Woman Saves Husband From Attacking Bear (Wisconsin)

[fickman]

The video is worth watching (not graphic, just an interview retelling the story):
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/17/wi ... king-bear/

Ninnemann's wife, Marie, then found a shotgun in the cabin’s basement, but she didn’t know how to load it properly. She instead took the weapon outside the struck the bear on its head, allowing her husband to escape. The couple then backtracked into the cabin with the gun pointed at the bear.

Lessons:
- An unloaded gun in an emergency is nothing more than fancy a club
- If you're the only one who knows how to use your guns, you have no armed allies

[jayinsat]

The video is worth watching (not graphic, just an interview retelling the story):
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/17/wi ... king-bear/

Ninnemann's wife, Marie, then found a shotgun in the cabin’s basement, but she didn’t know how to load it properly. She instead took the weapon outside the struck the bear on its head, allowing her husband to escape. The couple then backtracked into the cabin with the gun pointed at the bear.

Lessons:
- An unloaded gun in an emergency is nothing more than fancy a club
- If you're the only one who knows how to use your guns, you have no armed allies

Why did the Husband want to attack the poor Bear? What did he do?

[Jaguar]

Don't tell Uncle "Shotgun" Joe or he will have new advice on the proper use of a shotgun.

[MeMelYup]

I like where he said, "Now I will teach my wife how to properly load the shotgun."
Living out in the country he should have taught her sooner.

[ELB]

...Why did the Husband want to attack the poor Bear? What did he do?

That's what I thought when I first saw the thread title. I was expecting to read some story about a hunter and his tree-hugger wife or something...

[Jumping Frog]

Both of them satin the house for 45 minutes waiting for the deputy with the bear n the other side of the window?

With an unloaded shotgun?

Sounds like they might take the term "cheesehead" literally.

[Deltaboy]

Gee whizz what a pair .

[cb1000rider]

- An unloaded gun in an emergency is nothing more than fancy a club

This is a very interesting point of view to me and I'll admit, it seems to be the majority opinion on this board.
I grew up outdoors and we had guns.. Mostly long guns. I took firearm safety with Scouts and hunter safety. I was *always* taught that you loaded a gun when you were ready to use it.
The gun in this case wasn't a club because it was sitting unloaded. It was a club because the woman didn't know how to load it. If she can't load it, what do you think the chances are that she could operate it safely if it was loaded?

I know there are individual odd cases out there for reference, but until I see statistical evidence that indicates it's safer to keep loaded firearms in the house.. Or somehow wiser to do it that way, I'm going to continue to store them unloaded.
I may or may not make an exception for handguns that are locked and fixing the "unloaded condition" is a matter of picking the thing up.

My situation is probably different as we have young kids.

- If you're the only one who knows how to use your guns, you have no armed allies

This I completely agree with.. I'd I'd say that a partner handing your gun that doesn't know how to use it could potentially cause a bigger problem.

[Jumping Frog]

This is a very interesting point of view to me and I'll admit, it seems to be the majority opinion on this board.
I grew up outdoors and we had guns.. Mostly long guns. I took firearm safety with Scouts and hunter safety. I was *always* taught that you loaded a gun when you were ready to use it.

I understand your point.

Here is how I view it.

First, there are guns I am carrying for immediate self defense, for example, a holstered handgun on my hip. Those guns are loaded with a chambered round as I am ready to use them.

Second, there are backup defensive firearms, like a rifle or shotgun kept handy in the house or car. I'll keep those with a loaded magazine but empty chamber.

Third, there are simply firearms that I am storing. Those are kept locked up and unloaded.