Man vs. Grizzly Bear in Roger's Pass

Grizzly Bear Encounter: Rogers Pass, British Columbia (July 9th, 2015)

by Jesse James
WhippersAndTears.com

Having just climbed the Southeast Ridge of Mt Uto, my partner and I were descending lazily in the extreme heat of the afternoon when an off-duty ‘visitor safety’ specialist named Lydia blew past us. Despite a grizzly bear advisory on the trail, she left her climbing partners in the dust (maybe they were slowpokes?) and scampered down the trail solo, sans bear spray, until she surprised a large female grizzly feeding on roots slapdab in the middle of the path. Understandably not wanting to get into a ‘right-of-way’ dispute with the large bruin, she backtracked up the talus slope, and waited for us.

Arriving on the scene, I promptly whipped out my pepper spray and a large machete, ready for battle should the bear decide we looked like fish n’chips. But alas! The ranger informed me that I could ‘go to prison’ for defending myself against a bear attack with any kind of sharp object. Apparently in Glacier National Park self-defense is illegal; just let the animals eat you. What about rocks? Could I bash the bruin on the head with a pointy rock if it got the better of me? She didn’t know. Then I reached for my GoPro as she recoiled in horror; ‘no knives or GoPros!’ I guess cameras are illegal too.

With the bear refusing to budge, she radioed for help at the ranger station, and they told us to wait until we formed a group of five or more, and then descend, but only if the grizz graciously ceded us the right-of-way. Otherwise, get comfortable. After some consideration, I was OK with waiting – you pick the devil you dance with, and I had no burning desire to tango with this monstrous bruin. As we waited for another party to catch up, the ranger drolled on about how useless my knives would be in a rumble with a bear. ‘They don’t even pierce the hide,’ she chided. Uh huh. Having spent twenty years exploring the backcountry, I’ve been charged twice by grizzly and encountered countless bears. Lydia had worked in Rogers Pass for a year and never laid eyes on a brown bear before; she talked about this stuff like she read it in a book. Pissed off, I told the ranger that if the grizz got feisty with her, I’d make sure to keep the knife in its sheath; she was on her own. Sorry Lydia, but prison sucks.

The ban on filming brown bear with GoPros confuses me, but not as much as the law against defending onself with all means available in the event of a predatory animal attack. Her argument was that a knife would be useless against a bear. Maybe, maybe not. Wild Bill Hickok reportedly killed a grizzly with a hunting knife. In more recent times, during the summer of 2014 a Minnesota man killed a 525lb black bear armed only with a small knife, stabbing the attacking bruin more than twenty times. The bear was so huge it took ten men to drag its carcass back to camp. A year before that, in 2013, Fraser Graham killed angry grizzly with a hunting knife as it severely mauled him. Back in 1999, Alaska hunter Gene Moe was charged and knocked down by a grizzly while he skinned a deer. Having left his hunting rifle a hundred meters away, he had only a small blade to fend off the savage attack. He cut its throat and survived – the bear was not so lucky. In all three cases, carrying a knife saved the lives of these men. In none of the cases, did the knife fail to pierce the hide, as Lydia Marmont would have us believe.

Is a bear gonna f**k you up if it’s in a hurtin’ kind of mood? Hell yes. But would you rather fight a grizzly with bare knuckles or with an 24 inch razor-sharp Cold Steel machete called ‘CHAOS’?

Jesse James
Blog: WhippersAndTears.com

Reference Links:
foxnews.com/us/2014/09/30/mi ... g-mauling/
huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/01 ... 94910.html
cbn.com/700club/features/ama ... e_moe.aspx

They just need a cuddle.... from the inside.

I can understand the rangers not wanting anyone to approach a bear and cause a conflict, even if that means retreating or waiting it out. But to not allow self defense is absolutely insane. If I go to grizzly country, I'm packin'! That's all there is to it.

I'm calling bullshit on the self defense thing. I don't care enough to look it up, but I'm willing to be proven wrong by someone else.

There is no way any judge would hand you legit prison time for saving your own life. Even in states without the "Make my day" law, killing a human in self defense isn't automatically punishable.

You get worked up real easy.

What'd you need the machete for? I've never needed one for trail blazing except back home in the jungles of Straya. It could probably be argued that having it showed intent to harm flora/fauna.

Anyway, machetes are good at cutting, not so much stabbing. Swing one at a bear and it probably will make it angrier.

I assume the ban on filming is because people with GoPros usually possess selfie sticks, (which in itself should be illegal) which means that they get stupidly close to wildlife in an attempt to get that sweet shot bro. This makes wildlife anxious or angry which usually results in a trampled tourist calling for the animal to be put down.

We have the same rules for humans in norway. You're not allowed to hurt others in self defense. You're not allowed to carry a knife anywhere either except in the wild but that law is not really enforced.

Fabian Kolbergsrud Espeland wrote:We have the same rules for humans in norway. You're not allowed to hurt others in self defense. You're not allowed to carry a knife anywhere either except in the wild but that law is not really enforced.

While I can understand the no weapons things, this was one thing I never understood. Knives are tools foremost, and a weapon of opportunity second. But if I remember an old bit of information correctly, Norway is 10x better than the U.S.A. in crime and criminal rehabilitation.

Don't you guys have a prison that is run and guarded almost entirely by convicts, and the whole purpose there is to get better and move on to a productive life? Might be another Scandinavian nation.

Go back and fight the bear with a knife. I'll pay the fine if you get arrested.

U saw a bear while hiking and that prompted all this? Why couldn't you just walk around the bear?

do you always carry a machete while climbing?

Eliot Augusto wrote: While I can understand the no weapons things, this was one thing I never understood. Knives are tools foremost, and a weapon of opportunity second. But if I remember an old bit of information correctly, Norway is 10x better than the U.S.A. in crime and criminal rehabilitation. Don't you guys have a prison that is run and guarded almost entirely by convicts, and the whole purpose there is to get better and move on to a productive life? Might be another Scandinavian nation.

Yes thats norway right there. Our prisons is actually comparable to us hotel rooms and some immigrants aint afraid of criminal activity since the prisons is better than their average life anyways. Still it it one of the most peaceful nations and the police is not even allowed to carry any type if weapon. Last year the police fired 2 bullets but missed both. (Probably weren't even aiming.) Health care is totally free for everyone and schools pay you for going to school. All education is free except private schools wich is not considered better than public education.

But you know...OIL

Edit: grammar and what i meant was police only carry weapons when there is a gunman involved

Bill Kirby wrote: Go back and fight the bear with a knife. I'll pay the fine if you get arrested.

Wear the Go Pro while doing it and I will pay that portion of the fine.

Fabian Kolbergsrud Espeland wrote: Yes thats norway right there. Our prisons is actually comparable to us hotel rooms and some immigrants aint afraid of criminal activity since the prisons is better than their average life anyways. Still it it one of the most peaceful nations and the police is not even allowed to carry any type if weapon. Øast year the poloce fired 2 bullets but missed both. (Probably weren't even aiming.) Health care is totally free for everyone and schools pay you for going to school. All education is free except private schools wich is not considered better than public education. But you know...OIL

We have OIL in the US as well.... It's just not controlled by the government because you know, you can't trust the government to provide for its citizens.... like it does in Norway.

Fabian Kolbergsrud Espeland wrote: Yes thats norway right there. Our prisons is actually comparable to us hotel rooms and some immigrants aint afraid of criminal activity since the prisons is better than their average life anyways. Still it it one of the most peaceful nations and the police is not even allowed to carry any type if weapon. Øast year the poloce fired 2 bullets but missed both. (Probably weren't even aiming.) Health care is totally free for everyone and schools pay you for going to school. All education is free except private schools wich is not considered better than public education. But you know...OIL

That sounds all well and good that the gub'ment takes such good care of you and those who wish to do other citizens harm (they deserve it) but if you have a few moments sir, would you mind if I came in and talked to you about Freedom?
Freedom! Do you speak it?

Jake Jones wrote:The double blog link added a certain something.

Gotta get that sweet, sweet SEO cred.

christopher adams wrote: We have OIL in the US as well.... It's just not controlled by the government because you know, you can't trust the government to provide for its citizens.... like it does in Norway.

You got oil but not enough per citizen. Norway has the ne.1 living standard in the whole world and the two richer ones pr person is qatar which uses foreign slave workers amd Luxembourg which is so small that it doesn't count.

Steven Groetken wrote: That sounds all well and good that the gub'ment takes such good care of you and those who wish to do other citizens harm (they deserve it) but if you have a few moments sir, would you mind if I came in and talked to you about Freedom?

We got loads of freedom but you could come at my house like jehovas witnesses. You will be very velcome. Our government is like the best in the world though.

Why did you leave this off? This was the best line from your blog!

"PPS: As a vegan, I am opposed to hunting bears or hurting animals in general. However, as a living creature, I am also opposed to being eaten by a predator."

SinRopa wrote: Not allowed to defend yourself? To me that's just crazy, but I'm sure Anders Breivik approves.

You can defend yourself but you're not allowed to hurt someone while doing it. In court it probably won't go trough though.

Fabian Kolbergsrud Espeland wrote: You got oil but not enough per citizen. Norway has the ne.1 living standard in the whole world and the two richer ones pr person is qatar which uses foreign slave workers amd Luxembourg which is so small that it doesn't count.

To be fair, Norway only has a population equal to half that of the capital city of most major countries, so might be closer to Luxembourg, but with the advantage of massive per capita land resources.

Interestingly, the USA is the only "major" country in the list (wikipedia) in the top 14. Many of the others are (population wise) are city-states.

Nothing against Norway!

David Coley wrote: To be fair, Norway only has a population equal to half that of the capital city of most major countries, so might be closer to Luxembourg, but with the advantage of massive per capita land resources. Interestingly, the USA is the only "major" country in the list (wikipedia) in the top 14. Many of the others are (population wise) are city-states. Nothing against Norway!

I agree with you. We don't have a reputation for being baby boomers. Atleast we don't have public debt. I think the us should mind their own business until they have paid their debt like grecce has to.