What!!!! Forgot Your GUN???????

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

   Sunday morning my girl friend's  neice and her family were camped in the mts. in central Wy. They had just been by to show us a new lab. puppy ..It replaced one of their dogs that just had to be put to sleep earlier last week...her two children were over joyed with the new puppy it made a fine companion for the family and their other dog, a Boston Bull named Winnie..at any rate they left for their camping trip...and we went on with getting our gear together for an up coming fishing trip...My girl friends sister spent a couple days with us as we packed for the trip...Monday afternoon the girls returned from a trip down town, and my gal came in and said her sis was really upset...she just got a call from her daughter...on Sunday morning at daylight, the little lab wanted out of the tent for a bathroom break...  they unzipped the tent flap to let the little lab out. That gave the Boston Bull dog a chance to squeeze past eveyone and shoot out into the camp area...As our neice looked out in horror, the little dog ran right up to a 250 pound black bear just yards for the tent...!!!!!Screaming for the bull dog to get back, the little dog whirled to retreat...Our neice watched in horror as the bear swiped up the little dog and crushed it in its teeth!!!!! The dog was screaming, our neice was screaming and her husband rushed out of the tent with NO means to protect anyone..he had left his handguns and rifles at home...They could only watch as the bear carried away their dog...Lucky it was not one of them...they made a 30 mile trip to town for the warden; he followed the bear and did manage to kill it, but it took several shots...What a sad way to learn you weapons cannot protect you if you don't have them...forget your Amerian Express card, BUT DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT YOUR GUN OR IN MY CASE GUNS!!!!!

[mechanic]

Yep, my wife wants to know why I always carry.  It's because I'd rather have it and not need it...................I'm not into hand to hand with bad guys or bears.
 
Ben

[Mike in Virginia]

I'm gonna get scalded for this, but here goes: 
 
 

• It wasn't just forgetful to go out in the sticks without a gun, it was stupid.
• Even if I had a gun, I don't think I'd shoot a bear to save a dog.
• The family chose to go camping in bear country and to take a puppy.  They were the intruders, not the bear. 

[Savage]

I'm gonna get scalded for this, but here goes: 
 
 

• It wasn't just forgetful to go out in the sticks without a gun, it was stupid.
• Even if I had a gun, I don't think I'd shoot a bear to save a dog.
• The family chose to go camping in bear country and to take a puppy.  They were the intruders, not the bear. 

I certainly agree that it was a very poor choice to bring a puppy into bear country on a camping trip. Hard to believe anyone would go anywhere these days unarmed given a choice. Don't think forgetful is the right word either!
It was also careless and irresponsible  to let the dog run loose on it's own. However, I would have shot the bear in a minute to save my dog. I might be guilty of carrying a 9mm/.380 around home, but I would have had at least my mdl 29 S&W while camping in bear country.
Savage

[BBF]

The bear was doing what comes naturally. Food running to him. I don't think he/she needed shooting.

[Casull]

• • It wasn't just forgetful to go out in the sticks without a gun, it was
    stupid.
  • Even if I had a gun, I don't think I'd shoot a bear to save a dog.
  • The family chose to go camping in bear country and to take a puppy.  They
    were the intruders, not the bear. 

*  Agreed.
*  I would definitely shoot a bear to save my dog.
*  BS.  I'm sick of hearing that "we" are intruders.  Humans (and dogs) are every bit as much a part of this planet's   inhabitants as a bear, mountain lion, etc.  Maybe you missed the part about the bear being within 30 yards of their tent.  I'll give a bear a wide berth (if I see him and am not hunting), and I expect him to do the same.

[Backwoods7]

I agree its stuped to go to the sticks without a gun. Usually when camping i have 2 or 3(rimfire-shotgun-large handgun)as for the bear after my dog get redy for all he** to bust loose cause yogi bear is a gonner.

[PAHUnter04]

First like most said, backpacking bear country, 44 Mag and up revolver.
 
Second, Bear after my dog, with in 30 yards, BANG...
 
I have a vacation home in bear country, so far Blackies have punched in my crawl space door, ripped the screening and lattice work off my side deck to camp underneath. Smashed about 4 or 5 bird feeders. Dragged my 200 lb. deer feeder about 20 yards in the woods and smashed apart. They also tore up and smashed my Archery Targets at the lake House.
 
Yes I hunt the SOB's in Bear Season, nope never caught up with one. But I ALWAYS carry at least a .44 in the back woods up there.
 
Down the road a housewife heard some noise at 2:00 AM in the morning. Thinking it was her son coming home late she opened the door and her Lassa went charging out the door. To late, a sow and two cubs were almost on the porch. The Lassa was a snack, never to be seen again.
 
Ya have to be prepared even though you don't think it's necessary.
 
PAH

[rockbilly]

In my “early years” on an elk hunting trip to NM the five of us crawled into the tent that night looking forward to a good night’s sleep and a good day of scouting the next day.  It was fairly warm when we turned in, I had been wading the stream that day wearing shorts and t shirt catching cut throat trout.  About 2-3 that morning something woke me, I unzipped the tent and looked outside, there was about six inches of snow on the ground and three bears tearing up out kitchen.  I woke the others and asked if anyone had a gun…………the whole crew had left their guns in the pick-up.  Luckily the bears had their fill of our groceries and left when we started moving around in the tent.  We didn’t go back to sleep, but at day light we went out and could see where the bears walked around the tent several times, sniffing us out I guess. 

I came to learn that bears mauled someone almost every year in that area, most were Boy Scouts who had taken food in the tent with them.  This taught me a good lesson, I never again went to sleep unless the kitchen area was secured and I had my old .44 Mag Super Blackhawk tucked in the sleeping bag with me.

[Cottonwood]

The bear was doing what comes naturally. Food running to him. I don't think he/she needed shooting.

I live in NW Montana, ie bear country as we have lots of black and griz.  FWP would not have even gone after the black bear because it was doing what comes natural, and it did not attack humans.  It did however take food that was smaller, its natural and no the puppy had no place in the woods camping.

[BBF]

When living in BC I always carried a rifle with me when outdoors(woods, not a playground  ) my kids loved to go berry picking and so do bears. I never had a confrontation with a bear, my kids made enough noise to let them know we were coming.
 
Now living in Nova Scotia, we have no kids around and it is not legal to carry a firearm other then during the hunting season.

[Empty Quiver]

You are understandably upset.


The bear did not deserve the death penalty. Youngsters do not always think about the posible outcomes of actions they take. The dog was doing what he was programmed to do as well. The handgun would have changed little in the situation you describe.


Yes, it was a mistake to leave the pistol at home. But, in this instance, it would have only gotten people into trouble I'm afraid. Would not be much of a stretch for the authorities to have charged them with a crime for shooting a bear. Many parks advise against or even prohibit pets for this exact reason.

[Dee]

Well I guess the bottom line here, is the dog will not be doin that again, and the bear found out dogs are tasty. As for shootin the bear, I donno. Puppy's and undisciplined adult dogs run out into the street and get run over by cars, but it never occurred to me to shoot the driver.
While I'm here, I have noticed in the last few years, undisciplined "kids" run in the street too.
The pup was a victim of bad judgment on the owner's part. I "force train" ALL my dogs to come to me. In the beginning, they don't necessarily come to me because the want to, but instead out of FEAR NOT TO. Over time, they forget the pain, and come because their supposed to. This includes, all "patrol dogs" when I was a K-9 Trainer, handler, and instructor.
I once trained with an officer from another dept. whose Belgium Malinois patrol dog, minded, and behaved far better than his children. I asked him once about that, but he didn't seem to get my point. 

[yukondog]

Taking the dog's in bear country bad move, if it was mine,  dog, bear, BANG.

[bilmac]

I'm surprised the warden hunted the bear down. Wardens are all individuals, but I expect that many would have issued a citation for shooting a bear that was killing a dog. One thing to have a beat come into your yard and start killing, but something altogether different to take a dog to the woods and have it have a run in.

I would have fired a shot or two in the air to try to scare the bear, but in reality after you've got the dog away from the bear after it has crunched the puppy, what are you going to have? Watch the little guy die slow, or at best lots of big vet bills.

[SHOOTALL]

I'm gonna get scalded for this, but here goes: 
 
 

• It wasn't just forgetful to go out in the sticks without a gun, it was stupid.
• Even if I had a gun, I don't think I'd shoot a bear to save a dog.
• The family chose to go camping in bear country and to take a puppy.  They were the intruders, not the bear. 

 
nuff said !
 
We agree 

[SHOOTALL]

 I expect that many would have issued a citation for shooting a bear that was killing a dog.
 Ok , so what ? the warden has no power to hear the case that's the judges duty .

I would have fired a shot or two in the air to try to scare the bear, but in reality after you've got the dog away from the bear after it has crunched the puppy, what are you going to have? Watch the little guy die slow, or at best lots of big vet bills.
[/quote
 
Why fire a shot that only reduces your aval. ammo ?

[bilmac]

Yup, issuing a citation would be a judgement call, and a judge could agree or not. I'm sure if the bear was in a guy's back yard killing his dog, then he would be on a lot better grounds for shooting the bear, but he took a dog to public lands, black bears are game animals, and he created a situation.

Black bears are timid animals for the most part. I think a gunshot would have a chance to drive one away. If he is going to attack I doubt that a guy could fire more than a couple three more before the fight was over one way or another.

All this is Monday morning quarter backing, things happen fast in situations like this and sometimes the best decisions aren't made. Forgetting to take a gun to the woods was pretty dumb though. This guy didn't have any options.