# Will a regular person with a chainsaw kill a charging Grizzly bear? Who wins and dies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524 "2023-03-23T00:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/61 "2023-03-23T19:02:53Z")
So… I cannot imagine any possible scenario for the human to win. I thought of an extra long chainsaw, and using it to stab the charging grizzly, but that merely injures it for a brief fraction of a second while it’s charging the human. And then the grizzly is **REALLY** pissed off. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/62 "2023-03-23T21:11:18Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > **Test:** You will provoke the bear to charge you by throwing rocks at his head and blowing raspberries in his direction. When the bear gallops to within 3’ of you, you must shrug your shoulders and put on a sad face. Then you will scratch him behind the ear with your left hand, while handing him a carrot stick with your right hand as a peace offering (bears prefer carrots over meat, I’ve been told). > > **Hypothesis:** I believe the bear will shrug back at you, nod his head in approval, and retreat from whence he came. > > Who wants to volunteer? I’m in, but you have to supply the carrot and bear. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/63 "2023-03-23T21:44:49Z")
What do you expect? He didn’t offer the bear a carrot. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/64 "2023-03-24T06:22:16Z")
You best best is probably hoping that the chainsaw makes enough noise to scare off the bear, then everyone wins and no one dies. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/65 "2023-03-24T12:38:52Z")
If the grizzly is determined to attack, noise isn’t going to scare it off. If it’s performing a bluff charge it’s not really planning to attack, but the noise might agitate it enough to attack or scare it off. Bears are unpredictable like that. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/66 "2023-03-24T12:59:52Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > I’m in, but you have to supply the carrot and bear. Done! In fact, I’ll include a pair of Micky Mouse ears to wear during the experiment. This will help me test another hypothesis: are bears, like elephants, afraid of mice? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/67 "2023-03-24T13:04:53Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > So… I cannot imagine any possible scenario for the human to win. I thought of an extra long chainsaw, and using it to stab the charging grizzly, but that merely injures it for a brief fraction of a second while it’s charging the human. Agreed. You’d be better off with a real weappn, like a spear, which may not be as impressive as a chainsaw but is actually going to be able to deliver deadly attacks where they need to go. I’d also say a human with a spear beats a human with a chainsaw 10 out of 10 times. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/68 "2023-03-24T13:21:31Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I’d also say a human with a spear beats a human with a chainsaw 10 out of 10 times. What if the chainsaw is attached to the end of a pole? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/69 "2023-03-24T14:20:53Z")
My money is still on the guy with a spear. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/70 "2023-03-24T14:26:27Z")
A chainsaw needs to be wielded in a very careful and deliberate manner to cut effectively and avoid injuries. A charging-bear scenario is not conducive to this. If you were able to even _touch_ a charging bear with a chainsaw, it would probably kick back, and then you’d have 2 serious problems to solve instead of 1. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/71 "2023-03-24T14:27:21Z")
So a bear walks into a bar, and says "I’d like a gin … … … and tonic". The bartender says “Here you go. Hey, why the big paws?” The bear looks down and goes “I dunno, I was just born with them.”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/72 "2023-03-24T14:28:34Z")
Sorry, that was meant to be a reply to @needscoffee . ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/73 "2023-03-24T14:48:39Z")
A bear with a pronounced limp walks into a bar. He goes up to the bartender and says “I’m looking for the man who shot my father”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/74 "2023-03-24T14:49:29Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I’d also say a human with a spear beats a human with a chainsaw 10 out of 10 times. But a regular human? Better hope that spear hits right the first time. A miss and the other person comes in close quarters and that spear is useless and you’re toast, I would think. I think 10/10 is rather optimistic. I’d probably rather have the chainsaw in that fight, assuming average human beings. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/75 "2023-03-24T15:02:16Z")
I’d think for a spear to have any chance of lethally impaling a large, charging brown bear, it would need to be very rigid, very sharp, quite long, and held parallel to the ground until the bear was nearly upon you, then angled up, with the base wedged firmly into the ground. If you have the guts to do that, you may have a chance to survive. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/76 "2023-03-24T15:10:50Z")
You don’t _throw_ the spear, you hold it, aimed at the bear. Better yet if it’s something like this [https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS95BOASK/cold-steel-95boask-boar-spear](https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS95BOASK/cold-steel-95boask-boar-spear) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/77 "2023-03-24T15:13:44Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > I’d think for a spear to have any chance of lethally impaling a large, charging brown bear, it would need to be very rigid, very sharp, quite long, and held parallel to the ground until the bear was nearly upon you, then angled up, with the base wedged firmly into the ground. That’s [a pike](https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/pikes-a-versatile-and-deadly-weapon/). Pikes are very effected in quantity but the likelihood of impaling a charging bear is not great. Despite their bulk and deceptively lumbering normal movement, bears are quite fast and surprisingly nimble. They have relatively poor eyesight so they may not perceive the pike in a forward aspect but I wouldn’t want to bet my life on it. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/78 "2023-03-24T15:13:45Z")
Has anybody asked if the OP needed an answer fast? Has the OP been heard from since posting the OP? Hm. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/79 "2023-03-24T15:15:52Z")
Human with spear vs. human with chainsaw, the chainsaw-wielder has a decent chance, I think, if they target the spear instead of the human. Although that still only reduces the fight to human with a short stick vs. unarmed human, where the human with the short stick still has the edge. Still, probably not ten out of ten. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524/80 "2023-03-24T15:19:23Z")
Yes, but it’s best for the spear’s (pike’s) base to be held wedged into the ground, instead of held by you. A 1000lb bear, in motion, with a tough hide would likely just push a 170lb man or woman backward, with little, or no penetration. And, yes, you would need to be accurate and time it perfectly. IOW, you need a lot of luck, and guts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-regular-person-with-a-chainsaw-kill-a-charging-grizzly-bear-who-wins-and-dies/981524.md?page=5)