Best breed for big game hunting companion.

[jimh406]

Garbage in, garbage out.

What part do you disagree with? I'm pretty sure Yellowstone/Teton/Glacier rangers have more experience than you, but enlighten us.

 

[RockAndSage]

What part do you disagree with? I'm pretty sure Yellowstone/Teton/Glacier rangers have more experience than you, but enlighten us.

It's the same rhetorical $h*t that academics and "experts" craft to try to convince people that having a gun in the home is a bad idea - badguy might take it, kill you with it, domestic violence, suicide, etc, etc, etc.

They find grains of debatable truth, and craft whole philosophies of disarmament around it.

If you want to disarm yourself of an excellent alarm system and protective asset in the form of an animal that has literally protected us from bears from the time we were in caves, go right ahead. But that set of Grok answers was f'ing moronic.

 

[jimh406]

If you want to disarm yourself of an excellent alarm system and protective asset in the form of an animal that has literally protected us from bears from the time we were in caves, go right ahead. But that set of Grok answers was f'ing moronic.

So, you missed that dogs are the cause of the attack. It's kind of like loading a handgun setting it on your coffee table with safety off even though you know you have young kids. There is a potential downside but it might be ok. Most would think the downside out weighs the upside.

Grok just compiles available data which should be ok unless you don't like facts. It had nothing to do with academics or politics. If you hated that one, you'll really hate this one. Btw, Grok lists sources in their results. I just left that out.

question was "bear attacks caused by dogs". you could also query for "attacks prevented by dogs". I included the grizzly cases after this list.

Statistics and Documented Cases​

• In Alaska (1970–2017): ~50 % of brown/grizzly bear attacks that resulted in human injury involved a dog being present or off-leash.
• Yellowstone National Park: Dogs are cited as a leading trigger in black bear attacks on humans.
• Glacier National Park: Multiple fatal and near-fatal grizzly attacks started with an off-leash dog chasing or barking at the bear.
• 2021 fatal grizzly attack in Montana: A guide’s bird dog flushed a grizzly; the bear charged, killed the guide, and mauled another hunter.
• British Columbia and Alberta: Numerous cases every year where hikers walking dogs (even on-leash) are charged because the bear sees the barking dog as a threat.

Types of Bears and Reactions​

• Black bears: Usually bluff-charge or swat, but will attack if cornered or if cubs are present. Dogs often trigger “predatory” chases in black bears.
• Grizzlies/brown bears: More likely to follow through with full attack, especially if surprised or defending cubs/food.

Notable Verified Cases Where Dogs Saved People from Grizzly Bears​

1. 2012, Alberta, Canada (grizzly) A large male grizzly charged a man walking his German shepherd. The dog intercepted the bear, fought it off, and gave the owner time to deploy bear spray. The bear fled. Dog survived with injuries.
2. 2016, Wyoming (grizzly sow with cubs) A bowhunter was charged by a grizzly at <20 yards. His two Karelian bear dogs (bred specifically for bear work) engaged the bear aggressively, turning a near-certain mauling into a bluff charge. The bear broke off.
3. 2020, British Columbia (grizzly) A hiker surprised a grizzly at close range. His large Alaskan malamute placed itself between the bear and owner and barked aggressively. The bear stopped the charge and left.

 

[RockAndSage]

Grok just compiles available data

Garbage in, garbage out.

No matter how many "facts" someone comes up with, it is never in your interest to disarm.

 

[jimh406]

Garbage in, garbage out.

No matter how many "facts" someone comes up with, it is never in your interest to disarm.

Saying the same thing multiple times doesn't make it true. You are welcome to bring your bear attractant with you.

I never said to leave your bear spray and firearm at home, so you wouldn't quite be disarmed.

 

[IronNoggin]

You are welcome to bring your bear attractant with you.

I agree with him in that a lot of that is hogwash.

Amaruq (aka The Boogyman) was actual hell on wheels with any bear we ran into.
He carved right up over a dozen that did not back off fast enough, and treed a hell of a lot more that had the sense to get away from him as fast as possible.
Left chunks of those that did not flee scattered all over - repeatedly.

Now try & convince me that my real world experience in this matter does not matter...

 

[RockAndSage]

* Moron leaves his dogfood out, attracts bears.
* Agenda-driven clever morons latch onto incident to claim dogs attract bears, as part of their agenda to further enshrine bears as protected, sanctified species
* Agenda-driven morons commission "studies" structured to cherry-pick "facts" to establish "truth"
* "facts" and "truth" spread across the interwebnetz.
* AI models get trained on these "facts" and "truth" and regurgitate it with an enhanced veneer of authority.
* Gullible people believe this propaganda as part of their need to feel smart, and try to force how smart they are on internet forums by preaching "truth" and "facts" that fundamentally go against common sense so that people commit suicide-by-disarmament.

Miss me with this moronic $h*t.

Dogs are your best friend, in the woods too.

 

[grfox92]

Grok says.

Dogs in bear country (whether black bears or grizzlies) are a bad idea for several interconnected reasons. Wildlife biologists, park rangers, and search-and-rescue teams consistently advise against bringing dogs into areas with high bear activity. Here’s why:

1. Dogs trigger a predator/prey chase response in bears
Bears (especially grizzlies) see a running, barking dog as either prey or a threat. Dogs often harass or chase bears, then run back to their owner with an angry bear in tow. This is the #1 way people get mauled when they have a dog with them.

2. Most dogs cannot actually fight or deter a bear
Despite what some owners think, even large, “protective” breeds are usually killed or severely injured in seconds by a bear. The dog almost always flees back to the owner, bringing the bear with it.

3. Bear spray and firearms are less effective when a dog is involved
When a dog is escalating the situation, you often don’t have time to deploy bear spray properly or aim a firearm safely. Many documented maulings happened because the owner was trying to control or protect the dog instead of focusing on the bear.

4. Dogs attract bears to campsites
Bears are drawn to dog food, dog feces, and even the smell of the dog itself. There are multiple cases of bears entering camps at night specifically because a dog was tied up or sleeping in the tent.

5. Leashed dogs can still cause problems
A leashed dog can lunge and bark, provoking a defensive bear from 50–100 yards away. Off-leash dogs are even worse because they range far ahead and encounter bears before you know anything is wrong.

6. Real-world data backs this up
- In Yellowstone National Park, dogs have been involved in a disproportionate number of bear–human conflicts when they’re allowed (they’re now banned on virtually all trails).
- Glacier National Park explicitly states: “Dogs often initiate a negative encounter with a bear that leads to human injury.”
- A 2018 study of grizzly attacks in Alaska found that having a dog present increased the likelihood of injury, not decreased it.

7. The few exceptions (trained Karelian bear dogs, etc.) don’t apply to pets
Professional bear-aversion dogs used by wildlife agencies are specially bred, rigorously trained from puppyhood, and handled by experts. Your Labrador or German shepherd is not in that category.

Bottom line: If you’re hiking or camping in grizzly or heavy black-bear country (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, parts of Colorado, California, British Columbia, Alberta, etc.), leave the dog at home or board it. It’s safer for you, safer for the dog, and safer for the bears. Many national parks and wilderness areas outright ban dogs on trails for this exact reason.

This is the biggest load of shit I've ever read. I dont care who exposes these ideas, a good dog in bear country isn't increasing your risk of being attacked. If it did, everyone who hunts around my area would be dead. Instead locals almost never get mauled and we have the highest densities of G Bears in the lower 48, and everyone has a dog with them. Real dogs, not the Californians Yorkie who instigated a bear in Glacier National Park.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[jimh406]

A "good" bear dog. How do you propose to find out if your dog is a good one or not?

Fwiw, what the data says that I posted is unless you have a "trained" bear dog, you are likely better off without it. I'm sure there are a few people training their dogs for bear protection ... probably not many.

 

[RockAndSage]

Fwiw, what the data says that I posted is unless you have a "trained" gun owner, you are likely better off without it.

Same $h*t.

Go away.

 

[IronNoggin]

I'm sure there are a few people training their dogs for bear protection ... probably not many.

I did not "train" Amaruq as a bear dog.
In fact when he literally and seriously ATTACKED the first one he ever encountered, I was more than a little bit surprised. Inherent instinct I guess. And he stuck with that ferocious behavior all of his life, never ever backing down.

Some have it.

I doubt many bootprint mutts do.

 

[jimh406]

Same $h*t.

Go away.

Use the ignore feature instead of misquoting me.

 

[kfili]

This was one of my favorite threads before it started going off the rails. More dog suggestions please. Anyone have a dog that doubles as a trail (mtb)dog?