Interview with victim of Wyoming bear attack

[slicktricker]

Lots of speculation here as usual. Reports suggest that both guide and hunter possessed bear spray. Why didnt the guide have a gun also? Why didnt he use his spray? To many unanswered questions to speculate. Let the investigation play out and hopefully will shed better light on this sad situation. Prayers for the deceased and his family.

[BuckSmasher]

Lots of speculation here as usual. Reports suggest that both guide and hunter possessed bear spray. Why didnt the guide have a gun also? Why didnt he use his spray? To many unanswered questions to speculate. Let the investigation play out and hopefully will shed better light on this sad situation. Prayers for the deceased and his family.

Lots of questions about why the guide didn't have a rifle or shotgun even. Complacency has been guessed. May be correct. 2013-2017 I hunted the same unit in Montana with Grizz. We saw at LEAST one every year.

If I am a guide no way would I not be carrying a rifle. I always carried a pistol AND bear spray while bowhunting.

I understand the fight or flight. If the bear(s) were charging its every guy for himself. Once contact has been made and you can do something it is different. Seeing your guide getting mauled, chunking him a gun, then running away is cowardice. Pure and simple. I have had this conversation with my hunting buddies up in Montana. We have all discussed helping if the other is attacked. I wouldn't hunt with them if I thought they were lying or too cowardly if the moment came. I believe a gun is more than compensation for a Grizzly bear. We nearly exterminated them from the lower 48 with muzzleloaders and blackpowder single shots.

[deerplanter]

I believe the Glock was the guide's gun. I'm thinking maybe the survivor wasn't familiar with it and didn't know how to operate the gun. Maybe the guide didn't carry chambered and the hunter couldn't figure out how to rack it.

Sad story all the way around, but especially when you consider that Uptain leaves behind a wife and five children. Prayers for all affected by this tragedy.

This makes the most sense to me, to be honest I'm not very familiar with hand guns myself and that's not the time to learn. I bet that's where complacency occurred.

[AntlerCollector]

I won't call the survivor a coward like some have. I wasn't there. I will say that I probably would have been killed too. I can't imagine running away knowing another man was still under attack.

Such a sad deal.

[Burnadell]

I believe the Glock was the guide's gun. I'm thinking maybe the survivor wasn't familiar with it and didn't know how to operate the gun. Maybe the guide didn't carry chambered and the hunter couldn't figure out how to rack it.

Sad story all the way around, but especially when you consider that Uptain leaves behind a wife and five children. Prayers for all affected by this tragedy.

Michael, where did you read that the pistol was a Glock. I must have missed that.

[Ætheling]

How can you not know how to operate a glock?

[Michael]

Michael, where did you read that the pistol was a Glock. I must have missed that.

It may have been on a FB link that I read. I did a quick search and this seems to be the same article based on some of the wording...

https://buckrail.com/death-of-mark-uptain-by-grizzly-what-we-now-know/

A Glock handgun belonging to Uptain was also recovered at the scene. Carr would not divulge whether that weapon had been fired, citing the ongoing investigation, but added initial indications pointed to it not ever being used.

[Passthrough]

Did anyone notice how quick he was taken care of and on a plane back to Florida?? Like within a day or something like that? Why would he not stick around to help or see what the outcome was or whatever? The whole ordeal seems real odd to me. Prayers up for the guides family!!

[LWC]

Lots of unanswered questions. Lots of internet heros too. We don't know what happened or how any of us would have reacted. Maybe the guide tried to draw the bear's attention from his client and told his client to run for help. Or maybe the guide had his throat ripped out and there was nothing the guy could do but try to save himself. Or maybe the client was the biggest pansy to come out of FL. We probably won't ever know the full story. Prayers for the guides family.

[kruppa24]

very sad, prayers up for the family

[Phillip Fields]

This report indicates the guide was able to deploy his can of bear spray and the bigger of the 2 bears had traces of bear spray in her fur.

https://buckrail.com/game-fish-we-got-the-right-bears-one-was-sprayed-more-details-of-the-encounter/

[Burnadell]

It may have been on a FB link that I read. I did a quick search and this seems to be the same article based on some of the wording...

https://buckrail.com/death-of-mark-u...t-we-now-know/

Yes, I have now seen that reference to the Glock. Just a sad deal all the way around, and I'm sure the survivor will have nightmares forever. He has not explained whether he fired the pistol or not. Lots of contradictions/lack of clarity in the news articles. My heart goes out to all involved. I might have to start carrying my 10mm semi or my .44 magnum when I fly fish up there now, but dang, they are heavy!

[rvd]

Yes, I have now seen that reference to the Glock. Just a sad deal all the way around, and I'm sure the survivor will have nightmares forever. He has not explained whether he fired the pistol or not. Lots of contradictions/lack of clarity in the news articles. My heart goes out to all involved. I might have to start carrying my 10mm semi or my .44 magnum when I fly fish up there now, but dang, they are heavy!

I carry the smaller Glock 29 with magazine extensions everywhere in the mountains. I like a 44 but I've seen me shoot at charging hogs...I like my odds a whole lot more in bear country with thirty one 10 mm rounds (extra clip in holster) than six 44.

[Burnadell]

I carry the smaller Glock 29 with magazine extensions everywhere in the mountains. I like a 44 but I've seen me shoot at charging hogs...I like my odds a whole lot more in bear country with thirty one 10 mm rounds (extra clip in holster) than six 44.

I'm not sure I could change magazines with a charging grizzly bearing down on me, but if the 14 rounds won't stop him/her, then I'll use the last one for me.

The .44 mag is probably too heavy to lug out o the river!

[Thumper]

Remington 870 Tac 14"

Palmetto Armory.....$269