'She was coming at me with her mouth open': B.C. man shoots grizzly in front yard

[East Van Ray]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/man-shoots-grizzly-video-bella-coola-bc-1.4875956

A homeowner in central B.C. has been captured on video shooting a charging grizzly bear in his yard — a decision he says he made in trying to protect himself and his family, but one that has drawn threats in the days since.Lawrence Michalchuk said the sow and her three cubs had been living in his Bella Coola yard for days, and were acting territorial whenever he tried to leave the house.

Earlier this month, he went outside to scare off the sow with a shotgun loaded with birdshot.

The 54-year-old said he had no choice to do something about the animal, but never planned on having to shoot it.
"What are your choices? You leave a bear in the yard who thinks it owns your yard … and then your kids go out there?" Michalchuk told the CBC in a phone interview from his home on Tuesday night.

"By leaving them on the property, you're playing Russian roulette, and I'm not doing that with my kids or my family."

Michalchuk's wife filmed the encounter with the bear and posted it on YouTube.

Wearing a bright orange shirt and grey sweatpants, Michalchuk yells at the bear and fires a warning shot.

The bear, which wasn't killed in the encounter, is seen at the far end of the yard near the treeline.

The homeowner yells again and runs the five steps across the gravel driveway toward the bear. The grizzly then starts to charge and Michalchuk begins backpedalling, raising the 12-gauge shotgun to his cheek.

He takes about a dozen steps back across the driveway and fires as the sow reaches the gravel.

The bear falls and rolls over twice, shaking its head. Michalchuk turns and runs off-frame inside the house. The bear runs in the same direction and also goes out of view.

"Are you OK? Oh sh*t! Where is it? Are you OK? Holy crap. Where is he? Where is she? Where did she go?" Michalchuk's wife asks as he gets inside.

Michalchuk, who said he's been hunting since childhood, doesn't answer but can be heard breathing hard.

"The last thing I remember is that she was coming at me with her mouth open," he said in the interview.

"I didn't want to shoot her in the face so I clipped her in the right leg. Thank God when I shot, it did exactly what I hoped it would do: It tripped her."

Michalchuk told the CBC he's been met with backlash and threats since the video was posted 10 days ago, with many asking why the father of two would provoke an aggressive mother bear with cubs.

Michalchuk, who has spent 35 years working in fisheries, said people who fault him don't understand his reasoning.

He'd just returned from a trip when his in-laws, who had been watching his kids, told him about the sow. They said making noise and yelling hadn't worked to scare it off.

Michalchuk said it's not uncommon for homeowners to use guns to protect themselves and their property from bears in the Bella Coola Valley, which is about 420 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.

"It's nice to think that when you live in the city, it's not an issue down there, but here, I mean … yeah," he said. "This has been tough for me to take."

Michalchuk said the bear eventually did leave the property. The B.C. Conservation Service confirmed it's investigating but declined to comment further.

The family thought the bears were after apple trees on the property, which are behind an electric fence.

[stixnstones]

This guy is An idiot.

[Wild one]

This guy is An idiot.

Yup situation should have never happened

[E.B.]

This guy is An idiot.
What exactly is it that makes him an idiot besides not using a slug on the second shot ?

[sjdb243]

What exactly is it that makes him an idiot besides not using a slug on the second shot ?

I wouldn't go so far as to say idiot, but I do wonder if he could have called his dog inside, rather than go out and front with it. That said, I'd like to think I would go out and get my dog. He came pretty close to being shredded, I think I would have gone for something more lethal than bird shot, personally.

[Ferenc]

I would have liked to see the results/outcome if he would have had “bear-spray” instead of the shotgun .

[kootenaihunter]

Why is he an idiot?

The bears were not aggressive, at least not in the video, checking out what looks like fruit trees in his yard in BELLA COOLA. If you're not used to or comfortable seeing griz there, move!

He could have called his dog in and been done with it.

But, he was better off not using slugs as if he killed it, he would have probably been charged, as it was unprovoked.

[IronNoggin]

... But, he was better off not using slugs as if he killed it, he would have probably been charged, as it was unprovoked.

So instead he peppers her with birdshot, wounding her quite obviously.
Will he now be held to account when this wounded bear attacks another Two-Legs?
IMHO he bloody well should be!

Nog

[kootenaihunter]

So instead he peppers her with birdshot, wounding her quite obviously.
Will he now be held to account when this wounded bear attacks another Two-Legs?
IMHO he bloody well should be!

Nog

Hey, I 100% agree with that, just saying it would have been worse, and been more of an idiot, to have used slugs.

Extra bonus idiot points for posting a controversial video to youtube!

[Mulehahn]

If I have a grizzly and cubs in my yard where my kids regularly play I would probably try to get it to leave the area, not just call the dog in. But that being said, if all I have is bird shot no way I am walking out there. The patio it was filmed from seemed to be a good vantage point from which to fire a few warning shots from. If however, that was not possible, or the dog would not come I would certainly go out there with a full load of slugs or high powered rifle.

[Jimbob]

The bears were there multiple days he tried to scare them away with noise, also it sounds like he has electric fences around the trees. What do you do if a sow and cubs keep coming back to your property? I'm not saying I would do what this guy did but I also know that I would not be fine with grizzlies coming in my yard.

Do you just call the CO and wait to trap them? What would you guys do?

[Downtown]

I trust we hear more about this once the F&W concluded there investigation. From what I am reading here I would be surprised if he does not faces several charges.

Cheers

[kootenaihunter]

The bears were there multiple days he tried to scare them away with noise, also it sounds like he has electric fences around the trees. What do you do if a sow and cubs keep coming back to your property? I'm not saying I would do what this guy did but I also know that I would not be fine with grizzlies coming in my yard.

Do you just call the CO and wait to trap them? What would you guys do?

Same thing I do now, pick the apples and take away the attractant, that's what the CO would have said anyways. I see one bear pawing up the tree, so electric fence wasn't helping. Didn't seem like this was the last resort.

If they came back, call CO, it's Bella Coola, I'm sure the CO wasn't too far away. They can shoot it if it's an issue.

Not to mention if it had been reported to the guy already that they were around, why not a call to the CO then? He obviously wasn't any more effective, succeeding in almost being mauled and wounding a sow with cubs.

[Jagermeister]

Few, if any, have walked in his moccasins so you should shut your pie-holes until you have had a close encounter with a charging grizzly, or any bear for that matter. Then you can render an opinion.
The only sensibly stated opinions were pertaining to the use of bird shot, but I can see that too. He thought birdshot would suffice but it was merely bee stings to the bear.

[tomcat]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would suggest you critics should get Gary Shelton's books and read them.

[albravo2]

Tough situation. No bear is going to make me, my kids or my dogs hostage in my own home.

Sorry, I don't agree with the 'If you live in Bella Coola' or 'If you have an apple tree' arguments. There is lots of bear habitat out there, I'm not going to be a victim because they get my habitat confused with their own.

[moosinaround]

I have lived/worked in bear country, bears that do not move on from habituated areas, are nuisance bears. This fellow is allowed to protect his family/dwelling from the bears, and should have shot the sow to kill it! It has now opened up a can of worms, and an investigation will render a verdict on culpability, but he was protecting his property! Silly to send a warning shot at a predator like that! That mistake nearly cost him his life! If you are firing at the bear, shoot to kill! Moosin

[Big Lew]

People use bear bangers to encourage them to move on but most habituated bears soon become
habituated to the noise makers as well rendering them useless. I don't think the fellow loaded his
shotgun with birdshot with any intention of shooting the bear, only to scare it away. He shot the
bear with it only because it charged him when he didn't expect it to do so and it was all he had
available. The really big mistake that family made was to post it all on the internet. Why would you
do that? As some said, because the sow and her cubs apparently were repeatedly coming into the
yard, likely for the apples, he should have removed the fruit if possible, and called the CO department
for help, explaining the situation. That way the ball is in their court.

[srupp]

Some folks in Bella Coma..know how to deal with problem bears. .most do not. .
We dont know what steps this gentleman took prior to this event..so we should not speculate..
I think he showed fine shooting skills in that envounter...only thing that saved his life...birdshot was stoopid..dont bring a knife/birdshot to a grizzly fight.
Im not sure many on this forum would have shot so well under duress..of a 700 pound plus enraged coastal grizzly in full speed frontal attack. .he is a good shot under pressure.
Cheers
Steven

[weatherby_man]

The internet has made everyone act as judge, jury, and executioner and we now unfortunately live in a world of guilty til proven innocent now. Let all the facts come out before passing judgement. Maybe he erred, maybe he did the right thing, maybe something else altogether, but basing your judgement on a CBC (of all things) report is ludicrous.

[walks with deer]

as allways the report was wrong...
i understand the gentlman was using buckshot.

and anybody that calls him a idiot its easy to say what to do from your townhouse in the concrete jungle...

i have learnt alot about predators in the last few years...and all i can say is. shoot to kill and break bones in the process...
easy to say ignore it so it chomps your kid when your not home....
there are way to many gbears in bella coola.

[walks with deer]

srupp do you think a guy that shot that accurate and underpressure didnt use buckshot? cbc messed up buck/bird

[srupp]

srupp do you think a guy that shot that accurate and underpressure didnt use buckshot? cbc messed up buck/bird

Hmm I am sorry I was going off reports..both here and news. .
Whatever he used..was accurate..he got off 2 shots both hits..
Im not sure what he could have done with slugs..he wasnt using them
I agree everyone should read mr.Sheldons book..
No warning shots
Shoot to kill
No rifle slings
Practice
Practice
Practice
No brdshot
No buckshot
From watching the video several times I think he would have fatally hit the bear with a slug fired from his shotgun. .
Ive had a couple grizzly charges..I was impressed with his shooting
Cheers
Steven

[CraigOC]

It'll be interesting to get the full story at some point to see what prior steps he took. I'm just glad he did hit it, otherwise the story could have been much more tragic. Couldn't pay me to use buck/birdshot against a predator like that. 45-70 or slugs and centre mass until it stops or I do.

[dino]

Anyone with expeience with problem bears gets this video and understands the actions of this person. Anyone who doesnt understand has not ever dealt with a bear problem. There is a reason why they are destroyed.

[325]

Anyone with expeience with problem bears gets this video and understands the actions of this person. Anyone who doesnt understand has not ever dealt with a bear problem. There is a reason why they are destroyed.

I agree. He did what at the time made the most sense,

[Wild one]

The guys actions when the bear charged I don’t judge because he was in the right to defend himself and it was no doubt an oh sh!t moment

What I ? is why he put himself in the position to start with?

It seems by the report he most likely had better options and he chose to risk confrontation with a grizzly sow with cubs

Was there reasonable options the man could have taken to avoid the confrontation to start with? Seems very likely there was

[325]

The guys actions when the bear charged I don’t judge because he was in the right to defend himself and it was no doubt an oh sh!t moment

What I ? is why he put himself in the position to start with?

It seems by the report he most likely had better options and he chose to risk confrontation with a grizzly sow with cubs

Was there reasonable options the man could have taken to avoid the confrontation to start with? Seems very likely there was

I think the important thing is we judge him unfavourably, knowing that if we were in his shoes, our actions would have been beyond reproach.

[stixnstones]

He shouldn’t of put himself in that situation at all.

[Slinky Pickle]

The full video is here.... https://youtu.be/o0uM7s8hprc


Also, this is his write up from the Youtube video.

The Facts:Just got back after 1 week trip, 70+ year old in-laws (from the city) looking after the kids Left them a bucket of nuts and bolts to make noise to get bears off the property if they comeGot home the night before and noticed bent over mountain ash trees/broken branches, bear poo full of mountain ash berries, craters in the lawn In the morning, dogs were barking and noticed bears by the tree (no fruit since it was already all picked) that the kids climb in every dayWent and loaded 12g shotgun with 3 birdshot shells with the intention of shooting in the air to scare them away (family told us they had been coming back regularly since we had left and they weren’t scared of noise)Went outside, from underneath the deck, shot once in the air, and sow started charging so I ran back inside the houseShe then started walking her cubs away and took that as a sign of submission, then went outside again and when she got 65 yards away, I shot in the air again to keep pushing her alongAfter that shot, the sow turned around and looked at me and I yelled at her to keep moving her onThen in an instant, the sow turned and charged, head down, ears back, and hair flatI knew this was a serious charge and I only had one shot left (of birdshot), and having worked with bears for 30+ years on the river with Fisheries, and gone through repeated bear training with a shotgun, I knew that if I turned and ran, there would have been contactI didn’t want to blind her by hitting her in the face so aimed at her right side to hopefully trip her up to buy me enough time to run inside the houseI waited as long as I could, until she was just across the driveway and then I hazed her, which did trip her up so I turned and ran inside the houseShe kept coming towards the house with her mouth open, ready to bite me, and I slammed the door, the last thing I remember was gravel hitting my truck as she turned and ran back (four limbs working fine) and took her cubs awayI later tracked her and her cubs a ways off our acreage; there was no blood, no hair and I know she’ll be sore but she’ll now think twice about approaching peopleI talked it over with the local COs, showed them the video, and they said I was totally justified in defending myself and family.I’m just glad it was me and not the kids out there.""only one shot left and it was number 6 trap load, not a slug.......the kids just about saw their dad ripped to shit or killed ......head down ears back and fast .......so glad the gun went off......glad it was me and not the kids... apples were all picked and they were digging in the field for roots and eating the wild mountain ash berries.... the kids climb those trees every day... this valley is now a bear viewing zoo......the bear population is growing and the bears are not scared of people anymore.... bad mix......."

[Bugle M In]

I wouldn't have posted it.
Just dealt with it and move on.

[westcoast meds]

Re: 'She was coming at me with her mouth open': B.C. man shoots grizzly in front yard
I wouldn't have posted it.
Just dealt with it and move on.




I agree , posting anything is just asking for trouble.

If in my yard with my Kids around, Mumma and Cubs all get it , Problem solved and no body hears about it.

[emerson]

SSS would have worked better for this fellow I think.

[dino]

Sounds like a lot of good sense to me but im one of those guys that used to have a bear problem too.

[Busterpayton54]

This just reminds me of all the fools that load a birdshot shell followed by slugs or buck in case they had to fire a warning shot.. slugs make a loud bang too idiot, and more...

i recently read of one such meat head using blanks.

[Big Lew]

Lol! "I recently read of one such meat head using blanks." I don't think there are many

Walt Disney bears that will stop and wait when asked so that you can re-load with slugs
after firing those blanks!

[Yuritau]

If it was my yard, I'd give one call to the CO. If they didn't get it sorted pronto, the next call would be to report a self defence kill.

[Onesock]

The only mistake he made was not killing it!!!!!

[250 sav]

I wouldn't have posted it.
Just dealt with it and move on.

100 % agree

[northof49]

Moon walked right out of his runner which bought him some extra time tho. She went for the shoe first when she got up. Lucky he didnt trip or she would’ve been on him

[Rattler]

That is one lucky dude!! Wow that bear was seconds from ripping him apart! Not a chance I would be out there with birdshot!

[REMINGTON JIM]

I would have liked to see the results/outcome if he would have had “bear-spray” instead of the shotgun .


LMFFAO ! Yea he would prob still be in the Hospital if still alive ! :???: jmo RJ

[Jelvis]

He said the bears mouth was already open as it came at him all out speed
Jelly -- Mouth was wide open in the film -- the guy wood ah bin mauled to death if he hadn't shot!

[Ferenc]

LMFFAO ! Yea he would prob still be in the Hospital if still alive ! :???: jmo RJ
I know ..... just had to throw that out there !!!! Hahahaha

[.300WSMImpact!]

That is one lucky dude!! Wow that bear was seconds from ripping him apart! Not a chance I would be out there with birdshot!

dont you prefer a tent for protection?

[180grainer]

Some folks in Bella Coma..know how to deal with problem bears. .most do not. .
We dont know what steps this gentleman took prior to this event..so we should not speculate..
I think he showed fine shooting skills in that envounter...only thing that saved his life...birdshot was stoopid..dont bring a knife/birdshot to a grizzly fight.
Im not sure many on this forum would have shot so well under duress..of a 700 pound plus enraged coastal grizzly in full speed frontal attack. .he is a good shot under pressure.
Cheers
Steven
Yup, WTF is he doing using bird shot .........or even buckshot. Moron. Let the bear eat your apples. If your dog don't come to your call, your the idiot for not training your dog. Personally, I think he got lucky with the shooting skills. Guys I know that can shoot also understand the capabilities of the ammunition they're using. Maybe I'm wrong with this guy,

[walks with deer]

i would have shot reported and not posted...
i received that video the day after it happened.

saying leave it alone...

my cow bear thread he died exactly because of this..
only differance is he was open and i carried my 338 and 458...
the super men out there i could probably get you a waiver sighned and go sleep in his yard first week of sept....bring extra underwear and upgrade your life insurance.
last time i hazed a predator it left for two days and paid me back by charging at my daughter and killing my good dog on my porch..

even after my wife blew its teeth shoulder and hind leg off it came back for more...i was working out of town.....quit working out of town since then...

and yes the predator took a hard fall the next am.
sss applies to things like this....

[walks with deer]

ps if it wasnt for the dog probably would have been my girl.

[northof49]

Too bad that habituated bear is not dead. Will have a whole lot of hate to unleash on the next unsuspecting person to stumble upon it. Maybe fisherperson next spring, maybe another family simply leaving their house to get in their car in the twilight next few weeks. Perhaps someone riding their bike. Grizzlies are intended for the wild....not front yards.

[masoncade1992]

People on here can be very quick to judge.... Yes using buck shot and bird shot is dumb. Would have been better if he was packing a rifle with some heavy lead. I know that if it was my property and a grizzly was hanging around, I would fire a warning shot with my 300 mag. If the bear then turned on me or my family, I would shoot it, without even a moment of remorse. That bear was clearly dangerous before being provoked. Most Grizzly in the wild would run with their tail between their legs if you shot a warning shot close to them. The fact that this bear charged, is a good indication is was fearless around humans. If that bear wasn't at this persons property, what is stopping it from going to the neighbors where kids are playing? Legally that person has the right to protect his property. He gave that bear a chance to leave and it didn't and further more charged him. That =dead bear

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Guys, I know Lawerence well. He walked salmon rivers for 30 years in grizzzly country for DFO. He knows bears and was obviously not expecting that behaviour from momma bear. He has killed several grizzlies include a couple with archery tackle.
I would not have had birdshot in my shotgun and been prepared for the worst. I think the people of Bella Coola get used to these habituated bears and drop their guard more then you think.
My question to him when I see him is "what's with the birdshot"

[4 point]

No dog out moving towards sow, no man walking towards sow no attack.

[wideopenthrottle]

................

[northof49]

No dog out moving towards sow, no man walking towards sow no attack.

Habituated grizzlies living in peoples yards.....all wrong. This is the definition of a habituated bear. Only a matter of time until loss of life. Need to look at the bigger picture. The specifics of this incident are not the issue.

[Bugle M In]

Habituated grizzlies living in peoples yards.....all wrong. This is the definition of a habituated bear. Only a matter of time until loss of life. Need to look at the bigger picture. The specifics of this incident are not the issue.

I agree.
If people here do not have children, then they possibly don't just understand the real concerns.
Deer in your backyard, okay, so they eat a few of the fallen apples.
Grizzly hanging around your yard, and especially a sow with cubs!??
Think about it folks:
You let your kids out to play, and you think the bear isn't around with her young ones, and then suddenly, there is a cub.
Great recipe for disaster, especially when it is a bear that frequents the yard.
Yes, could call the CO 1st, to have it moved, but that rarely works.
Again, I would have dealt with it, I just wouldn't have posted it.
That's his only mistake.
Just keep the video for "records" sake, in case someone actually asked, to prove the attack.
Otherwise, keep your mouths shut.
This isn't a "poaching" scenario, this is protecting your family from any further issues.

[wideopenthrottle]

that bad momma was teaching those cubs to be town bears...they all gotta go for a dirt nap!!!!!! lots of places for them away from towns (where they should be) places where good mommas are teaching their cubs to avoid people!!!! These bears are producing triplets for bloody sake!!!!

[RackStar]

What’s with all the NAY sayers? HBC police at its finest. This man did what needed to happen... he should have not posted online though. Sounds like a bunch of vancouverites trying to save the bears. When your family is in danger in your own property... it’s time to pull your pants up and deal with it. This guys got balls the size of softballs.

[bc_buckshot]

Took the words out of my mouth... if your in a situation where your protecting family/ livestock you don’t shoot to scare. You shoot to kill. And with proper firearm.

[Wild one]

Should habituated bears be dealt with? yes

Was he in the right to shoot the bear once it charged? you bet

Was it smart going out and confronting the sow the way he did? No he put him self in a dangerous position ending in a wounded bear.

A problem bear being put down or a guy defending himself I have no issue with. Choosing to put himself at risk confronting the bear resulting in it being wounded and hazardous to others when he had better options was poor judgment

Maybe complacency maybe frustration clouded his judgment but there was better/safer options

[bc_buckshot]

I have lived/worked in bear country, bears that do not move on from habituated areas, are nuisance bears. This fellow is allowed to protect his family/dwelling from the bears, and should have shot the sow to kill it! It has now opened up a can of worms, and an investigation will render a verdict on culpability, but he was protecting his property! Silly to send a warning shot at a predator like that! That mistake nearly cost him his life! If you are firing at the bear, shoot to kill! Moosin


took the words out of my mouth.... you shoot to kill if your protecting family/livestock. Not to scare

[northof49]

Replace the guy with gun with 8yr old girl playing with her dog and think of the outcome.....certain death. Too many folks getting lulled into complacency and thinking its ok to have grizzlies living in your neighborhood. WTF. 40yrs ago everyone would have been commending him and putting his mug on the front page of the local rag for the right reasons. These bears should have been removed long before it ever got to this point.....Posting the video tho was just plain stupid.

[Bustercluck]

My wife had a black bear trying to get in our back door one night while I was working night shift in the bush with no cell service. When she called 911 the operator told her to contact conservation in the morning and gave her the number. If I was home that night I probably would have shot the bear too.

Some times you just have to deal with things yourself.

As for the dog, I'd say his main job is probably to watch the yard and kids for this exact reason.

[walks with deer]

how much bird shot was already in that bears ass from years of being a problem....
truth is there is alot of bears in bc with birdshot in there ass from hazing think about it..

that said remove the word grizzly and inject any other word you want...cougar,wolverine,pedaphile,trudeau,blackbea r, ect if its a threat to a mans kids and well we know the rest..

have the people against him confronting the bear probably havent seen a mature grizzly up close...or its raw power...
srupp has probably seen more grizz shot than anybody on this site and he says takedown....

i saw more grizz in bella coola on the fire line than in the rest of the province combined....lucky it was a capable guy...

[Jelvis]

Black bear gets their eyes blown out with bird shot and go blind, it's not funny for the bear or humans.
Jelly -- think about where you shoot if you use bird shot sized pellets in your 12 gauge shot gun -- not in thee eyes

[LBM]

I wouldn't have posted it.
Just dealt with it and move on.

Interesting comment actually quit a few being posted, helps in clarifying some of the things going on.

[LBM]

how much bird shot was already in that bears ass from years of being a problem....
truth is there is alot of bears in bc with birdshot in there ass from hazing think about it..

that said remove the word grizzly and inject any other word you want...cougar,wolverine,pedaphile,trudeau,blackbea r, ect if its a threat to a mans kids and well we know the rest..

have the people against him confronting the bear probably havent seen a mature grizzly up close...or its raw power...
srupp has probably seen more grizz shot than anybody on this site and he says takedown....

i saw more grizz in bella coola on the fire line than in the rest of the province combined....lucky it was a capable guy...

Another interesting comment so sounds like a lot of these problem animals may be being caused by humans shooting them with bird shot.
So who is really putting other humans in danger and causing the problem sounds like could be hunters or those that should not have guns.
Sure doesn't look like its the government or non-hunters that is causing seasons to be shut down.

[LBM]

Its interesting the guy was safe in his home then trys to scare the bear away which was happening until he decided to run after it yelling, this is when the bear charged
so he caused the whole thing, although some say he has lots of experience doesnt seem to show that. I cant seem to find that in the bear experts book either were he
recomends running and yelling at a sow with cubs.

[walks with deer]

lbm i have never shot a bear with bird shot just know it happens and frequent...
i prefer to aim where his shoulders meet his spine and get the top two lopes of lung with a 400grain trophy bonded bullet at 45 diameter..

when i lived in the city i bow hunted bears...now i save my tags and anchour...
i do not shoot because they are there i shoot when i dont trust them.. or they are a fawn eater...i read your last 20posts seems like your a bear lover...i love bear salami. and i love my kids.

[walks with deer]

that guy made two mistakes..
he posted video
used shot..
i was sent the video the day it happened i did not share it as i knew thw judgment would be hard...

a mature male bobcat (still small creature) decided to follow my kids around one day in febuary..
he looks really good on my banister.

[REMINGTON JIM]

that guy made two mistakes..
he posted video
used shot..
i was sent the video the day it happened i did not share it as i knew thw judgment would be hard...

a mature male bobcat (still small creature) decided to follow my kids around one day in febuary..
he looks really good on my banister.

Perfect ! RJ

[BromBones]

Some of the responses to this thread are ridiculous.

Other than the bird shot, nothing wrong with what he did. He fired a warning shot and that sow responded in the worst way. The guy showed pretty outstanding composure to backtrack that quickly and get a good shot off. If I put myself in that situation, it'd be a 45/70 Lever instead of a shotgun and that sow would be dead, and it for sure would never be seen on Youtube.

For you guys who would rather hide in your house and hope the bears leave your property, you're doing nothing but contributing to bears becoming more easily habituated to humans and residential properties, and that attitude leads to more maulings on humans as well as livestock and pet killings, and the end result is more dead bears.

That sow will be fine. A little bird shot in the shoulder wont slow her down long, and maybe next time she hears a gunshot she'll remember the lesson.

[Big Lew]

LBM, I'm not condoning or defending the fellow, but as I often say, "walk a mile in another man's shoes".
I earlier remarked that I don't believe he meant to premeditatedly shoot the bear which is likely why he
just loaded his gun with bird shot to scare it away. As for him being safe in his home...he was worried
about the bear frequenting his yard and the real possibility of it attacking his family, especially if they didn't
know it was nearby, so he decided to take action. Pretending the dangerous situation might go away or
get better if he simply did nothing is foolish. As an commercial accident investigator I attended scenes where
a driver lost his brakes but didn't take immediate action to reduce the danger. The drivers froze and just hung
on to the steering wheel hoping against hope that some miracle might help them as their truck careened faster
and faster out of control until crashing horribly, maiming and killing people. The drivers should have immediately
tried to ditch or roll their rigs before they could gain deadly speed...that's what this fellow was trying to do.

[HarryToolips]

I have lived/worked in bear country, bears that do not move on from habituated areas, are nuisance bears. This fellow is allowed to protect his family/dwelling from the bears, and should have shot the sow to kill it! It has now opened up a can of worms, and an investigation will render a verdict on culpability, but he was protecting his property! Silly to send a warning shot at a predator like that! That mistake nearly cost him his life! If you are firing at the bear, shoot to kill! Moosin
I agree...I personally would have shot it to kill to protect life and property, and because it obviously lost its fear of humans, and was teaching its Cubs the same, and I definitely wouldn't post it on YouTube...

[stinkyduck]

Some of the responses to this thread are ridiculous.

Other than the bird shot, nothing wrong with what he did. He fired a warning shot and that sow responded in the worst way. The guy showed pretty outstanding composure to backtrack that quickly and get a good shot off. If I put myself in that situation, it'd be a 45/70 Lever instead of a shotgun and that sow would be dead, and it for sure would never be seen on Youtube.

For you guys who would rather hide in your house and hope the bears leave your property, you're doing nothing but contributing to bears becoming more easily habituated to humans and residential properties, and that attitude leads to more maulings on humans as well as livestock and pet killings, and the end result is more dead bears.

That sow will be fine. A little bird shot in the shoulder wont slow her down long, and maybe next time she hears a gunshot she'll remember the lesson.

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON. LBM there are knitting and sewing youtube vids you should be more interested in. On the ignore list for sure.

[walks with deer]

all of the above i agree..
most men have to work...
its what happens and you can not stop that makes you loose sleep..
i personaly put out with help four forest fires this year..
lucky for me i was home and so was freinds and equipment.
last one i needed air support...
same goes for predators toughest guy in the world can do nothing if he is not there..
problem bear in yard your home deal with it..
man in video probably did it 300 times so he was to lax.
those that say call the co yes but they are understaffed and not posted in bella coola.
the one cop in town carroes to 44mags and a 12 guage.

i told him buy a good lever
.

[LBM]

Some of the responses to this thread are ridiculous.

Other than the bird shot, nothing wrong with what he did. He fired a warning shot and that sow responded in the worst way. The guy showed pretty outstanding composure to backtrack that quickly and get a good shot off. If I put myself in that situation, it'd be a 45/70 Lever instead of a shotgun and that sow would be dead, and it for sure would never be seen on Youtube.

For you guys who would rather hide in your house and hope the bears leave your property, you're doing nothing but contributing to bears becoming more easily habituated to humans and residential properties, and that attitude leads to more maulings on humans as well as livestock and pet killings, and the end result is more dead bears.

That sow will be fine. A little bird shot in the shoulder wont slow her down long, and maybe next time she hears a gunshot she'll remember the lesson.

The sow was leaving after the warning shot it was when he started running at and yelling that the bear charged.
Maybe the next time she sees a human she will remember that is what caused her the pain and attack, maybe that is why some of these attacks accure
since some say shooting bears with bird shot may be a frequent occurrence.

[walks with deer]

i am sure lbm has never tracked a wounded pred in the dark that tried to chew his kid...
or felt stranded 3 hrs from home breaking speed limits and stealing his buddies rifle to just walk onto his own porch..

scream at the kid at the local gas station to turn the f&&&& pump on....
hazing works some times...ignoring does noy work...and hazing and get a repeat visit equals years of guilt and regret to the point you almost quut farming....
instead you buy a ar platform 12 gauge with a big light.
had a small tom 2 weeks ago at less than 30 yards told him to leave and he did...
if i see hum again i will take a picture...
of him dead.

[BromBones]

The sow was leaving after the warning shot it was when he started running at and yelling that the bear charged.


Watch it again and try being objective.

He was standing calmly after firing the warning shot. The sow charges and he reacted = he moved forward and to his right, to get the trees out of his line of sight in case he needed to shoot. He dd not run after the bear yelling at it. He was yelling as an attempt to stop the charge which sometimes works.

If you had any experience with bears other than reading articles and watching youtube videos, you might understand the situation a little better.

[walks with deer]

agreed with above and i hope lbm is just pot stirring trolling if he really believes what he is saying than its a high chance his parents where siblings..or at least hippies. no offence intended to the east kootney people...i smell a ndp.

[LBM]

Watch it again and try being objective.

He was standing calmly after firing the warning shot. The sow charges and he reacted = he moved forward and to his right, to get the trees out of his line of sight in case he needed to shoot. He dd not run after the bear yelling at it. He was yelling as an attempt to stop the charge which sometimes works.

If you had any experience with bears other than reading articles and watching youtube videos, you might understand the situation a little better.

Think you better watch again, he runs across the road yelling after the second warning shot, before the charge. Maybe read what he said as well.

[LBM]

agreed with above and i hope lbm is just pot stirring trolling if he really believes what he is saying than its a high chance his parents where siblings..or at least hippies. no offence intended to the east kootney people...i smell a ndp.

This post shows a lot about your character, and to answer one of your comments have had to track /look for a few different predators wounded by hunters.
And I personally like hunting bears and hope to get to hunt grizzly again, and don't think much of what some of you post is helping to get the season
back in any way or putting hunters in a good light.

[Big Lew]

Those that refuse to recognize the real danger of habitulated animals attacking and injuring
people they come across, or are accidently cornered or feel threatened by, are only fueling the
possibility of someone getting badly hurt or even killed. Even within towns foolish people will
feed and encourage wild animals to visit because those people think all animals are 'Walt Disney"
critters, are cute and cuddly, and couldn't possibly hurt anyone...until someone, often a child, is
attacked by a raccoon, deer, coyote, or even a squirrel. Either encouraging the habituation or
ignoring the dangers is not good for the animal or it's possible victims, period!

[walks with deer]

yes it does say a lot about character a honest ethical hard working family man..lbm you ever shoot a bear in the dark in self defense i have. we knocked each other down when the barrel made contact.i fired probably because he hit the barrel.thank god..

[Bustercluck]

This post shows a lot about your character, and to answer one of your comments have had to track /look for a few different predators wounded by hunters.
And I personally like hunting bears and hope to get to hunt grizzly again, and don't think much of what some of you post is helping to get the season
back in any way or putting hunters in a good light.
There's no point in fighting this battle. You'd think a forum is a place to have a nice debate and absorb each other's opinion. Not here. The best u can hope for is that the most ignorant people on this site put u on their ignore list. After that hbc is pretty good.

[jac]

I don’t really agree with what he did with the bear but that was his decision. if he posted this on social media himself that was the biggest mistake of all. It’s really gotten a lot of attention

[northof49]

LBM has been trolling the HBC site from the start. Always a common theme....argumentative and opposition to any threads that are pro pred hunting. Yet states would like to hunt griz again.....ya right. Not fooling anyone LBM.

[LBM]

yes it does say a lot about character a honest ethical hard working family man..lbm you ever shoot a bear in the dark in self defense i have. we knocked each other down when the barrel made contact.i fired probably because he hit the barrel.thank god..

Uh no I have not, never hunted at night either. Not sure what the point of your story is.

[LBM]

LBM has been trolling the HBC site from the start. Always a common theme....argumentative and opposition to any threads that are pro pred hunting. Yet states would like to hunt griz again.....ya right. Not fooling anyone LBM.

Not trying to fool anyone I would like to see a grizzly season again so can legally hunt them. When one sees there opportunity taken away by others its quit common for some to defend that. These grizzly threads really have nothing to do with pro
hunting not even a season for them so not sure what your talking about.

[Walking Buffalo]

Not trying to fool anyone I would like to see a grizzly season again so can legally hunt them. When one sees there opportunity taken away by others its quit common for some to defend that. These grizzly threads really have nothing to do with pro
hunting not even a season for them so not sure what your talking about.

You are the one equating this incident of a person protecting his family to public perceptions about hunters.

Blinded by bias....

[guest]

And the Moderators continue to let the trollers troll...... With some taking the bait unfortunately.
Why engage with the enemy.....the unproven.....the hypocrites.

[northof49]

^^^yup. Hopefully others will see thru the smoke screen and just start ignoring LBM’s antagonistic comments.

[emerson]

I don’t see his posts unless someone quotes them. Makes my life better.

[Jerry Potts]

If naive urban bear huggers would simply go hug a grizzly, soon we wouldn't have to deal with them any more. Darwinism would quickly take it's natural course!

[Gateholio]

you guys actually take LBM seriously ? All he ever does is try to find some dirt on others. Almost all his posts are negative and accusatory.

[emerson]

you guys actually take LBM seriously ? All he ever does is try to find some dirt on others. Almost all his posts are negative and accusatory.
I wouldn’t know. Ignore works wonders.

[Bustercluck]

I don’t see his posts unless someone quotes them. Makes my life better.
How delicate do you have to be to censor yourself from people on the internet? I guess there's a little snowflake in all of us.

Doesnt matter what i say though, because I'm probably on the ignore list already.

[walks with deer]

lbm i have never hunted at night..
that said you looked for the shit side..when you have little kids and theres a predator nomatter the shape or form up in your space thats not hunting...
not to mention you loose your buddy your childs protector to said devil...thats not hunting bud.

[walks with deer]

vfx man will post a couple pics for me...

and i am off this thread with that...

i will say you clearly have no clue what the world is really like and how harsh it is and somedays you have to man up...keep in mind my buddy to be posted gave her life for my daughters...
and the attacker i could have shot two days prior but instead i threw rocks. and yelled.
will never forgive myself for hazing that one...should have blasted....in season had tag in daylight and hazed.big mistake......!!!!!!!
!!
if you where trolling good one you got me going if not your rosie glasses will be your own demise....
back to how this thread started man who shot made two errors thats it.

ps i dragged the predators lifeless dead weight body down to my kids and showed them what we do to threats...

[emerson]

How delicate do you have to be to censor yourself from people on the internet? I guess there's a little snowflake in all of us.

Doesnt matter what i say though, because I'm probably on the ignore list already.

Same as not spending time with clowns in real life. You were not on my ignore list, but since you asked I will oblige.

[LBM]

vfx man will post a couple pics for me...

and i am off this thread with that...

i will say you clearly have no clue what the world is really like and how harsh it is and somedays you have to man up...keep in mind my buddy to be posted gave her life for my daughters...
and the attacker i could have shot two days prior but instead i threw rocks. and yelled.
will never forgive myself for hazing that one...should have blasted....in season had tag in daylight and hazed.big mistake......!!!!!!!
!!
if you where trolling good one you got me going if not your rosie glasses will be your own demise....
back to how this thread started man who shot made two errors thats it.

ps i dragged the predators lifeless dead weight body down to my kids and showed them what we do to threats...

It gets clearer and clearer as to why the hunting world is in the stat its in and the way it is perceived by many non hunters.
Sorry no trolling.

[northof49]

^^^^lifetime ban for this clown....please and thank you.

[gcreek]

Those that refuse to recognize the real danger of habitulated animals attacking and injuring
people they come across, or are accidently cornered or feel threatened by, are only fueling the
possibility of someone getting badly hurt or even killed. Even within towns foolish people will
feed and encourage wild animals to visit because those people think all animals are 'Walt Disney"
critters, are cute and cuddly, and couldn't possibly hurt anyone...until someone, often a child, is
attacked by a raccoon, deer, coyote, or even a squirrel. Either encouraging the habituation or
ignoring the dangers is not good for the animal or it's possible victims, period!


Yet the same same people who knock this guy’s frustration and handling of the situation wouldn’t tolerate a human being that might be a threat to their family if one was in their yard. How many times does it have to be repeated that there are too many bears and too many rules protecting the damn things. They don’t belong in settled areas! Period!

[Big Lew]

Sadly, try as we might, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink...
I don't think anyone can convince someone bent on going upstream when everyone else
is heading down stream that they're going in the wrong direction. As so many have very
well pointed out, even describing actual serious events because people didn't realize or think
wild animals can be extremely dangerous, there are some that are bent on wearing rose coloured
glasses...until they suffer the same tradegy as Timothy Treadwell, or even worse, witness their
family getting mauled or killed.

[LBM]

Yet the same same people who knock this guy’s frustration and handling of the situation wouldn’t tolerate a human being that might be a threat to their family if one was in their yard. How many times does it have to be repeated that there are too many bears and too many rules protecting the damn things. They don’t belong in settled areas! Period!

You couldnt go do that to human if he/she was a threat to your family, seems like there is way more rules protecting certain humans. watch the news and see what they can do to other humans and basically get away with it. All though there has been a few cases lately were some land/property owners have been able to protect there property but think it cost them a lot in lawyer fees unfortunately.

[mod7rem]

This post shows a lot about your character, and to answer one of your comments have had to track /look for a few different predators wounded by hunters.
And I personally like hunting bears and hope to get to hunt grizzly again, and don't think much of what some of you post is helping to get the season
back in any way or putting hunters in a good light.

I’m not sure why you’re making this thread about hunters and Grizzly hunting. I may have missed it, but I don’t think anyone has commented on what they do when they’re “hunting” Grizzly bears. Just commenting on dealing with a dangerous problem animal.

One year my brother had a lot of trouble with a black bear. He called the CO’s for help and was told they could put out a trap for it but there were none available at the time and staff was spread too thin to provide much help. He asked what he should do, and was told to just shoot it if it continued to be a problem. He asked if he should contact them if he kills it, and was told not to bother, just dispose of it.

I personally don’t care if the guy in the video could have done things differently or not, it’s always easy to have a better idea after the fact. In the end, the safety of him, his family and his property is more important to me than that of the animals.
A Grizzly is no more or less important to me than a moose, deer, pig, chicken, etc, etc,,,,. I thinks its very hard for humans to cohabitate with dangerous wild animals no matter what they are and human safety will always be number one.

[Deer_Slayer]

How is he an idiot? Hunters now sounding like anti hunting snowflakes? WTF

[Deer_Slayer]

Agree! Can't believe all these "hunters" sounding off like west Van snowflakes. Give the guy a break. Old school way of sending bears a message. Ass full of birdshot. Guarantee she doesn't come back and his kids are a bit safer!

[Deer_Slayer]

Amen! Agree 100%

[Jelvis]

Not in the face tho, the bear wood be blinded by the shot and that is not right no matter what.

--Shoot bear real low in the bottom leg area, not in the face, it's a disgrace for the human race blinding an animal on purpose.

Jelly Bear -- If the bear is in fuull charge towards you and coming like no to morrow then, anything goes to save your life --

[Deer_Slayer]

Good man! You did right thing...as if you need me to tell you that.

[HarryToolips]

If I was in his shoes the only thing different I would have done was use slugs, that griz has lost its fear of humans and is too dangerous at that point...