Bella Coola Grizzly Bear Charge (October 2018)

FLHTCUI

FLHTCUI

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Under the CZBB Flight Path.....
I generally do not like posting you tube stories, but here is one before that TD'archie guys discovers it.
The guy lived in my neighborhood many years ago and moved North.
Met him again in the LM 2 years ago when he was picking up a hot tub and a wood fired heater for it.
He has worked with and for DFO in the past and is an avid hunter in the Cariboo Region.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0uM7s8hprc

The video is pretty self explanatory and he documents the events as they presented and then unfolded.
Some serious pucker factor with a big set of brass ones.
Begs to question , what is the best bird shot for tripping an angry Grizzly Bear Sow?
Those in or heading to GB country be ready and plan accordingly.
Rob
 
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FLHTCUI said:
The video is pretty self explanatory and he documents the events as they presented and then unfolded.
Some serious pucker factor with a big set of brass ones.
Begs to question , what is the best bird shot for tripping an angry Grizzly Bear Sow?
Those in or heading to GB country be ready and plan accordingly.
Rob
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Where does he document what happened and why?

Looks like he was trying to drive off a bear, near a nicely built house and choose to go out in the yard to drive him off with a single shot pirate model shotgun?

Is that about the jist of it Flucthi? I didn't really find it self explanatory and was left with questions.... mostly starting with Why?

What ever load he used defenitely startled and stunned the bear momentarily, thankfully your friend didn't completely trip while back peddling.... he was close to a wipe out for sure.

That bear was fully motivated after recovering from the blast..... fast and large animal!
 
Can-down said:
Where does he document what happened and why?

Looks like he was trying to drive off a bear, near a nicely built house and choose to go out in the yard to drive him off with a single shot pirate model shotgun?

Is that about the jist of it Flucthi? I didn't really find it self explanatory and was left with questions.... mostly starting with Why?

What ever load he used defenitely startled and stunned the bear momentarily, thankfully your friend didn't completely trip while back peddling.... he was close to a wipe out for sure.

That bear was fully motivated after recovering from the blast..... fast and large animal!
Click to expand...

Did you not read the back story that is posted with the you tube video ?

Not a friend, but an acquaintance...funny you mention back pedal...his wife and him where bison Hunting near Pink Mountain a number of years ago and his wife was run over by a Bison ..the story was published in the ?outdoor Edge 1993 iirc?

The Facts: Just got back after 1 week trip, 70+ year old in-laws (from the city) looking after the kids Left them a bucket of nuts and bolts to make noise to get bears off the property if they come Got home the night before and noticed bent over mountain ash trees/broken branches, bear poo full of mountain ash berries, craters in the lawn In the morning, dogs were barking and noticed bears by the tree (no fruit since it was already all picked) that the kids climb in every day Went and loaded 12g shotgun with 3 birdshot shells with the intention of shooting in the air to scare them away (family told us they had been coming back regularly since we had left and they weren’t scared of noise) Went outside, from underneath the deck, shot once in the air, and sow started charging so I ran back inside the house She then started walking her cubs away and took that as a sign of submission, then went outside again and when she got 65 yards away, I shot in the air again to keep pushing her along After that shot, the sow turned around and looked at me and I yelled at her to keep moving her on Then in an instant, the sow turned and charged, head down, ears back, and hair flat I knew this was a serious charge and I only had one shot left (of birdshot), and having worked with bears for 30+ years on the river with Fisheries, and gone through repeated bear training with a shotgun, I knew that if I turned and ran, there would have been contact I didn’t want to blind her by hitting her in the face so aimed at her right side to hopefully trip her up to buy me enough time to run inside the house I waited as long as I could, until she was just across the driveway and then I hazed her, which did trip her up so I turned and ran inside the house She kept coming towards the house with her mouth open, ready to bite me, and I slammed the door, the last thing I remember was gravel hitting my truck as she turned and ran back (four limbs working fine) and took her cubs away I later tracked her and her cubs a ways off our acreage; there was no blood, no hair and I know she’ll be sore but she’ll now think twice about approaching people I talked it over with the local COs, showed them the video, and they said I was totally justified in defending myself and family.
 
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FLHTCUI said:
Did you not read the back story that is posted with the you tube video ?

Ok, I'll make it easier:

The Facts: Just got back after 1 week trip, 70+ year old in-laws (from the city) looking after the kids Left them a bucket of nuts and bolts to make noise to get bears off the property if they come Got home the night before and noticed bent over mountain ash trees/broken branches, bear poo full of mountain ash berries, craters in the lawn In the morning, dogs were barking and noticed bears by the tree (no fruit since it was already all picked) that the kids climb in every day Went and loaded 12g shotgun with 3 birdshot shells with the intention of shooting in the air to scare them away (family told us they had been coming back regularly since we had left and they weren’t scared of noise) Went outside, from underneath the deck, shot once in the air, and sow started charging so I ran back inside the house She then started walking her cubs away and took that as a sign of submission, then went outside again and when she got 65 yards away, I shot in the air again to keep pushing her along After that shot, the sow turned around and looked at me and I yelled at her to keep moving her on Then in an instant, the sow turned and charged, head down, ears back, and hair flat I knew this was a serious charge and I only had one shot left (of birdshot), and having worked with bears for 30+ years on the river with Fisheries, and gone through repeated bear training with a shotgun, I knew that if I turned and ran, there would have been contact I didn’t want to blind her by hitting her in the face so aimed at her right side to hopefully trip her up to buy me enough time to run inside the house I waited as long as I could, until she was just across the driveway and then I hazed her, which did trip her up so I turned and ran inside the house She kept coming towards the house with her mouth open, ready to bite me, and I slammed the door, the last thing I remember was gravel hitting my truck as she turned and ran back (four limbs working fine) and took her cubs away I later tracked her and her cubs a ways off our acreage; there was no blood, no hair and I know she’ll be sore but she’ll now think twice about approaching people I talked it over with the local COs, showed them the video, and they said I was totally justified in defending myself and family.
Click to expand...

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes he gets you. :) Unpredictability is a Grizzly characteristic that makes them so dangerous. Bird shot at close range can penetrate enough to make a nasty, pain suffering bear, who might take it out on the next person she meets. Not really recommended these days. Somebody should have called the fish cops to deal with it.

Grizz
 
I thought the consensus was that bear defence threads were based on fantasy?

I won’t monday quaterback this guy’s actions. Birdshot wouldn’t be my first choice in scaring off a grizzly, but he made his decision probably on the belief that he could scare the bear much more easily.

This video was on the CBC last night and again tonight and they say the guy is facing a lot of online criticism .... most of us would want some public support in any defensive situation.
 
FLHTCUI said:
Did you not read the back story that is posted with the you tube video ?

Not a friend, but an acquaintance...funny you mention back pedal...his wife and him where bison Hunting near Pink Mountain a number of years ago and his wife was run over by a Bison ..the story was published in the ?outdoor Edge 1993 iirc?

The Facts: Just got back after 1 week trip, 70+ year old in-laws (from the city) looking after the kids Left them a bucket of nuts and bolts to make noise to get bears off the property if they come Got home the night before and noticed bent over mountain ash trees/broken branches, bear poo full of mountain ash berries, craters in the lawn In the morning, dogs were barking and noticed bears by the tree (no fruit since it was already all picked) that the kids climb in every day Went and loaded 12g shotgun with 3 birdshot shells with the intention of shooting in the air to scare them away (family told us they had been coming back regularly since we had left and they weren’t scared of noise) Went outside, from underneath the deck, shot once in the air, and sow started charging so I ran back inside the house She then started walking her cubs away and took that as a sign of submission, then went outside again and when she got 65 yards away, I shot in the air again to keep pushing her along After that shot, the sow turned around and looked at me and I yelled at her to keep moving her on Then in an instant, the sow turned and charged, head down, ears back, and hair flat I knew this was a serious charge and I only had one shot left (of birdshot), and having worked with bears for 30+ years on the river with Fisheries, and gone through repeated bear training with a shotgun, I knew that if I turned and ran, there would have been contact I didn’t want to blind her by hitting her in the face so aimed at her right side to hopefully trip her up to buy me enough time to run inside the house I waited as long as I could, until she was just across the driveway and then I hazed her, which did trip her up so I turned and ran inside the house She kept coming towards the house with her mouth open, ready to bite me, and I slammed the door, the last thing I remember was gravel hitting my truck as she turned and ran back (four limbs working fine) and took her cubs away I later tracked her and her cubs a ways off our acreage; there was no blood, no hair and I know she’ll be sore but she’ll now think twice about approaching people I talked it over with the local COs, showed them the video, and they said I was totally justified in defending myself and family.
Click to expand...

I missed the backstory, thanks for posting it!
 
Easy to criticise a guy with Grizzlies in his backyard near his kids, from a place without Grizzlies is my take. Not saying anyone is doing that here. He could have dealt with it better, yes, but many decisions in the moment in life if given the benefit of hindsight are less than ideal. Appears all has worked out here, bear will survive, so did he. Doubt he’d try it again, Grizzlies are a whole other creature from anything else Canada has.
 
Ardent said:
Easy to criticise a guy with Grizzlies in his backyard near his kids, from a place without Grizzlies is my take. Not saying anyone is doing that here. He could have dealt with it better, yes, but many decisions in the moment in life if given the benefit of hindsight are less than ideal. Appears all has worked out here, bear will survive, so did he. Doubt he’d try it again, Grizzlies are a whole other creature from anything else Canada has.
Click to expand...

Thinking the caretakers could have called him for advice and handed it over to the Fish cops. this situation escalated way past where it should have.

Grizz
 
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