Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Backpacker shoots, kills grizzly in Alaska park

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100531/ap_on_re_us/us_hiker_kills_grizzly


20 mins ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska � A backpacker shot and killed a grizzly bear with his handgun in Alaska's Denali National Park, officials said.

A man and woman reported that they were hiking Friday evening when the bear emerged from trailside brush and charged the woman, park spokeswoman Kris Fister said in a statement.

The man fired nine rounds from his .45 caliber, semiautomatic pistol at the animal, which then stopped and walked into the brush.

The two reported the shooting to rangers, who restricted access to the Igloo Canyon area for fear that the bear was wounded and dangerous.

On Saturday, rangers found the dead bear about 100 feet from the shooting site.

Park officials are determining the justification for the shooting. It's legal to carry firearms in that area of the park but illegal to discharge them.

Rangers said it was the first known instance of a grizzly bear being shot by a visitor in the wilderness portion of Denali, formerly called Mount McKinley National Park.

If indeed he had to shoot, it is good he had the real thing instead of pepper spray.

I would like to be on that jury if it goes to that......How can it be legal to carry but illegal to discharge??

What sub-genius dreamt that up?

"Just show it to the bear and he'll run away."



They WAY under penetrate on bear

At least it wasn't a Kel Tec .32, or we might be reading about how the bear had a snack.

The bear stopped and walked away, the report says, which makes me doubt that it was charging.

Too many people interpret the approach of a park bear as charging. Park bears soon lose their fear of humans and become fearless, shameless beggars.

Was this one just looking for a hand-out? I'd expect a bear that was really charging to continue charging as long as it was able � not to just shrug, think Oh, well, win some, lose some � better go lie down for a while, and walk away.

The only thing I know about bears is you never know about bears. They are as 'individualistic' as people, perhaps more so.

Either way, I'm guessing you had to be there...

Good thing he wasn't packing a 9mm! <popcorn>

I probably don't know near as much about bears as a lot of people on here but one thing I do know. Whether or not the bear was charging of looking for a hand out it sure as hell won't do either again.

BCR

I am thinking he would have been better off with a Glock 10MM.

I agree. If you are going to carry a semi-auto, the 10mm would certainly be a good choice.

I always heard the 45-70 lever gun.



At any rate, I'm kinda surprised to read of hikers packing heat. In my experience, hiking and backpacking tend to attract those who sing to bears, munch tofu and dislike things that go boom. I hope any attempts at prosecution are quickly disregarded.

It's interestng to note what will and what won't kill big critters � and under what circumstances.

I remember an elephant and a polar bear that were killed with rimfire .22s. Of course, they weren't charging and probably died slowly.

When I first moved to Alaska in 1957, friends there told me about a couple of GIs who emptied a belt of service .30-06 ammo from a machine gun into a polar bear without stopping it. It ran them down and killed them before it died from its wounds. I'm not sure after all these years, but IIRC, it wasn't charging when they first shot it, but it sure was after being shot made it mad.

In my experience a higher % of hikers are more likely to endorse firearms use than the general public.

Now the 5.56 would prolly have vaporized the Yogi.

My thought is that it's legal to carry for defense of life but not for target shooting, a good shoot wouldn't be charged for illegal discharge of firearm but a bad shoot (or target shooting) most likely would.

That's good news.
Thanks.

Ken, did you take into account the fact that many reporters write about topics of which they no little to nothing about. It could be that the bear charge was halted by the wounds it received and then staggered away.

Given as were weren't there, and that we'll only get one side of this story, I'd side with the one that came out alive.....

I'll bet someone is rethinking their choice in backcountry sidearm.