Bear Release !! (semi-graphic)

[robodad]

Maybe you have seen these before, just received them in email, OUCH !!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Ouch. . .

[WDFW-SUX]

 

[GoldTip]

That there is Louis Kis, (former Flathead Valley head of F&G) getting his arse kicked by a grizzly bear.  There is supposed to be a release for the trap door hanging where it can be reached from inside the truck, it wasn't there.  Trap is supposed to be tied down to bed of truck, it wasn't there.  And all of this happened in front of about 30 outdoor writers that were in Kalispell for a convention.  Louis decided to show them a good ole grizzly bear release, well, he showed'em! Many of them captured the whole fiasco on their camera's.   There were not to many locals who didn't think the whole thing was pretty damn funny to be honest.  This happened I believe in approx 1988/89.

The hide and skull of that bear were at a friend of mine's Taxidermy shop and I saw it.  There were 3 357mag HP flattened against the skull and three had fully penetrated the brain and the bear had to be finished off with I believe 2 shotgun slugs, if I recall correctly.

[robodad]

I didn't know the story, Hmmmmm pretty interesting, I wonder where the rest of the photos are ??

Too bad for the bear !!

[dbllunger]

Chit man that would suck.

[GoldTip]

One of the magazines did anarticle onm the whole thing, can't remember if it was Outdoor Life our Field and Stream.  Not sure which, but believe they are photos of him with his upside the bears head and the other officer getting out and standing over the bear with a shotgun finishing it off as it continues to chew on his leg after taking six in the melon at point blank.

[MikeWalking]

.357? wonder what he carries now?  I saw something similar, can't remember where at the moment. The trap stuck a few feet over the end of the truck. Not secured, the officer did a full flip and landed on the bear as if in a saddle on it's neck. He put 6 rounds of .357 into it and got away unhurt.

Can anyone say Tiedowns? It's a real shame the bears paid for lack forethought.

[dbllunger]

Mike...I have to take the other approach...glad he did not get hurt too bad and luck would have it one less grizz that already required trapping. 

[GoldTip]

dbllunger, no offense, but he got hurt due to his own arrogance and his attempt to put on a wild west show for the Western writers while they were in town. 

[Bigshooter]

Wow.       

[PacificNWhunter]

Not the best day he has had at work I am guessing. Still beats sitting behind a desk though.

[MikeWalking]

Mike...I have to take the other approach...glad he did not get hurt too bad and luck would have it one less grizz that already required trapping. 

I understand your point, about a problem bear and all.   Still, I think it's a waste and a shame when an animal gets killed only because some Human was stupid.

[Bofire]

Look at the trucks position on the little bridge. Is it moving ahead in that 7 th pic? sure looks like the truck is in a different position on the bridge??? how come?? Sitting neutral without brake set? moved on purpose?
hmmmmm
Carl

[Head-shot]

Look at the trucks position on the little bridge. Is it moving ahead in that 7 th pic? sure looks like the truck is in a different position on the bridge??? how come?? Sitting neutral without brake set? moved on purpose?
hmmmmm
Carl

I think your right Carl, maybe the guy inside watching paniced and threw er into gear and started to haul ass

[robodad]

Interesting observation, maybe the guy in the truck was trying to get the hell out of there but didn't realize the trap wasn't secured and jerked it right out of the truck.

Could have been serious !! Wow !!

[MuleySniper]

This one has been on another hunting site. Heres a quote from someone who I assume works for the MDFG.

" Jim Vashro, regional fisheries manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Kalispell. Here’s what he wrote back:

This is an oldie. It happened in 1987 here in the Flathead. A grizzly was trapped on the Blackfeet Reservation and was to be released in the South Fork Flathead. That’s Lou Kis, our warden captain, on top of the trap. There was a national Outdoor Writers convention in town and several were invited to ride along.

Lou opened the gate and the grizzly was a little grouchy about the unwanted ride. He turned and grabbed the trap. Our traps are fastened into the pickup, this tribal one wasn’t, so the trap and Lou tumbled out on top of the bear.

The bear’s first bite was in the middle of Lou’s chest but his Nikon camera saved him a nasty wound. The bear then switched to Lou’s leg. By then Lou had his service revolver, a .357, out and he unloaded 6 shots into the bear’s head at point-blank range. The first 5 shots ricocheted off, the 6th shot caught the corner of it’s eye, entered the skull and killed the bear. Lou said he kept clicking on empty chambers for a while.

This all happened in a few seconds, about then one of our biologists got there and pumped in several 12 gauge slugs but it was unnecessary. Lou ended up with a broken leg and several nasty wounds that had to be treated for infection. And the writer got a major story and was the hit of the convention.

Protocol changed after that. We make sure the traps are securely fastened in. The gates are now operated by a winch operated from inside the truck. And the trucks are kept idling for a getaway in case the bear doesn’t take off (which most do).

The exception is an aversive release where the bear is pelted with bean bags and cracker shells and hounded by Karelian Bear dogs to give it the idea it really doesn’t want to return to that locality (this is done to train bears to stay away from cabins or food sources where they have been getting in trouble – it works)."

[Bofire]

Ya Know, looking at the pics again, I am sure someone was behind the wheel and tried to drive off to get the guy away from the bear.
I am willing to bet that the cage would not have come out if the guy in the truck did not try to drive off.
Carl

[MikeWalking]

could be the truck was out of gear without the parking break being set, wouldn't be much for a Grizz to push it a bit

[Dakota Dogman]

No offence to those who "know the story" but it keeps changing each time it is brought out.  First time I saw it was OL I believe (may have been F&S) back in the 80's probably.  Took it to heart because it was with a S&W 19, the finest handgun ever made.  Probably could have picked better ammo for the day though.     Talk about the shotgun to finish it off is new to me / didn't stick with me if I'd heard it.

God Bless,

[MasterTracker]

       
    Funny his budies just chiln in the truck like he already knows whats going to happen.....


What a dumb ass look at all the things he did wrong! He was acting is if he was releasing a trapped raccoon from his yard lol. Lucky it didnt kiil him!