Just Make Sure They Are Dead...

[texagun]

From CNN.com this morning:
Bear shot by hunter bites back, dies

Saturday, November 26, 2005; Posted: 7:40 a.m. EST (12:40 GMT)

 
 
 HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A black bear bit and clawed a hunter who had just shot it four times in what game authorities said appeared to be a first for the state.

Samuel H. Beauchamp, 47, said he was approaching the downed 320-pound bear in Rothrock State Forest in central Pennsylvania on Monday, the first day of bear-hunting season, when it came after him.

Beauchamp, of nearby Newville, had just shot the bear with a .444-caliber rifle and was within 15 feet of it. He turned to run, but the bear put a claw around his hip and bit him twice, once in each thigh, before dying.

"The bear wasn't attacking 100 percent. I mean really, it was dead on its feet when it came up. If it would have been 100 percent I wouldn't have been standing there," Beauchamp said Friday.

Other hunters heard a growl and came to Beauchamp's aid.

"It was shock at first. It's like he came alive, like 'boom.' I guess he growled, like the other people heard. That motivated me to turn around and start running away," he said.

Game commission bear biologist Mark Ternent said the attack was the first case known to state officials in which a bear had attacked a hunter who had just shot it and was attempting to recover it.

Beauchamp was released from the hospital after about two hours of treatment. One bite went down to the bone.

"I didn't feel any pain after it happened," he said Friday. "I'm a little sore now."

[Lawdog]

Makes you wonder where Beauchamp’s .444 Marlin was at while he was walking up to his “DEAD” bear?  Over his shoulder, as I have seen a few do or in his hands where it belonged when walking up on any animal that has been shot.  I’ll bet he doesn’t make that mistake again.   :-D   Lawdog
 

[Redhawk1]

Makes you wonder where Beauchamp’s .444 Marlin was at while he was walking up to his “DEAD” bear?  Over his shoulder, as I have seen a few do or in his hands where it belonged when walking up on any animal that has been shot.  I’ll bet he doesn’t make that mistake again.   :-D   Lawdog
 

Makes you wounder. It is obvious he must not of had his gun in hand if he turned to run.  :?  :oops:

[Lawdog]

Makes you wonder where Beauchamp’s .444 Marlin was at while he was walking up to his “DEAD” bear?  Over his shoulder, as I have seen a few do or in his hands where it belonged when walking up on any animal that has been shot.  I’ll bet he doesn’t make that mistake again.   :-D   Lawdog
 

Makes you wounder. It is obvious he must not of had his gun in hand if he turned to run.  :?  :oops:

Life is made up of lessons.  Sometimes those lessons hurt.   :eek:   Lawdog
 

[Qaz]

He may have well had the rifle in his hand, and still turned to run. With any animal including humans, survival is the first instinct (Flight or fight). Run away is your first instinct and bears even mortally wounded ones move fast. This story adds reinforcment to my why pistols are not good bear defense. He may have had the rifle pointed at the bear when it attacked. He just could not pull the trigger for what ever the reason.

[Redhawk1]

He may have well had the rifle in his hand, and still turned to run. With any animal including humans, survival is the first instinct (Flight or fight). Run away is your first instinct and bears even mortally wounded ones move fast. This story adds reinforcment to my why pistols are not good bear defense. He may have had the rifle pointed at the bear when it attacked. He just could not pull the trigger for what ever the reason.

Come on!! I get tired of the handgun and bear defense argument. We all act different in situations. He had a rifle and ran. In his case a rifle was not a good choice, if I used your standards to judge the correct weapon, what a poor example of your belief. Geeeesss :roll:

[victorcharlie]

I agree with you on this one Redhawk......I don't see how a pistol has anything at all to do with this........I've never stood toe to toe with a mad wounded bear and hope I never have to .........There is no doubt in my mind that this whole process played out very fast....probably the matter of a few seconds at best..............It's kinda like monday morning quarterbacking...........unless your the one that got mauled there is no way to tell why..........Even if you are the one that got mauled, I can imagine replaying the situation over and over and still trying to figure out what went wrong........but never being certain...........for what ever the reason, it just happened.......unfortunate, but true.......

[Redhawk1]

I agree with you on this one Redhawk......I don't see how a pistol has anything at all to do with this........I've never stood toe to toe with a mad wounded bear and hope I never have to .........There is no doubt in my mind that this whole process played out very fast....probably the matter of a few seconds at best..............It's kinda like monday morning quarterbacking...........unless your the one that got mauled there is no way to tell why..........Even if you are the one that got mauled, I can imagine replaying the situation over and over and still trying to figure out what went wrong........but never being certain...........for what ever the reason, it just happened.......unfortunate, but true.......

Your scaring me. We now have agree on a couple of things.  :-D  :-D

[Qaz]

Redhawk, you missed my point. When the animal is actually on you, you tend to forget about the gun in your hand and think about getting away!
 It really matters not whether it is a pistol or a rifle in your hand. That is all I was saying.

[victorcharlie]

Yea......Scary isn't it.........

[Redhawk1]

Redhawk, you missed my point. When the animal is actually on you, you tend to forget about the gun in your hand and think about getting away!
 It really matters not whether it is a pistol or a rifle in your hand. That is all I was saying.

Ok, but Like I said we all react different in those situations.

[wolfsong]

What's wrong with this picture? You NEVER, EVER approach any downed animal, especially dangerous game, until you have observed it from as safe a distance as possible for an adequate amount of time. He says that he had JUST shot it!  Where was his gun? Why wasn't it reloaded and covering the bear? 320 pounds of MAYBE dead bear? And what was he thinking, running from the bear?  I'm not going to go as far as saying that he deserved this, but he got what he asked for. I may sound harsh, but if this guy was in our camp, we would have taken his gun and his bear away from him and sent him on his way. It's a good thing he wasn't hunting with a partner in the immediate vicinity, otherwise he probably would have gotten an a$$ whupping by his partner, too. :eek:  Hunters such as this guy are exactly why I prefer to hunt alone. Score one for the bear (almost)!  This is the kind of behavior that the anti's love. Baaad publicity for us hunters :cry: Moron, in my opinion. Peace and God bless, Wolfsong.

[Redhawk1]

All I know is, when I was bear hunting this year and shot my bear, I had the gun pointed at his head when I approached it. But the 500 Mag did its job.  

[wyocarp]

I have to agree with wolfsong.  Unless it is a rabbit or something like it, exercise extreme caution when walking up on a "dead" animal.  Seems like I have heard of a lot of guys getting the crap kicked out of them by deer that were supposed to be dead.

My vote is that the guy had it coming to him.

And by the way, this is not another case for not using a pistol.

[Sourdough]

I've seen so many guys lean their rifle against a tree and walk up to the downed game.  Dumb, dumb, dumb, but they still do it.  They just don't think, or they are overconfident in their shot.  Either way they could be dead wrong.

[dabigmoose]

:roll:
 Some tend to jack all the ammo out of there rifle in fright with out ever pulling the trigger.Have seen  clients decline shooting brownies due to they didnt think they had enough gun all ya can do is pamper them and take them to camp for new undies and a super cub ride.
dabigmoose

[Sourdough]

I shot a Grizzly a few years back, under sort of strained circumstances.  The bear was about 15 to 20 yards away when I shot it.  My partner and I retreated about 100 yards and sat and watched this Grizzly for about two hours before we got up enough nerve to return to assure it was dead.  Since we had not seen any movement for the two hours we felt pretty sure it was dead, but we were taking no chances.

[dabigmoose]

Thats not loss of nerve but good common sense, time is your friend why rush in ,bow hunters wait hours before tracking a kill.
Well guess thats what OLE Sourdoughs have in common
or we wouldnt still be here.
dabigmoose

[corbanzo]

I know everyone is worried about keeping the hide nice as possible.....  but I don't mind another hole, especially if it keeps a hole out of my hide! :-D   Watching for a time is necessary... but that for sure close range follow up shot is a good peace of mind.

[Wyatte]

We were in Alaska on a black bear hunt 7 or 8 years ago.  My friend and I shot a nice black bear, and we saw it run into a thicket, and not come out.  After waiting some, we both slowly proceeded into the thick stuff, guns at the ready, because we didn't know what was up.  We got within 5 feet before we saw it.  It did not charge, but sat up right in front of us.  It was then cleanly dispatched.  That was kind of intense for a few minutes.  I could smell it before we saw it, and told my friend to get ready, it had to be somewhere close.   We knew we needed to be ready.    wyatte

[Dusty Miller]

What Wolfsong sed.