Yes, dad taught us that a shot gun wouldn’t defend against a bear. He said if we were ever in that situation to aim for the face, eyes and nose and hope to blind it and give you a chance to run.
But with a bear as powerful as polar bear, chances are still high that that won’t work.
A 303 rifle shot in the mud is like an explosion, it’s very dramatic, loud and visual. It does scare a bear.
A shotgun blast in the mud is not as dramatic, unless you fire it about 20 feet away from you … which is too close to you and the bear.
Polar bears, unlike other bears, will actively prey upon humans, given the opportunity. Such an encounter is a “do everything that you can to dissuade it” sort of situation. Food is hard to come by in the North, if a polar bear gets within shotgun range, it’s almost certainly going for a snack.
Exactly, and a shotgun with birdshot is not going to convince it that you are a mortal threat. Using one against a bear that maybe wasn’t going to eat you might just convince it that you need to be dead anyways.
Note: This is in the context where the bear returns with them on land following its tracks, not with them on the boat. Scaring it from the boat was still the right call.
You had shotguns, could have rescared the bear
Yes, dad taught us that a shot gun wouldn’t defend against a bear. He said if we were ever in that situation to aim for the face, eyes and nose and hope to blind it and give you a chance to run.
But with a bear as powerful as polar bear, chances are still high that that won’t work.
A 303 rifle shot in the mud is like an explosion, it’s very dramatic, loud and visual. It does scare a bear.
A shotgun blast in the mud is not as dramatic, unless you fire it about 20 feet away from you … which is too close to you and the bear.
First time I fired my AR-15 (NOT a high powered rifle) in the swamp it was raining mud. On my brand new white gun. LOL, I felt like an idiot.
Or simply pissed it off enough to attack. It’s a gamble antagonizing any predator when you do not have the means to actually defend yourself.
Polar bears, unlike other bears, will actively prey upon humans, given the opportunity. Such an encounter is a “do everything that you can to dissuade it” sort of situation. Food is hard to come by in the North, if a polar bear gets within shotgun range, it’s almost certainly going for a snack.
Exactly, and a shotgun with birdshot is not going to convince it that you are a mortal threat. Using one against a bear that maybe wasn’t going to eat you might just convince it that you need to be dead anyways.
Note: This is in the context where the bear returns with them on land following its tracks, not with them on the boat. Scaring it from the boat was still the right call.