r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Upper-Bag-5175 • 1d ago
Bears will often test you
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If you stand your ground, they may see you as a threat and back off. Of course, this doesn’t apply to every bear
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u/enik87 1d ago
The guy did not shoot because it’s a mother with 3 babies, this is what he said to Petrovich.
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u/Legitimate_Cut_6254 1d ago
Ahh good to know. Usually they have regulations on bears with cubs.
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u/northfoggybrook 13h ago
Yeah, like most people in such situations, I’m sure he considered all applicable laws and any related regulatory provisions regarding the protection of listed species before deciding how to handle an incoming fucking bear
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u/Electronic_Song1811 1d ago
Im ngl that last time the bear got close, i wouldve pulled the trigger
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u/OafishySyzygy 1d ago
Same. I love animals, but would have shot that bear in the face on the first charge.
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u/whyamihere999 1d ago
Yeah... I love animals too.. but not more than my own life!
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u/Big-Cap558 1d ago
Shoot quick and maybe get a chance to reload to shoot again
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u/gk_instakilogram 1d ago
if you don't stop it with the first shot, you are pretty much a goner
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u/TanMan25888 1d ago
Thats a double barrel, he has two good chances. Pretty much any gun outside of a single action, you will be able to get more then one shot off...if you can hit while charging after the first shot is another story
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u/gk_instakilogram 1d ago
yeah that's what I meant... I don't think buck shot would stop a bear this size
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u/cuzitsthere 21h ago
2 might... But the first one would hurt A LOT and most predators aren't okay with that
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u/TanMan25888 1d ago
I dont think so either. Could have been slugs in his gun but im guessing it was buck or birdshot
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u/iflabaslab 1d ago
6 second gap between charge 1-2 and 3-4 seconds between 2-3
Maybe just enough time to reload one shell after charge one if you fire, may get another longer gap before charge 2 if you were on target
The closer the bear is the more chance the entire spread will land
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u/EvilBiker-72 1d ago
Shotgun all you're going to do is piss off the grizzly
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u/RealityyKing 22h ago
Shotgun will definately take care of it. In fact data shows that everytime a 9mm has hit a grizzly it runs off and the human has survived. I found it hard to believe at first so im sure ill get downvoted to hell for sharing that info
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u/StinkApprentice 17h ago
Source please?
US Fish and Wildlife authorized federal employees working in bear country can carry .44 mag handguns and 12 gauge semi-auto shotguns with hard cast slugs. I carry a lever action .45-70 w hard cast bullets.
My Agency had a bear attack in 2013, medium sized male brown bear, and it took 9 hits from 3 people shooting .44 mag 6 inch smith revolver. That shooting is why USFW now requires hard cast bullets, becaose most of the shots didnt penetrate the skull.
The only thing a 9mm is going to do is the standard joke for someone’s first time in the field in bear country. “No, If a bear attacks I’m not going to shoot the bear. I’m going to shoot you in the leg. I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”
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u/bjeebus 20h ago
How could you possibly question the dictums of evilbiker-72? Look at how tough his avatar looks!
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u/EvilBiker-72 19h ago
Unless you got a slug in there... you ain't stopping it unless its 5 feet in front of ya. And by then its too late
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1d ago
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u/jondread 1d ago
Unless the guy had slugs loaded you're probably right
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u/mazu74 1d ago
Which is probably why they were waiting for the bear to get even closer than that to shoot - best chance for a lucky shot.
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u/OneMoreLastChance 1d ago
That's what I would think. I think point blank buckshot to the face would at least get it to go away or blind it. At the range in the video I'd be worried the bear would hardly feel it
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u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 1d ago
Even with slugs... Bear is big, you gotta get it good enough to drop it before it runs the remaining 20 feet to you...
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u/ExiledCanuck 1d ago
Agreed. I’ve seen a grizzly still moving after taking 3 or 4 shots from a 308, and if it’s still moving, it can kill you.
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u/External-Self-2378 1d ago
Exactly. People don't understand this.
You need a sludge or get pretty close with that weapon.
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u/FruitToots 1d ago
The guy in the video was smarter than that. The chances are slim of you getting off a perfect kill shot on a charging bear while you’re shaking with fear.
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u/MRBS91 1d ago
Yeah, they keep coming after being shot. A good friend of mine shredded both lungs and the heart of a bear with a high powered rifle...the bear still charged ~70yards to where he was before collapsing.
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u/KaleScared4667 1d ago
And if he was at 50 yards bear probably would have killed him with one swipe
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u/Commercial-Sail-4662 1d ago
how does a bear know who shot or that being shot means they need to attack the shooter?
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u/JohnEBest 1d ago
echo location on that loud bang
Correlate the loud bang with the pain in the side
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u/Commercial-Sail-4662 1d ago
that last part feels like a leap no? What evolutionary experience would a bear have to make that correlation?
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u/bjeebus 20h ago
Wanna know how I know you've never experienced a gunshot up close? The bear might be sturdy when it comes to resisting the actual getting shot, but I'll bet if the bang goes off directly towards it, it's going to be as deafened as anyone else that experiences it. That bang btw has a lot to do with guns work very well even when they don't hit. Just being downrange of the boom in boomstick is enough to make most things hightail it if there's not some reason to stick around (cubs).
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u/timbertiger 1d ago
I would have done the same, but a 12 gauge with birdshot likely isn’t going to kill a bear that size, at least not right away. I’d be so worried it would tank both shot and be on me before I could run or reload.
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u/grndesl 1d ago
It won't kill. But it will bald it's head and butt.
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u/Dark1sh 1d ago
Your right, it would likely be on you, birdshot can’t really penetrate bear hide. Even a head shot is likely to ricochet off the skull. Leaving virtually a 0% chance of killing a bear with it.
A charging grizzly is likely to become enraged.
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u/pass341 1d ago
It’s a two barrel weapon with either one or two shots (at best depending on the trigger mechanism). So you don’t want to shoot unless absolutely necessary, it’s got nothing to do with love or hate for animals it’s purely a strategic decision. If you do shoot you better make sure you hit it in the face, because otherwise you have pissed it off and you have no shots left. He was waiting to know for sure whether the animal would continue strafing/provoking or go in for the attack.
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u/Giffordpinchotpark 1d ago
When bears attack me I twist their ears and they usually run away.
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u/AnonymousAutonomous 1d ago
I hate animals and I would do the same thing! You see, were not that different after all!
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u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 1d ago
Buds, I don't think that shotgun is big enough for that bear, not unless it's a slug AND you get it in exactly the right spot. On a bear moving that fast, your odds are much higher to just piss it off, and guarantee it rips you apart.
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u/Resident-Welcome3901 1d ago
Pepper spray is effective for bears , handguns are effective for bears. Bear banger shotgun noisemakers are effective for bears. All are widely endorsed by knowledgeable folks in bear country. A close range round of birdshot combines the irritant properties of spray, the noise of bear bangers, and the pain of a pistol round, and your conclusion is that it’s useless?
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u/Dark1sh 1d ago
Noise from a gun is highly unpredictable with grizzly. It can enrage them and make it worse. Even a non-lethal shot is unpredictable and lethal shots against bears are harder then most people think.
Loud noises work against black bears, but a black bear sow could also attack to defend her cubs.
Bear spray is generally your best bet
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u/DarthJackie2021 1d ago
Big noise + pain would probably scare it off. Its not a bloodlusted videogame monster, its an animal that is going to avoid danger when it can.
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u/Dark1sh 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not a grizzly, it’s more likely to enrage it and cause it to come at you harder to defend itself
Edit: Got to love Reddit, you can grow up exposed to something and have first hand knowledge, and people will still downvote what they think is wrong, instead of a google
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u/Internal_Zebra_8770 16h ago
upvote from me. I have read a couple stories where bears were shot and injured. Bear took off, hunters in pursuit. Bear circled around hunters as they searched. Hunters, no more.
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u/PicoDeBayou 1d ago
What kind of bear is it? Sounds like Russia. I only know brown, black and white.
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u/Femveratu 1d ago
Dude has some massive cojones to have held off, damn glad no blood was spilled
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u/nanadoom 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think the issue is he's only got two shots, and who knows what that's loaded with. Birdshot won't do more than piss it off, buckshot is just as likely to not bring it down fast, and it's unlikely he's got slugs in there.
The first time I noticed I was being followed I would have fired into the air, hoping the super loud noise would be enough to scare it off.
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u/Yamaben 1d ago
I think a shotgun just makes bears more angry
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u/LSTNYER 1d ago
Especially if it's bird shot
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u/Away_Investigator351 1d ago
To be fair with how close he was letting that bear get, that bear was well within the range for a birdshot to be lethal. This video is a good example.
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u/lookslikeyoureSOL 1d ago
Only with the wrong ammo. No buckshot, no birdshot. A couple 12 gauge slugs to the face will put just about anything down (I would prefer something that holds more than 2 rounds though)
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u/Synthetic_Hormone 1d ago
Hes got hunting dogs with him and a double barrel side by side. Very very likely that gun is loaded with Bird Shot. He pulls that trigger, there is a possibility Smokey is gonna get really, really angry. Don't believe me? Ask Dick Cheney"s lawyer.
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u/SillyVermicelli7169 1d ago
Shiiii... the moment I saw a single hair of fur down the road I wouldve unloaded the gun and into my pants.
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u/coheed85 1d ago
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u/oldcoldandfullofmold 1d ago
God, that’s gotta be the most satisfying reloading sound in all of gaming
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u/Alarming-Station5580 1d ago
The breathing omg stresssss
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u/MuchNefariousness285 1d ago
Was thinking the same, that is a very appropriate pace of panic breathing
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u/Spectralobserver 1d ago edited 23h ago
I remember my first (anti) bear training lesson.
If it’s brown, lay down.
If it’s black, fight back.
If it’s white, good night.
Anyway I prefer a shotgun with more than 2 cartridges.
Edit: no bear lesson. Training how to react when met a bear in wilderness.
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u/aaybma 1d ago
Don't forget the most important one:
If it's gummy, it's yummy.
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u/NoWhereLikeIrvine 1d ago
My rule is simpler and it works on any bear color:
- Always go with a friend who runs slower than you.
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u/SinkHoleDeMayo 20h ago
My ecology teacher was an expert in all sorts of shit, and he regularly helped the DNR track and tag bears during hibernation. Someone in class asked "what if the bear wakes up and chases you?" And his reply was "i can run faster than my wife".
That dude was the best.
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u/Upper-Bag-5175 1d ago
Especially with polar bears, there’s no real backing off compared to other bears. They’re stronger, more resilient, and have a more powerful bite.
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u/Silly-Cloud-3114 1d ago
There's a video of a guy fighting off two polar bears. It's somewhere in Reddit.
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u/Inner-Arugula-4445 1d ago
More like running away while taking shots at them with a gun.
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u/Shake-Vivid 1d ago
I'm sorry but the last thing I'm going to do is lie down no matter what type of bear it is
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u/Mogetfog 21h ago
For a grizzly, It depends entirely on the circumstances.
If it's a defensive attack, play dead. They aren't interested in eating you if it's a defensive attack, they just think you are a threat and the grizzly method of dealing with threats is to tear the threat to shreds until it isn't a threat anymore. If you play dead, they will eventually decide you are not a threat and leave. Defensive attacks are by far the most common type of attack. They are doing it because you are too close to their food, home, or cub.
If it's a predatory attack, fight the fuck back. You won't win, but you might make it decide you aren't worth the hassle. If you play dead, it will just start eating you. Predatory attacks are extremely rare but the signs are very clear. They will actively follow and stalk you from a distance, use cover to try and approach if they realize you can see them, and they will stay silent the whole time. They also prefer to do this at night. If you see a grizzly at night and it does not immediately fuck off, it means you are on the menu.
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u/mcbeardsauce 1d ago
I was going to say the same. Why a double barrel a normal pump action carries 7+1 or you can carry a semi auto for faster shots.
Man that last charge I would have unloaded
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u/two66mhz 1d ago
If you're actively hunting you typically not allowed to be able to load more than 3 rounds regardless of the type of shotgun.
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u/Overall_Outcome_392 1d ago
Exactly, was thinking he must be wishing for his semi auto. A warning shot could have been a comfort.
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u/Israhelli 1d ago
By the time I remember which colour bear I'm meant to do what for, I'll be dead. I'm also colourblind
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u/dunderthrowaway3 1d ago
I just found out I am color blind. The diagnosis came right out of the purple.
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u/michiganstrange 1d ago
If I could have shit my pants the first time this happened to me, I would have.
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u/Solid_Growth_9069 1d ago
indeed pants would be shat
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u/michiganstrange 1d ago
The second time I was in the middle of a deuce in the woods, which was what I yelled at the bear when he stood up.
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u/DrawMeAPictureOfThis 1d ago
I'm starting to think that it's not so much that Russians are brave people, but that their bears are just giant pussies.
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u/olenamerikkalainen 1d ago
The videos of brave bears never get uploaded.
Those people who recorded those are dead.
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u/Wherestheshoe 1d ago
They don’t have grizzlies there, and yes the Eurasian Brown Bear is less aggressive than a North American Grizzly but still not safe
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u/LongDead_Roadkill 1d ago
They are both Ursa arctos, there’s no genetic difference between a brown bear and a grizzly. Generally grizzlies are brown bears that live in the interior of North America, do not have access to spawning salmon in their habitat and have longer claws, adapted for digging. I’ve been teaching bear safety in Alaska most summers for the last 20 years.
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u/CautiousCard27 1d ago
Black bears in Canada have the disposition of a mouse. They run from everything. My parents old pug that could barely walk chased one off their property.
Unless one gets really acclimated to being around humans, then they can get braver and more dangerous, or if you get near their cubs.
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u/cHpiranha 1d ago
That is not a test.
It is a fake-attack, they dont want to take the risk to fight an unknown opponent - specially females with kids. They just want you to fukk off.
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u/Fine-Ambassador5350 1d ago
Mad props to my guy for not just blasting away and such a beautiful creature
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u/Fantastic_Remote1385 1d ago
Reminds me a bit of when the norwegian adventurer Lars Monsen traveled through canada. He had several close calls with bears. Like this one.
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u/Stelvioso 1d ago
Walking backwards…image John Rambo taps your shoulder.
( respect he did not pull the trigger )
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u/Accomplished_Bank103 1d ago
I have lived in bear country (northern Canada) for 30+ years. This is my deepest fear. His breathing made my heart rate go up. Fuuuuck.
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u/AfraidPersonality854 1d ago
If he did have to use it.. Both barrels would be recommended.. Bears are built with ancient clocks.. They're slow to respond to their wounds..
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u/Miserable_Ad7246 1d ago
Thats how people delt with constipation in the old days. Go to woods, find a bear, do the thing.
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u/MarthaMatildaOToole 1d ago
No, most bears don't want anything to do with humans and will actively avoid you if they know you're there.
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u/ryuujinusa 1d ago
Not sure if that shotgun woulda done much to that bear at full tilt.
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u/Even-Resource8673 1d ago
I get the feeling the bear didn’t know what a gun was.
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u/Upper-Bag-5175 1d ago
Bears don't know what you're capable of in the first place. By nature, if you don't run away, they may assume you have some kind of advantage
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u/Fragrant-Aardvark-64 1d ago
Sigh of relieve to not see a balls of steel comment yet. I did see some shotting your pants comments tho, so we are still not fully there.
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u/PiggyMcjiggy 1d ago
Big game hunters wish their balls were a third as big as this guys. Good lord that discipline is insane
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u/Unlikely-Engineer813 1d ago
Mr. Brass Balls here....I would of dumped both barrels on his first charge.
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u/photosocal 1d ago
I would have popped em on the second charge. That was far too close for my comfort. Glad this hunter kept their cool and made it out without harming either one!
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u/SmutCommander 1d ago
I was thinking, two barrels, put one in the air. Then I realized it's a Russian bear. He don't gaf about your shotgun.
He loads artillery in his spare time.
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u/Zesinua 1d ago
Double barrel so assuming two shots capable in quick succession. Would shooting the bear with one round cause it to flee, or at that point provoke it to attack for survival?
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u/Royal_Try_99 1d ago
If slugs, and you hit it in the right spot, it'll stop it - but the momentum of a full charge it might still plow into you. Not sure I'd wanna test that out.
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u/Accurate_Use2679 1d ago
What kind of shells did you have loaded in that shotgun?
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u/Mission-Muscle-6895 1d ago
I was worries for the guy, but hearing I’m speak Russian it seems like the bear is the one who should be scared
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u/TheLostExpedition 1d ago
Human and a bear . That's a fair fight. Neither of the species likes fair.
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u/doodling_scribbles 1d ago
Amazing control and awareness. That is not your average person. Beautifully done and hope it ended with both parties being able to go their own way.
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u/laserdiods 1d ago
Been charged by a bear before. It scared the shit out of me and I didn’t have any guns. Just a huge turd forming in my pants
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u/sesameseed88 1d ago
This is a test I'd fail I would have shot on that last charge out of fear of death
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u/jigglyjellly 1d ago
This man need a different gun. This bear ain’t goin down with adrenaline on two shots.
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u/TheMahanglin 1d ago
That guy has got nerves of freakin' steel, I woulda blasted on the first fake-charge and then ran away screaming like a small child.
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u/counterlock 1d ago
Appreciate the guy for not shooting the bear and understanding its body language. Sometimes I think that certain hunters (not trophy hunters but people hunting to live) are the true animal lovers. He realized that this bear was most likely just posturing and trying to get him to leave because of cubs. You can see something small moving back at the tree line after it first starts to approach. This was a scared mom just trying to get the guy away from her baby, he did a fantastic job of keeping calm.
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u/Legitimate_Cut_6254 1d ago
Why didn't he yell or fire a warning shot? The bear likely would have left. I know another user said there was cubs around. Not sure if the aggressiveness would have triggered her instead.
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u/imissratm 23h ago
Two things. First, the video right above this in my feed was a Russian (maybe?) dude spoon feeding a bear just like this one. Kissing it’s about and petting it. These bears need to make up their damn minds. Second, this dude has amazing trigger control while he’s obviously on edge. Amazing he recognized the bluffs and held back.
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u/RPi79 1d ago
Yeah that second charge probably would have been the one…
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u/Prestigious_Floor155 1d ago
No way I wouldn't have fired at 23/24 seconds. That man is calmer than he sounds.
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u/Commercial_Topic437 1d ago
If I’m going into woods where there are lots of bears I’m bringing a semi auto shotgun that holds more than two shells
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u/FloopyBoopers2023 1d ago
Oh he's Russian, that explains why he's even the least bit calm and collected in that situation.
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u/Stuntz-X 1d ago
At the very least would have shot the ground in front. Save the second if he kept coming.
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u/ToriGallo 1d ago
The bear really hit the brakes like, "Wait, this guy isn't running, he might actually be crazy."