Many years ago I and my family had an encounter with a Black bear and her two cubs. My wife was in front of me holding my 3 yr old sons hand and I was following holding my 5 yr old daughters hand and gripping my fly rod in the other. My two little fuzzy 6lb dogs in the lead. Out of absolutely nowhere mother bear stands on her hind legs and bellows with her paws raised at my wife and son, they were about ten feet from each other. She looked about eight feet tall and all her teeth and her claws were bared. My wife froze! I went into action, coming up behind my wife I kneed the back of her knee, causing her to go down onto her knees. At the same time I unsnapped my 357 and drew it and aimed at the bear, I was carrying hot copper jacketed hollow points. I pushed my daughter back behind me and stepped forward and at the same time very calmly told my brood to back up and slowly go up the hill to the very large stump and just be quiet and wait. The two cubs had scampered up a near by fir tree and were observing from about 50 up. They were very intense watching the drama unfold.

My wife meanwhile decided to vacate dodge and was heading back toward our truck! I called out that if there was ever a time she was going to listen and obey me that his was the time. She made some dispariging remark about how could I possibly protect them with my little pistol. I reminded her that it was the second most powerful handgun in the world and that I was capable of shooting that bears eye out if needed. She stopped and then Mother bear reappeared not twenty feet from her line of travel, we then retreated to the tree stump and just observed each other until everybody calmed down. Then we very quietly and calmly walked back out to our truck and returned to camp.

Anybody that goes out into the bears habitat and is not prepared to defend themselves should be ready to give their life for the experience.