English Setter Fends Off Bear
 

Just saw this. Seems a retired old hunting dog showed he had what it takes to the last. Hard one to read about and not get a moist eye. Whoever retired and got rid of old Pete if that is the story, well......

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/...D=ansmsnnews11

He seen his duty an' he done it!

Man's best friend lives up to the name once again!





.

Let's hope that this story has a little bit of internet fantasy in it. Just my take on it.

That's why I have setters.

Dang Bill, tell me you didn't cry when Ol Yellar got shot.

Reality may be different though and it may or may not of happened just as they say it did, none of us were there and it sounds like only they could see part of it themselves. Don't know if Ol' Pete had any noble intentions are not and I am leery about putting human emotions and morality into animals, but dogs are something different. They do have protective instincts that can be engaged without much trigger. If there is a perceived threat and they can sense it, it is either fight, flight or submissiveness. I mean I have heard of polar bears befriending huskies and eating huskies.

Ask most highly regarded heros that are still alive what they were thinking at the time and most say, I wasn't thinking, I was just functioning. Maybe Ol Pete just reacted and obviously just bit off more than he could chew when bear false/bluff charged, or it could have been a real charge. Hard to say what a grouchy hungry bear will do that feels cornered or threatened. All we know is the result and it appears Ol Pete did not back down from a wild animal that was way better equipped and probably grossly outweighed him. Regardless of his intentions or function that old dog apparently did not tuck tail and run. Who knows that old bear might have even wanted to make a meal of one of those dogs, its rare but it has happened.

Anyway got soft spot for old hunting dogs since that is first dog that ever remember having, which was one of my dad's retired brittanies. Ol Ranger got too old to go and became a yard dog. I was about 3 or 4 and whenever I went to run around outside that old dog followed me like a shadow. I still remember that old dog hobbling around after me.

an Old Hemlock setter took on a bear in Vermont several years ago - the dog lived to tell about it

We had an article in Parker Pages a few years back about a setter, while grouse hunting, was attacked by a bear. The dog survived but only because the bear was "Parkerized" to death while in the process of mauling the setter.






.

Shot a bear with a shotgun...?? :shock:

Yes indeed!





.

Hunting in the wild and wooly places that we do, I'm surprised these interactions don't occur more often'. I have had 3 bear encounters, 1 wolf encounter, and 1 coyote encounter while hunting. Probably have related these before but here we go:
around 1989 in the UP, my Brittany Jess started a moving point that turned out to be a crippled and emaciated bear. It had a broken back, as it was pulling itself along with its front legs and couldn't have lasted much longer--yes I put it down with my VH 20 26" cyl/mod and a load of 8's.
Many years later, Jess the Brittany was 14 and quite deaf, but still hunting. As we moved thru a little clearing in the cut, a black bear rose up then charged across toward the unknowing dog--I fired 2 shots at it from 40 yds with my 1frame VH 16, and it veered off into the cut.
A pack of wolves closed in around us one day off the Big Wheels RD( sure COB knows where that is at). Betty was in full blown heat, and I believe that attracted them. I snapped a leash on her, fired 2 shots to scare off the wolves, and got the heck out of the area.
This year in Kansas, on the first day, a coyote jumped up just in front of Fancy, then whirled and came running back toword her--I greeted him with 2 loads of Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5's.
Forgot about my first setter, Thicket--hunting one day off Deerfoot Lodge Rd, he came running back as we ran into a sow with 2 cubs--momma sent the two cubs up a tree--looked at us then backed off. The Parker 16 was on my shoulder and safety off. That cover has ever since been known as the Black Bear Cover.
Don't ever want to run into a big cat--but those at hanging out in the UP also.