Packing enough gun?

[nhenry]

I think a lot of mushers would benefit from a lever gun in a scabbard, but that's just me. Easier to be precise with, more oomph than a 9mm, fast enough follow up shots if needed.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I'm not sure bear spray would be a good idea when the moose is on top of the dogs. They get hit with the spray and it would be worse pandemonium. This was a uniquely bad situation. I also suspect she didn't know what she was doing with the gun. Hopefully she didn't shoot one of the dogs. Personally, if any critter comes after my dogs, it is going to have a real fight on its hands. I probably would have stuck that gun in the moose's ear and pulled the trigger. I would die for them ... and not even think about it.

 

[MarvB]

Somebody sent me this version, a little more info, sounds like it was a. 380 auto.

Alaska moose attack against Iditarod sled team leaves 4 dogs injured

A large bull moose spent more than an hour stomping on the sled dog team of a rookie Iditarod musher in the wilds of Alaska last week.

www.foxnews.com

Yeah that's not much of a gun against a pissed off moose...I also found this quote a bit odd:

"She said no musher would ever travel with a rifle or a large caliber gun, instead preferring to scare off animals with a flare gun. And with all the jostling of the sled, the larger guns could easily go off."

 

[nhenry]

Yeah that's not much of a gun against a pissed off moose...I also found this quote a bit odd:

"She said no musher would ever travel with a rifle or a large caliber gun, instead preferring to scare off animals with a flare gun. And with all the jostling of the sled, the larger guns could easily go off."

Maybe don't chamber a round then if you're so worried ffs.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

With that I agree. If you are using anything to defend your life you should be training with it like your life depends on it. Bear Spray is definitely easier to achieve an effective hit with for a novice.

Yup, were on the same page. That's why I get a kick out of so many people asking (used to live in AK) about what size pistol to buy, I always give the same answer, bear spray

 

[OntarioHunter]

Yeah that's not much of a gun against a pissed off moose...I also found this quote a bit odd:

"She said no musher would ever travel with a rifle or a large caliber gun, instead preferring to scare off animals with a flare gun. And with all the jostling of the sled, the larger guns could easily go off."

Well, that confirms it. The gal didn't have a clue what she was doing. Oh yeah, fire a flare gun over the top of your dogs! Yikes! Sounds like a good way to win that race in record time. Hang on, baby!! A freaking .380? Are you kidding? I doubt it would take down a meth-crazed preteen. Why in God's name would anyone wrestling with a sled racing through flying snow in subzero weather for hundreds of miles be carrying an auto handgun of ANY sort for protection. The damn thing is liable to ice up. Double action .357 revolver is what she needs. At the very least. I'm sure she could have emptied three magazines from that cap gun into the moose and it would still be standing. From now on the SPCA should be ensuring these mushers are properly armed and trained to kill. Yep, make that their responsibility. Heh, heh!

 

[Bambistew]

I couldn't imagine being that helpless. Terrible situation.

There was a musher here a couple years ago that was chased down and her dogs run over by a drunk. She wasn't armed either. He was trying to kill her and her dogs with his snowmachine. A 380 would have been better than nothing, but damn, not much.

 

[Anschutz]

Yup, were on the same page. That's why I get a kick out of so many people asking (used to live in AK) about what size pistol to buy, I always give the same answer, bear spray

It seems we're on the same page. I currently live in Fairbanks. I have an 8-shot 357 and can pretty reliably empty a cylinder of 180gr Grizzly Cartridge into the A Zone of a USPSA target at 10 yards in around 4 seconds. It's taken a few thousand Short Colts and Specials to get to that point. I did just pick up a Ruger SRH Alaskan in .44 but I've only put 25 rounds through it so far and need a holster before I train up with heavy 44 loads. My wife always has the bear spray when we're out and about. Surprisingly, I haven't even seen a bear even when we visited Denali.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

It seems we're on the same page. I currently live in Fairbanks. I have an 8-shot 357 and can pretty reliably empty a cylinder of 180gr Grizzly Cartridge into the A Zone of a USPSA target at 10 yards in around 4 seconds. It's taken a few thousand Short Colts and Specials to get to that point. I did just pick up a Ruger SRH Alaskan in .44 but I've only put 25 rounds through it so far and need a holster before I train up with heavy 44 loads. My wife always has the bear spray when we're out and about. Surprisingly, I haven't even seen a bear even when we visited Denali.

Always saw/see them when fishing myself. I am more worried about the idiots packing pistols than the actual bears at the Russian....

 

[longbow51]

This a nice non-fiction book by the author of the "Brian" series ("The Hatchet", "Brian's Winter", etc.) where he relates several moose encounters while running sled dogs.

 

[2rocky]

 

[F250]

I wore a shoulder holster for years carrying a Glock 23 in .40 while working from boats, ATVs, and snowmobiles. Easy to get to if wearing chest waders or snowmobile bibs. With practice a draw was fairly quick.

 

[Salmonchaser]

.380 auto

 

[longbow51]

.380 auto

??? I know you guided there, but .380?

 

[Beignet]

I saw something that said at 14*F is where bear spray freezes. It's been a few weeks since I've seen 14* in the Interior, not sure what the temps were like out that way. I'm also interested in what she was using and where it was hit.

I’ve heard of dudes using those sticky foot warmers on their bear spray cans when it’s real cold out.

I’ve always been concerned that they could blow up all over my car like a can of soda in the freezer if I forget one in there.

 

[thusby]

A very sharp 3 inch blade and a motivated individual could fix that whole situation. If you aren’t up to task it doesn’t matter what you are packing.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

This has been one of the toughest winters on moose in 30 years.
They are vulnerable to wolf predation due to very deep snow with a crust.
So moose choose to stay on roads/trails and will defend their position aggressively.
The last bad winter like this one (1993), 2 people in the Anchorage area were stomped to death by moose.

One potential problem with bear spray is they get up on their hind legs and stomp with their front legs so a moving target 7 feet up in the air. Compared to a charging bear, a more challenging critter to stop with bear spray.
A potential problem with any fire arm is a moose shot in the heart/lungs typically takes a minute or more to die even with a .338Win mag rifle and a moose can do much damage stomping in that minute.
A tough situation for anyone mushing that approaches a moose blocking the trail,
because it is difficult to quickly retreat with a team of barking dogs.

Fortunately, no dogs were killed...4 were injured and Bridgett hopes to run the Iditarod with the 12 of 16 remaining good to go.
Bridgett will be a rookie in the Iditarod, but her parents are well known mushers (Allen Moore and Ally Zirkle).

 

[Salmonchaser]

??? I know you guided there, but .380?

That is what she had, I always carry a rifle or shotgun when out with my dogs.

 

[Dave N]

I've been following this story plus the one where the team jumped out onto Parks Highway and got hit not far from our cabin. It's sad. Being right in the middle of lots of mushers I can see where they train. Glad BOTH women didn't get hurt.

 

[NECALI]

Something just doesn’t look right in the pictures. I’m sure her dogs were hurt etc. but why would the dogs just be sitting or lying down when a moose was stomping them? No blood on the snow no dogs barking, just weird. Could those pictures be of another incident that the media found to post to go along with the story?