Home » Blogs » Naples, Florida Bear Attack, 41 Facial Stitches: It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use

Naples, Florida Bear Attack, 41 Facial Stitches: It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use

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“We have been and will continue to work with this community and others to reduce human-bear conflicts.” That’s the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s response to a bear attack that left Naple’s resident Andrew Meunier with 41 stitches in his face. As foxnews.com reports . . .

Andrew Meunier was standing outside of his Naples apartment complex Wednesday night when a bear suddenly appeared and lunged at him, slashing his face and torso . . .

Meunier suffered several cuts across his head and chest before he managed to escape the bear’s grip. He called 911 and was rushed to a local hospital, where he received 41 stitches.

“I don’t think it’s very deep, but it’s an 8 inch cut,” Meunier said, describing the gash across his cheek to FOX4.

Though Meunier anticipates a slow and painful recovery, the man says he’s grateful the outcome wasn’t worse.

“I’m just happy to be alive,” Meunier said. “It could’ve been a totally different story.”

As mentioned above, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission isn’t overly concerned about the attack.

“This is the first documented injury from a bear in South Florida since we started keeping records in the 1970s,” FWC public information officer Brian Norris reminded Fox News.

Florida black bear population (courtesy myfwc.com)

The first, but more to come? Anyway, it should have been a defensive gun use.

OK, yes. Quite what your average concealed carry handgun could do to stop a full grown black bear is anyone’s guess. Not much is the most likely answer. Even so, it’s a whole lot better than nothing. Meanwhile . . .

Florida black bear road kill stat (courtesy myfwc.com)

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Naples, Florida Bear Attack, 41 Facial Stitches: It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use”

  1. Helluva’ scar…who expects a bear attack standing outside their apartment in Naples,FL?!? Seriously? Gang’s mebbe…

    Reply
  2. People had go-pros all over the place in Afghanistan and during the workup. I don’t approve of livestreaming through, its a security hazard when haji haji can look at your stream and see where you are.

    Streaming to your own encrypted file server so the government can’t steal your video though, that would be cool.

    Lets not forget eagle eye, aka, you are being watched on the G-boss by higher, do everything by the book!

    Reply
  3. Two types of knives carried around, those strictly for utility (box cutting) and those purpose built for defense. Those carried for protection need to be sharp at all times.

    I am lucky enough to have had some knife training and it’s an eye opening experience.
    In a knife fight the winner goes to the hospital the loser goes to the morgue.

    Reply
  4. I stress that even though a lot of knifes are sold over the counter, knowing what your state law says in this case is an absolute must. A double edged knife that is sold over the counter might not be legal in the very state it was sold in, people just don’t pay attention to this. Its technically a “dagger”, switch blades only recently became legal in Texas outside of LEO/MIL.

    As for training, well, start working on your cardio, because I think the best option is to break contact and run.

    Reply
  5. Florida bears are tiny compared to northern black bears. I’ve seen dozens of them all over Ocala National Forest and I would say the average is 300-350lb. They look more like a big black dog and I have mistaken them hauling ass away from me as one of my dogs going after something. 9mm, 38sp or 357 would take any I have seen no problem. Anytime I have come across them and they see me they run like hell in the other direction. Even had a momma with two cubs run as soon as she saw me and the cubs went up a big pine tree like a squirrel. Those suckers can climb!

    Reply
  6. I’ve spent a lot of money on knives in the last several years hunting for “the one.” Sometimes I’ll rock two. Now I have more than I know what to do with and rotate cutlery from time to time. Funny, though, I’ve come to terms, knowing myself, that it’s very unlikely I’ll even remember the knife in my pocket during a fight. I think of the finely tuned dexterity-related act of actuating a thumb hole or stud in the heat of the moment and match it up with the ever-understood fine motor skill, adrenaline soaked, clumsiness of racking a slide, working a safety and having presence of mind to point a gun where a round is meant to go. With a knife I know I’ll probably hose it. My knives are for utility. If I remember it’s there, cool. I know I”ll get cut in a knife fight. I worked in a knife store for a year and got cut plenty. But I have no illusions about my knife saving my life in anything other than a utilitarian way. It’s boring to see EDC pics of someone’s tacticool dump. Like many here, I think, “yeah, right.”

    Reply
  7. Fun to read this review, again, and all of the comments. For the record, I am neither a Glock fan nor a Glock hater. I own a PPQ 5” in 9mm, as well as a Gen 4 G21 Glock. Love them both, but in different ways. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer .45 as a SD round. Plus I like the way it feels to shoot on the range.
    On the other hand, the PPQ is, well, a joy to shoot. It fits my largish hand really well, and I am able to shoot it more accurately than my other semiauto handguns, even edging out my 1911.
    Can’t comment on the slide locking back, other than it’s not been an issue.
    But the trigger. Oh my. It is really, really good. Not perfect, but pretty damned close.
    I found J from Texas’s statement about his friends preferring the G21 trigger puzzling. Nothing wrong with the G21 trigger, IMHO, but to say that it’s better than the PPQ’s really surprises me. Of course I’m a sample of one, so there you go.
    Anyway, enjoyed the review, Joe, and bought a PPQ based on it. And am pleased that I did, every time I take it to the range. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. i grew up in a christian home here in australia and i left the churches and religion behind in large part because of these sorts of attitudes. i told them in no uncertain terms they were fools and slaves in the making among a good many other things as well. they can turn the other cheek all they like. i will stand watch and see how it turns out for them. these days i will defend those worthy of being defended such as the elderly and disabled however those able but not willing can go to hell

    Reply
  9. Robert Farago, you idiot. Why do you keep pushing trash from this un-American, anti- second amendment company at us? You have not learned anything have you. If you want your readers to stop thinking of you as an idiot, please stop pushing Springfield crap at us. Or, is Springfield paying you so much that you just don’t care what people think of you anymore.

    Reply
  10. Honestly the problem with this law is not what it’s doing to me, which is nothing… it’s what it will do to our kids and their kids as Colorado gets bluer every year.

    Reply
  11. Michigan LEO’s, setting the low bar on law enforcement, along with Chicago, et al. Those LEO’s are a product of that same school system so garbage in, garbage out…

    Reply
  12. If you think all you have to do is start stabbing to win a knife fight, then all you have to do to win a gun fight is pull the trigger…

    Reply
  13. “I’m really impressed with the performance of the GunSport PROs. I had never previously experienced such natural hearing while wearing ear protection.”

    I’m not surprised. Etymotic makes some of the highest-fidelity in-ear monitors on the planet. *Very* nice stuff.

    This isn’t an in-depth review, but it gives you an idea of the approach they take to good sound :

    https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/9/14558092/etymotic-er4-grado-gr10e-headphones-review

    And more –

    https://www.pcmag.com/review/354403/etymotic-er4-xr

    https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/etymotic-er4xr.21847/reviews

    https://www.headfonia.com/review-etymotic-er4-xr-er4-sr-impressive/

    Reply

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