Polar bears, unlike other bears, will actively prey upon humans, given the opportunity. Such an encounter is a “do everything that you can to dissuade it” sort of situation. Food is hard to come by in the North, if a polar bear gets within shotgun range, it’s almost certainly going for s snack.
Exactly, and a shotgun with birdshot is not going to convince it that you are a mortal threat. Using one against a bear that maybe wasn’t going to eat you might just convince it that you need to be dead anyways.
Note: This is in the context where the bear returns with them on land following its tracks, not with them on the boat. Scaring it from the boat was still the right call.
Polar bears, unlike other bears, will actively prey upon humans, given the opportunity. Such an encounter is a “do everything that you can to dissuade it” sort of situation. Food is hard to come by in the North, if a polar bear gets within shotgun range, it’s almost certainly going for s snack.
Exactly, and a shotgun with birdshot is not going to convince it that you are a mortal threat. Using one against a bear that maybe wasn’t going to eat you might just convince it that you need to be dead anyways.
Note: This is in the context where the bear returns with them on land following its tracks, not with them on the boat. Scaring it from the boat was still the right call.