Opinion
“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count. Everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.” ~ Einstein.
What are the chances…?
On January 19th, 2025, a black bear precipitously attacked a man out for a walk near his home in PA.
The victim lived through it, but this animal attack would surely have been fatal had a neighbor not seen it, responded aggressively, and shot the bear (at close range) with a pistol.
Shouldn’t black bears be in hibernation during the dead of winter in PA?
Wildlife “experts” commenting on local news networks predictably describe this attack as “abnormal,” “unusual,” “rare,” ad nauseam!
What was this bear thinking? Why was this bear “out and about?”
The foregoing are examples of all the wrong questions, asked only by those who really don’t want to know but do want to retain their cushy jobs. The sage and serious among us have to ask ourselves, “What are the chances of an unprovoked bear attack in PA during the dead of winter?”
100%…As Of Now!
And , this is yet another brutal confirmation of this fact: Playing the “Statics Game” with your life is a form of naive suicide!
This is why we instructors must confront students of our Art with the sincere advice that when you decide to “go armed,” be armed all the time.
Arbitrarily dividing your life into “safe” and “dangerous” times and places is an exercise in naive self-deception, as we see!
It’s similar to wearing a seatbelt while driving. Either do or don’t, but please don’t insult my intelligence by arguing that you have the ability to predict the future, under any circumstances, accurately!
“Seek simplicity and distrust it.” ~ Alfred Whitehead.
/John
Recent Grizzly Bear Attacks Should Alarm Anti-gun Washington
Six Black Bear Attacks this Summer, None of the Victims were Armed
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor, John Farnam will urge you, based on your beliefs, to make up your mind about what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to ensure that its students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
Crazy. Bear here in this part of PA should be hibernating.
Just by the fact that is bear was out in, (I believe the temperature was 7°F with a wind chill of -12°F.), freezing weather had us all saying he had rabies.
A few days later it was confirmed by the PGC.
YouTube video from Scary Bear Attacks has more info on this. 100lb female that had been eating from dumpsters earlier that day. It looks like the guy was not bit, but did receive one suture. The apparently starving bear did later test positive for rabies. I’ve had dozens of close (within 10 feet) encounters with Black Bears over the past 50+ years at my NE Georgia home, and almost all of them are from young (up to about 100lbs) bears. So far I’ve never had to physically defend myself. However, I am ALWAYS “prepared.” I do not, in any way,… Read more »
Not to be too critical (John, I enjoy reading your work) but “Statics Game” should probably be “Statistics Game.” That autocarrot feature ducked you up.
They will blame climate change.
“In late January or early February, pregnant females will give birth to hairless and blind cubs weighing only about 400 g. She will nurse and care for them until they emerge in late April. Bears without offspring may emerge earlier in April.”
If that bear is distressed, not enough food to nurse, it might venture out to where it knows food is.
Having been an firearms instructor for decades.
Training military, Federal to local LEO’s to civilian firearm users.
Proper mind set is the hardest thing to get ones students to develop.
The it won’t happen to me today is rampant.
I will carry when I need it.
As John said predicting the future is hard.