It's time for a grizzly season!

Updated: 06:08 PM EDT

Wyoming Hunter Escapes Grizzly's Jaws
Companion Kills Bear After Attack




JACKSON, Wyo. (Oct. 8) - Weston Scott crept through the dense forest looking to flush out an elk. He got excited when he heard rustling about 10 feet ahead, in some bushes.

What Scott saw in those first seconds last Sunday was a bear's head coming right at him. He drew up his rifle but managed only to get a shot off from about his hip before the 600-pound grizzly was on top of him.

"I think it went right over his head," Scott said Wednesday from his hospital room in Idaho Falls, Idaho, about 175 miles from Bridger-Teton National Forest, where the attack occurred. "That was all I had time to do. He was on me after that."

As Scott, 32, fell to the ground, the bear bit him in the face. It took out four teeth on Scott's lower jaw and a 1-inch portion of jawbone.

Scott later told his wife, Tammy, that he was sure he would die when he saw the bear so close. He told her the bear made no sounds - no grunting or growling.


"It was coming at him with his mouth open."
-Tammy Scott, wife of hunter

"It was definitely coming after him to hurt him," she said. "It was coming at him with his mouth open."

She said her husband never said anything about pain, possibly because his adrenaline kicked in immediately.

"I can't imagine the absolute terror he must have experienced," she said.

Tammy Scott said after the bear bit her husband's face, it continued to knock him around.

"He's got surface wounds kind of everywhere" - on his knees, side and back, she said. "Looking at him, you know he got rolled around by a bear."

The bear swung one last time at Scott, pushing him between two trees, and left. Scott got up and ran out of the woods, about a quarter of a mile.

On his way out, he could see the bear still lurking. Officials said the animal was then killed by a hunting companion acting in self-defense.

Tammy Scott said her husband has had enough.

"I don't think he will hunt in grizzly bear country again," she said. "One of the first things out of his mouth was, 'I don't ever want to feel like that again."'


10/08/04 02:27 EDT

Too bad he missed with his shot.

He was lucky not killed, or hurt much worse.
If He had had a powerful pistol, he might have been "more lucky."

Pecos45

Quote:

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N E - With all due respect, I think if he had a powerful pistol on his hip, he would have been killed for sure.

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Nonsense.

First, It doesn't sound like he had time to defend himself, other than a quick shot. So the rest of this is purely speculation.

Second, If an animal attacks you, fight back...kill him. Maybe some have survived by not fighting back, but I rather make a proactive decision, than hope for the mercy of the critter that is trying to do a "tap dance" on mamma "Stinky Taters" little boy.... This includes either 2 legged or 4.

When hunting, my belief is you should carry a rifle that will do the job, but also will be more than enough gun, to kill the largest possible threat. In other words carry the BIGGEST STICK IN THE FOREST.

Of course, this is presuming that you would have adequate time to respond.

N E - With all due respect, I think if he had a powerful pistol on his hip, he would have been killed for sure. The Bear might have die as a result of pistols shots...but not until he had killed the hunter.

I have no first hand knowledge, thank goodness, but I just can't see a bear running for cover when he's on top of me and I shoot him with a pistol. Instead, I think a bear would DOUBLE his efforts to kill you.

If that bear wanted the victim dead...he would be dead. Granted he wanted to hurt him, but that was all.

I believe the only thing worse than having a bear on top of you would be having a WOUNDED BEAR on top of you.

Pacos there was just a case 2or 3 weeks ago out of Wyoming also where a bow hunter and his guide were being mauled. The guide shot the unwound bear off his hunter with a 44mag. If the bear is allready chewing on you I for one well do my best to kill the SOB with anything I have.

Playing dead is for the unarmed and envio wakos who don't want to hurt anything. The whole idea of playing dead has been pushed by the wakos for the poor bears don't get killed.

No the more and more you do bear attack research the more and more you discover that fighting back does work and killing the SOB works best.

The mistake this guy made was missing with is first and only shot.