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Wild Animals

Startrupper said:
How are combat related trades like infantrymen, combat eng, armored, etc, trained to deal with wild animals when it comes to self-defense?

Wear a condom....
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
..., and that way you will survive at least another 15 to 20 seconds more.

So, just enough time to update my facebook status.    [:D
 
Journeyman said:
If you somehow get dragged home by a cougar, know that they can be particularly vicious when you're leaving in the morning and you recognize her daughter in the kitchen. In that situation, your only hope is to run;  playing dead will just set you up for a mother/daughter ass-kicking.  :nod:

I actually have a story about that......
 
It was, of course, during my "in between wives" years.

I sure miss Cornwall.
 
dapaterson said:
I call BS on that.







I'm betting it's stories, plural.

What he said.

About polar bears, I was on a job off Baffin Island and a Federal Conservation Officer shows me what he uses - a 37mm baton gun.  I looked at the dude and laughed - he asked why.  Says I: "A polar bear is the top of the food chain in North America and you're part of it.  So you're going to shoot a 1200lb animal that can run faster laughing than you can scared and really pi$$ it off...have fun with that.  I'll stick with my Inuit guy with the Russian hunting rifle."

MM
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
As I have been told by an Inuit elder in the Rangers, if confronted by a polar bear, always run and break to the left, by and large polar bears are right handed, and that way you will survive at least another 15 to 20 seconds more.

[:p    :subbies:

The Russian ones only break right on the hour.  Crazy Ivan...
 
More people I know who spend a lot of time in the bush are moving to 45-70 as their bear gun, 300gr going fast will penetrate and it's all about penetration with stopping these big fellows.

my choice out in the bush was 3" Magnum brennke slugs and bear spray. One person carried the spray , the other the gun. Most black and Grizzly charges will be false charges, the guy with the spray can discourage the bear, the gun is to deal with those that don't stop. Also carried some rubber slugs in case we had a bear that we just wanted to discourage but not kill.
 
In the late 70's I was in one of the Arctic Patrolling exercises. We were crossing the arctic tundra with 3 Rangers when our Platoon Commander left with 2 of the rangers and we were told to stay with the other ranger. Some 40 minutes later we here one shot ring out and then the Platoon warrant took all of us back down our track to find one dead polar bear. According to the Rangers he had been tracking us for the last three days and was moving closer to us each day. The Ranger took him down with one shot. We then made camp and called back to base on the radio and some 3 hours later about 20 skidoos with sleds showed up from the nearest Inuit village. They had that bear skinned, dressed, paws and head cut off and bagged and on the way back to their village in no time for a big feast. It was explained to me that Conservation would get the paws and head for testing?? and that the Rangers had standing orders to kill any Polar Bear that ventured too close to the various patrols.

Back then we had FN's and SMG's and I would probably been able to stop it with an FN but only the Rangers carried live ammunition. We also were told that only the Rangers had the authority and discretion to decide when a Polar Bear was a threat.
 
We just purchase cases of bear spray. Not sure if it actually works never had to use it. Shot at hyenas over in Africa (I don't know if they were laughing hyenas or laughing at me cuz I was a pretty horrble shot...) It's the glowing eyes in the dark, see...

Oh oh oh... and we mustn't forget the wild baloney commonly found in the training area in Petawawa. I was lucky enough to see one once through NVG... what a f***ed up heat signature!!

Yep. Bear spray.
 
When I was up in Eureka, we were shown how to use bear spray and were then told it hadn't actually been tested on polar bears...our FPF were 2 x 12G shotguns with buck and slugs, but only one person seemed to be allowed to carry them.  He "was a hunter" but apparently the rest of us weren't allowed to pick one up - despite one guy being ex-SOF, others from units where we had used them and I (as the Station Safety NCO) brought up the factoid that if they were using "hunting" as a qualification, then I should be able to use it simply because I shot trap and skeet.  All I got from the SSM and OC were that 4 headed alien look and that they'd get some of us up to Alert next time their SSM ran a shotgun PWT  ::).

MM
 
Maybe I should have put my Meat Grenade concept into production...
 
PPCLI Guy said:
It was, of course, during my "in between wives" years.

I sure miss Cornwall.

That bar burned down a few years ago.  You can go back to Cornwall now.
 
Haggis said:
You can go back to Cornwall now.
Actually, I don't think he can; I imagine there's still those pesky restraining orders...  :pop:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FEQKQXmoC4

If it works for Grizzlies i assume it's good enough for Polar bears.
 
During New Viking (1970's) there was at least one rifle with soft point with each patrol, but most effective was the M113 that always accompanied troops about Churchill.  Bears did hunt troops.  You'd see one at two o'clock, then 10, ... and moving in closer each time until the carrier would come in and drive it off. The rule was you may not shoot polar bears, BUT you could if you had ttwo rifles.  You threw one at the bear and then you could shoot it in self defence.
 
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