Fatal bear attack on experienced hikers in Banff backcountry was likely 'predatory'

[Explorer]

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2269610563650

 

Once it got dark, he said, they would typically get into their tent and read.

"We believe that's what they were doing," said Inglis, adding the dog would have been in the tent with the couple before the attack.

He said the parks team found the tent had been crushed with their e-readers inside.

The couple, he added, was found outside the tent. Inglis said he was told that a bear spray canister had been emptied and that there were signs the couple tried to scare off the bear.

"There was a struggle and the struggle didn't stay in one place," he said.

 

Per Parks Canada, two cans of bear spray were found at the scene.  Per statement above, one was emptied but it is not clear if the 2nd one was also emptied.  If one of the victims had time to send text via Garmin inReach about bear attack, then I would assume that he/she had time to use the 2nd can of spray.  But, we still don't know for sure.

[Huntster]

1 hour ago, Explorer said:

........Once it got dark, he said, they would typically get into their tent and read.

"We believe that's what they were doing," said Inglis, adding the dog would have been in the tent with the couple before the attack.

He said the parks team found the tent had been crushed with their e-readers inside.........

 

My ultimate nightmare; being zipped up in a sleeping bag, in a tent, in the dark, with a predatory bear outside the tent. That's primarily what prompted me to ditch the 44 mag revolver for the Glock 10mm. A powerful light can be attached to the Glock in seconds for the night, and it holds 16 rounds. If I can get my hand on it before the attack, I can shoot the bear from the bag if he collapses the tent, and even without the light. If I can get out of the tent, the light can enable aimed shooting. Sixteen rounds is nearly 3x what. revolver can hold.

 

Spray is virtually useless under such a scenario.

[xspider1]

Yeah, I gotta think the same thing regarding the spray.  I got quite a bit of pepper spray directly in my eyes one night (from a sucker in the parking lot of a bar, when we were much younger and dumber, long ago).  It burned like hell, but the fight ended when I choked the idiot who attacked me down and several of his friends pulled me off.  I guess adrenaline kicked in?  We all left right after that (bar was closed anyway) and I found a puddle to splash my eyes out so, good times, good times!    (although, I understand they may have bio-engineered even hotter peppers now)

 

Never going to ditch my S&W 357 mag, long barrel revolver for a semi-auto.  We don't shoot much anymore, but I've seen semi-autos jam way too many times.  Never seen a revolver jam.  Still, I do appreciate the important difference in rounds, maybe get a semi-auto for back-up.  One in each hand, right? 

Edited October 5, 2023 by xspider1

[Chim Chim]

9 hours ago, Huntster said:

My ultimate nightmare; being zipped up in a sleeping bag, in a tent, in the dark, with a predatory bear outside the tent

Hmm, there might be a market for a quick release sleeping bag due to this grizzly situation which isn't going to go away anytime soon.  I don't know what the exact design was but my dad had a Korea story about the Chinese overrunning US positions so quick that GI's were being shot/bayoneted in their sleeping bags.  To rectify the situation the army issued quick release sleeping bags, you'd zip it up to within an inch of the top and if you needed to get out quick all you had to do was zip it to the top and the zipper released and you could fling it open fighting.  

 

 

 

 

[Huntster]

20 minutes ago, Chim Chim said:

........the army issued quick release sleeping bags, you'd zip it up to within an inch of the top and if you needed to get out quick all you had to do was zip it to the top and the zipper released and you could fling it open fighting.  

 

I've never heard of that. I was active duty in the Army in Alaska in the mid 70's, and we were issued a dual sleeping bag. The inner bag was good to temps down to zero or so, and the outer bag was used in colder temps. They were the mummy design., which I hate. I feel like I'm being swaddled. Can't move. 

 

When my father-in-law was a kid in the '40's in Utah, on their way to a hunting trip they stopped at a farm and got some bales of hay. They'd bust them open, lay GI wool blankets on them, and sleep with more blankets on top of them. I've got an oversized GI wool blanket in a float bag I sometimes carry in my rig with a small cot as an emergency bivouac, but I'd hate to use that regularly. 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Huntster

[Doug]

I prefer blankets to sleeping bags. 

[norseman]

I prefer a cowboy bed roll. Albeit packers have the luxury of more capacity than a hiker. Plus manty tarps and horse blankets double as bedding so long as you don’t mind smelling like a horse.

 

I am with Huntster I absolutely hate mummy bags….

[Chim Chim]

I remember some old horror movie where they show a guy in a mummy bag hopping away from something after him, which cuts to a scene of the bag rotating through the air which cuts to a cloud of bloody feathers. 😄

 

They’re hard to beat when the temp drops though, I think mine is rated to 40 below.  

[Huntster]

16 minutes ago, Chim Chim said:

.........They’re hard to beat when the temp drops though, I think mine is rated to 40 below.  

 

That's why the Army issued them in Arctic environments, and why it was a dual bag system. I still hated them. While soldiers can't do this, my rule is that if it's colder than 45 degrees, I want a tent heater, even if don't use it. Below freezing, I'm using it, even if it's just to warm the tent in the morning and evening. I regularly go ice fishing in sub-zero temps and stay a night or three, but that heater is going on full time. If it goes out, I'm leaving.

[Doug]

The last time I went elk hunting in the Hell's Canyon area of north Eastern Oregon, it was just below zero to 18 degrees every night. I laid my 20 below mummy bag unzipped like a lobster tail and snuggled into that leaving it unzipped. I laid my 20 below square bag unzipped over me like a blanket and a few wool blankets over that. I was so warm sleeping that way, every now and then I would pull all the covers off for a minute or two to cool down. I finally figured out the proper amount of blankets the second to the last day of our five day trip.

[Catmandoo]

9 hours ago, Chim Chim said:

I remember some old horror movie where they show a guy in a mummy bag hopping away from something after him, which cuts to a scene of the bag rotating through the air which cuts to a cloud of bloody feathers. 😄

 

That is called a 'human soft taco'. Tough and chewy on the outside, pink and crunchy on the inside.

I have several sleeping bags with different temperature ratings that I take along for padding. My fav for sleeping is a European made freezer suit. Hood, leg zippers and lots of pockets. Elastic cuffs. Retract hands into forearm area. Able to operate equipment within seconds or walk around.

 

The bear incident at Banff is a terrible event. We will learn more about the incident as time goes by.

I have not read  / or missed details about bear spray on this thread. A 30' or whatever range is based on a straight shot, warm temps and no wind. Windage will affect the range. Cold temperatures play havoc with the propellent and will compromise the discharge. During cold weather, bear spray needs to be carried inside a parka to keep it warm. Retrieving the bear spray from clothing adds time to the discharge procedure.  A partially discharged  can of bear spray has residue on the nozzle in the way of irritant carrier which is vegetable oil. The nozzle has to be rinsed off. 

 

New regulations for bear proof (joke) food storage containers were posted for the past camping season. Beware, there are regional differences  in accepted containers. The term 'bear proof' can be interpreted several ways.

In Alaska, I saw a 55 gallon steel drum 'taco-ed' that was a bear toy. Filled with cooking grease and left outside overnight, an Alaskan Brown Bear folded the barrel in half. Impressive sight and show of power. Yes, they got the grease.

 

Be safe out there, Nature is not a petting zoo.

[cmknight]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:23 PM, Huntster said:

 

Amazing. I no sooner finish writing about my frustrating research journey than Medred, opining on this very bear mauling, expresses his own frustration with the exact same thing, and even highlights the word I found universally used in the news media:

 

https://craigmedred.news/2023/10/04/banff-bear-deaths/

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, in this woke, politically correct society, "euthanasia" is another one of those words that has had its definition changed to suit the "feelings" of the masses. In order to not upset, or hurt peoples' feelings, instead of saying that the bear was shot and killed (Oh No!!), they now say it was "euthanized". It makes it seem that the bear was suffering, and euthanasia is a more "feelings-friendly" word.

[norseman]

Another line of defense is a Bear fence.

 

 

[norseman]

*Duplicate post*

[Huntster]

1 hour ago, norseman said:

Another line of defense is a Bear fence.

 

 

 

Those are highly regarded in Alaska. I've never used one, but should because I don't haul my camp in on my back. I haven't heard that anyone has been attacked inside their tent while such a fence has been used, including in the arctic in polar bear country.