Elk Hunters Attacked by Bears in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

[buckshotbarlow]

does this help?

[20X11]

No

[Hummer]

An excellent analysis following the coroners report points to reasons why the hunter tossed the handgun to the guide under attack. The Glock was unloaded and the magazine might not have been fully engaged. It sure points to the importance of having a rifle or any firearm as well as pepper spray at hand when hunting in bear country.

10mm-glock-fully-functional-in-fatal-grizzly-attack

[Irving]

Gee, thanks for your input OSHA. You can tell from OSHA's remarks that someone looked up bear attacks, listed the two reasons they found, and wrote their report from there.

I will say that this is not the first instance of bow hunters not being familiar with their fire arms. Remmi Warren apparently has a video where he's holding a gun ready with a bear near by, and the gun is not in battery because he tried to load it with the wrong ammo. Then, when him and Steven Rinella and crew were attacked by a brown bear in Alaska, he had his gun store in his pack and away from his person. The moral of the story is that you've got to be ready and a beer may have claimed your kill whether you realize it or not. When the Meat Eater crew was attacked, it was the same way as described here. Went back for an elk the next day and didn't think anything of it. A big boar came charging right in with no warning.

[kidicarus13]

I never carry a round in the chamber, too dangerous.

[CS1983]

I don't think I could rack a slide while a bear is mauling my face off and laying on top of me like it belongs in Fort Carson Housing (read: heavy). Keep your booger hook off the boom switch until you want it to go bang. Easy.

[Hummer]

When field dressing elk in the timber I'm always alone and mindful of the possible approach of a bear. I keep my rifle within easy reach and with a round in the chamber. In 34 years hunting the FlatTops I've taken thirty elk, and ten of those elk carcasses were chewed on by bears before I got them all packed out. In 2013, I killed a cow a half mile up the mountain from camp. It was a pretty easy hike, about a 45 minute turnaround, but I was in a hurry to get it to a local cooler so I could continue to hunt bull elk and bear the next day.

On my third and last trip back to the meat bags I noticed the hide that I'd laid out for the birds was down the hill and crumpled, and bear tracks were all around. Suddenly I realized that I probably chased off the bear as I approached. Worse, I was unarmed. I left the rifle in camp to save weight and meant to carry the Glock but forgot to strap it on. It was a nervous few minutes packing up the last meat bags. Black bears aren't grizzlies but you never know when you'll run in to the occasional bad actor.

[GilpinGuy]

Gee, thanks for your input OSHA. You can tell from OSHA's remarks that someone looked up bear attacks, listed the two reasons they found, and wrote their report from there.

Yeah, government has to stick its nose into it, like it had any control over this situation in the first place, though it thinks it should have. Asshats.

Man, have a gun at the ready at all times in the forest. Even if you're "just taking an afternoon hike". City folk (not necessarily these dudes) think nature is all love and peace and harmony. Not so.

[DireWolf]

I never carry a round in the chamber, too dangerous.

Not sure if the above comment was made in jest, but if not, might recommend doing some research on and rethinking this issue.

Don't have any of the links handy at the moment, but plenty of research available which outlines/demonstrates why carrying a handgun with empty chamber is not a good idea.

Short version: barring the most extreme "good luck", in nearly any defensive scenario (involving either man or beast), the odds are significantly against one being able to successfully chamber and fire a round before it's too late. In other words, it almost negates the value of having a sidearm in the first place.

Safety while carrying in "Condition 0" (e.g. loaded chamber on platform with no safety other than trigger/FP mechanisms; Glock, etc.) is more a matter of using a proper holster and training (e.g. - fast draw without ND to the leg, etc., especially if using a retention/locking holster)

[Irving]

He was being facetious.