https://www.thetruthaboutguns....a-glock-10mm-pistol/

Bridger Petrini has anybody hunted with him.

Full story and lots of pictures at the link.


That bear never read the rulebook. It didn’t run. The bear saw Bridger, turned toward him, and flattened its ears back along its head. Its eyes had locked on Bridger. He’d watched hundreds of bears in similar situations and he knew he’d been targeted. He dropped the phone and snatched the GLOCK from his belt

Goes to show that you don't need a handgun very often, but when you do....you really need it.

Interesting story
Thanks for sharing that PD.

Wow. Great story.

I will have a big bore rifle AND pistol on my May 2019 bear hunt.

Wow! What a story. Well written, too.

Lucky to be alive. 400 pounder on your legs is bad news. Guess next time he will bring his firearm along even when exercising his dogs, properly loaded.

We have a training season in Wis.

We are allowed to run the hounds on bear during that.

It is far more dangerous for the hounds and the hounds men then kill season.

My good friend that owns the pack has been rushed, bumped, knocked down but never bitten.

He has been running hounds for at least 60 plus years and who knows how many hundreds of hunts.

The closest I came was we had a 250lb bear up a very branchy white pine.

The bear was laying on a branch no more then 10 feet off the ground.

We had one dog left under the tree I grabbed one of my leads and went to hook him up.

Just as I bent down to get the dog the bear reached down and took a swipe at me.

I never saw it my son and friends told me the bear missed my head by about 2 inches.

If I hadn't bent down right then I most likely would have been clobbered really hard.

that is a whole lot of excitement for sure.

I see on social media hunters walking in to bayed up bears with children and even babies. It always amazes me this doesn't happen more often.

When a bear gives you that look in this country it is coming for you no if ands or buts. People carrying children in for pictures are flat out irresponsible.

I'm taking my daughter on her first bear hunt in about a month. I probably shouldn't show her this article...but I've got a dark, gallows humor, side to me that's telling me she has to read it.

Wow, what a story. Thanks for sharing PD

Just got back from a Maine bear hunt. I knocked a bear down with my 45-70 and it ran into some thick cover.

In utter darkness we started following the blood trail. Cover so thick you couldn't fall down if you tried.

The guide would not allow anyone to carry a firearm. He had been narrowly missed 3 times in his 36 year career as a guide.

Blood trail ran out after about 170 feet or so. We looked around for another hour or so. Certainly a disappointing, though exciting hunt.

Following a wounded bear at night in the North Woods of Maine without any weapons, is not for the fainthearted.

BH63

quote:

Following a wounded bear at night in the North Woods of Maine without any weapons, is not for the fainthearted.

When my daughter shot her first bear bang flop. I saw blood shooting out. Up and gone.

We waited about 15 minutes got down to the bait and had a nice blood trail.

Pull my 5.5 red hawk loaded with 315gr hard cast.

Got down on my hands and knees and started crawling through the thick stuff following the blood trail.

Then whoa there's the bear at the most 3 feet off the muzzle deader then dead thankfully.

About a 50 yard track.

Going after bears in the dark or thick stuff can be a an adrenaline rush for sure.

Her shot 180gr Hornaday at 2700fps took out both shoulders and made mush of the lungs.

And it still went 50 yards.

Great article,
However! With apologies and all appropriate respect -
I would hope that in a life and death situation such as this a person wouldn't put the welfare of dogs ahead of themselves or family members.
Not shooting because of the dogs may have (and I emphasize May Have) allowed this unfortunate event to become worse.

quote:

When a bear gives you that look in this country it is coming for you no if ands or buts

I know that look the last time was a bear that had been shot twice all ready.

I ran too where it was fighting with the hounds got to where I could see about 10 feet away still moving closer the dogs saw me and moved out of the way.

The bear looked right at me started to move and I fed it a 315gr had cast through the front of the skull down the neck into the body.

I then tripped fell forward ending up less then 5 foot from the bear in water about knee deep.

I pushed my self back bringing my 44 back up but a 2nd shot was not necessary.

That's the different between kill season and training season.

Kill season you are ready to kill the bear training season you need to extract the dogs, your self.

Away from the bear without getting any of the three hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by Lapidary:
I'm taking my daughter on her first bear hunt in about a month. I probably shouldn't show her this article...but I've got a dark, gallows humor, side to me that's telling me she has to read it.

A little fear is a good thing makes one cautious.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by Lapidary:
I'm taking my daughter on her first bear hunt in about a month. I probably shouldn't show her this article...but I've got a dark, gallows humor, side to me that's telling me she has to read it.

A little fear is a good thing makes one cautious.

It also adds a little flavor to the hunt.

Holy crap,talk about a bad day.I am glad he survived,and now has a story to tell his grandkids when they come!!!

Thanks. Have sent it on to others. Best medicine is carrying and being prepared.

Life comes quickly at times. One heck of a story. Dogs are not people, take the best shot presented.

Thanks for posting.

Just shoot the damn bear. That’s what I do. I have many encounters with wild bears, and most of the time they run away. But when a bear confronts you, it’s time to shoot. And bear spray doesn’t work on an aggressive bear.

Glad to see help was there in time.
I guess he is down for a while.
I am betting that the postola was more useful than a rifle would have been in this situation.

quote:

I am betting that the postola was more useful than a rifle would have been in this situation.

Just shoot the damn bear. That’s what I do. I have many encounters with wild bears, and most of the time they run away. But when a bear confronts you, it’s time to shoot. And bear spray doesn’t work on an aggressive bear.

The major problem was he was not there to kill the bear.

Legally he had to extract his hounds and himself with out hurting the bear.

A whole different mind set then going in to kill the bear during hunting season.

Been there done both. I can relate to what was going on.

As a lic. guide he would be risking a lot by illegally killing a bear.

As far as a pistol over a rifle when one is catching up a bunch of hounds.

A pistol is nicer in as far as it can leave both hands free.

In a hunting situation have used and seen both deployed with great effect against bears fighting with the hounds.

If going in to kill a bear most use rifles.

When backing up hunters I carry a handgun on hound hunts.

quote:

Following a wounded bear at night in the North Woods of Maine without any weapons, is not for the fainthearted.

BH63: It may not be for the fainthearted but it is for the stupid. If a guide does not want me to protect myself than he is welcome to wander about all he wants solo. If he does not trust my muzzle control why should I trust his?

Exactly my thoughts bobmn