U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)-– On August 6, 2022, at about 1 p.m., a hiker In Jasper National Park was approached to within about 100 feet by a black bear. The hiker was carrying a 20 gauge shotgun. He fired a warning shot, which did not dissuade the bear. He continued down the trail a short way, only to discover the bear had stalked closer to him. He fired a slug at the bear. The bear was hit and rolled down a creek bank toward a stream.
A person called Jasper Dispatch to report their friend had shot a black bear with a 20-gauge shotgun on the Overlander Trail, about seven kilometres east of the trailhead, according to an email from Parks Canada.
The pair saw the bear about 30 metres away when one hiker
fired a warning shot toward it. The animal reacted but did not run away, so the hiker shot again, according to Parks Canada. The bear then rolled down a short creek bank and the pair left the scene immediately. The extent of the bear’s injuries are unknown, but blood was found at the scene.
David Argument is Jasper Park’s Resource Conservation Officer. His opinion is that no one except officers such as himself should be armed in the park because they pose a danger to wildlife.
Carrying a firearm in a national park is illegal.
“It poses obviously a threat to wildlife here and other park users,” Argument said.
In another source, the Argument reveals the bear continued to move closer to the hiker but attributes it to “topography.” This is blatantly dishonest. Black bears have excellent hearing and smell. It is not credible the
