In a case that could establish a precedent for gun rights advocates, no charges have been filed against a hiker who shot a grizzly in self-defense in Denali National Park on May 28, 2010.
The man and his girlfriend--their names were not released--were hiking in brushy country near Tattler Creek when he heard noise to his right. He drew his .45 caliber semi-auto handgun. A grizzly came out of the brush 25 feet away and charged. The man fired seven to nine rounds.
The shooting occurred three months after Congress passed a controversial law allowing people to carry loaded guns in National Parks. However, it's against the law to fire a gun in a National Park. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that "state law in Alaska allows the killing of wildlife in defense or life or property."
Park spokeswoman Kris Fister said if another bear gets shot by a hiker at some point in the future, "it will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis."
Hikers in grizzly country are urged to make noise to avoid surprising a nearby bear; the man and his girlfriend were talking.
Quick use of a pistol thwarted this bear attack, but Fister said the park will continue to stress avoiding bear encounters rather than the use of firearms or bear spray.
Comments
It absolutely infuriates me to have police & park officials insinuate that hikers shouldn't have the right to protect themselves from Cougars, wolves or bears.......siting that most civilians dont have the proper skills and intelligence to handle a firearm......like most people are crazy gunhappy idiots that would go around just looking for their bears to shoot.......how stupid is it to be completely legal to carry a firearm for protection but be worried about the repercussions of firing it......Law enforcement agencys (police and rangers alike) make me sick with their attitudes about us mainstream Americans having the right to "bear" arms....should be legal in any back country, especially where predators are known to be.
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