Bear Defense with Handguns Update, 20 More Cases 98% Effective

Using handguns as a protection towards bears has been proven to be efficient 98% of the time. On this examine, all instances that may be documented, the place a handgun was fired in protection towards a bear, are included. That is achieved by design to protect towards choice bias.  All instances cite the supply for the case info. Not like different makes an attempt to place a quantity on how efficient handguns, lengthy weapons, or bear spray are in defending towards bears, each case is described to readers to allow them to come to their very own conclusions.  Readers might disregard any incidents at their discretion. They could consider the instances themselves. One of many keys to a convincing inquiry is the provision of the information used. If a researcher won’t present you the information, it’s a matter of concern. Analysis can’t be duplicated until the bottom knowledge is known.

Instances the place a handgun was not fired will not be included. Entry issues for defensive weapons, comparable to handguns, lengthy weapons, bear spray, and edged weapons, are very comparable.  If the handgun or bear spray is left in a pack, it’s a lot much less probably for use. The outcome is identical if the sufferer is unwilling to apply with their defensive device so they’re moderately proficient. Excessive accuracy and velocity with handguns are seldom obligatory. Spray that isn’t sprayed or firearms that aren’t fired don’t mirror on the flexibility of the machine to cease bears.

Because the variety of documented incidents the place pistols had been fired as a protection towards bears elevated, your entire record grew to become awkward.  It is a hyperlink to the final full record of 104 incidents, printed on June 21, 2021. One case of the 104 was discovered to be duplicative and was eliminated. Included are an extra 9 instances the place handguns and different deadly devices had been used. They aren’t included within the handgun statistics. One indeterminate case is recorded on this report, it’s a case the place each bear spray was sprayed and a handgun fired. It couldn’t be decided if the handgun had an impact.

Right here is the hyperlink to the primary replace. The replace elevated the variety of handgun-alone incidents to 123, printed on April 11, 2022.

Right here is the hyperlink to eleven further mixture instances, bringing the whole of handguns and combos with handguns to 145.

Right here is the hyperlink to the second replace printed on November 21, 2023. This replace brings the whole variety of documented incidents to 146 handgun-only incidents. 4 extra mixture instances are used, the place handguns and rifles or shotguns are used. The full variety of documented bear protection incidents the place a handgun was fired elevated to 170.

On this third replace in 2024, 19 extra handgun-only instances are added. One in all them is a handgun failure case. The opposite three handgun failure instances are at this hyperlink. The full variety of handgun-only instances the place success or failure is set is 162, of which 4 are failures, for a 98% success charge. A mixture case is included for completeness. The full variety of instances is now 190.

Listed below are the 20 further instances on this replace, in chronological order.

1  Early 1960’s, Montreal River, Keweenaw County Michigan, black bear, .22 magnum, spring.

This occasion occurred to James Maierle, a nicely know educator, precept, and sportsman who lived in Calumet, Michigan. The Montreal river is pretty wild as we speak, and was much more wild within the early Sixties. Keweenaw county is the biggest county in Michigan, and it has the bottom inhabitants.  The drive from the Montreal River to Calumet can be a couple of hour roughly. From Jim Maierle, James Maierle’s son:

This was someplace on the Montreal river up in Keweenaw county the place he was stream fishing alone.  I imagine it was within the spring.  He stated he was strolling alongside the river when he seen a small cub.  He stopped and appeared round and instantly realized he had inadvertently ended up between the cub and the sow.  He began backing away from each of them and the sow began advancing on him.  He put a long way from them however she wouldn’t cease regardless of him yelling and waving his arms to warn her off.  When he realized she wasn’t backing down he drew the Ruger and waited till it was fairly shut earlier than he fired.  He was an excellent shot so I’ve little doubt he needed to ensure he might hit the place he was aiming.  The bear went down as I described.  He then took the cub and wrapped it up in his jacket and put it within the trunk of his automotive.  Unsure what to do with it and never wanting to simply depart it to die on the market, he introduced it to an area bar the place a few of his associates had been to indicate them (it was the 60s..).  

2  Spring of 1977, Byers Lake Campground milepost 147 of Parks Freeway, Alaska, grizzly bear, .357 magnum.  Alaskan Bear Tales, Larry Kanuit, p. 156. 

Lori Meade was tenting together with her mother and father. She and her sister had been in a tent and her mother and father had been in a camper. Right here father’s .357 revolver was within the cab of the pickup. A grizzly bear got here into camp, knocked over trash cans and swatted the cooler with about 80 lbs of meat in it. The cooler landed a couple of ft from the tent. Her father tried to scare the bear off, nevertheless it calmly continued to eat from the cooler. Her father then accessed his .357 magnum. From Lori:

“Dad then bought his .357 and fired three rounds into the air. The bear dropped the package deal of sausage and checked out Dad. He shot one other spherical, and the bear reared.”

Dad then began shouting: “Don’t say something! Exit the again of the tent, quick! We’ve a bear!

“Being woke up at 5:30 a.m. anytime is a shocker, however with gunfire and a bear in camp!”

“Effectively, Lynn couldn’t get out of her sleeping bag, so she took it together with her – hippity hop, hippity hop. As a substitute of going out the again of the tent, which Lynn needed to crawl beneath, I went out the entrance. Off to my proper, about three ft, was the bear. Boy, did I ever boogie to the pickup!”

“The bear stood their Dad straight within the eyes, not shifting. So Dad had one heck of a call – He knew he solely had one spherical left.  He was shut sufficient he might kill the bear if he bought the bear both between the eyes or within the throat. He wasn’t that certain of himself so he began strolling towards the bear and shot his final shot i the air. Lastly the bear lumbered for the bushes. He picked up a steak on his method out!”

Lori’s father solely had 5 rounds in his .357 revolver.

3.  October 19-26, 1986 Churchill, Canada .44 Magazine. From PBHIMS incident 41.  Handgun failure.

 Oct 19-26, 1986, PII,t Churchill. Vacationers In momentary camp had been noticed hand feeding bears for a number of weeks. Sardines and lard had been put within the willows surrounding camp. In the course of the 6 days researchers had been within the camp, 9 bears approached. On the sound of motion throughout the camp, one bear repeatedly charged the constructions and pounded the partitions. Within the 6 days, 7 fees had been initiated by 2 bears. The fees gave the impression to be directed on the individuals within the camp. One bear virtually entered the stationary autos. It was deterred with a brush and bear spray within the face. Fours days later and 4 km SW, a bear with a purple stain on its brow, which can have been the bear spray, charged a bunch of 12 individuals. The bear ignored each “cracker shells” and photographs from a .44 calibre handgun. The individuals concerned had been compelled to climb a close-by tower or enter an adjoining constructing. That is in all probability the primary account of bear spray being non-experimentally used beneath discipline situations on a polar bear.

4.  September 6, 1990, .44 magnum, Desert Eagle, 250 gr. Sierra full profile jacketed silhoette bullets; Wrangle-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect, Chitina River, Grizzly bear.

Bruce Brown had efficiently harvested a brown bear with a bow. One other bear attacked him, his companion fired a shot from a shotgun, however missed. Because the bear mauled him, he was in a position to attract the his Desert Eagle. From Some Bears Kill p. 145.

In that temporary second, Bruce freed his .44 Magnum pistol from its holster. He clicked off the security and fired when the bear was at arm’s attain, hitting the bear within the entrance leg. He immediately fired a second shot, hitting the bear within the neck and breaking it. Because the animal collapsed to the bottom, mortally wounded, Bruce shot it as soon as extra for good measure, hanging the animal within the shoulder space. Your entire assault took lower than fifteen seconds.

5.  1993 August 17, Polar Bear Protection in Canada Coberg Island unknown Caliber 

On August 17, 1993, Stephen Smith had crawled into his sleeping bag somewhat earlier than midnight, exhausted from an extended day of analysis hanging in a harness, excessive above floor, banding sea birds. Solely quarter-hour later, a polar bear emerged from the ocean and was making an attempt to enter the tent.

From Up Right here journal Jan/Feb 2013:

Issues had been shaking, rumbling, vibrating – an area encapsulated, tumbling uncontrollably, like a automotive rolling off a freeway. A roar past the sides closing in; unrelenting confusion; craziness. After which the moment the place my stifled scream broke free and the dream was gone. Sitting bolt upright in my sleeping bag, gun in my hand, my world was outlined by a domed envelope of yellow nylon.

“BEAR!” I bellowed, grabbing the zipper on the doorway. The stillness of that second was damaged by the ripping of the zipper enamel. The tent door fell away, revealing a really black and moist nostril, straddled by two vast and startled eyes. Within the house of three pulls on the set off, two issues grew to become sure: A bear had died within the Excessive Arctic, and I used to be totally awake, bent ahead in my sleeping bag.

6. 11 September 1999, Chichagof Island, Ern Hegglun, Keith Coulter, unknown Pistol, Grizzly Bear p. 177-178, Bear Assaults II Fantasy & Actuality

As shut as I can recall, it was about 8:40 a.m. once we went by the bushes. Keith shouted, “There’s a bear,” and he was proper. She, (huge, tawny, lovely, and actually upset with me) was on the full gallop about 35 meters away, with two cubs shut behind. I used to be in entrance and knew I used to be going to put on her, so the one possibility was to decide on the place. That was behind a small tree, on a hummock of moss, with my legs introduced to the bear. She took the bait, letting Keith get his handgun out. All I can keep in mind is being bit and being lifted/shook twice on the left leg, the bear going away, coming again, Keith shouting and capturing, after which the bear leaving.

Ern spent a couple of days within the hospital however recovered from the harm to his left leg. The account implies the sow was not hit, however it’s not sure. Ern feedback embody “a shotgun in a pack isn’t any use in any respect”.  The account was written inside 9 days of the assault.

7. 20 September, 2005 Washington State Bear Assault .45 Lengthy Chilly Revolver (black bear)

In 2005, Travis Newman was archery searching in Washington state. He had drawn an archery elk tag for the Blue Mountains close to Walla Walla. Late within the night of the twentieth of September, he was on a well-recognized elk path.

As he approached a nook, he thought: “I don’t keep in mind seeing that stump earlier than.”  The “stump” was shut, about 10 yards.  The “stump” reworked itself into a giant bear coming at him full bore, furiously chomping its jaws. Travis thought the bear would bluff, took a step again, and velocity drew his Taurus Tracker .45 Colt from a cross-body holster made by Uncle Mike. The revolver was loaded with Remington 250-grain jacketed hole factors.

8. September 28 Better Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) Rose Cr, GNF  Desk 11 IGBST grizzly bear mortalities 2005.

Human-caused, searching associated, self protection. Bow hunter shot at charging feminine with pistol. Small quantity of blood discovered. Feminine was accompanied by 1 yearling.

Human accidents are usually listed in these tables.

From the earlier paragraph:

As well as, we documented 2 doable mortalities throughout 2005 (Desk 11). Each of those situations had been searching associated. One concerned a battle at a hunter-killed deer that was left unattended over night time. Human accidents had been incurred and photographs had been fired on the bear, however no proof of wounding of the bear was discovered. The second doable mortality concerned a feminine with a yearling that was shot at when she charged a bow hunter. This females (sic) was wounded, however proof on the web site indicted the wound was minor. She was noticed shifting away from the encounter together with her yearling.

9.  September 19, 2008  Citadel Creek SNF  GYE p. 24 Desk 13 Continued IGBST Grizzly mortality desk.

That is an incident much like the one in 2005, which occurred three years later, at a unique location, with a unique variety of bears concerned.  Two bears had been shot at with a pistol, as described under, in the identical incident.

Human-caused, searching associated, feminine with 2-3 yearlings charged archery hunters calling elk, 1 pistol shot at feminine at shut vary, small blood path for brief distance, no carcass discovered.

Human-caused, searching associated, yearling with mom and 1–2 siblings charged archery hunters calling elk, 2 photographs at yearling at shut vary, small blood path for brief distance, no carcass discovered.

10.  March 24, 2013, Svalbard Spitsbergen,hytte at Hornsund, Polar bear

Lyssand stated the person and girl of their 40s had been staying on the hytte at Hornsund on Svalbard’s island of Spitsbergen when the bear tried to interrupt in by a window. Like most individuals on Svalbard, they had been armed, and the couple informed officers that the bear was midway by the window when certainly one of them inside lastly felt compelled to seize their revolver and hearth one shot into the attention of the bear, killing it.

Polar bears are a strictly protected species and this one was the primary to be shot on Svalbard in almost two years. Capturing is just allowed in self-defense and the drama on Sunday will probably be investigated, however Lars Erik Alfheim of the native sheriff’s workplace informed web site Aftenposten.no that there have been no indicators to recommend Sunday’s incident was not a case of self-defense. 

This case was not included in Norway knowledge within the PBHIMS database.

11. September 20, 2020, Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park & Protect, AK,  Pistol Protection.

 Park spokesperson Janice Maslan says the hunters had killed a moose Saturday, and had been butchering and packing the meat out to camp Sunday, once they cut up up.

“The accomplice returned to camp with a load whereas Pfeiffer ready the subsequent load, and when Pfeiffer’s accomplice returned to inside about 50 yards of the harvest web site, he was charged by a bear. And in self-defense, he did shoot within the route of the bear a number of instances together with his sidearm, and when the bear got here inside about 20 ft of him, it did flinch as if shot and it then veered and ran off,” stated Maslan.

Maslan says the accomplice went to the moose kill web site and located Pfeiffer lifeless from what appeared to have been a shock assault.

“There was no proof that he was carrying a firearm or deterrence with him on the time, so he was unable to defend himself,” she stated.

12. 2022 September 27 Bell Flats Alaska .45 Colt from Taurus Decide three hits, killed by a neighbor with a shotgun

On Sept. 27, 2022, an enormous Kodiak bear made a nasty determination to interrupt into Aaron Olsen’s home; he lives simply 5 doorways down from Heilman within the small Bells Flats neighborhood.

 (snip)

Regardless of Olsen’s rapid decisiveness, he knew he needed to take his shot rigorously. He needed to shoot across the nook of a bed room the place his two youngest kids had been sleeping. 

As he pulled the set off to ship a .45 Colt spherical by the bear’sshoulder, his inside voice reminded him, “Don’t hit the youngsters.” 

“Once I pulled the set off, I couldn’t see its head. I hope the primary shot hit him within the shoulder,” Olsen stated. 

Whether or not from ache or concern, the bear managed to show its mammoth physique round contained in the confines of the house’s tiny hallway, probably in an try and get again out the best way he’d are available in. Olsen adopted the bear by his home. 

“I used to be pulling the set off whereas shouting ‘Get out of my home!’ together with loads of logger and fisherman phrases that I’ve realized through the years,” he stated. “There was not an oz. of concern in me in that second. It was all enterprise. It was simply rage, the maddest I’ve ever been. I couldn’t imagine this factor was in my home. I used to be livid.”

13. 2022 October 4, New Citadel Colorado  9mm pistol Black Bear

A New Citadel resident survived an early Sunday morning bear assault in his yard, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are looking for the bear, who escaped after the resident shot at it.

The resident heard noises exterior round 1 a.m. Sunday and went exterior to analyze, and the bear knocked him to the bottom, in keeping with a information launch from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Because the bear attacked the resident, the person pulled a gun and fired three photographs, making the bear run away. The resident was unable to determine whether or not or not he hit the bear.

 From kktv.com:

“Whereas exterior, the sufferer startled a bear in his yard, instantly knocking him all the way down to the bottom,” a part of a information Launch from CPW reads. “In the course of the assault, the sufferer used one arm to guard his face whereas grabbing his gun with the opposite free hand, firing three photographs and scaring the bear away. The sufferer was taken to the hospital by a member of the family with minor accidents to his hand, arm, and chest.”  

Confirmed: a 9mm handgun was used.

14. August 4, 2023 Luther Montana Handgun   (GYE)

When Bolkcom, a business painter and elk hunter, went to analyze and tried to coax the Labrador-pit bull combine downstairs, he discovered a “black bear standing in the lounge 5 ft away,” Oblander stated.

 Sporting only a T-shirt and underwear, Bolkcom ran again downstairs, bought a handgun and returned to the lounge the place he shot the bear. It bumped into the couple’s sunroom, so he shot the bear a number of extra instances.

(snip)

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Chrissy Webb stated that the warden decided the capturing was justified in self-defense. The massive beast had snuck by the couple’s screened window and made himself snug, the warden concluded.

15. 21 August 2023 , a Black bear was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida, with a pistol to guard a person and canine. 9mm handgun Glock 43x

The FWC concluded that the person shot the bear to guard his household and his canine. Subsequently, no fees or violations had been discovered. Due to that, FOX 35 has determined to not identify the person concerned.

What occurred?

In accordance with the report, the person informed FWC detectives that was sitting on his porch together with his canine consuming espresso when his bear alarm when off and commenced flashing. He informed detectives he had a pistol with him “as a result of current crime within the space,” particularly break-ins. 

He bought up and appeared across the nook to see a bear inside 8-10 ft of him, the report stated. He yelled on the bear to attempt to scare it off, and his canine began barking, the report stated.

The bear then charged towards him and his canine. “To guard himself and his canine, he fired his pistol on the bear and unloaded {a magazine},” the report stated.

Contact with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Division revealed the pistol used was a Glock 43X 9mm.

16. 25 August 2023 Massachusetts Black Bear attacked Goat, threatened Goats proprietor, Shot at with a .38 revolver  Revolver info from Kingston Police PIO through e-mail.

A Massachusetts man shot a black bear after it attacked his goat and appeared prefer it was going to strike him as nicely Friday afternoon, in keeping with authorities.

Police obtained a report of the bear attacking the resident’s livestock, the goat, on Hawthorne Highway in Kingston round 3 p.m. Friday, the Kingston Police Division stated in a Fb put up. .

17. September 6, 2023 Idaho Archery Hunters Grizzly, handguns(GYE)

A big grizzly bear charged at two hunters in thick brush and was shot lifeless, officers in Idaho stated. 

The 2 had been trying to find elk on Sept. 1 when a male grizzly appeared from a detailed distance and charged at them close to Island Park Reservoir, Idaho Fish and Recreation stated. 

They each shot the animal with their handguns, killing it earlier than it injured them, officers stated within the Sept. 5 information launch

18. Grizzly, Montana, September 8, 2023, pistol fired. Official Montana FWP report (GYE):

BIG SKY – Bear specialists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have concluded a discipline investigation right into a grizzly bear encounter that injured a person south of Large Sky final week.

The assault occurred Friday, Sept. 8, within the Yellow Mule space of the Madison Vary. In the course of the encounter, one of many sufferer’s companions fired a pistol on the bear earlier than the bear left. The sufferer suffered severe accidents from the bear and was flown to a hospital.

FWP employees flew over the realm Saturday to search for a bear which will have been wounded. No bears had been discovered throughout the aerial search, and no collared bears had been close by.

19. Black Bear AK, Blake Getty’s searching camp, 17 September 2023, private interview, Mixture.

On September 17, 2023, Blake Gettys had been profitable in harvesting a moose for meat. It is a widespread methodology of getting a provide of meat for the winter in Alaska. The moose meat had been held on a meat pole at their searching camp.  The camp is way from different human habitation. To forestall the meat from being stolen, that they had hung bells on it. Blake and his searching accomplice heard the bells in the midst of the night time. They stepped exterior of the cabin. Black had an S&W Airweight .44 Magnum revolver. His accomplice had a Remington rifle in .338 Magnum. A black bear was making an attempt to steal the meat. That is unusual, however the bear might not have encountered people on this a part of Alaska. It was a median black bear for the realm, about 250 lbs. The bear was going through them. Blake fired a warning shot near the bear’s entrance paws.

As a substitute of working off, the bear took a step ahead. Blake signaled his accomplice, who shot and killed the bear together with his rifle. This was not their first time seeing this bear within the space. This incident is just not counted within the statistics as using a handgun in protection towards bears as a result of each a handgun and a rifle had been used. Black says he might have killed the bear together with his .44 Magnum however selected not to take action when his accomplice with the rifle was at hand and prepared.

20. September 30,  2023, Grizzly Bear, handgun North of Henry’s Lake, Idaho (GYE)

On the night of Sept. 30, a hunter shot and killed a big grownup feminine grizzly bear in self-defense after it charged the person whereas trying to find elk, northwest of Henrys Lake. 

The hunter was shifting by heavy timber when the massive grizzly got here out of the comb a brief distance away from him. After yelling to warn his searching accomplice of the bear’s presence, the bear charged instantly in the direction of him. The hunter was in a position to attract his sidearm and hearth a number of instances, killing the bear solely a brief distance away, earlier than it was in a position to make contact. No human accidents have been reported. 

The hunter instantly known as the Residents In opposition to Poaching hotline to report the incident. Idaho Division of Fish and Recreation responded to the decision and carried out a radical investigation. It was decided that the hunter acted in self protection throughout a shock encounter with the bear from a really shut distance. 

This replace brings the whole to 162 handgun-only incidents, not counting the three indeterminate instances. Over a dozen incidents are beneath investigation. 4 failures out of the 161 incidents calculate to a 98% success charge. The full variety of instances the place a handgun was fired in protection towards a bear or bear is 192. Mixtures of deadly devices will not be included within the handgun statistics as a result of it’s not possible to separate out the consequences.

Calibers used range from .22 LR to .500 S&W Magnum. The commonest caliber used has been the .44 Magnum, with 46 incidents. One incident with a .44 Magnum is outlined as a failure, though nobody was injured, and the bear doesn’t seem to have been wounded.  The speed of success for the .44 magnum is 98%.  Caliber-specific articles are anticipated to be printed sooner or later.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a army officer, was on the College of Wisconsin Pistol Workforce for 4 years, and was first licensed to show firearms security in 1973. He taught the Arizona hid carry course for fifteen years till the purpose of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has levels in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Division of Protection after a 30 yr profession in Military Analysis, Growth, Testing, and Analysis.