The debate over whether bear spray or firearms are a better defense in grizzly country might never be settled, and among those choosing guns, squabbling over which preferred firearm is best is likewise never-ending.
But count Tyce Erickson among fans of the 10 mm APC handgun cartridge.
Tyson, a dog trainer from Utah, was recently hunting massive brown bears on Kodiak Island in Alaska.
And while Wyoming’s grizzlies are huge, sometimes tipping the scales at around 700 pounds, Kodiak bears are real tanks. They can get up to 1,500 pounds.
When Erickson and his guide were charged by an enraged, wounded 1,000-pound Kodiak bear, he dropped it with three shots from his Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 chambered in 10 mm.
Now he swears by the pistol and told Cowboy State Daily he’ll pack it in Wyoming if his hoped-for elk hunt here works out.
“I love that pistol. I just got it, and that trip to Alaska was the first hunt I took it on,” he said. “And I’m glad I had it.”
Similar sentiments were expressed to Cowboy State Daily by Lee Francis of Evanston, who tangled with a grizzly bear in the remote Gros Ventre range in October 2022.
He swore his Glock 10 mm pistol saved his life, even though he accidentally shot himself in the calf during the furious attack.
The bear had knocked Francis on his back, and he was kicking at its face while firing as fast as he could at near point-blank range.
’15 Rounds Would Stop That Train’
Bear hunting on Kodiak Island is limited, Erickson said.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issues about only four bear licenses each year in the area where he and a friend wanted to hunt. So, they felt fortunate to have both gotten bear tags.
It’s preferable that hunters kill only big boars (male bears), he added.
“Those big boars will kill cubs so they can put the females back into heat and mate with them,” he said. “Taking some of those mature boars helps to keep the cubs safe and helps maintain a healthy bear population on Kodiak Island.”
Along with their guide, who Erickson has known for years, they hunted for roughly two weeks in May.
The guide wanted to be identified in this story by only his first name, Ryan, and is excellent at what he does, Erickson said.
“Our guide has been doing it since he was 18 years old. He is 34 now, those guys are tough dudes,” he said.
The other hunter bagged his bear early on, but as the days dragged on, it became uncertain whether Erickson would fill his bear tag.
It’s legal to hunt bears on Kodiak Island with either a firearm or a bow. He wanted to shoot his bear with a bow, which, required getting close. Real close, as in, 30 yards or so.
So, he was glad to have his 10 mm pistol along just in case, secure in a chest holster and fully loaded with 15 rounds of 220-grain hardcast bullets.
“I figured if anything went wrong with during the bow hunt and a bear came after me, 15 rounds would stop that train,” he said.
On nearly the last day of the hunt, Erickso crept to within 38 yards of a huge male bear, but it spooked before he could take aim and let loose an arrow.
When the bear stopped still within rifle range, Erickson decided to borrow the other hunter’s rifle.
He missed his first shot and then fired a second shot as the bear headed toward the brush. The three men heard the distinct “wallop” of a bullet striking the animal, but the bear didn’t go down, he said.
Now they were in a situation that every hunter and guide dreads — following a huge, wounded bear into thick cover.
‘A 200-Yard Track Turned Into 2 Miles’
It didn’t take long to find the bear’s tracks and a blood trail.
Spotting the blood made them hopeful. They expected the hunt to end soon, but they needed to move carefully and be on high alert.
As they made their way through brush and thick forest, it became apparent that it wasn’t going to be a quick wrap-up aftrer all.
“A 200-yard track turned into 2 miles,” Erickson said.
At some point, the other hunter got separated from them by about 50 yards or so, a considerable distance in that sort of tangle.
Ryan was in the lead with his rifle at the ready, and Erickson was following with his pistol.
Seconds Seem Like Forever
Despite taking a bullet to one of its legs, the bear had the advantage. The wind had been at the men’s backs nearly the entire time, blowing their scent right toward the bear.
The thick bushes and branches made stealth impossible.
“There was no way we could move through that stuff without making a bunch of noise,” Erickson said.
The bear had finally hunkered down in an ideal spot for an ambush.
“He came right out of the brush, right toward Ryan. He had smelled us and heard us and knew we were coming,” Erickson said. “He didn’t like us and he’d had enough. He was coming for us.”
When the bear exploded out of the brush, Ryan got a shot off with his rifle, which stopped the bear for a moment. But then Ryan tripped backyard over a log. He tried firing another shot, but knew his situation was hopeless, and started yelling for help.
From where he was, Erickson couldn’t get a clear shot without risking hitting Ryan, so he dropped down and started crawling to a better position.
“This all happened in just a few seconds, but it seemed to go on a lot longer,” Erickson said.
“Your adrenaline is pumping,” he said. “You don’t really have time to think. You’re just like, I’m not going to run away from this guy while he’s yelling for help.”
After what seemed like forever, Erickson finally had a clear shot and fired three times at the bear, which immediately rolled over.
“I would have fired more, but Ryan yelled ‘stop shooting!’ He didn’t want the bear’s skull to get ruined,” Erickson said.
As they approached the fallen bear, “It lifted its head and growled,” and another shot into the vitals through the shoulder finished it off.
As they skinned the huge carcass out, they surmised that Ryan’s rifle shot had struck it in the chest. Slowing it down but not stopping it.
At least two of Erickson’s pistol rounds hit, in the back and neck, putting it down.
‘It Turned Out Positive’
As dicey as the situation got, it could have been worse, Erickson said.
He wished his first hit on the bear with the other hunter’s rifle would have been better.
“Nobody likes wounding an animal,” he said.
And it was downright scary following a wounded bear into such thick cover. But once they saw blood, they knew were obligated to see it through. Leaving the bear to suffer wasn’t an option.
“We were glad it all turned out positive, guns worked the way they should and no one was hurt,” he said.
“It’s an amazing place in the world to be able to hunt those amazing animals. I hope it stays that way forever. The bears are healthy and doing great there,” he added.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
