Bear mauling report out

WG&F released their investigative report on the grizz mauling this past fall. It's hard reading and knowing the outcome. Rest in peace Mark.

https://www.wyofile.com/game-and-fish-bear-spray-repelled-killer-grizzly/

Saw that. Hard to read. Very sad. Also again drives home the lesson that everything is just talk/speculation until the investigation is complete. Even at that, there will be some things that are never known.

Sad deal and makes you think about who you hunt with.

It's sad that even after the initial mauling the guide was still trying to save his client, who eventually fled and left him to die.

Very sad, Uptain was a true guide and did his best to protect his client

I can't blame his client for running away, he's helpless (no spray, no gun) and just trying to save his own life.

If I were the guide, in grizzly country , my sidearm would be loaded and on me all the time ( mistake cost him his life )
and while cleaning will have one person stand watch, armed

RIP sir

Very true. Being attacked by something with big teeth and claws is going to be somewhat unnerving, to say the very least. I do admire the courage of the guide, though.

Yes Sir....horrible outcome. Both the guide and hunter should have been better prepared......serious lapse in situational awareness...

“Chubon stated he was unfamiliar with the functionality of the Glock,” the report says
The mother bear then turned from the guide and charged Chubon. He told investigators he could not remember if he tried to pull the trigger. Chubon sidestepped the charge but the bear grabbed his right boot and pulled him to the ground.
“…[H]e attempted to throw the handgun to Uptain who was now again yelling at the bear, but the handgun ‘landed short,’” the report reads. Chubon “inadvertently ejected the loaded magazine while trying to disengage the safety,” the report says.

Some questions in all of this... Who doesn't know how to shoot a Glock? Couldn't remember if he fired a shot? Ejected mag while trying to disengage a safely that doesn't exist?

Sad deal, and I'm sure he froze up in the moment, which isn't surprising...but sounds like some stuff got made up in the aftermath.

Sad story. I won’t judge or blame....... it would be hypocritical of me.
I am guilty of getting too comfortable around known dangers.

Here's one possibility.....points and pulls the trigger....nothing....no round in the chamber...

Panics and tries to release the safety dropping the magazine.....

The bear now starts towards him...panics and throws the now completely empty (worthless) pistol in the general direction of the guide while simultaneously trying to avoid a charging grizzly...

Plausibly, but still just a possibility.....

Very likely the bow hunter never held or fired any pistol much less a glock....the report didn't say and I don't know. But I've been shooting pistols for well over 40 years and have only held a glock at a gun show and have never fired one....

X2

In this instance, The guide was a very great man among normal men

I agree completely....my comment about situational awareness was intended as a reminder to the rest of us and in no way meant as a condemnation of the guide or the hunter....bad deal all the way around and most likely could have been avoided.

I've done all kinds of stupid stuff over the years that make me shake my head in hindsight.....R.I.P. Mark.....

I've always wondered about charges and such. I "feel" like I would be able to function highly in a situation such as a charge, but heck, I have no idea whatsoever, I've never been in a situation like that. My uncle is a PH in Africa and they had a wounded Lion charge this past season, the client fires a shot, the Lion comes at them and the client just freezes and doesn't chamber another round quick enough. Luckily, a well placed head shot tumbled the cat a few feet from them. It was intense footage to watch, let alone be there for it.

Very sad deal

Very sad

Your good, I didn’t think other wise.

I let a mountain lion get to 11 yards from me this year, not only that I was sitting down, thinking it was cool. Then he didn’t want to leave. I put Dave and myself in bad position. Not saying it wouldnt of been epic to see Trex going nacho libera tackling a lion but it was stupid on my part.

Uption is a reminder to all of us. Unfortunately a stark reminder

That would have been kool as hell....I probably have done the same thing......

Horrifying. RIP.

The end of the article tries to define the nature of the attack for statistical purposes, but comes off semantic. The bears probably smelled the elk, came to eat it, and attacked the humans who were working on it. Sure, it’s slightly different from a bear defending a fresh kill it made itself, but it seems like the bears were wanting the elk, right?

Just seems odd to me the way it’s being classified. Terrible story regardless.

That was a difficult read...very sad. Hindsight being 20/20 and not to disparage anyone, but being in known bear country with a downed elk, and putting spray in backpack because it was irritating seems a bit cavalier to me. Same with having access to a gun, but unsure how to operate. No evidence that it would have changed the outcome (other than the attack stopped after mother bear sprayed), but at least there would have been a better chance.

So sad for everyone involved, especially the kids!!! But...what a way to go out!

My respects and tribute the courage of the guide as the client supported that he got the bear off of him. Panic is not uncommon in men as I witnessed a grown man through his shot gun at a ground hog that he shot and was running to his hole in back of the shooter. Cant imagine the horror of a 1000# 7 ft bear!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember earlier comments made here soon after the incident was first reported how standard practice is to have someone standing watch anytime a game animal is field-dressed, quartered, and packed in bear country.

Side note - It was the Obama administration that initiated changes in federal laws that allow Open Carry in our National Parks. Granted, hunting is not permitted and laws are very restrictive on firearm use. Still, I understand it's a common practice by hikers.

The truly sad part of this story is that a professional, experienced guide managed to screw up in so many ways when it came to their security. This was NOT an unforeseeable event.

I realize that he tried to do right after the numerous lapses, so his heart was in the right place, but both of them might have been very much alive and well with a very different and exciting tale to tell their kids and grand kids had the guide done a better job.

I live, hunt, and fish in Grizzly country and have been charged three times. One of the three is on my fathers wall. Every bear has its own personalty and you just never know. I have fished within 20 yards of a bear with no issues and been around 10+ at a time while they are feeding on salmon and they couldn't care about you. You just never know, so it is always better to be safe than sorry. Have a gun handy, and always good to have multiple people around.

-TJ

A few pictures:

I am inclined to agree that certain precautions and safety measures were breached. The incident 'might' have turned out differently if not for this. Very sad in any case.

One glaring mistake is to NOT have a round chambered in any firearm you intend to use for defense. While it might not have made a difference in this instance....it is a patently bad idea to think that IF there is trouble you will have time (or the ability) to charge the weapon.

As for how a person will act (or not act) in times of extreme stress...that is hard to know. The 'Guide' certainly did his part.

Nice photos, Top Jimmy.

Last fall I went to check my trail cameras two weeks before black bear season started. I had a very close encounter with a large boar who was not impressed with me. Our paths crossed at less than 10 yards. During our standoff several thoughts were going through my head. Will he charge? How fast can he close this distance? Can I even get my firearm in shooting position before he got on me? Can I tell the difference between a real charge and a bluff charge at this distance? My conclusion: it's going to get ugly if the bear decides to charge.

Having a firearm and/or bear spray is nice. Be realistic and know that you may not be able to deploy them in time. You cannot be "ready to deploy" 100% of the time. A grizzly can cover 50 yards in 3 seconds. How quickly can most people identify the risk, assess the risk, and deploy in that time period? Bears are damn stealthy even when running. Even tougher when there is some cover.

We do not know the full truth of what happened since we are mostly relying up the hunter's testimony. The typical situation is the guide does the dirty work and the hunter is told to stand guard.

Speculation: Guide said he'd break the elk down and the hunter is to stand guard, at some point during the two hours the hunter let his guard down (tough to stay focused that length of time), the hunter did not react well once the sow showed up, the guide did not have time to react (relying on the hunter to sound the alarm/provide preliminary protection), the hunter continued to react poorly to the ongoing situation, and the guide did things right once he had time to assess and react (deploy bear spray to save the client).

I won't say anything negative about the hunter since none of us know how we will react under a similar situation 100% of the time.

Major kudos to the guide for saving his client.

It is obvious that not every reasonable precaution was taken. But that’s true of what I would guess are many if not most situations where a potential encounter may occur in grizzly country.

I believe that the publicity this tragedy has received will save lives going forward. I spend quite a bit of time in grizzly country (hunting, fishing, hiking, camping) and I know I’m going to be more aware/prepared.

Took me a while to dig it up, but here is the picture of the one on my fathers wall. We were sitting on a knoll overlooking a pond where we moose hunt. About a week earlier another of our group had shot a moose near the pond and there was a gut pile, head, and some bones there. This sow came along the hill side above the pond and right at us through the brush. She broke out about 20 yards away and we spotted her as soon as she spotted us. She stood up to look us over and we hopped up with rifles up and ready. As she started to come down, we shot and she took a 7mm Rem Mag and a 300 Win Mag straight to the chest and came at us at a dead run. We just started shooting. She got to within about 20 feet of us and then turned back to her original starting spot and we kept shooting and had fully unloaded our guns. She stopped there for a second and we each got two rounds into our guns before she came again and we finally dropped her about half way from where she started and where we were. 10 shots, 9 hits, with the first two straight in the middle of her chest. It is amazing the damage they can take and keep coming. Without a hit to the central nervous system, they can go a while. You can see the ear tag in there and she was 19 years old and had been studied by F&G over the years.



We think she was the same one that charged us 2 years earlier with two small cubs. We were butchering my youngest brothers first moose and it was toward the end of the day when he shot it. We were just getting done bagging the meat and looked up at the rose sunset over the hill and there is a big hump with two small humps, one on each side, and the big hump moved. We scrambled for our rifles propped up close by and she came down the hill charging at us with nothing but a field of tussocks between us and her. Pulled up my rifle and all I saw was fur in the scope. Luckily she stopped about 20 yards out after bluff charging, and snapped her jaws at us for a while before going back up the hill and collecting her cubs and heading off in the direction of our camp. We finished up and by then it was pitch dark. Covered in blood, with a pack of bloody meat on our backs on pack frames, we headed on the 2.5 mile hike back to camp. Between us and camp, and the way the momma grizzly and her two little cubs went, are two gut piles/heads from two previous kills that we have to pass to get back. It was a very nervous and tense hike back to camp with nothing but head lamps to light the way and not knowing where that bear and her cubs were. Luckily, we never saw them again that year.

-TJ

Wow. Great story and write up, Top Jimmy. That is definitely NOT on my bucket list. I'll leave the bears for guys like you.

Hey guys,

I am new to the forum but would like to know why they would not allow guides to carry bigger calibre rifle's when they hunt areas like this where there is a possibility that you can be charged by something as big and aggresive as a grizzly.... I hunt in Africa and you will never see me leave my truck without my 470NE or .416 Ruger if I hunt areas that has any of the Big 5 in it.... It is simply not worth the risk in my opinion. After all our work as guides are to keep our clients save and how can they expect a guide to do that with a can of spray and a 10mm Glock? I feel real sorry for the family and the guide, I truly believe that if they could have been more prepared with the correct equipment this bear could have been stopped....

Thank you and it is just out of curiosity that I am asking as I am not familiar with all the laws etc in the US.

All my best,

Jacques

Great story sir!

i think it is up to the guide what weapon he/she carries..

No limit on rifle caliber for the area. I would not depend on a pistol or spray can either. 12 gage double ott buckshot would be my go to if I was guiding.
The problem with this type of incident is being limited with what you can carry up and down mountains. Guys try to get lighter on gear and guns. And they don’t stay vigilant watching out for animals that will eat you. They get too comfortable.

I will tell you that it sucks to try and pack a long gun with you when you are also packing out 100-150 pounds of meat on your back. Most places you just can't drive up to the dead animal and load it into the truck, so it is going out on your back at some point. A pistol is much easier in those instances. When fishing in bear country, a long gun can also get in the way, but some will pack a pump shotgun with pistol grip and shortened barrel, but that can also get int he way and I have seen guys with them having them with the sling across their chest and the gun on their back. That can be pretty hard to get to if charged unaware. I pack a .454 Casull in a chest holster when packing meat or fishing and leave the rifle at camp.

The preferred set up for guys doing bear guard work on remote jobs is a pump shotgun with alternating buck shot then slug loads in the gun.

-TJ

Thanks for the real info Top Jimmy