out of there, lol.