A hunter has described how he gunned down a charging brown bear with a handgun simply seconds earlier than it mauled his celebration.
Tyce Erickson was stalking bears on Kodiak Island in Alaska in May, hoping to bag one with his bow from shut vary.
On the second-to-last day of the two-week hunt in distant wilderness, he lastly noticed a bear he may sneak up on and kill.
The father-of-four crept up on the 1,000-pound bear, hoping to get a shot from 30 toes away, however spooked it as he method and it retreated.
Tyce Erickson gunned down this charging brown bear with a handgun simply seconds earlier than it mauled his celebration throughout a hunt on Kodiak Island, Alaska
![Erickson, a father-of-four, was hoping to bag a bear with his bow from close range](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/09/16/87118423-13616365-Erickson_a_father_of_four_was_hoping_to_bag_a_bear_with_his_bow_-a-1_1720540451297.jpg)
Erickson, a father-of-four, hoped to bag a bear with his bow from shut vary
Not wanting to depart the costly hunt empty-handed, he borrowed his searching companion’s rifle and shot at the bear from 50 toes – however missed.
His second shot hit, however the bear disappeared from view and he wasn’t positive whether or not he took it down, so the searching celebration moved round to see it.
The bear was not the place they anticipated it to be mendacity, so it was nonetheless alive and strolling away leaving a blood path that they adopted.
After monitoring the bear for about two miles, the bear determined it had sufficient and it charged down the aspect of a hill at its pursuers.
‘Suddenly you hear this [noise like a bear’s howl] and this bear simply erupts out of the alder [trees] proper at Ryan, our information,’ he instructed the Back Country Hunting podcast.
Erickson was about 10 toes behind Ryan and watched as he fired at and hit the charging bear in the chest, however didn’t cease its advance.
‘He pulls his rifle out simply in time as the bear’s about 20 toes from him, coming proper at him. Boom and he shoots… and when he steps again his leg will get caught and he falls onto his again and he yells, “Help, help,”‘ he mentioned.
![Erickson, pictured with his wife Rachel, is an experienced hunter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/09/16/87118439-13616365-image-m-8_1720539435626.jpg)
Erickson, pictured with his spouse Rachel, is an skilled hunter
![Erickson runs a bird dog training company and hunts with friend sin his spare time](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/09/16/87118437-13616365-image-a-4_1720539332569.jpg)
Erickson runs a chook canine coaching firm and hunts with buddy sin his spare time
Erickson did not have a transparent shot previous Ryan with his 10mm Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0, so he crawled by bushes till he may get to Ryan’s aspect – simply as the bear resumed its cost.
‘I acquired to his aspect… at this level he’s solely about 12ft off my barrel and pulled out my handgun and simply unloaded on him,’ he mentioned.
‘I did not actually have time to get nervous… it was getting actual proper now, simply in that second [I was thinking] I’m saving Ryan’s life. I shot thrice… and by the third shot it ended up taking him down.
‘It’s rolling down the hill and hits the alders, and it was like we killed the dragon that was destroying the village, we have been cheering, it was an adrenaline rush.’Â
Ryan poked the bear to verify it was useless and it growled and raised its head, so he shot it once more by the shoulder to complete it off.
![After tracking the bear for about two miles, the bear decided it had enough and it would charge down the side of a hill at its pursuers](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/09/16/87118415-13616365-image-a-6_1720539348453.jpg)
After monitoring the bear for about two miles, the bear determined it had sufficient and it could cost down the aspect of a hill at its pursuers
![Erickson hit the bear with at least two of his three shots, in the back and neck, bringing it down](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/09/16/87118411-13616365-image-a-7_1720539363880.jpg)
Erickson hit the bear with at the very least two of his three photographs, in the again and neck, bringing it down
Erickson mentioned the assistant information was so far-off that the cheering seemed like screaming and collectively with so many photographs he thought ‘somebody simply died’.
‘I did not wish to have that have, nevertheless it made [the hunt] thrilling,’ he mentioned.
‘You by no means wish to see an animal endure however I’m glad we have been in a position to get him and get well the animal and have these experiences that we get to inform children and our households and associates.’
Erickson mentioned at the very least two of his handgun photographs hit the bear in the again and neck, and his rifle shot that first wounded it hit the again of its knee.
Hunting bear is authorized on Kodiak Island, as controlling the male bear inhabitants prevents them from killing too many cubs to allow them to mate with the females.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game points solely 4 bear licenses a yr in the space they have been searching, every of which could be very costly.