I live in Fort Yukon Alaska. A small town of about 700 in the interior. My friend was out in the bush a few miles out of town when he was charged by a polar bear. He shot it numerous times with his AR-15 and it dropped about 10 feet from him. He said he is not sure how many shots, he just kept firing until it dropped. There was a sighting of it last night by a guy in town but few believed him. We are 300 miles from where polar bears are "supposed" to be with the Brooks range between Fort Yukon and the sea. This area is also very heavily forested, black bear and grizzly territory, not polar bears. Is it getting so hard for the polar bears to survive with lessening sea ice that they are being forced to live like blacks and grizzlys? This bear almost surely had to cross the Brooks to get here unless it traveled a couple hundred extra miles and came through Canada to the east. I will try to post pictures.........I always have trouble trying to get them the right size to post.

pics

Him are a small one...The eco-freaks seem to believe that the polor bear cannot adapt to a warmer climate...I would figure that you are correct and they are WRONG!!!

Looks like you have solved the photo problem...

I'm curious about how many times he hit the bear, where and with what load? I kinda figure he was purty lucky to stop the bear with a .223! In my case I think all that pee and poop in my pants would have had the bear backing away, holding his nose!

Wow thats some good reporting especially this part:

Quote::

who was carrying an AR-15, a rifle similar to the U.S. Army’s M-16.

Note they said similar and not the same. Too many news agencies would have loved to say they were the same gun to spread a anti-gun stance to the story. So good for the writer!

Dimitri

I am the cop in town and so had the "honor" of assisting the Federal Fish and Wildlife guys in the investigation today. They flew in and interviewed numerous people involved as well as taking the bear carcass with them for the investigation. Was shot at least 4 times with 55 grain softpoints. It appeared that the shot that dropped it broke the spine at the neck. It may have also been shot in the skull, was hard to tell without skinning skull out.

This only goes to show what I have said for many years about the potential of a 223.Granted if it had been a bolt action against mr bear the outcome could have been very ugly for mr shooter.I have taken a great deal of game with the 223 in the lower 48 and as with any small caliber shot placement is critical.This is my prefered caliber to wander the "woods" with on various outings,and or a 357 handgun.Have never found "any-thing" that I could'nt stop with this combination.However I have'nt run into any T-REXs yet.

Thanks Roklok! I'd like to hear more details if you get them. I'm curious about how far the bullets penetrated, etc. From the pictures it appears that one round hit the left side of the upper jaw and came apart.

I know alot of hunters that will not go after whitetail dear with anything less than a .300 mag, and here's a guy that goes after a bear with a .223 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't help but wonder about the outcome of this if it had been a full grown polar bear. I think someone should be counting their blessings.

I agree with Dimitri - well written articles. Down here you would have been branded a murderer with at least a dozen military assault rifles and then locked up for shooting the bear as well!!
Gutsy move with a 223 I reckon.