These men play a dangerous game of poking the bear, literally, as they roust the bruins from their den and shoot them as they explode from within.
This video shows a controversial act performed by several men in what sounds like it may be Russia or a neighboring country. The men are rousting bears from their den in order to shoot them.
It's winter and the bears are obviously in hibernation mode. So one of the men takes a long birch sapling and repeatedly pokes into the den while the others, out of the frame of the camera, get ready.
When it happens, it happens very quickly. It's a little startling.
One of the most amazing things witnessed in this video is the action of the dog they have with them. The dog goes right up to the mouth of the den, and when the first bear emerges, the dog immediately attacks it. It's a wonder that the dog itself wasn't shot.
As soon as the first bear bursts from the den and it and the dog attacking it bound off screen, a second bear rockets from the den. He doesn't get very far before he's brought down in a barrage of gunfire.
This doesn't seem sporting, and I'm sure that there will be plenty of discussion about the ethics of such an incident. But neither do we know the circumstances or the whole story of the incident.
Was this a case of hungry people killing bears solely to feed their families? Was this considered the safest way in which to obtain meat?
There are a range of cultural differences between what we consider acceptable hunting practice even in different parts of our own country; what disparities exist between different cultures and different countries?
In any event, this is an amazing video. The sense of anticipation and tension is palpable as the men wait for the bears to explode from the den.
Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.
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