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.
Comments
A bear traveling at 30 MPH does not take a whole lot of time covering a short distance. How many of the tree huggers are willing to stand still long enough to decide if a bear is false charging. The smell from their pants might turn the bear away, but I strongly doubt it. Bears, are by nature aggressive and extremeny dangerous and deadly. If a person can not defend themselves in bear country, then close it to anyone but the bears. The problem with that is that the bears will continue to reproduce and expand their range. Soon the whole nation would be populated only by bears. Good luck with trying to get along with your aggressive bear neighbor.
Unlike Missourisam, I've actually seen a grizzly bear, know their behavior, and have been bluff charged twice with the bear stopping just outside bear spray range, and once was charged where I used my bear spray to great success. I make a lot of noise hiking but in all three cases I was being silent for reasons other than recreation. All three times I was wearing a sidearm such as the person who was the subject of this article (other than the bear of course.) Not once did I think to draw it. It would have been like experiencing the nonsensical reflex to draw your handgun on a bus bearing down on you. I have trained with handguns all my adult life, first in the military, and then in law enforcement, and am a pretty good shot from a holseter draw. No way would I trust my life to a clean stopping hit on a charging adult grizzly. I don't even want to trust my life to a man-stopping pistol round on a human, which is why I usually bring a semi-auto rifle to a potential gunfight. This could have turned out very differently. Don't just use bear spray instead of a firearm to save a bear if you don't want to (though that is one important point.) Do it to save your own backside.
Does anyone know why Yosemite doesn't allow bear spray in the backcountry?
This pretty much sums it up.
https://www.myyosemitepark.com/things-to-do/no-bear-spray-allowed
"You don't need it" doesn't sound like a very good explaination. There have been plenty of people attacked by black bears. Further, what is the downside of having it?
I'm a male in my early 40's, and my wife and I have 3 Children, ranging from 3 to 13 years old. We've been hiking together since we were dating, and have been bringing the kids with us since the oldest was about 3 and a half.
We've "section" hiked the Appalachian Trail (NJ), Shenandoah National Park (Virgina), and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee) while we lived in the Northeast. Never once did we ever encounter a Bear or any wild game, thankfully.
We moved to Texas 3 years ago, and always being interested in Firearms (but never owning any because of the highly restrictive gun laws in NJ) we both purchased .357 Magnum revolvers and began training and practicing with them (Me a Smith & Wesson and her a Ruger Alaskan). I then purchased a Springfield Armory .45 ACP 1911 semi-auto. We both qualified and obtained our Licenses To Carry openly or concealed. We both carry a Firearm daily as a personal choice due to the craziness in this world.
Hiking in Texas, we've had a few minor encounters; Once with Mountain Lion from a distance, one frightening encounter with a 400 pound feral pig (which are problematic here), and once with a drunk Hiker. We both carry heavy, hard cast, deep penetrating 180 grain Lead flat-nosed bullets in our .357 Magnums while hiking with the kids. When we go to bigger, more remote, National or State parks, my Wife also carries a Kimber 3" .45 ACP as backup in addition to her revolver, and I carry my 5" .45 ACP with super hot 230 grain +P bullets (3 magazines worth) as a backup to my revolver.
We've never had to discharge our firearms at an animal, and I hope we never will. But I will say this...I will not allow any animal to harm anyone in my family, ever.
We know the proper ways to try and dissuade most animals, particularly Bears and "big cats", and that's always the first thought. HOWEVER, if any animal or human for that matter gets aggressive, charges, bears teeth or claws, or attempts harm...ALL BETS ARE OFF.
I will absolutely unleash everything I have to stop a threat. Human lives ALWAYS come before animal Lives...Always. We're not going to be food if we can stop it...
i guess you forgot about Tim Trewell and his girlfriend , they became bear scat. So much for your knowledge on the subject.
the right to protect yourself and your loved ones.. the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. what part of the 2nd amendment to people not get?