I hope he fully recovers from the attack, sounds like the bear was lying in wait for them.

http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/157040

Wish him all the best.

Prayers for a speedy recover with no side affects.

Hmmmm.... "The three had spotted a large brown bear and were tracking it via snowmachines."

Spotted and tracking via snowmachine in the same sentence... Thinking the bear may have been made unhappy...

It was a Grizzly. I've met one of the guys, (Dr. Dan Stang), a few times while up hunting with my brother. Both are extremely experienced hunters and both have killed a bunch of Grizzlies. Obviously something didn't go according to plan. Good thing they had a radio.

I'm praying for a successful recovery.

Mighty fine line 'tween brown and grizzly... Generally the brown bear title is the catchall, and not really wrong... whereas calling a coastal brown bear a grizzly is wrong...

Yep your right. Wouldn't want either pizzed off at me.

I believe chasing or "stalking" a grizzly by snowmachine in that area might attract the interest of F&W protection and even further his woes.

Sounds to me like hey were running it down with snogos. It got tired and pissed and decided to stand up for itself. This sounds like a problem of his own making to me.

It says they were TRACKING it, not chasing it and yes, there is a difference. The regs say that they can use a snowmachine to hunt bears but can only shoot when the machine has been shut off and has stopped moving. I know a few guys that live in the bush up north and they do the same thing and have never had any trouble with the F&W cops.

I even saw a video on Youtube where a hunter went after a grizzly and once he got within range he shut his sled off, got off the machine and promptly killed the bear with 1 shot with his Mosin Nagant.

Sure sounds like chasing to me. Not much difference (except within the law) shooting from a snowmobile or turning it off, jumping off and shooting.

When I think of tracking I think of spotting one from a snowmobile then getting off to glass, and stalk and shoot it. Sounds like they were running the grizzly down with their snowmobiles. Of course since it's legal, they'd be putting themselves at a real disadvantage not to "track" grizzlies on their snowmobiles. I don't blame the hunters a bit, I think the state rule is sketchy to say the least. That being said, I hope the hunter recovers soon.

Yes, there is a difference, maybe not in Colorado but here in Alaska, it is perfectly legal to track a bear on sleds, shut it down, step away from it, then shoot. Kinda like what this guy did. Follow this thread and you'll see where the OP did this very same thing and it was perfectly legal.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/97830-Same-ol-Spring-D/page2

I would not be too fast saying it is legal to "track" a bear on sleds... The whole thing comes down to details. If the critter senses you and starts moving away you may NOT pursue on sleds. That becomes chasing and by the wide, wide, incredibly wide definitions of hunting (to chase, kill, capture, or pursue) that becomes hunting from a sled.

Just because the video is posted does not mean it was legal... But in that case the bear came to them when they got out in front of it... Huge difference between that and running a bear with sleds.

You can armchair this thing all you want, until the F&G troopers release their findings we'll just have to agree to disagree.

From reading the subsequent articles regarding this, it does sound like perhaps he just accidentally got too close to a bear that was bedded down by the creek. I certainly hope that was the case. I've just seen, and heard enough about poor behavior on the part of people pursuing game that I guess it's made me a bit cynical.

Reading some sign is not that tough... The line I quoted says they had spoted the bear and were tracking it... Hard to call that too close on accident.

They were aware the bear was there...
They were following tracks if they use "tracking" the same way everyone else does...
They were not moving out ahead or from the side to begin a stalk...

Not looking to armchair it, but the odds are against them not having run the bear at least a little...
YMMV

It's just road hunting without roads. As long as it's done legaly it's just a matter of choice.
Praying for his quick recovery.

It'll be interesting to hear how the legal stuff plays out in this one. I hope he has a speedy recovery.

A snowmachine griz hunt down in the koyo is on my "list" and it'd be nice to know exactly what the rules are, to stay on the good side of the law!

Don't track at 30 mph.

Might want to go around cover and pick up the tracks on the other side, too. If there are any.

Gents/ perhaps it is a mistake to depend on the press for an accurate description of what really happened...............

Some updated info.

http://www.adn.com/2011/05/16/1865935/grizzly-mauling-victim-hospitalized.html

Praying for his recovery.

The gentleman that was attacked is in bad shape, his face was nearly ripped off and he has a badly chewed leg. There is a good chance of infection but hopefully that won't happen. His son works with the same company as my wife which is how I got this info. Keep him in your thoughts guys.

I was wondering if you knew the feller, John.

Please pass on best wishes for a fast and full recovery.

Sometimes you're the hunter - and sometimes you're the hunted.

Brother of a good hunting buddy of mine was jumped while out hunting over by Hoonah a few years back. He was sitting on a log eating lunch when the bear came up from behind him. Came close to having his face ripped off, but he "only" got scapled. Didn't do much more than that to him. got kind of lucky.

It's always sad to hear about bear attacks, but when you're hunting them, it comes with the territory. That's the thing that puts you on edge and keeps you coming back to hunt them. We're not hunting them because the meat's so tasty (though I've had some good bear ribs on the barby ...)

I know Wes, a good man, and not without good experience in the region. The story I got initially on Monday afternoon was that it had been "killed" and they were just getting ready to take pictures. Obviously that doesn't correlate with the "official" story. Much of the country they were likely hunting (and much of Alaska) cannot be hunted without using some form of hon-human transportation. I wouldn't get too carried away with speculating on legalities, ethics, etc. Yes, you can track animals at 30 miles per hour in/on snow. And horses are even legal to use in many states. *Gasp* A big problem with snow is that it leaves a lot of evidence which is readily seen from the air. You have to be pretty stupid, assuming you are willing to bend the law, as some here apparently have considered already, to take a bear illegally with the aid of snowmachines. And there's lots of F&G in Nome near where this happened.

I hope he recovers well. As a spearhead to the SAR in the region, he has helped save a lot of people's butts. I wish we could all help him in return.

Before I went up north of Nome back in Sept 2008 for my grizzly hunt, I called and talked to the local bear biologist. My BS degree is in wildlife management and I wanted a biologist's take on the local bear population. He had this to say.

"My bears are BLUE COLLAR bears. My bears don't get fat and lazy fishing for salmon. My bears have to work for a living; chasing and killing caribou, reindeer, muskox and full grown moose. They eat berries and the occasional fish but they get their protein from red meat and are very aggressive."

So, when I saw this report, I was not surprised the incident happened north of Nome.

Our prayers are with Wes and his family!

Alan

More on this incident:


http://grizzleo.wordpress.com/2011/...nted-by-victims-brother-alaska-dispatch/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015072351_mauled17.html


And if anyone knows how to work website magic, here's a site that could use some "fixing":

http://thedailymaul.com/?tag=wes-perkins

He would be a dead man in Montana, people here believe "Bear Spray" is the only protection against bear attacks.

Not very nice people.

WTF is wrong with people these days?? Stupid freaking liberals.

Maybe they need to be invited to a grizzly petting zoo, with a hungry grizzly or two.

That's more or less the layman's observations I've made too from living up north and out here on the AKPEN. Coastal bears are more scavenger and the interior/tundra bears are more predatory.

I certainly wouldn't use the same methods of discouragement that we use on the dumpster divers out here (steel shot to the arse). Do that to one of those half hungry, ill-tempered grizzlies up north and you've likely picked a fight you better be able to finish.

I sure hope all goes well for the man and will pray for him too! I am not sure what the regulations say but I myself would not want to be on a snowmobile while bear hunting. I want my rifle in my hands at all times!

Please tell me using snowmobiles is not considered "fair chase".
I don't understand why you can't shoot the same day you fly in but you can use snowmobiles to chase bears down?
We don't even treat coyotes like that.
whelennut

It's best not to comment on something you know little to nothing about. You said it yourself, "I don't understand."

Kid,

while I support your drift wholeheartly, I can not help but wonder, what, if followed, it would do to traffic here at the site...

All humour aside - best wishes for a complete and quick recovery to the injured fellow.

whelenut, This is meant with no disrespect, but perhaps it will give you some perspective:

Is using a car or truck to drive from Minnesota to Montana fair chase?

Is using electronic devices of any kind fair chase?

Is the use of weapons which can hit and kill at significant fractions of a mile fair chase?

I can tell you this, hunting moose in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (non-motorized)- with three buddies even- is child's play compared to what happens in much of Alaska's back country. (And in many parts of the state there is nothing but back country.) There is a lot of country which virtually never gets hunted up here, and much which is only hunted because modern means of transportation allow it - now. (It's true that a few hardy souls have, in times past, occasionally hunted these places. But these hunts often involved a week or more to get there, hunt, and return. And often that meant one moose for me, one for the dogs.)

Yes, I have seen where snowmachines were used, obviously being guided by an airplane and radio, to kill a bear. And I'm sure snowmachines get used in ways that are not fair chase, just as rifles, rangefinders, or radios sometimes do. And I would be really surprised if some of the animals we've seen on here were not tracked on snowmachines. The law spells out what is allowed, but as with many things in hunting, ethics comes into play. But I have to tell you that, after spending four weekends and riding nearly 700 miles in pursuit of a year's supply of moose meat, I hardly consider snowmobiles cheating. Usually it's less, but I've heard people who've tried it say that they'd rather hunt back home (Montana, etc); they don't like getting their asses kicked (the easy way).

Some of the accounts indicate that Wes was attemping to take pictures of the bear after he had ridden a short distance past it. That suggests to me that they were indeed tracking the animal and that they realized, after losing its tracks, that it had either made an abrupt direction change, or they had ridden past it. But they did cheat (in my view), they used a truck to trailer their rigs to where they began hunting. From where I stand, that is cheating. I have to ride every foot of the way. Putting our rigs on trailers is out of the question where I live (and we're not much more than 100 miles from where Wes resides.)

Sounds like trailer-envy, Klik!





This part of whelennut's post,

suggests that he thinks the snow mobiles were used to run the bear, perhaps to exhaustion, in order to effect a kill.

That would be illegal as well as unethical. I have NO reason to think that is the case with Wes.

Snow mobiles have been used for backcountry activities since the first Briggs & Stratton lawnmower motor was affixed to a Flexible Flyer sled with modified roto tiller treads.

Klikitarik,
I am one of those people who obey the law. I flew in a Super Cub to get to where I was going to hunt the next day.
I saw a nice caribou but did not shoot it because it would have been illegal.
Of course the guide offered to shoot my caribou for me. He said lots of hunters do that because they are not good shots.
It seems silly in a way because here in Minnesota I can drive my truck right out to the deer stand and get in the stand and shoot a deer five minutes later.
I would like to shoot a brown bear someday, but I don't want to shoot it from a helicopter, or a boat.
It doesn't bother me to shoot prairie dogs from a vehicle but they are varmints.
When I bought my caribou license in Anchorage the kid behind the counter said he takes his snowmobile and a Min-14 and kills caribou to feed his village. That doesn't seem like hunting to me either but it is putting meat on the table.
I'm sure it goes on in Minnesota on the Indian reservations.
I don't care for ATV's either but they are nice for hauling a bear out to a road I'm sure.
I realize nobody cares what I think about it but chasing animals with a vehicle is not permitted where I grew up.

An argument could certainly be made citing that method as the ultimate hunting. It's not "sport" hunting though.

I think many folks assume that running game to exhaustion is how it works. While that is certainly true in some cases - running foxes is a good example- it is hardly the rule. (And perhaps some people imagine what they would do if they were so set up, I don't know.) In my view, using an airplane to gain access, even if one must wait until midnight passes to hunt, is much more like cheating in many instances than is using a ground or snow transport system. But that is my opinion, and this isn't really a question of what anyone thinks. And perhaps you have more info on what Wes and company were doing than I do. I know we have a sometimes poster here who has a brother up in Nome. Perhaps he has an inside on things, perhaps not. All I have to go on is the fact that snowmachines and other kinds of equipment, just like scopes, rangefinders, cartridges, and a whole array of technology, provide means and methods - advantages, that we didn't previously have to "hunt" and kill animals. We can borrow from the anti's and indict anyone who uses whichever of these advantages we happen to dislike, or we can understand why, how, and where they are important and use them within the law and our own personal boundaries (ethics) to our advantage. I am far enough away and disconnected from Nome (thank God) to avoid community gossip, so perhaps I'm missing some important "facts". But I know Wes to some degree and have not been led to believe that he operates across the line. In fact, he has always impressed me as one who has gone out of his way to be as much of an asset to the community (and the region) as one will find. I realize that one could be very service oriented and not play by the rules, but the two just don't seem to be a real logical fit, at least lacking higher political connections.

In Alaska, the law is very clear on (and assumes the use of) means of transport like boats, ATVs, snowmachines, etc. The law quite clearly spells out how they can and cannot be used. No one is bound to use every legal means (obviously) in attempting to take an animal.So one does not have to use any method they have issues with. Most people won't come out and hunt in some of these really remote places under the conditions where machines are the only way to access the hunts (though, surprisingly, fewer have issues with using planes.) Admittedly, riding a plane and riding a snowmachine are night and day in terms of difficulty and bodily wear.

I have no issue with judging harshly those who use illegal means and methods. I would hesitate to judge, however, the use of methods or means which are assumed to be used illegally, unethically, or otherwise contrary good taste based on inadequate knowledge or information.

If you have reason, (if you know) something about this incident that counters "innocent until proven otherwise," you can PM if you like. Otherwise, I think it quite unfair to suggest otherwise.

Boy, did I screw the pooch on that post.

I should have typed:

I have NO reason to think that is the case with Wes.

My apologies for that mistake.

I edited the above post to reflect accuracy.

Thanks! Been guilty of dropping the "n't" and such a time or several myself. No harm, no foul.

BTW, while it sometimes sounds like there are more than a few "assumers," I didn't mean to suggest you were one of them. I thought perhaps you had an inside line on ugliness that I was unaware of. And if that should be discovered to be the case here, this probably isn't the time for further beating the lesson into anyone's head, a head which has been sufficiently beaten for the time being I suspect.

I saw that post and was hoping it was a mistake, not like you to judge without knowing all the facts firsthand.

all I know about the incident is 2nd hand or greater.

That they thought the bear was dead and were about to take pictures when the bear came at him.


Still wishing Wes the best. Any updates?

How's that for deflection?

Haven't heard anything, are they still investigating it or did they conclude that it was all done legally? I'm thinking that rag, the ADN, would have run the conclusion to the story if it they had it.

I hope the injured man heals up. I'm sure he will have a good story to tell. If you have to track a wounded bear with a snowmobile he must not have been hit very good IMO.

Hello to the Fire.
I have been following this thread from a distance and thought I'd add a couple thoughts. First of all I'm an aquaintance of Wes and family, not what you would consider pals but in this little town most of us are familiar. I don't intend to speak for anyone regarding Wes's condition or prospects for recovery but Ironbender inquired about an update so I will pass on what I know to be his current condition.
As of June 2nd Wes is still in Harborview and will remain there for quite some time. He has undergone multiple hours long surgeries in attempts to perform some reconstruction to his lower jaw.
On the 1st he endured an 11 hour surgery by a team of trauma surgeons and it's my understanding his tibia was used to construct a lower jaw and some thigh muscle was used for muscle to work that jaw.
There are rumors regarding his sight in the eye that was damaged and all I know is that it's not positive he'll have vision in it.
He is a stong individual and one who has the respect and admiration of this entire community as well as a good swath of western Alaska. He was hunting with a man who I consider to be one of the best bear hunters around this country and I have no reason or knowledge to believe they were doing anything outside the law. They are both extremely well respected as hunters and outdoorsmen and good men. The kind you hope your young son grows up to be.
Wes is an EMT and the partner he had with him is a Dr. and the Drs. son is a med student and it's my opinion that has a whole lot to do with him surviving the first couple hours.
Enough of my opinions.....
The bear if anyone is interested was quite a specimen to say the least. I'm not sure what his hide measured but the skull was 26 4/16 at the ADF&G office and that is a grizzly bear skull.
This episode has had a profound impact on this town. The community has come together as only a small town does to aid in any way the family of a man who for 30 years has given much of his time and effort to help any who needed it.
It has also been an eye opening exerience for me and other avid bear hunters I know.
The only reason Wes is alive today is because of the HAM radio his partner had on him. As many of you know there is a short supply of available options for communicating in any way and in an emergency time is of the utmost importance.
I think an ebay purchase of a sat phone may be in order.
There has been lots of speculation about what and why and how this happened to a man who has literally thousands of miles of spring travel experience under his seat and many many bear hunts also. All I can say is if can happen to them it can happen to anyone. I would like to see the assumptions of whether they were doing it "right or doing it wrong" fade away. They were out hunting grizzlies in the spring on snowmachines. This country is big. The machine makes it a bit smaller. They saw a bear. A big bad ass bear. It smacked Wes around. Badly. The bear is dead. Lessons were and are learned.
I'm glad that Wes will live to see his kids have kids and they can point to the rug on the floor and say that's the bear that almost got Grandpa. That bear would become an instant family heirloom in my house.

Good post and update

I hope it turns out ok for the man.

Thank you Scott. (And appropriate, if wasted, comments toward those sickos over on the "Maul".)



This is a bit about what's happening in Nome on Wes' behalf:





http://www.nomenugget.net/20110602/20110602.pdf

And in case you aren't aware how truly sick some homo saps (I can't find it in myself to call them human) are:



http://thedailymaul.com/?p=1320

That right there says a lot.


Appreciate the update Scott and you taking the time to post it. Also happy that Wes survived and knowing that a man like him has the best chance of the best recovery by being tough and a fighter.

I still feel badly that I mistyped the post back up a bit. I wish Wes a full recovery.

Very glad to hear that he will ok. Sounds like he went through one hell of an ordeal and is lucky to have had the right people with him. We wish him a speedy and full (if that's possible) recovery.

whelennut,

I didn't see in any of the articles or recounts of the story where this bear was wounded before he jumped Wes. I don't believe they were following a blood trail, just tracks in the snow. Someone please correct me if I missed that info.

My impression was that they approached it for a picture thinking it was dead. There are a lot of people posting and newspaper stories, so I am a little confused about it myself. The guy sounds like he will be in for some plastic surgery for awhile.

Good post Scott,

From my perspective, I can see why those who live in the lower 48 would question the use of snowmachines. Your comment "This country is big. The machine makes it a bit smaller." is an understatement. Until a person hunts the tundra of Alaska, and see's with his own eyes the vast, open tundra, it will always be hard for them to comprehend just how big Alaska is.

I don't know Wes, but I've met Dr. Stang a couple of times. Borrowed a snow machine from him. Great guy, great hunter. Bear hunting expert is probably more apt. As are you.

26 4/16"s puts that Grizzly way up in the record book, way up there. Maybe top 75 All-Time. This incident brings home why they are classified as dangerous game. They are finely honed killers. A bear that size fears nothing in his domain. He stands alone at the very top of the food chain.

"There has been lots of speculation about what and why and how this happened to a man who has literally thousands of miles of spring travel experience under his seat and many many bear hunts also. All I can say is if can happen to them it can happen to anyone."

That is the lesson indeed. You can probably count on one hand the guys in that town that have the same amount of experience as they do. Remembering that should keep this whole sad affair in perspective. Beings your one of them guys on that hand, I sure hope you get that sat phone. I'm sure Sandy feels the same way.

I wonder if the brown bears have a bulletin board and put up 'Hunter attacks Brown Bear!' threads during hunting season, which the member bears read aghast? I guess I'm just the curious sort...

Probably not.

Thanks sbabcock, I am pretty sure I remember Wes Perkins from when I lived in Nome as a kid from 1966 to 1968. If I am correct, they had a falcon in a cage out in front of their home that they had caught out on the tundra. I was quite shocked to read about his attack and I am glad he is doing better but it sounds like he has quite a tough road ahead. It is a truly remarkable survival story for sure.

Shortly after we left Anchorage, another friend of ours was mauled by a grizzly but at the age of 14, he fought off the bear with a walking stick saving his friend's life.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1387786/posts

It is quite strange to read about bear attacks on two people I actually knew up in Alaska as a kid. My hopes and prayers are with Wes as he continues his long road to recovery.

God bless,

Alaska444

I remember when MacInnes was mauled in 2005. Another friend was mauled a very short distance from that spot a few years ago. It's also close to where Greg Brush killed a big bear with a handgun while walking his dog.

I remember thinking what the odds must be to survive two brownie attacks.

I hope your friend is doing well.


And as usual, some really stoopit comments after that article.

Questioning the ethics of using a snow machine is a lot like questioning the use of deer feeders in Texas. Until you live and hunt there/here, I think you lack adequate understanding to form a valid opinion.

Tell the eskimos not to hunt on snow machines!! LOL, that would be a worse affront to the culture than taking blubber away and eskimo ice cream.

Sounds like he wouldn't have made it past the first attack if it were not for the bravery of a 14 year old kid who fought off a grizzly with a walking stick. What a story. I remember Mike as the eldest child of about 6 if I remember right and he was always looking out for them even at a young age.

Quite sadly, he and his younger brother Gilbert drowned in 1984 off of Soldotna in a commercial fishing accident, a tragedy compounded by their young families. I believe he was only 30 or 31 at the time. Growing up, I remember seeing the polar bear skin in their living room wall that their mother had killed with a bow and arrow or so the story went anyway. Quite the frontier family.

yes, and they wonder about how to work and put away for their cubs education and health insur.....

yes, and they wonder about how to work and put away for their cubs education and health insur.....

I have read quite a few accounts where individuals have been mauled and killed by grizz (brown bears) while tracking or accidently stumbling accross their spore. This would suggest to me that these bears do not like you following them and they will either charge you or lie in ambush. I saw a hunting video that featured a guide outfitter that was very experienced in hunting grizz. He stated on camera that there are no old bold grizzly bear photographers as they all get eaten. This would suggest to me that if you are not hunting grizz and or are not appropriatly armed and you come across fresh tracks, I would back out of there right now.