Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Bear Kills Teen Runner: It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use


A 16-year-old was killed by a black bear on a organized race in Alaska yesterday, on 19 June, 2017.  The runner had plenty of time to use a defensive firearm.  He had called family members to text them that he was being chased by a bear. From adn.com:
The runner had apparently made it to the halfway point turnaround and was on his way down when he used his phone to text a family member at 12:37 p.m. that he was being chased by a bear, Precosky said. The family member approached Precosky, who was then in the middle of handing out awards.

"I went off and talked to him about it, trying to get a straight story," Precosky said. "He was very shaken and had received this communication."

A search was launched immediately, Precosky said. The family member had GPS coordinates from the missing runner's phone that helped guide searchers to the area where his phone was. But the searchers, including runners that were part of the race, couldn't get closer.
This has all the hallmarks of predatory black bear attack.  The attack was well  telegraphed, because the runner had time to phone and text people about it. After the runner was killed, the bear stayed near the body and would not allow rescuers near it.  The bear was finally driven off when a park ranger shot it in the face with a shotgun slug, wounding it.

Black bears usually break off an attack when serious resistance is encountered. Black bears in predatory mode do not want to risk a serious wound. For a wild animal, a serious wound is often fatal.

The runner was able and willing to carry a cell phone. They could easily have carried a Ruger LCP, which weighs about as much.

There was a time when most people in Alaska knew that wild places had risks associated with them.  It should have been a defensive gun use. From adn.com
"This young man didn't do anything wrong. He was just in the wrong place," Crockett said. "You can't predict which bear is going to be predatory."
Exactly so. Which is why prudent people carry arms.

 A hiker killed a charging brown bear on the trail in 2013, with an AK74.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

sounds to me like it is time to have a bear hunt. years ago I made a report to the Cibola wild life refuge that there were two mountain lions coming into my yard. a game ranger came to my home and I showed him the lion tracks. he assured me the tracks were that of a big dog. I told him I watched the lion make the racks from my window. He said if there were any lions in the area we would know it. well about a half hour after the game ranger left I got a call from another ranger that told me If I shot a lion I would be fined several thousand dollars and given time in jail. I told her if the lion did not exist there was nothing to shoot so if I shot one that did not exist no one would miss it. about a month later the first ranger saw me in the grocery store and ran up to tell me they had a report from a farmer claiming he had seen the two lions I reported so they put traps out, trapped both lions and removed them from this area. the only problem is mountain lions travel in a 500 mile circle. their back. I know people that have taken shots at them to protect their cattle. defensive use of a firearm is legal. those lions had the scent of my children. One of those lions had jumped over a fence with a neighbors dog in its mouth. My idiot first wife put our 6 month old baby in the back yard by her self for some fresh air and sun. because her mother told her to. I told her for a week not to do what her mother told her to do. we were divorced 6 months later.

Jeff said...

How does one "call to text?"

Anonymous said...

I could not tell you, I have never texted. if they wont answer I call back later. there is no cell phone service here. I had a Verizon cell phone. every time Verizon texted me I got charged 15 cents. I calculated that if Verizon had a million customers every time they sent a text message three times they were making 450k. I cancelled my service. I really hate unwanted advertisements and being required to pay for something I have no interest in.

Anonymous said...

The runner that was attacked and killed was 16. Are 16 year olds in Alaska allowed to carry pistols for "defensive gun use?" The way I read the Alaskan laws, the answer is no, but I might be wrong.

AIB/44

Anonymous said...

Read the second amendment and find an age limitation. then find the authority in the tenth amendment or any where in the constitution to allow the individual states to amend or add Qualifiers of any kind to the second amendment. it does not exist. every living being has the right of self defense, it comes from God not the constitution. mess with a spider and you can get bit. If you are old enough to run through the forest by your self you are old enough to carry and should. You have the right of self defense any time any where at any age. God gave us dominion over animals. He gave animals the ability to run away. the ninth amendment gives us freedom of choice to shoot a dangerous attacking animal.

When I first moved to Arizona I was 12. I bought my first BB gun and was walking through the desert not far from my house. I stopped and was looking for something to plink at. I just happened to look down and a snake was between my feet. that BB gun was working as fast as I could make it work. I had never seen or been that close to a real live snake. I got home and checked my underwear. first shot split the head of the snake but I was not taking any chances. I knew what a snake was but did not know one from another. I learned fast.

Dean Weingarten said...

16 year old Alaskans can carry with parental permission.

Anonymous said...

Y.M.C.A.s used to have rifle teams and shoot in the basement ranges. My older brother was the team champion at age 11 years. I have been shooting since age 11. I got challenged once by a town bully to a gun fight(fast draw). some one told him who I was after the challenge. he came to my house and apologized before we were supposed to meet.

Anonymous said...

In Arizona parents can home school their children, I did for two years. If I want to teach a three year old to work a yoyo I will. If I want to teach a five year old to help me reload ammo I will. if I want to teach a six year old how to load several types of guns I will. if I want to teach an 8 year old how to aim correctly I will. If I want to teach an 11 year old how to shoot numerous weapons accurately I will. If I want to teach any of my children how to clean, take apart and reassemble my weapons I will. No government or community is raising my children I am. If my children are ever required to go to war I want them to have the best chance of getting home. Knowing I did my best to train them properly. No government or community will miss them the way I would. there is no age written into the second amendment and no authority to add one. by age 16 my kids could out shoot most of the local cops.