Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Close encounter;sow and cub

My daughter had encounter with a Brown Bear on Thurs above Indain. She had been picking Serviceberrys the day before and decided to go back.The Berry patch is a short 10 min hike off the Highway,she hiked up with the 7 month old baby and the two dogs,she carrys Bear Spray and both her and the dogs wear Bells. Liz is no stranger to the woods,she has been hiking around Anch,Hope,Ekutna and the Kenai for the past 10 years.

Liz got to the Berry patch, took the Baby out of carrier put him on the ground and covered him with a bug net,the next thing down below her a cub goes up a tree,and both dogs are barking and she hears the sow,she picked the Baby back up while both dogs kept the sow below her,she said one dog came back a short distance from her looked at her then went back to worry the Bear. She said she just picked up the Baby and started back down the trail ,she called her husband who was at Bird Creek,then called the dogs back,after Nate got there they went back and got her gear.

A strange twist to this is she asked me the night before if I wanted to out with her,I had just recently moved back to Anchorage from the Village and was getting things together for a Garage sale, so declined .

With all the Bear encounters this year, this one would be hard to explain,if contact would have been made ,it would have been hard to live with. I'm really pleased her two dogs had the muckle to stand their ground

Good bear dogs cannot be over-rated. Neither can an extra person (armed) in that situation. Glad they came out okay.

Glad it worked out.

I'm not much on folks going out unarmed. Bear spray is unarmed as far as I"m concerned.

It happens, but it just doesn't make sense when the threat is known.

Hope she gets a gun next time just in case.

Yes,her and Nate have been discussing the gun carry subject,Liz is rather petit,but I'm sure she will be able to handle what ever she decides.If she can jump out of airplanes,rock climb,scuba dive and paddle board she will learn to handle recoil.

Dad has not been asked for advice as of yet,I'd be inclined to lean toward a Rem.760 Carbine in 06.

I think the dogs get a good whiff of Bear every week,they live out at Indain just below valley meats.my Daughter says so times in the mornings the dogs take off up into woods barking.

+1.

FWIW, that was my thinking too for a non-gunny family member.

I figure the 'linear' action was easier and more foolproof than a 'rotary' action.

My only concern with the 760/7600 is the extraction issues they are frequently prone to when pressures are played with a bit...

Thanks for that bit of info,all I used in mine are factory loads as I don't use it that much.
I just bought some Sako 220 gr. Hammerheads, but haven't shot any yet.

If by chance she goes that route,I'll make some stock,clip,and forearm modifications.

Leaning the right direction RE a gun of some kind.

FWIW my wife is what I consider petite... 4-11 105 pounds, shot competition highpower for years, starting with a 308. Before you smirk, 100 rounds a day or so, for days on end at the nationals, will make you aware of recoil.

She has shot up to a 460 wtby. No issues. Said it did kick though. Shot a squirrel with a 378 wtby.

Shot my 300 wtby on deer regularly when she was not bowhunting.

The gal can handle what she needs to. Just has to practice.

Good people dogs can not be over rated...