The death of Anthony Pollio on Glacier’s Mount Brown Trail has reopened the debate over bear spray, firearms, and what actually works when a bear keeps coming.
Glacier Bear Attack Shows Why Hikers Should Carry Handguns in Bear Country
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Handgun Defense Against Brown Bears: How Many Shots Are Fired in Grizzly Bear Encounters?
Brown, grizzly, and Kodiak bear encounters tend to involve more handgun shots than other bear-defense cases. A review of 109 documented Ursus arctos handgun-only incidents shows how often one shot was enough, when warning shots worked, and why larger bears skew the overall numbers.
Bear Attacks and Handgun Defense: What the Data Shows About Shots Fired
More than 200 documented cases involving handguns and bear defense offer a revealing look at how these confrontations unfold. In the known cases where shots fired could be counted, most incidents were resolved with six shots or fewer, while warning shots delivered mixed results.
Do Wounded Bears Attack More? Handgun Defense Data Tells a Different Story
Does shooting a bear make the bear more dangerous? In most cases the bears run off or are killed. If the bears persist in the attack, most are killed or driven off.
Father and Son Stop Charging Brown Bear with Handgun in Slovakia
A father and son in Slovakia stopped a deadly brown bear attack using handguns. The dramatic self-defense incident highlights rare armed defense against bear attacks in Europe.
Hunting in Oregon’s Crosshairs as ‘Animal Cruelty’ Initiative Nears Ballot Requirement
The PEACE Act, also known as Initiative Petition 28, would outlaw hunting, fishing and a host of other things, including cattle ranching, according to critics. So far, backers of this measure have allegedly gathered about 105,000 signatures.
Dangerous Grizzly Killed on Texada Island After Relocation Failed
A dangerous, habituated grizzly bear swam to Texada Island in British Columbia. It was eventually shot and killed. The people responsible were fined for not immediately reporting the killing of the bear.
If a Mountain Lion Will Not Leave, Shoot It
Before Kristen Marie Kovatch was killed in a predatory mountain lion attack in Colorado, there were several precursor incidents. An armed person could have made a large difference.
Florida Bear Hunt a Flop, Only 52 Bears Harvested
The 2025 Florida black bear hunt has been a failure as an attempt to manage the bear population in Florida. Only 52 bears were harvested.
Grizzly Bear Problems in British Columbia are Accelerating
Hunting of grizzly bears was banned in British Columbia in 2017. At the time, opponents of the hunting ban warned there would be increasing bear/human conflicts.
European Brown Bear Study: Aggression has Human Hunting Selection Component
A study by Italian scientist has shown the Italian population of ursus arctos (same species as grizzly bears) has been selected, by human hunting pressure, to be less aggressive toward humans.
Grizzly Bear Attacks Elementary School Children in Canada
A grizzly bear attacked a group of elementary school children in Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada, on November 20, 2025.
Fatal Bear Attacks in Japan Double Previous Record
The number of people killed in Japan by wild bears broke records this years. It is now more than twice the previous record breaking year. More people are killed by bears in Japan than in the United States of America.
Wolf Killed with Pellet Rifle in Minnesota
A wolf was killed with a pellet gun in Northern Minnesota in 2014. Wolves are not hard to kill. They become hard to find when they are hunted.
Should You Report a Grizzly Bear Self-Defense Shooting?
The US Fish & Wildlife service created a regulation requiring the reporting of a self defense shooting of a grizzly bear in the lower 48 states decades ago. The regulation probably violates the Fifth Amendment. Not reporting has its own set of risks which may be greater than reporting.
Japan Records Deadliest Year for Bear Attacks
2025 is a record year for the number of people killed by bears in Japan. More people are killed by wild bears in Japan than are killed by wild bears in the United States.
Why Use a Handgun for Bear Defense — Because They Work
One of the significant advantages of using handguns to defend against bear attacks is that defense with a handgun is far more likely to result in a dead bear.
Two Fatal Bear Attacks in Arkansas for the First Time in Over a Century
There have been two fatal bear attacks in Arkansas in 2025. They are the first recorded fatal attacks in the state since 1892.
Handguns Proven 98% Effective in 205 Documented Bear Attacks
In this fourth update of the ongoing study of how effective handguns are when fired in defense against bears, the 98% effective rate persists. 15 more incidents have been documented where handguns were fired in defense against a bear or bears. This makes a total of 205 documented cases.
Bear Attack on 82-Year-Old Woman in Japan – Video
An attack by an Asiatic black bear on an 82-year-old woman walking in the city of Daisen in Japan, has been captured on surveillance video.
Fatal Bear Attack in Arkansas by 70lb Black Bear
A 72-year-old man was fatally attacked by a 70 lb black bear in Arkansas on September 3, 2025. He died on September 14, 2025.
211 Documented Defensive Killings of Grizzly Bears Between 2002-2023
Information released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows the number of grizzly bears killed in defense of human life is 5-10 times greater than previously thought.
“Freedom of the Woods”: Why Armed Humans Keep Predators—and People—Safe
Armed people act confidently, without fear in wild areas. Animals sense this confidence and learn to avoid the dangerous humans.
Grizzly Bear Attack Ended by Two GLOCK 10mm Pistols
A successful defensive use of GLOCK 10mm pistols to stop a grizzly bear attack in the interior of Alaska on July 19, 2025 has been recorded.
Mushroom Hunters Stop 300-Lb Grizzly Charge With Handguns
On May 21, 2025, near Choteau, MT, Justin Lee and John Long used their pistols to stop an attack of a grizzly bear. Here are the details.
Missouri Debates New Night Hunting Options With Thermal Optics
Facing surging urban coyote encounters, Missouri considers extending legal use of night‑vision and thermal optics
Study Shows Hunted Bears Fear Humans—And Kill Fewer People
Brown bears, also known as grizzly bears, and Kodiak bears, European brown bears and Hokkaido brown bears are all members of Ursas Arctos. They are all in the same species and are genetically the same with minor variations.
Update on First Recorded Fatal Bear Attack in Florida
The Florida Fish Wildlife and Conservation Commission has released it initial report on the investigation of the first recorded fatal bear attack in Florida. Perhaps some questions will be answered in a future report.
Arizona Man Shoots Mountain Lion After Repeated Attacks
A mountain lion repeatedly attacked a man and his dog near Buckeye, Arizona. Because the lion was persistent, the man used his self defense handgun to shoot the lion, killing it. Arizona Game and Fish ruled the killing as self defense.
How Firearms and Horses Helped Settlers Survive Grizzly Bear Country
Horses and firearms in post-Columbian America made humans the masters of Grizzly bears.