THE BEAR TO BITE ARMS

Did you ever just have one of those days? If so, then C. Dale Peterson can empathize with you.

Peterson was a hunting guide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. One day, he happened upon a grizzly bear who had just been irritated by backpackers. The bear expressed his frustration by trying to kill Peterson. Peterson had no weapon. He realized that simply exchanging blows with the grizzly might result in an undesirable resolution of the conflict, especially since his right arm and hand were wedged inside the bear's mouth. Thinking quickly, Peterson bit down on the bear's jugular vein hard enough to impede the flow of blood to the bruin's brain. The bear passed out, and Peterson beat the bear to death with a stick--making Peterson the second known human to kill a grizzly unarmed (or at least with only one functional arm).

You will find this story repeated all over the internet, usually along with commentary suggesting that it would be a bad idea to pick a fight with Peterson. Often included is a photo of a plaque describing the encounter which is affixed next to Peterson's mounted assailant. Generally, the location of the display is described as being in a Jackson Hole tavern--perhaps the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Although it is lamentable that the bear had to die, Peterson's story is an inspiring tale of cool-headed thinking under adverse circumstances and the advantages of not panicking simply because you are in a tough situation. It might even be more inspiring if it actually could be shown to be true. None of the numerous accounts on the web contain any facts (such as dates) or links to news accounts or other reports of the incident other than the information on the plaque itself (well, one site does include a biography of Peterson, but I am not convinced of its reliability, including but not limited to the claims that he was a sexual partner of Marilyn Monroe and killed three grizzlies a day at age 96). While there probably is a bar in Wyoming with the original plaque depicted in the photos and a stuffed grizzly bear, one has to consider the possibility that the bar owner is engaging in hyperbole and that an asinine ursine actually never did take on a guide named C. Dale Peterson.

Sometimes truth is simply overrated--I was really hoping to read about a real C. Dale Peterson.

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