Interview with victim of Wyoming bear attack

[nursejenn]

I could not live w myself after reading this... the guy that died actually was walking after the bear attack meaning if they had gone back to help he could have very well been helped back up mountain... i cant believe they called off search that night

If you read the autopsy report outlining the injuries and opinion of the ME, he did not live very long and by the time the hunter could have gotten back, let alone the search and rescue team, he was likely already dead.

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[Muygrande]

Scary stuff. I was about twenty miles away on the day this happened.

[S-3 Ranch]

I could not live w myself after reading this... the guy that died actually was walking after the bear attack meaning if they had gone back to help he could have very well been helped back up mountain... i cant believe they called off search that night

Reading that is a game changer for me

[-HIC-]

How exactly would you have gone back and checked on him? At that point the guy had no defense besides his bare hands. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to sit idle but what would your plan have been?

I find it hard to believe they had one pistol between two men in bear country. The report does not indicate if there was a rifle or shotgun with the horses and that is key info.

[Take Dead Aim]

I find it hard to believe they had one pistol between two men in bear country. The report does not indicate if there was a rifle or shotgun with the horses and that is key info.

Not sure why you find it hard to believe. The one gun we know of was unloaded and strap to a back pack that they were not wearing at the time. It didnt seem like either planned well for a worse case scenario.

[Killer]

I would assume there was no rifle or shotgun. They showed a crossbow on the ground on the drawing but no mention of any other guns.

They also said the guide had taken his shirt off because he got hot working on the elk. The pistol was in a shoulder holster laying on the backpacks probably with his shirt and jacket!

Like the report said this was very unusal behavior for bears. I assume they were extra carefull going into the carcass, but once there they had let their guard down and started working and it cost the guide his life.
I have done the same in Alaska and Colorado. It is hard to quarter an elk/moose with a 12 gauge in one hand. But you can bet I will not be doing this without a large pistol strapped to my hip or over my shoulder ever again!

[BuckSmasher]

All fair points. I would imagine for 99% dividing 12 by 4 while having a grizzly on or near us would be much harder to do than sitting at a desk and doing the same. It the same as asking someone in a shootout how many times the shot. If not trained for the situation they will answer 2 or 3 when they shot 9 times.

The brain works and doesn't work in mysterious ways when under pressure. Why Special Forces go thru so much training. Its like having the giant buck walk out and not being able to pull your bow back that you have done 1000 times in practice.

I can see that. The first year we hunted Montana I was setup on a wallow where a creek left the north facing timbered slope and entered a meadow. The creek, woods, and meadow all joined. Twenty minutes before dark I hear crunching coming in, not following the elk trail to the wallow but straight through the woods. I can shoot any bull with 5" brows or a cow so I get my release on my loop and start getting tension and positioning toward the sound for a shot. Out walks a Grizzly at 40 yards.

I didn't know you could throw a bow down when wearing a wrist strap but I did. I wheeled and ran about 5 steps or 10 feet before my brain kicked in grabbed my pistol spun and shouted at the bear. I said, "Go away Bear"! I am not lying. As calmly as he walked out he turned around and came back the way he came in.

I WANTED to run and get distance from the bear. I knew that if I continued to run he might chase. As scary as it was to stop and face the bear I knew it was best and did it until he disappeared. After I caught my breath I even sat the wallow the rest of the evening. A spike bull came out and I would have had a clear shot if he had been legal.

The Montana native I hunt with and is also a vendor of mine, has even steelier nerves. One of the reasons I hunt with him! Three years ago he called in two Grizzlies with cow calls. One when I was with him (kinda), one when I wasn't. I never saw either bear but he came swiftly walking out of the brush to let me know a Grizzly was heading my way, to my calling. He went the direction he saw the bear go instead of letting me have a Grizz come down on me by myself. Still a bit scary that even though we were setup only 80 yards apart I never saw the bear that he saw walking my way.

He and I had a long discussion about this attack when I was in at his house in Bozeman. We both agree the hunter in this case broke the 'code'.

Still not taking away from the guides lack of preparation. The WY back country is loaded with bears. He knew they were there and got complacent.

[LWC]

I'm not sure why some give the hunter so much grief. For all we know, he was as green as could be and didn't know come here from sic em. He paid the guide to help him kill an elk. That happened and then the SHTF. Guide probably knew he messed up and told him to get the hell out of there. Who knows.

I doubt many guides expect or rely on their clients for their safety. The guide messed up and paid the price. The hunter almost did too. Could the hunter have done more...maybe, maybe not. I see guides in this situation almost like the captain of a ship. If they wreck the ship, it is their responsibility to save the passengers if they can. Which is what I think the guide may have done.

Now I do expect more from my hunting buddies. If the SHTF, we would have each other's back as long as the other partner still had a chance. But at this point, we also aren't planning on hunting in grizz country.

[Take Dead Aim]

[QUOTE=He and I had a long discussion about this attack when I was in at his house in Bozeman. We both agree the hunter in this case broke the 'code'.
[/QUOTE]

What code? I guess I keep getting confused on what yall wanted the hunter to do when he had nothing to engage the bear with. The pistol was closer to bear and guide. There is a second younger bear with the big female. I am not saying what the hunter did was correct as I wasn't there. I just can't figure out what he was supposed to do that was going to make a difference.

I asked this question on one of the old threads about this same incident. What are you doing if you're on a fishing trip with your buddy and he falls in and a great white attacks him? You jumping in to save him?

[Lawhunter]

What code? I guess I keep getting confused on what yall wanted the hunter to do when he had nothing to engage the bear with. The pistol was closer to bear and guide. There is a second younger bear with the big female. I am not saying what the hunter did was correct as I wasn't there. I just can't figure out what he was supposed to do that was going to make a difference.

I asked this question on one of the old threads about this same incident. What are you doing if your on a fishing trip with your buddy and he falls in and a great white attacks him? You jumping in to save him?

I am a wee bit more nimble on land than in the water.

[BuckSmasher]

What code? I guess I keep getting confused on what yall wanted the hunter to do when he had nothing to engage the bear with. The pistol was closer to bear and guide. There is a second younger bear with the big female. I am not saying what the hunter did was correct as I wasn't there. I just can't figure out what he was supposed to do that was going to make a difference.

I asked this question on one of the old threads about this same incident. What are you doing if you're on a fishing trip with your buddy and he falls in and a great white attacks him? You jumping in to save him?

Both of them had bear spray. Why didn't he use that? Does this guy not only not know how to use a gun he can't use bear spray? He shot the elk with something he must know how to use some weapon. He had the pistol. He could have at LEAST retreated with the pistol and figured it out and came back. He could have hit the bear with a rock, he could have waited away, but within sight and tried to help his buddy once the attack was over. He could have went back after calling for help.

The 'code' is do something that can prevent me from dying if by doing so you don't condemn yourself 100% to dying yourself. This guy did nothing. No spray, no handing of the gun, no returning to help, nothing.

I think we are at loggerheads because I don't see how you don't expect him to do literally ANYTHING.

[Tryton]

Both of them had bear spray. Why didn't he use that? Does this guy not only not know how to use a gun he can't use bear spray? He shot the elk with something he must know how to use some weapon. He had the pistol. He could have at LEAST retreated with the pistol and figured it out and came back. He could have hit the bear with a rock, he could have waited away, but within sight and tried to help his buddy once the attack was over. He could have went back after calling for help.

The 'code' is do something that can prevent me from dying if by doing so you don't condemn yourself 100% to dying yourself. This guy did nothing. No spray, no handing of the gun, no returning to help, nothing.

I think we are at loggerheads because I don't see how you don't expect him to do literally ANYTHING.

He shot the elk with a crossbow which was found at the scene also.

[solocam_aggie]

Note to self, never go with Take dead aim fishing or hunting. Your arse is getting left soon as things get hairy, lol.

I don't care what the situation, or how "green" I am in said situation; I'm not leaving another man to die while running like a coward.

Regarding the great white, if there is a chance the man could live and I could play a part in that, you can bet I'll be in that water.

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[Take Dead Aim]

Note to self, never go with Take dead aim fishing or hunting. Your arse is getting left soon as things get hairy, lol.

I don't care what the situation, or how "green" I am in said situation; I'm not leaving another man to die while running like a coward.

Regarding the great white, if there is a chance the man could live and I could play a part in that, you can bet I'll be in that water.

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You are so full of it. Nice cop out on "if there is a chance the man could live and I could play a part in that". I bet you watch the movie Jaws ****** off they didn't cast you. So you are jumping in the bloody shark waters? I mean I would do it for my family but not a stranger. I would do many things to save someones life but jumping out of a boat into bloody shark infested waters is not one of them.

[meltingfeather]

I'm not sure why some give the hunter so much grief.

Because judgment and armchair quarterbacking are typical forum behavior.