A grizzly bear that emerged from a thicket and charged two backpackers in the backcountry of Denali National Park and Preserve was shot and killed by one of the two who was carrying a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, according to park officials.
The killing Friday is believed to be the first instance of a hiker killing a grizzly in the park's wilderness. The killing occurred in the original Mount McKinley National Park portion of the Denali, which was expanded by two-thirds in 1980.
Until February, when Congress changed the rules, it was illegal to carry a loaded firearm in that portion of Denali. While the rule change now allows hikers to carry firearms in all areas of Denali, it still is illegal to discharge them, park officials said.
Park officials did not speculate whether the killing was justified. This is believed to be the first instance of a visitor to a national park killing an animal with a firearm since the gun regulations were changed.
According to a release from the park, the two backpackers, a man and woman, were hiking in dense brush along the edge of Tattler Creek, which is at the west end of Igloo Canyon roughly 35 miles from the park headquarters.
"The man, who was in the lead, drew a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol when they heard a noise coming from the brush. When the bear emerged from the thicket and ran toward the other hiker, he fired approximately nine rounds in its general direction. The bear stopped, turned, and walked back into the brush, where it quickly disappeared from view," said the release.
The two then headed roughly 1.5 miles back to a road, where they encountered a park employee, who called in the incident and took the two backpackers to the Toklat Road Camp. A ranger there did a short preliminary interview with them at approximately 10:00 p.m. Because of the concern that a wounded bear was in the area, four backcountry units were immediately closed, and bus drivers were instructed to not drop off day hikers in the Igloo Canyon on Saturday.
"Early Saturday morning rangers and wildlife technicians flew to Toklat via helicopter to conduct a secondary interview with the two backpackers. Afterwards they flew over Tattler Creek and all of side tributaries, very low at times, to determine if there was an active, wounded bear," the park release said. "No bears were seen during the overflight, and late in the afternoon three rangers hiked into the site. The bear was found dead in a willow thicket approximately 100 feet from the pistol casings at approximately 6:00 p.m.
"The bear’s body was transported via helicopter to a landing site on the park road and brought back to headquarters on Sunday, where park wildlife biologists are assisting with the investigation of the bear carcass. The backcountry units have been reopened."
The case is still under investigation, and the names of the backpackers are not being released at this time. Park wildlife biologists and rangers are trying to determine if there was a justification for shooting the animal.
The estimated grizzly bear population in the park north of the Alaska Range north is 300-350 animals.
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Comments
If a bear came charging at me .....Bluff or not, I would try to protect myself. Human life is much more valuable then a bear. Why would the authorities even question this. They may need to have a bear chase their ass and see what they would do.
"I would try to protect myself."
The point is, one can do that without shooting and killing the bear.
"Human life is much more valuable then a bear."
Hmm . . . If I had to choose between Lassie and Stalin, I'd pick Lassie.
Shooting the charging bear was a good idea. In a split second the bear COULD have turned around, and in a split second the bear COULD have killed a MAN. Start to re-evaluate your priorities, when it comes to the value of life. Human/Bear or Bear/Human, should not be a hard choice. They are beautiful apex predators, and we need to respect their position of dominance in their environment. The way I see it, not carrying a gun is the ultimate disrespect of these creatures. These are not butterflies.
On the positive side... Your position was very well expressed. Nice writing, bro!!!
you aren going to just stand there if a gnarly huge grizzley bear is charging at you twenty five feet away, such bears that can hit twenth five to thirty five mph. because the message on your gravestone will say, here lies a man who thought it was just bluff charge,... if a bear is threatening your life, theres no time to think youll get lucky that it might be a bluff charge. also if they were close enough to be hit with a fourty five then theres no way its poaching.
Hello, just a few words:
- Hippies that play game understand the bears and there is no reason to be afraid of them will most likely end up like Timothy Treadwell, you might have only one chance to step over the invisible boundaries and only your skill and firearm can give you second one, unless you are able to outwrestle a bear ....
- Bears are animals rather complex and intelligent but also hungry and if there is free lunch why not take it ? and again if you carry one or less likely you are one, gues what happends ....
I am a novice hunter in our country and also think that understanding should be prior to force but if you dont carry your last resort option you might have a very bad day someday.
To this case i would like to say we really do not know what happened, if hikers just got too scared or bear was really ambushing and also we know that bears do fake attacks, but who is willing to find out ????? I cannot imagine standig passively and waiting to see if a raging bear is tricking on me .....
mm
Grizzly Bears are not the bears that bluff charge. If you consider the beginning of a charge just a bluff, you are on your way to certain death. Fight for your life with your weapon, because that's what's at stake.
Only Black Bears (very different Bear in most respects) bluff. They snort etc. too, usually a warning that you are getting too close. Any closer, and they'll consider it a challenge.
Another big difference; if it's a Grizzly sow with cubs that attacks, playing dead can work. You'll be pretty injured, but can survive.
Play dead in a Black Bear attack and you won't be playing for long. They eat dead things, so any meat not resisting much will be ripped up and eaten in short order. Waiting too long to fight, will result in them killing you to finish their meal. How do you fight one? Grab eyes, punch, kick, and use a knife if you've got one.
You can drive a Black Bear off. Not the case with a Grizzly.
Saltine said:
I'm sure that our readers would like to know where you got the idea that grizzlies do not bluff charge.
In reading through the comments no one asked the question: Did the shooter first attempt to frighten the bear off with a close warning shot and failing in that then shoot for fatal effect. Anyone who carries a firearm must use common sense. Guns are made to kill and modern firearms are very good for that purpose.
Quite often an animal will flee at the sight of man and even more when the dust kicks up and a bullet whizes by. There are exceptions such as polar bears and man eating big cats but they are rare.
It will be up to the hikers to prove they had justifiable cause and to me right now the evidence may not support it. My best,