Improvised Weapons? Who Needs a Gun when you have Unguents

Wildalaska · October 15, 2007, 03:49 PM

Bear squeezes through window into Clam Gulch cabin kitchen
SURPRISE: Muffins lured him in; a hurled bottle drove him out.

The Associated Press

(Published: October 15, 2007)

KENAI -- A Clam Gulch man awakened by a bump in the night went to investigate and found an intruder, but it wasn't a burglar.

Instead, Blaine Harling found himself face to snout with a black bear that had come in through an open window.

Harling, 19, moved to Alaska in June from Bend, Ore., found a job on the Kenai Peninsula and has been staying at the cabin belonging to his grandparents, Vic and Jill Harling of Anchorage.

Vic Harling said his grandson was sleeping in the basement Oct. 7 when a noise upstairs woke him.

"He thought it was the blinds flopping in the window from a 2-feet-wide by 5-feet-high crank-out window that he had left open for ventilation," he said.

The screened window was open just 18 inches, but that was enough for the adult black bear to slip through.

"He walked into the kitchen and it was just standing there, about 3 feet away, in front of the refrigerator," Harling said. "So he grabbed the first thing he could, which was a shampoo bottle, or a lotion bottle, something like that, and he whipped it at the bear and then he took off back down to basement."

Harling pushed a dresser in front of the door and called Alaska State Troopers, who contacted the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The teenager also called his grandparents. After he convinced them he wasn't joking, they told him how to unlock their gun cabinet and he armed himself with a .44-caliber and a .45-caliber handgun, said Jill Harling.

Wildlife technician Larry Lewis reached the Harlings' cabin about 2 a.m. The emergency officials blasted a siren to frighten the bear.

"We spotlighted the house and saw a big black bear out back in the alders, but we couldn't say for certain that it was the same bear," Lewis said.

Lewis and state troopers searched the two-story home to make sure it contained no bears.

"We went room to room, but there were no other signs, so the bear we saw out back must have been the same one that was seen inside," Lewis said. "We think it went out the same window it came in, which was pretty lucky for the homeowner. Had it been a brown bear, they usually exit by making their own hole."

Jill Harling said her grandson created more of a mess by splattering the lotion bottle off the bear's head than the bear did. She and her husband, awakened shortly after 1 a.m. by their grandson, reached the cabin by about 6 a.m.

"It moved a few things around, ate a few muffins that were left out, pulled the garbage out and spread it around, and left nose and paw prints on mirrors and the TV., but there was no real damage," said Vic Harling. "It was amazing, really. It didn't even knock over lamps near where it came in."

What the family believes was the same bear appeared on their deck that night. This time, all entrance points to the house were secured.

They're keeping their firearms closer in case the bear returns.

"I wouldn't mind having some bear meat in the freezer," Jill Harling said.

WildgimmesomelorealAlaska ™

Don P · October 16, 2007, 06:19 PM

mean you will now be stocking and selling for self defence, lotions in plastic or glass? Could be the next great Alaskan Gold Rush, sort of!

Billy Sparks · October 17, 2007, 06:35 AM

If you want to get WA's dander up just ask him if they stock sunglasses.....

Wildalaska · October 17, 2007, 12:04 PM

Billy!!!!!!!!!

WildgrrrrrrrrrrrrrrAlaska ™

BillCA · October 17, 2007, 01:42 PM

Thoughts on this story...

- A one hour response time.

No wonder so many people keep guns up in Alaska.

- There's probably a large number of chemicals that are offensive to a bear's olfactory nodules. Ammonia being the first common one I can think of. But then, both you and the bear may be outside trying to get some fresh air. Come to think about it... burned gunpowder is probably the best one.

- I can't wait to hear some Brady-ite express shock that the grandparents would allow someone under 21 unsupervised access to their handguns.

- Since the young man was from Bend, Oregon, should we presume those were bran muffins the bear ate? Hopefully the bear got his fill of fiber and won't come back too soon.

Wildalaska · October 17, 2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

A one hour response time. No wonder so many people keep guns up in Alaska.

Thats fast for some places up here.

WildtrybeingbrokedownonthehighwayAlaska ™

Billy Sparks · October 18, 2007, 07:28 AM

One night on a EMS call in NC I had to fight a mentally disturbed woman for close to 45 minutes before the first LEO arrived and that was campus security from the local university.

BillCA · October 19, 2007, 02:09 AM

One of the local sporting goods stores carries different bottled "scent" solutions for hunters and training dogs. A friend of mine had a problem with stray dogs defecating on his lawn and bought some Lion scent which kept them away. I wonder if something like that would work to keep bears away from homes?

Ledbetter · October 19, 2007, 02:19 PM

If they threw shampoo at him and he ran away, are they sure it wasn't an old HIPPIE?

October 15, 2007, 03:49 PM	#1
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Improvised Weapons? Who Needs a Gun when you have Unguents Bear squeezes through window into Clam Gulch cabin kitchen SURPRISE: Muffins lured him in; a hurled bottle drove him out. The Associated Press (Published: October 15, 2007) KENAI -- A Clam Gulch man awakened by a bump in the night went to investigate and found an intruder, but it wasn't a burglar. Instead, Blaine Harling found himself face to snout with a black bear that had come in through an open window. Harling, 19, moved to Alaska in June from Bend, Ore., found a job on the Kenai Peninsula and has been staying at the cabin belonging to his grandparents, Vic and Jill Harling of Anchorage. Vic Harling said his grandson was sleeping in the basement Oct. 7 when a noise upstairs woke him. "He thought it was the blinds flopping in the window from a 2-feet-wide by 5-feet-high crank-out window that he had left open for ventilation," he said. The screened window was open just 18 inches, but that was enough for the adult black bear to slip through. "He walked into the kitchen and it was just standing there, about 3 feet away, in front of the refrigerator," Harling said. "So he grabbed the first thing he could, which was a shampoo bottle, or a lotion bottle, something like that, and he whipped it at the bear and then he took off back down to basement." Harling pushed a dresser in front of the door and called Alaska State Troopers, who contacted the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The teenager also called his grandparents. After he convinced them he wasn't joking, they told him how to unlock their gun cabinet and he armed himself with a .44-caliber and a .45-caliber handgun, said Jill Harling. Wildlife technician Larry Lewis reached the Harlings' cabin about 2 a.m. The emergency officials blasted a siren to frighten the bear. "We spotlighted the house and saw a big black bear out back in the alders, but we couldn't say for certain that it was the same bear," Lewis said. Lewis and state troopers searched the two-story home to make sure it contained no bears. "We went room to room, but there were no other signs, so the bear we saw out back must have been the same one that was seen inside," Lewis said. "We think it went out the same window it came in, which was pretty lucky for the homeowner. Had it been a brown bear, they usually exit by making their own hole." Jill Harling said her grandson created more of a mess by splattering the lotion bottle off the bear's head than the bear did. She and her husband, awakened shortly after 1 a.m. by their grandson, reached the cabin by about 6 a.m. "It moved a few things around, ate a few muffins that were left out, pulled the garbage out and spread it around, and left nose and paw prints on mirrors and the TV., but there was no real damage," said Vic Harling. "It was amazing, really. It didn't even knock over lamps near where it came in." What the family believes was the same bear appeared on their deck that night. This time, all entrance points to the house were secured. They're keeping their firearms closer in case the bear returns. "I wouldn't mind having some bear meat in the freezer," Jill Harling said. WildgimmesomelorealAlaska ™

October 16, 2007, 06:19 PM	#2
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Does this mean you will now be stocking and selling for self defence, lotions in plastic or glass? Could be the next great Alaskan Gold Rush, sort of! __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

October 17, 2007, 01:42 PM	#5
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	Thoughts on this story... - A one hour response time. No wonder so many people keep guns up in Alaska. - There's probably a large number of chemicals that are offensive to a bear's olfactory nodules. Ammonia being the first common one I can think of. But then, both you and the bear may be outside trying to get some fresh air. Come to think about it... burned gunpowder is probably the best one. - I can't wait to hear some Brady-ite express shock that the grandparents would allow someone under 21 unsupervised access to their handguns. - Since the young man was from Bend, Oregon, should we presume those were bran muffins the bear ate? Hopefully the bear got his fill of fiber and won't come back too soon. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

October 19, 2007, 02:09 AM	#8
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	One of the local sporting goods stores carries different bottled "scent" solutions for hunters and training dogs. A friend of mine had a problem with stray dogs defecating on his lawn and bought some Lion scent which kept them away. I wonder if something like that would work to keep bears away from homes? __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

October 19, 2007, 02:19 PM	#9
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	Bear? If they threw shampoo at him and he ran away, are they sure it wasn't an old HIPPIE? __________________ Regards, Ledbetter from thefiringline TFL #4573 NRA for Life Winchester Canyon Gun Club for Life

October 17, 2007, 06:35 AM	#3
Billy Sparks Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Posts: 745	If you want to get WA's dander up just ask him if they stock sunglasses.....

October 17, 2007, 12:04 PM	#4
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Billy!!!!!!!!! WildgrrrrrrrrrrrrrrAlaska ™

October 18, 2007, 07:28 AM	#7
Billy Sparks Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Posts: 745	One night on a EMS call in NC I had to fight a mentally disturbed woman for close to 45 minutes before the first LEO arrived and that was campus security from the local university.