Grizzly and bear spray at -40

[yukon254]

Thought everyone might be interested in this story. On Nov. 21 on my way to my trapline down on the AK hwy, near Coal river in the Yukon i saw a grizzly on the hwy, it was a big bear 7 1/2 to 8 fter. it was skinny and not acting right, i was going to shoot it but since i am from the yukon and was in bc didnt want the legal hassel. anyway 2 days later this bear made its way to Coal river lodge where there was an older lady there alone (she has lived there for 30 years and doesnt own a rifle?????) anyway the bear kept her in her house for 4 hours, it was banging so hard on the walls it was knocking things off inside! she had an airhorn and was blowing it to get scare the bear and maybe get a cars on the hwy to stop. finialy a guy stopped (he didnt see the bear he just saw a frantic lady in the window!) he pulls up and gets out and starts to walk up when here comes griz in full charge!! he makes it to his truck where in the back (not sure why the back) he has bear spray, well it almost got him killed as it was frozen!! he made the cab of his truck by the skin of his ass and gets backed up to the door and gets the lady in his truck, then they drive to fireside a few miles away and get a guy with a rifle he comes back and the bear was hideing behind the house and charged from very close range, the guy wasnt a greenhorn and got 2 shots into the bear and killed it. this story was on the front page of the ft nelson paper, the lady says she is considering buying a gun!! ya think! she lives in the middle of nowhere i cant believe she didnt have one and know how to use it! my youngest daughter is 15 and she does. I knew from experince that bears out at that time of year are most often bad news, if I would have shot it how many of you think it would have been the right thing to do??

[salchastar]

if it was really looking as bad as you say it was...but as we all know these days you can be sued or thrown in prison for doing the right thing.

[BRWNBR]

i wouldn't have shot it...i think you did the right thing by the letter or the law. i'm not natures judge and jury for sick animals, they play a part in the big picture too.

[ultra mag]

Your particular situation , , I would have refrain from shooting . Maybe I would have warned others . Even if they lived 30 mi . away .

I probably would have contacted the authorities too .

It was unusual . And it would have caused alarm .

I think i would have done something .

And about the story of the little old lady . It's hard to imagine she lived by herself in such a desolate region especially without some form of protection ? Interesting story ! ! !

Thanks for sharing it .

[yukon254]

Brownbear very good point, but i was thinking more in terms of personal saftey as there is a few houses scattered thru that stretch of road, and in my experince from storys ive heard from other trappers ect. if a bear is around people houses ect. at that time of year they wont leave. I just talked to a CO friend and he told me of 2 more cases this winter, one grizzly had to be shot in the FT nelson dump in early Dec. and the biggest grizzly to date ever shot in YUKON was shot in Nov. in the town of Mayo, all were older boars in bad health looking for easy meals i guess.

[Yukoner]

I've seen bears out this time of year, and i always phone the CO's. They always want to hear about stuff like that, even if there isn't a problem.

[martentrapper]

They should have called Rick Sinnott to scare it off with rubber bullets. I'm sure Rick coulda handled it without killing the bear. I'm skeptical there are any good reasons to kill bears!!!
FYI...........this is a humerous post.

[jws]

where is timothy treadwell when you need him (oh yeah - I remember - he went for lunch)

[strangerinastrangeland]

Cold weather Bears are usually dangerous Bears.They pop up every couple years.
Not that they attack humans more, but they are not denned because they are hungry, and desperatly seeking food.Old age and bad feed in a summer.
Round here, we had a bum Berry season this summer, and Salmon were a bit late as well, so there proble a couple out here somewhere.....

[akjeff]

They should have called Rick Sinnott to scare it off with rubber bullets. I'm sure Rick coulda handled it without killing the bear. I'm skeptical there are any good reasons to kill bears!!!
FYI...........this is a humerous post.

LOL

That's a good post.

[hiline]

Shoot-shovel-shut up

[yogibear]

I wouldn't have shot it if I were in your position. I think you did the right thing.

[Vince]

Shoot-shovel-shut up

........I agree.

[Mark]

Shoot-shovel-shut up

In most areas of Alaska, it's open season in mid-winter on brown bears. Shoot it and take it home with you. It's yours. Why try to "shovel" in frozen ground if you don't have to?

If it's in town or classified lands (closed to hunting), let the authorities who are supposed to be managing wildlife do the shooting, excuse making, responding to bear maulings, etc. Just take a photo of the anomaly with your cell phone camera and drive on.

[MontanaRifleman]

Why try to "shovel" in frozen ground if you don't have to?

Very good point

[kgpcr]

Persoal safety and that of the population is a real concern. A winter bear is dangerous. Even winter Blacks are nothing to mess with. Put them down unless they are in a very remote area

[Vince]

Thought everyone might be interested in this story. On Nov. 21 on my way to my trapline down on the AK hwy, near Coal river in the Yukon i saw a grizzly on the hwy, it was a big bear 7 1/2 to 8 fter. it was skinny and not acting right, i was going to shoot it but since i am from the yukon and was in bc didnt want the legal hassel. anyway 2 days later this bear made its way to Coal river lodge where there was an older lady there alone (she has lived there for 30 years and doesnt own a rifle?????) anyway the bear kept her in her house for 4 hours, it was banging so hard on the walls it was knocking things off inside! she had an airhorn and was blowing it to get scare the bear and maybe get a cars on the hwy to stop. finialy a guy stopped (he didnt see the bear he just saw a frantic lady in the window!) he pulls up and gets out and starts to walk up when here comes griz in full charge!! he makes it to his truck where in the back (not sure why the back) he has bear spray, well it almost got him killed as it was frozen!! he made the cab of his truck by the skin of his ass and gets backed up to the door and gets the lady in his truck, then they drive to fireside a few miles away and get a guy with a rifle he comes back and the bear was hideing behind the house and charged from very close range, the guy wasnt a greenhorn and got 2 shots into the bear and killed it. this story was on the front page of the ft nelson paper, the lady says she is considering buying a gun!! ya think! she lives in the middle of nowhere i cant believe she didnt have one and know how to use it! my youngest daughter is 15 and she does. I knew from experince that bears out at that time of year are most often bad news, if I would have shot it how many of you think it would have been the right thing to do??

In most areas of Alaska, it's open season in mid-winter on brown bears. Shoot it and take it home with you. It's yours. Why try to "shovel" in frozen ground if you don't have to?

If it's in town or classified lands (closed to hunting), let the authorities who are supposed to be managing wildlife do the shooting, excuse making, responding to bear maulings, etc. Just take a photo of the anomaly with your cell phone camera and drive on.

Very good point

I think some one missed the point... NOT IN AK

(aw crap i just waisted post # 1000.. correcting mark)

[hiline]

In most areas of Alaska, it's open season in mid-winter on brown bears. Shoot it and take it home with you. It's yours. Why try to "shovel" in frozen ground if you don't have to?

If it's in town or classified lands (closed to hunting), let the authorities who are supposed to be managing wildlife do the shooting, excuse making, responding to bear maulings, etc. Just take a photo of the anomaly with your cell phone camera and drive on.

It's figure of speech. You shoot your bears and don't tell me. I'll shoot my bears and won't tell you.