Frankly, I'm a bit embarrassed of much of the way this thread is headed now, and I should have foreseen it coming. The "Shoot first ask questions later" mentality is in my opinion, a mark of cowardice, not savvy, and is creeping north as people come up looking for jobs and end up in the bush.
mcpherson284, where was this, odds are a Grizzly by the behaviour I'm presuming, and when was it reported? There will still be a report on it and likely small town news stories, bear attacks where they actually touch you still make the news and often generate public warnings. I don't doubt you as a person, but I also can't talk to a person as we sit here, and I don't trust the internet. You will likely provide the whole case and prove the account credible, it is an extreme account, especially without injury which is surprising.
I was huffed at just two days ago by a pissed off Black that actually circled the bush around me. I finally saw it after hearing much huffing as I backed out back towards my machine, it crossed the access where it is shown there exposing itself. I had tried chasing him off with a helicopter prior to landing and he didn't enjoy that, and was agitated enough to return to his green patch and attempt to take it back. Normal bear behaviour, and no reason for him to die it happens several times a summer, we have extreme numbers of bears in this area. He was about 30 yards away at his closest. He had me on guard, but no more so than driving an icy highway- this is normal life working in the bush in bear populated areas.
The pic below was last fall, a very unhappy Grizzly, that's a cell phone pic it was close. One quick bluff, and then it left. Again, bear fine, I'm fine. In that entire area there are four Grizzlies, in a range of about a hundred square kilometres. One getting shot because somebody didn't understand bear behaviour and figured "Better safe than sorry" would be a tragedy, not a commendable tale. The Grizzlies are also encountered often, as well, they're brave. I'm likely off the the Muskwa again hunting Grizzly soon, and have no qualms about taking a bear in season with a tag. Destroying bears, especially in areas with lower populations like where much of the Grizzly incidents occur down south is an embarrassment. Worst part is, most go unreported, and end up as vague tales.
Spray really doesn't work well from what I've seen, in my opinion. Guns work well if you're adept in shot placement, but shouldn't be employed nearly as much as they are, again in my opinion. Seems many here seem to think they should be used like spray, just instead of it. A fellow I work with, his father shot a Grizzly in "defence", hearing the story many times, all the happened was he bumped into a sow with cubs on a trail and the sow stood her ground and became agitated. He could have backed out, but figured better safe than sorry. In that area, there are almost no Grizzlies left. This will happen in more places as people who come from areas with less bears move into more bear populated regions, and completely mishandle bear encounters due to a frontier mentality. I just hope the mentality stays away from the bears, it is an embarrassment and really does make us look like a bunch of trigger happy yokels. Have I had to shoot problem bears? Yes, but it was a well thought out decision with CO approval or a tag on a routine problem bear, I've never shot one on a charge or because it "creeped me out".
This thread is about to go downhill fast, the inevitable way of all "Bear Defence" threads…
I think I'm out from here on.
