Jack Hanna defeats grizzly bear with pepper spray

[Runcible]

If the weapon does not even prevent a baby grizzly bear from getting close, it should not be recommended to others, right?

The Columbus Zoo keeper and frequent David Letterman guest said he was with his wife and other hikers in Montana's Glacier National Park on Saturday when a bear cub, weighing about 125 pounds, charged them. Hanna told The Columbus Dispatch that he held up a canister of pepper spray, which he takes routinely on hikes.

"At about 30 feet, I unload my pepper spray, and the wind takes it," he told the newspaper.

But the bear kept coming. Hanna sprayed toward the animal again, but still it kept coming.

"Then the third time I unload that pepper spray right in his face," Hanna said.

The bear turned around and fled.

Full article: http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/201 ... zzly_N.htm

[Diomed]

He and his family are lucky it was just a cub.

[chfaunce]

That cub was just lucky Chuck Norris was not nearby.

[acguy45]

thats one of the things about the spray it is definately a close range poposition and if it fails your bear sh!T. But if your not able to carry a firearm i guess its better than nothing.

[CowboyT]

For bear defense, I'll take my Super Redhawk 454 any day over pepper spray. Jack got really lucky that time. A full-grown bear probably wouldn't even have been fazed, and we'd be reading Jack's obituary.

Jack, we know you love animals. So do I. But please, carry something that will give you a better fighting chance of survival!

[Vahunter]

He was luckier than the three campers in Montana. Female griz and three cubs left on camper dead and two messed up. They say the bears targeted the campers for a easy meal.

[GS78]

These people should have expected to be attcked by a bear. They say the chances are 1 in 1.9 million, however, this exact campsite was the scene of other bear attacks, and the people in the area said they thought that the previous killer bear was still on the loose. I think its stupid to camp with bears and then be surprised when one kills you,

[gunderwood]

Marlin 1895 guide gun (I prefer the SBL version) in .45/70 with Garrett Cartridges 540gr@1500fps (Hammerhead +P).

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp

They sell the best dangerous game loads for .45/70 and .44mag. That 540gr load is the official Wyoming park service grizzly load. If that isn't enough, check out the exiter ammo:

For those in pursuit of elephant, rhino, hippo, and cape buffalo we enthusiastically recommend our Exiter Ammo featuring the new Hornady 500-gr Flatnose Solid, with its Copper-Clad Steel Jacket. Copper-Clad for proper barrel compatibility and a heavy Steel Jacket for tremendous strength, this premium solid provides reliable penetration of the heaviest thick-skinned game. This Hornady Copper-Clad Steel Jacket Solid has been proving itself for three decades now on the world’s heaviest game, and is now available for the first time in a flatnose version, making it safe for use in lever-action rifles. We enthusiastically utilize this bullet in our Exiter Ammo for use against elephant, rhino, hippo, and cape buffalo.

Or if you want expansion:

Our 350-grain and 500-grain SuperJacks use the outstanding Australian Woodleigh Weld-Core bullets. These bullets combine heavy jackets with bonded cores to produce tremendous bullet integrity for use against all game up to moose, in the case of the 350-grainer, and coastal grizzly, heavy bison and Cape buffalo, in the case of the 500-grainer. These bullets possess unusually broad meplats (.330) that increase upon impact to about .700 in the case of the 350-grainer, and about .458 in the case of the 500-grainer. End-to-end penetration on bison and Cape buffalo will prove common to this super-strong 500-grainer. Dependable expansion with excellent weight retention and dependable penetration on game up to 1200 lbs. characterizes the 350-grainer.

Our SuperJacks join our already field proven Hammerheads and Exiters to provide a selection of truly outstanding ammunition products. We offer the shooter the finest in proper cast bullet ammo and the finest in premium bonded-core jacketed bullet ammo. Both have their strengths, both have their advocates, and now both are offered at speeds and chamber pressures that assure high-performance, safety and complete firearm reliability for todays modern 45-70 rifle.

SuperJacks are loaded into Starline cases, with military-spec large rifle primers for superior cold-weather performance.

Generally:

420gr: general hunting, can be used to take hogs and deer.
540gr: Grizzly personal defense, but the 420gr+P have been used successfully too. The 540gr just provides better penetration for shooting a charging bear.
Superjack: Hunting large game where expansion is desired. (no expansion is usually desired when hunting/defending against Grizzly because expanding bullets don't always reach the vitals on a charging bear, but the 500gr seems to work well too)
Exiter: African dangerous game like elephant.

[zephyp]

Shame on him spraying that poor defenseless bear cub cutie...it was certainly a bluff charge. Everybody knows thats all a grisly does right...a bluff charge...right before they chew your leg off.

I cant believe the woman who saved herself by playing dead. Not meaning to sound trite but I honestly thought that only worked for Bugs Bunny.

[gunderwood]

Shame on him spraying that poor defenseless bear cub cutie...it was certainly a bluff charge. Everybody knows thats all a grisly does right...a bluff charge...right before they chew your leg off.

I cant believe the woman who saved herself by playing dead. Not meaning to sound trite but I honestly thought that only worked for Bugs Bunny.

The cub was too busy doing this when it saw her:


or perhaps this?