I was just curious
For people in that line of work, say you run into one and had no other choice
As in a charge
With no phone reception to let LE know, what do you do
I’m in Tx, so I am just wondering that would happen if that happened
The odds of running into a Grizzly one the line is about the same as getting hit by lightning in the bush.
Besides, a charge is not necessarily an attack. More often then not it's a bluff. If you stand your ground more often then not the Bear will back down.
A wounded bear, a Grizzly defending a kill or a sow defending her cub is a whole different matter.
A big part of surviving in the bush is about knowing your environment and the creatures that inhabit it. The more you know the less you need to carry.
More importantly, stay alert. Many a time I have backed away from a confrontation without the Bear ever knowing I was there because I saw it before it saw me.
Back away until you can't see the bear, then howl like a wolf. You will never see that bear again.
I never carry a rifle when I'm not hunting. Nore do I carry a compass, GPS unit, or cell phone. They are just added weight I don't need.
Think of it this way. Many of you wouldn't think to carry protection in the city but the odds of getting mugged in the city are higher then the odds of getting attacked by a Grizzly in Bear country.
Remember, it's easier to sell fiction then fact and most true outdoors stories are once in a lifetime experiences.
To answer your question, if it happened to me I would judge the situation before responding. If I were between a sow and her cub I'd back away slowly and only shoot at the last possible moment, if I had a rifle.
If there was no evidence of a cub or carcass nearby I'd stand my ground.
I acknowledge that knowing what to do in such a situation is next to impossible to know.And it's next to impossible to aim precisely at a target that is just feet away and closing at over 30 miles per hour.
The bottom line is, your odds of surviving are about the same with or without a rifle.
A neighbor of mine lost half his ear to a Grizzly after his dog tagged the bear and then ran back to his master. The neighbor was not alone. He had two armed companions. They were able to kill the Bear while it chewed on him, but none of them managed to get off a shot while the bear was coming at them.
This happened before Grizzly were declared an endangered species. The Bear had came into Camp late on night and was tearing into a tent when they shot and wounded it. They tracked it at first light the next day and didn't even see it until the dog bit the bear and then ran back to them with the bear in hot pursuit..