I have pondered this before. I'm always fascinated watching the documentaries where people who have survived relate their experiences of either attack by shark or attack by bear. Shark attacks are more stealth you usually don't see it coming and the first hit is usually a total surprise. Bear attacks you generally see coming and are much more violent and often go on for a much longer time. I think I would prefer the shark to the bear for those reasons. By watching some of the video's in the bear thread I think I would die a thousand deaths seeing something that massive coming at me knowing it's going to maul me.

Listening to bear attack survivors describing the smell of bears breath being that of rotten meat and the feel of the claws removing your scalp are just spine tingling to me. But then I read stories of the USS Indianapolis survivors being in the shark infested waters for days and fighting off dozens of sharks and watching your buddies lose the battle does not sound like an experience that I would like to have either. But if I have to choose give me the shark.

If your fate was to be attacked by either animal without being to be able to stop it which would you choose?

Me being me - I'd have to research the data first. Which am I more likely to survive ? Which is more likely to cause me to be paralyzed or lose an arm or leg ?

I might would rather choose the deadlier one if my chances of becoming wheelchair bound were less... I don't know.

No contest for me: Bear attack. At least you cant drown during one.

Bear, definitely....being pulled underwater and eaten alive whilst drowning sounds worse.

Assuming you are unarmed

I'll go with the shark, they usually bite and leave. The bear is going to ruin you slowly and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Bear.

Something awfully strange would have to happen for me to not be carrying at least my G29.

Reminds me of the bear attack scene in The Revenant.

^^^Damn, that was hard to watch!!

Does it really matter?

quote:

^^^Damn, that was hard to watch!!

That scene is why I haven't watched that movie yet, I heard it was brutal. OK, seen it now, it's on my watch list

The Edge has a bear attack scene while not near as brutal as the Revenant still gets the point across. The grizzly in The Edge was trained by Doug Sues and was known as Bart the Bear. Probably the best duo in the business. Bart died of cancer quite sometime ago iirc.

The Edge is a great movie (yeah I know Alec Baldwin) and if you haven't seen it and I recommend you check it out.

Can't drown in the woods, just saying.....

I spent a lot of time bumming the woods in Alaska and was an Assistant Instructor of SCUBA diving for years.

Based on that, I'll take a shark attack. I've got a better chance of surviving it.

How about a bear attack at sea? Or a shark attack while fishing on the banks of the Kenai river?

After sharknado, it's clear no one is safe anywhere from shark attacks, including standing in a parking lot.

There's no bearnado.

Neither

Cougar attack

I think I'd choose the shark. There's a good chance I'd survive—the shark just made a mistake and thought I was a seal or something. The bear wouldn't give a crap.

I have had this idea that, if I was chased by a bear, I could play that game I'd play as a kid with my young cousins where I'd hide behind a tree, and then run around opposite them changing directions with them so they couldn't catch me. Bears are huge and fast, but I don't think they'd be that maneuverable. The bear would eventually get bored, I think. My friends seem to think this wouldn't work.

Since my 6 years in the Navy never taught me how to swim, I guess I’m left with a bear attach. Lots of Grizzly and Black bears just up the road in Glacier National Park.

Well, since neither routinely invade my living room.....

[FLASH_VIDEO] [/FLASH_VIDEO]

https://youtu.be/WzFMmb86FvY

Lion vs. Tuna