AK police officer kills bear

[Kuan]

Wow! It's a different world out there. (read the comments section) Do not leave caribou heads laying around. I wonder what he used to shoot the bear.

http://www.adn.com/2011/09/09/2057762/soldotna-officer-kills-bear-in.html#disqus_thread

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by Kuan

Wow! It's a different world out there. (read the comments section) Do not leave caribou heads laying around. I wonder what he used to shoot the bear.

http://www.adn.com/2011/09/09/2057762/soldotna-officer-kills-bear-in.html#disqus_thread

Originally Posted by Anchorage Daily News

The officer went looking for the bear on foot, armed with a shotgun, the chief said in a written account distributed to news media Friday

Probably a 12ga loaded with 00 buckshot or a slug. Bush outfitters and guides have been recommending the shotgun setup for bear defense for a while since pistols are notoriously inaccurate in a tight spot.

It's impossible to fish for reds and carry a shotgun so I just packed my Blackhawk and hoped for the best.

[t walgamuth]

12ga loaded with 00 buckshot

That was my first guess, though it would not be my first choice to shoot a charging brown bear. Much better than any pistol I can think of.

I imagine about an hour or two after the shooting the officer was finished cleaning out his trousers!

[elchivito]

Originally Posted by R Leo

Probably a 12ga loaded with 00 buckshot or a slug. Bush outfitters and guides have been recommending the shotgun setup for bear defense for a while since pistols are notoriously inaccurate in a tight spot.

It's impossible to fish for reds and carry a shotgun so I just packed my Blackhawk and hoped for the best.

You got Griz there in Tejas Leo?

[75Sv1]

When I went to college in the mid 80's, there were a few students from Alaska. I think from Kodiak. They said you had to be able to field dress a deer in three minutes. After that you'd have some bears for company. Also, said the best place to hunt for bear was at the city dump.
From what I understand a .44 mag is about minimal for protection against bears. I have hear pepper spray works, if you can spray them in their eyes. I also read that someone sprayed the pontoons of a brush plane, thinking it would ward off bears. The next morning, the pontoons were scrathed up all over.
Tom

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by elchivito

You got Griz there in Tejas Leo?

Thank Dawg, the only Griz we have here is one of our chow chows whose name is Grizzly.

No reds here either.

I was referring to a fishing trip I made on Kodiak several years ago. Thing One and I rode ATVs waythehellandgone back in the bush to a place called Bedsprings Hole on Saltery Creek just off of Ugak Bay. Bear sign all over the place...I knew it would be like that so I packed my .44 mag loaded with 310gr hardcast rounds (coincidentally, this pistol is the one my Dad bought in AK in 1959) and kept a sharp lookout.

Five for the bear, one for me.

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by 75Sv1

When I went to college in the mid 80's, there were a few students from Alaska. I think from Kodiak. They said you had to be able to field dress a deer in three minutes. After that you'd have some bears for company. Also, said the best place to hunt for bear was at the city dump.
From what I understand a .44 mag is about minimal for protection against bears. I have hear pepper spray works, if you can spray them in their eyes. I also read that someone sprayed the pontoons of a brush plane, thinking it would ward off bears. The next morning, the pontoons were scrathed up all over.
Tom

Over the years, there have been plenty of AK floatplanes wrecked by bears trying to get to game meat that was inside.

When Dad went to AK, the .44 mag had just arrived on the scene. Casulls and that big Smith weren't even dreamed of yet.