"Man Survives Bear Attack Using a Folding Knife"

[the_leper_colony]

Interesting article:

https://www.ammoland.com/2023/11/man-survives-bear-attack-using-a-folding-knife/#axzz8K4x2HCBv
What's that old saying? "Don't bring a knife to..." - I forget. Guess a knife is better than a spoon or a fork.

 

[kentucky yeti]

Wow!

 

[Wvfarrier]

That pocket knife was definitely not the tool for the job. Sad that an employer can dictate whether you survive or not

 

[RC44Mag]

That pocket knife was definitely not the tool for the job. Sad that an employer can dictate whether you survive or not

Sure a Glock 20 would have been better but knife eventually did the job. He’d be bear chow without it. Hopefully they’ll change the rules up there after this and allow carry as they should in lib states where the two legged predator ‘bears’ look for and find the easy meat.

 

[the_leper_colony]

Sure a Glock 20 would have been better but knife eventually did the job. He'd be bear chow without it. Hopefully they'll change the rules up there after this and allow carry as they should in lib states where the two legged predator 'bears' look for and find the easy meat.

True. I thought it was interesting that the lock on the blade failed - might suggest that a fixed blade knife (maybe with a longer blade) would be a better option, if allowed where firearms are banned.

As always IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc.

 

[RC44Mag]

True. I thought it was interesting that the lock on the blade failed - might suggest that a fixed blade knife (maybe with a longer blade) would be a better option, if allowed where firearms are banned.

As always IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc.

Agreed, when reading it I immediately thought my Randall model 1 8“ blade would be a better choice in his situation but not so concealable or easy to lug around. If they don’t change the idiotic rule of no firearms and some still choose to go outside the wire they’ll be arming themselves with something better suited to tangling with bears. Fixed and longer blade and whatever else they can come up with.

 

[Tenbore]

Sounds like a lawsuit is in order.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Kinds of reminds of Harry Wolhuter getting mauled by a lion in Kruger Park in South Africa and killed it with a knife that size and appearance is the equivalent of a good sized steak knife like you see in some steakhouses. There were two lions. One of them bit and was dragging him by a should so he pulled out his knife and felt around on the lions body to where the heart poke should be and stabbed it to death:

We have a digital copy of his book Memories Of A Game Ranger here. Pretty interesting reading.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Great story there Wendy! My buddy in New Zealand makes this knife, it is called the Lion knife and is a fine reproduction!

 

[WendyZXZ]

Your buddy did a great job with that knife, quite talented at the smithing!

 

[Wvfarrier]

That longer blade makes a difference. I have trained with knives for nearly 30 years. It is hard to kill a human with a 3" pocket knife...let alone an animal with the mass of a bear

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

A knife is better than nothing! A petite 63 year old woman armed with a cheap single shot 22 rifle killed a record Grizzly 70 years ago...

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/06/be...-take-the-1953-world-record-grizzly-and-more/

 

[irishjack]

Glock makes a compact 10mm pistol, the model 29 which is readily concealable. If I thought I could be in a situation where my life could be in danger , I would carry the pistol concealed and if I used it to save my life and I was fired by the company, it would be worth it . Better to be fired than to be dead or permanently crippled.

 

[vito]

Banning employees from carrying firearms does not surprise me. Some companies clearly do not care about putting their employees at risk but do care about "virtue signaling" to the anti-gun and very outspoken crowd. This is not dissimilar to what many local or state governments do in allowing "gun free" zones. Somehow that policy and those signs make the "progressives" feel that they are safe from violence from crazed right wing gun nuts when in fact determined killers are prone to choose such zones as their preferred hunting grounds. Each of us needs to decide what is most important to us, and I think that many here would choose to carry a gun discreetly regardless of what their employer or local government decrees about such matters.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I’ll add just a few thoughts. If you are just walking through an area that may have bears, it’s a good idea to make noise as you go. My personal policy is if you see a bear first and are reasonably sure the bear hasn’t seen you, the last thing I do is yell and I’d head a different direction than the bear, and do it quietly. The last thing I’m going to do is make the bear aware of my presence. I just think that’s a bad policy. Although I know a guy that survived a brown bear attack with a Buck 110 folding knife, like the guy in the story didn’t fare well. He was fairly seriously injured. In the situation this guy was in and not supposed to be carrying a handgun I would carry a sharp fixed blade knife, among those I already have would be a Buck 119, 120, or 124, or a Gerber casket handle, bowie knife.
My impression was the guy had previously seen black bears and assuming that could happen again, I would figure out a way to sneak out a compact high capacity 9mm with 147 grain hard casts, Ruger SP101 with 180 gr HC, Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special with 200 gr cast, my S&W model 69 with the 2-3/4” barrel with a heavy hard cast 240 grain bullet, or maybe even a Ruger Alaskan in your favorite flavor. Kept concealed no one should know, unless you need it. At that point, if you have to use a gun preventing being malled or worse if it costs your job, you are still ahead of the game. Even in Canada many folks carry a large hunting knife, for the same reason. Minimum 6” blade.
Having said all that, I don’t have a lot of confidence in Bear Spray, for black bears, if it comes down to it, and the Bear leaves the area, you should also evacuate the area, if the bear is predatory will probably be back looking for his meal.

The guns I chose were for concealment. Black bears aren’t extremely difficult to kill as they are thin skinned and light boned. I wanted to add this since I hadn’t made it clear earlier.
I know of a guy that killed a brown bear with a S&W 3913 with a 147 grain Buffalo Bore bullet. Not on purpose but that’s what he had.

 

[Hondo44]

Banning employees from carrying firearms does not surprise me. Some companies clearly do not care about putting their employees at risk but do care about "virtue signaling" to the anti-gun and very outspoken crowd. This is not dissimilar to what many local or state governments do in allowing "gun free" zones. Somehow that policy and those signs make the "progressives" feel that they are safe from violence from crazed right wing gun nuts when in fact determined killers are prone to choose such zones as their preferred hunting grounds. Each of us needs to decide what is most important to us, and I think that many here would choose to carry a gun discreetly regardless of what their employer or local government decrees about such matters.

Well said. The term "gun free" zones is typical political misdirection. In reality it means VICTIM RICH ZONES!

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Alyeska pipeline is extremely paranoid about people shooting around the pipeline. The oil in the pipeline is under pressure and a make a pretty big mess before anyone realizes what’s going on not to mention the clean up can be extremely expensive. So on the one hand I understand their position, on the other hand, I would think they could trust their employees, and especially for their protection.

 

[vito]

Alyeska pipeline is extremely paranoid about people shooting around the pipeline. The oil in the pipeline is under pressure and a make a pretty big mess before anyone realizes what's going on not to mention the clean up can be extremely expensive. So on the one hand I understand their position, on the other hand, I would think they could trust their employees, and especially for their protection.

Do you doubt that the company is far more concerned about damage to the pipeline than it is about the life of a nameless employee? Anyone that goes unarmed in bear country because of a company rule seems to me to be an idiot.

 

[caryc]

Do you doubt that the company is far more concerned about damage to the pipeline than it is about the life of a nameless employee? Anyone that goes unarmed in bear country because of a company rule seems to me to be an idiot.

The trouble is that he is also a willing idiot. If one hires on with a company knowing he can't carry a gun for protection, he has entirely accepted the responsibility for his own life. After willingly taking the job knowing the rules, I don't think he has any action for a law suit. Of course I'm no lawyer.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Truth of the matter is, people make decisions like that on a daily basis, depending on previous experiences. How many people even on the forum go to town, get gas, whatever, without a gun. They base that decision on previous experiences, which may or may not have anything to do with previous experiences.

 

[Paul B]

Once upon a time shortly after leaving military life I had a job for a short time working for a 7/11 stop and rob in Las Vegas. There was a series of robberies at the time by some kook who got his jollies hurting store employees and killing two. Policy by 7/11 was give them the money, no guns allowed. Some of us ignored policy, myself included but I got caught. You're fired and they damn well took their sweet time giving me the pay I had coming. The new guy that replaced me was shot and killed just two days later and AFAIK, the perp has never been caught. Needless to say I have never ever bought anything from 7/11 since what I consider wrongful termination. I've since read that 7/11 was bought and is now own by the Chinese. Just another good reason to boycott the bums.

 

[gramps]

That longer blade makes a difference. I have trained with knives for nearly 30 years. It is hard to kill a human with a 3" pocket knife...let alone an animal with the mass of a bear

As an RN of 54 years and ER/ICU x 35 of those years. People are killed all the time with 3” bladed knives. The neck, elbow, groin areas have large arteries close to the surface. Letting the air off of the lungs works too. I agree a fixed bladed knife of 6” works better. When I was in Alaska I carried my RUGER Redhawk 4.2” barrel stuffed with 310 gr HC in either a Simply Rugged holster or an Uncle Mikes shoulder holster. it was a great talisman. I saw no bears except in the Anchorage zoo. I carried there too!
gramps

 

[MaxMan]

That's not a knife....
.

 

[caryc]

That's not a knife....
.

What are you, Crocodile Dundee's brother? What's not a knife?

 

[David Lee Valdina]

I remember reading accounts of early settlers defending themselves against bears with an axe. All the accounts I read, the defense worked and the bear killed. Of course if the man was killed, he wouldn't be writing up the account of the fight.

 

[caryc]

These are a couple of knives I've purchased from ThreatResponseSolutions.com That big one is 11" long and is a big heavy well built knife for a folder.

 

[gramps]

These are a couple of knives I've purchased from ThreatResponseSolutions.com That big one is 11" long and is a big heavy well built knife for a folder.

I have those two also Cary!!!
gramps

 

[BearBiologist]

Alyeska pipeline is extremely paranoid about people shooting around the pipeline. The oil in the pipeline is under pressure and a make a pretty big mess before anyone realizes what's going on not to mention the clean up can be extremely expensive. So on the one hand I understand their position, on the other hand, I would think they could trust their employees, and especially for their protection.

Maybe some training is needed. My old boss was supervisor of marine mammals for USFWS. She had to undergo training in use of a shotgun against bears. Her daughter (in grade school) undergoes bear and moose training at school (moose are generally more dangerous than bears, esp. black bears!).

That being said, a knife is better than nothing against black bears and I generally carry a Randall Yukon Skinner or Model 23 in bear country along with spray (if a gun can't be carried). I disagree with Bear Paw on efficacity of bear spray.

Reading, it sounds like an exploratory/predatory attack. His jogging may have triggered a predator/prey response that carried over-hence the hesitancy on the bear's part. In a true predatory attack by an experienced bear, he likely would not have seen the bear until it was upon him. They can be surprisingly quiet when stalking. More bear fatalities are caused by black bears than grizzlies and are predatory by young males.

 

[BearBiologist]

The trouble is that he is also a willing idiot. If one hires on with a company knowing he can't carry a gun for protection, he has entirely accepted the responsibility for his own life. After willingly taking the job knowing the rules, I don't think he has any action for a law suit. Of course I'm no lawyer.

Those are valid arguments. Similar to mask restrictions. You take the restrictions and work or quit and find another job. Your choice but that's WAAAAYY off topic!

My wife signed as camp cook in an elk/antelope/mule deer camp for two weeks one year (basically paid for my deer hunt and she made a LOT of money in tips!). Anyway, we brought her Browning pump shotgun for the camp kitchen, with slugs and buck. After I shot my deer, I found grizzly droppings, tracks, and a gutted "porky" on the way to field dress it. I had my 300 mag and an OM Blackhawk with heavy Ruger Only loads.

One year, I was talking to a woman who was Deputy Manager of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (I was later offered her position, but I was just too old to spend 6 months above the Arctic Circle and six months in Anchorage). She said, if one of the biologists went outside for a smoke, the took a shotgun!

As the mountain men said: "Do not mess with Ephrain. He is set in his ways."

 

[kmoore]

Oh man, I guess I will retire my .41 mag. and carry the old Buck 110. The knife is certainly lighter.