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Old 05-23-2012, 07:44 AM
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Default Bear Attack in Ontario

A 65-year-old Winnipeg man is home recovering after being attacked and nearly killed by a black bear near Sioux Lookout, ON this past weekend.

Gord Shurvell was getting ready to go fishing around 6 a.m. Saturday morning when he made a pit stop to the outhouse.

Just as he was about ready to leave, Shurvell said he came face to face with a black bear.

The 250 pound animal squeezed its way in, grabbed Shervell by the shoulder and dragged him out of the outhouse.

"He comes up and I knew, I knew he meant business then," he said. "Like I've been on the bush a lot and with bears and that (but I) never, never dreamed of this."

Unable to get free, Shervell said the bear then grabbed him by the back of the neck.

Luckily, his friend of 55 years who was in the chalet heard his screams.

The 63-year-old man rushed outside with a gun and shot and killed the bear....


http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/lo...3?hub=Winnipeg
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:17 AM
sdimedru sdimedru is offline
 
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shi-T
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:26 AM
dadof5 dadof5 is offline
 
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Wow. Always gotta be on alert. Seems that when I am using the "outhouse" it is the one time I feel most vulnerable! Maybe it has something to do with having my pants around my ankles and my junk hanging out!
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:27 AM
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That's brutal! Not just getting attacked by a bear, but getting dragged out of the outhouse. Plus side for the poor guy, at least he didn't have anything to deposit in his pants.

On a side note - when I was doing bear training in Yukon they taught us that if you were attacked by an aggressive black bear and found yourself on the ground the best position to survive the attack was on your stomach with your fingers interlocked, covering the back of your neck. The reason being the blackie can't open their jaw wide enough to fit an adult skull in their mouth. Your hands would "protect" your neck and having your elbows out to the side would make it harder for the bear to roll you over. While you'll still be mauled, you may survive. They followed that tidbit up with "If the bear starts feeding, fight!"
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Old 05-23-2012, 09:17 AM
Elk Chaser Elk Chaser is offline
 
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Having lived in Sioux Lookout, I know that there are lots of bears around that place and now that the spring hunt is gone there are a lot more.
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Old 05-23-2012, 09:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Scottsman View Post
That's brutal! Not just getting attacked by a bear, but getting dragged out of the outhouse. Plus side for the poor guy, at least he didn't have anything to deposit in his pants.

On a side note - when I was doing bear training in Yukon they taught us that if you were attacked by an aggressive black bear and found yourself on the ground the best position to survive the attack was on your stomach with your fingers interlocked, covering the back of your neck. The reason being the blackie can't open their jaw wide enough to fit an adult skull in their mouth. Your hands would "protect" your neck and having your elbows out to the side would make it harder for the bear to roll you over. While you'll still be mauled, you may survive. They followed that tidbit up with "If the bear starts feeding, fight!"
This is good for a defensive encounter, but this case seamed like an aggressive (predatory) encounter. The only thing to do in a predatory encounter is to fight, and fight dirty. Stay on your back, go for nose, eyes, and ears...

A defensive encounter is a bear protecting cubs, food, and what not. A predatory encounter means the bear is hungry, and you look yummy.

The reason face down, cover neck, spread legs works with a defensive encounter is the bear sees the threat is gone, and leaves. Doing this in a predatory encounter, the bear sees the prey is dead, and starts eating.

usually...
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Old 05-23-2012, 11:55 AM
sinawalli sinawalli is offline
 
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Have a good friend who is on his way to Sioux Lookout to go fishing. He is from there, and has told me numerous times about all the bears in the area!
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Old 05-23-2012, 12:07 PM
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Gotta love the Ontario Gubmint. Close the spring bear season and allow open carry for handguns.

Nope that was a different dream , sorry.

Close the bear season and refuse carry permits. Ah! that's the ticket. Protecting the public, one blunder at a time.
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Old 05-23-2012, 12:13 PM
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My dad told me that if I was ever attacked by a bear, I should simply throw fresh shyt in it's face. He said I should not worry about where to get it. If I was attacked by a bear, all I needed to do was reach around and it would be there.

This guy was already sitting down! I guess he didn't get the memo.
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Old 05-23-2012, 12:15 PM
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guarantee it was a boar
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Old 05-23-2012, 01:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scottsman View Post
That's brutal! Not just getting attacked by a bear, but getting dragged out of the outhouse. Plus side for the poor guy, at least he didn't have anything to deposit in his pants.

On a side note - when I was doing bear training in Yukon they taught us that if you were attacked by an aggressive black bear and found yourself on the ground the best position to survive the attack was on your stomach with your fingers interlocked, covering the back of your neck. The reason being the blackie can't open their jaw wide enough to fit an adult skull in their mouth. Your hands would "protect" your neck and having your elbows out to the side would make it harder for the bear to roll you over. While you'll still be mauled, you may survive. They followed that tidbit up with "If the bear starts feeding, fight!"
Must have been either Neil or Wade that taught that course...LOL However, bears can and do have the ability to get their mouth around a human skull. Patti McConnell and Ray Kitchen both had the backs of their head chewed off when a black bear attacked them in Liard Springs in 97. Kitchen's death was the directly attributed to the bear crushing his skull while he was lying face down trying to keep his head covered.
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Old 05-23-2012, 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by sinawalli View Post
Have a good friend who is on his way to Sioux Lookout to go fishing. He is from there, and has told me numerous times about all the bears in the area!
What is your friend's last name?
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Old 05-23-2012, 02:55 PM
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Sad story to hear. At least he is ok.

I have never been attacked by a bear and hopefully never will, but something I don't get is the lay down and cover your neck. I understand the principal of it but between a bears teeth and my fingers covering my neck I'm pretty sure the teeth will win that fight. And how can your survival instinct let you just lay there while its trying to maul/eat you. I don't think I could just lay there and hope for the best regardless of its a predatory or defensive attack. I'm going out the same way I came in, kicking and screaming lol.

On a side note, what's the best gun for bear defence lol j/k
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Old 05-23-2012, 02:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redfrog View Post
Gotta love the Ontario Gubmint. Close the spring bear season and allow open carry for handguns.

Nope that was a different dream , sorry.

Close the bear season and refuse carry permits. Ah! that's the ticket. Protecting the public, one blunder at a time.
What do you expect from a Liberal government?
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Old 05-23-2012, 03:05 PM
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I'm going out the same way I came in, kicking and screaming lol.
Me, too.

I think this "lie down and play dead" advice is likely crap and from the same know-nothing types who gave us the "use your wife's panty-hose for a fan belt in an emergency" advice. I've seen predators give up on something a lot smaller when it fights back hard but never when it lies down with it's feet in the air.
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Old 05-23-2012, 03:15 PM
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Sad story to hear. At least he is ok.

On a side note, what's the best gun for bear defence lol j/k
Any rifle you are carrying. If you've left it in the vehicle or at home, not much good to you.

In July 1996, we had to head into Kluane to retrieve the body of a young woman who had been attacked by a brown bear. Her name was Christine Courtney. She had been hiking when the bear attacked.

My elders have never told me to lay down and cover my head, they advise to run like hell and pray you're not still stupid to make another mistake of not reading the signs that the bear was near you.
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Old 05-23-2012, 03:40 PM
sinawalli sinawalli is offline
 
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What is your friend's last name?
pm sent!
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Old 05-23-2012, 04:23 PM
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My elders have never told me to lay down and cover my head, they advise to run like hell and pray you're not still stupid to make another mistake of not reading the signs that the bear was near you.
Your elders were wrong, Yéil. A bear can come out of nowhere with no signs to read. I've seen fresh grizzly crap, too, and then remembered I wanted to be somewhere else; but you won't always see sign. And if you run, you'd better be sure you can get to your desination ahead of the bear. A bear can outrun most things with 4 legs for a short distance. We only have 2 legs. Not much chance without a good head start and safety not far off.
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Old 05-23-2012, 04:43 PM
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Your elders were wrong, Yéil. A bear can come out of nowhere with no signs to read. I've seen fresh grizzly crap, too, and then remembered I wanted to be somewhere else; but you won't always see sign. And if you run, you'd better be sure you can get to your desination ahead of the bear(or ahead of your friend). A bear can outrun most things with 4 legs for a short distance. We only have 2 legs. Not much chance without a good head start and safety not far off.
.
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Old 05-23-2012, 05:00 PM
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Good point.

There are many benefits to hunting with the disabled.
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Old 05-23-2012, 05:09 PM
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I think he'll be better armed on the next trip to the outhouse
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Old 05-23-2012, 05:10 PM
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Good thing his buddy had a rifle handy!
Darn guns, now they are saving lives too....
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Old 05-23-2012, 05:11 PM
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Your elders were wrong, Yéil. A bear can come out of nowhere with no signs to read. I've seen fresh grizzly crap, too, and then remembered I wanted to be somewhere else; but you won't always see sign. And if you run, you'd better be sure you can get to your desination ahead of the bear. A bear can outrun most things with 4 legs for a short distance. We only have 2 legs. Not much chance without a good head start and safety not far off.
Tell you what Rocky, you truck on up to the Yukon and let the elders know they are wrong.. I want to see who wins that one...LOL

Their point was and always will be to be situationally aware of where you are and take precautions and have a way out.
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Old 05-23-2012, 07:39 PM
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Tell you what Rocky, you truck on up to the Yukon and let the elders know they are wrong.. I want to see who wins that one...LOL

Their point was and always will be to be situationally aware of where you are and take precautions and have a way out.
Elders taught me; Keep blanket, knife and gun always near-by. Has worked so far.
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Old 05-23-2012, 09:34 PM
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Tell you what Rocky, you truck on up to the Yukon and let the elders know they are wrong.. I want to see who wins that one...LOL

Their point was and always will be to be situationally aware of where you are and take precautions and have a way out.
Sure. That prevention stuff is useful. It worked so well for Indians that none of them was ever killed by a bear.

I pack around a thunder stick whenever I can. Nothing can outrun a bullet or buckshot. BTW, I grew up in the northern bush. Had a wee trapline when I was 10. There's lots I don't know but there's lots I do know, too.

I had a similar disagreement with the great Andy Russell years ago. He knew it all and said he didn't need to pack a gun in bear country and I didn't need one, either, when I took kids into the bush. About a month later, I heard a grouchy black sow with cubs chewed up his ass and if his son hadn't picked up a shed and beat off the bear, he might've been in bad trouble as he laid there curled up with his hands over his neck.
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Last edited by Rocky7; 05-23-2012 at 09:45 PM. Reason: grammar
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Old 05-24-2012, 07:58 AM
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Sure. That prevention stuff is useful. It worked so well for Indians that none of them was ever killed by a bear.

I pack around a thunder stick whenever I can. Nothing can outrun a bullet or buckshot. BTW, I grew up in the northern bush. Had a wee trapline when I was 10. There's lots I don't know but there's lots I do know, too.

I had a similar disagreement with the great Andy Russell years ago. He knew it all and said he didn't need to pack a gun in bear country and I didn't need one, either, when I took kids into the bush. About a month later, I heard a grouchy black sow with cubs chewed up his ass and if his son hadn't picked up a shed and beat off the bear, he might've been in bad trouble as he laid there curled up with his hands over his neck.
See! Right there! You don't need a gun... just a family member with a shed or stick, and a serious set!

I'll stick to me 12Ga. thank you.
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Old 05-24-2012, 07:59 AM
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Must have been either Neil or Wade that taught that course...LOL However, bears can and do have the ability to get their mouth around a human skull. Patti McConnell and Ray Kitchen both had the backs of their head chewed off when a black bear attacked them in Liard Springs in 97. Kitchen's death was the directly attributed to the bear crushing his skull while he was lying face down trying to keep his head covered.
I thought there was something fishy about a bear not being able to fit a human head in it's jaws. Like others have said, I don't think my survival instinct would be to lay there and take a mauling. Fight dirty. Survive. Change pants.
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Old 05-24-2012, 08:24 AM
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Sure. That prevention stuff is useful. It worked so well for Indians that none of them was ever killed by a bear.

I pack around a thunder stick whenever I can. Nothing can outrun a bullet or buckshot. BTW, I grew up in the northern bush. Had a wee trapline when I was 10. There's lots I don't know but there's lots I do know, too.

I had a similar disagreement with the great Andy Russell years ago. He knew it all and said he didn't need to pack a gun in bear country and I didn't need one, either, when I took kids into the bush. About a month later, I heard a grouchy black sow with cubs chewed up his ass and if his son hadn't picked up a shed and beat off the bear, he might've been in bad trouble as he laid there curled up with his hands over his neck.
Ok, we're at cross purposes... must be the lost in translation thing. LOL

The elders mean - situationally - that since we live in big time bear country.. be aware of it and respect that fact. They mean not to be surprised when you come across a bear... or the bear comes across you - the bears live there, you are there too.. bound to run across one another eventually. Be prepared- they mean that you don't go anywhere without a level of protection and the ability to use it well whether it be a rifle, shotgun, big FO stick, knife or bear dog. Always have an exit - they mean know where you are and how to get out fast and where the safety places are but more importantly where not to head to where it's going create more danger. The running and praying part is a little Haida/Tutchone humour - hoping you survive so that you can recall how stupid you were to not follow the above advice.
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Old 05-24-2012, 09:04 AM
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Bears are scary.
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Old 05-24-2012, 09:06 AM
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Absolutely. I was mostly responding because we see so much junk advice from people who seem to have only seen a couple of Disney movies.

I think bears are no different than horses and dogs. Some are shy. Some are curious. Some are boring. And some are just plain ornery. The only way to tell what you stumbled onto is to see what they do. That's the part where I'd sure like to have something with a big hole in the end of the barrel. Of course, that breaks down in a story like this 'cause there's no way I'm going to take a shotgun into the crapper. Not if anybody can see me, anyway.

In my own experience, my ears have probably been more useful more often than my eyes for things that are close.
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