The Veritas Interview - Black Bear Home Defense
Introduction:
Ladies and gentlemen of the GOAT GANG, this is our third ever blog interview and boy do we have a pretty special one here. I know you’re all waiting for that M81 Camo drop, and I promise it’s on the way. Rebel is working overtime to make it happen, and so is his mom. You’ve heard from @HavocTwoOne, our brand ambassador @95Howe, and now you’re about to hear from an absolute legend. Now, there’s a plethora of videos out there on home defense and our man here has some expertise in this space.
He didn’t just defend himself and his family from your average home invader. No, this man found himself face to face with a black bear in his own living room, in the middle of the night, and he smoked that smokey bear with a level of prowess I HOPE I can someday obtain. He even got it all on camera. So, without further adieu, here’s the questions I asked him and his responses. Call your mom, tell her you need more fun tokens because the restock presale is coming 10/24/25. For now, enjoy a quality blog interview with Veritas (Check him out on IG: @veritas_dei_vincit | and X: @martycombs5)
Veritas, what got you into preparedness, and what’s your story so far?
As far as preparedness goes, the events that got me into it were a couple of natural disasters. I was visiting New York City when Superstorm Sandy hit in October 2012. I got stuck as a tourist. There was massive flooding, and the power was out for 4 days.
Thankfully our hotel extended our stay. We had power, but we were only a couple blocks from the edge of the blackouts. I saw firsthand how quickly things devolve into chaos when there is no societal infrastructure. There was no power, no water, and all the food was gone from the shelves.
The second natural disaster was the Boulder, CO floods in 2013. Our home was hit by a massive mudslide that filled our entire lower level with 4 feet of mud. 2 high school kids were killed by the slide right in front of our house. I managed to go down to the debris field and pull one girl out, saving her life. Sadly, her friends perished.
A few hours later, my wife went into labor with our first. Thankfully, search and rescue were in the area looking for the missing teens. I flagged them down and told them my wife was in labor. They managed to medivac us to the hospital where my wife gave birth a few hours later. We made the nightly news with Lester Holt for that one: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/families-reunite-in-colorado-floods-wake-48147011975
What’s your favorite aspect of marksmanship?
I love all the shooting disciplines. The most challenging for me is pistol competition-style shooting. The mix of speed and accuracy makes it quite difficult, and there are so many guys out there who are incredibly talented. I’d like to do more, but I’m a Churchman, and most competitions are on Sunday mornings. The discipline I have been going down the rabbit hole on is long-range. I’ve really enjoyed taking different platforms out to 1000 yards.
Why is hunting important for preparedness, and what’s your favorite game animal? What got you started?
I got into hunting when I moved to the Rocky Mountains. There is so much opportunity here. I thought it would be great for the self-sufficiency aspect of preparedness. I did not grow up hunting, so I got my hunter’s safety, watched some YouTube videos, bought a tag, grabbed a rifle and went out into the mountains. Turns out, you can just do stuff. I’ve harvested elk every year since 2013, and lots of deer along the way too.
Elk is my favorite animal to hunt, but I also enjoy Mule Deer, Turkey, and Black Bear. This was actually the first bear I shot, despite having been on several hunts. It was definitely not the way I wanted to shoot my first bear. I keep putting in for Moose, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep, and Pronghorn, but haven’t drawn a tag yet. I also enjoy flyfishing. I go on a few annual trips, and fish some locally. This year I’m headed up to Alaska for a Steelhead trip as well as some Halibut and Salmon.
Alright, I watched the bear home invasion video and then I saw a post about how your heart rate didn’t peak 110 bpm. That’s some serious calm under pressure. Can you walk us through the incident, from waking up to calling emergency services?
Haha, yeah, I’m impressed with how calm I remained myself. A loud crash in the kitchen woke my wife. She then woke me and said there was something downstairs. I grabbed my Glock on my nightstand and checked my security system—there were no vehicles or people on the cameras. Out of habit, or perhaps discipline, I grabbed my 11.5” Geissele Superduty to go downstairs and investigate. I genuinely thought it was just another bump in the night that would prove to be nothing; evidenced by how casually I walked downstairs in my underwear with nothing but an AR-15.
As I approached the kitchen, I heard some rustling and began employing my Surefire Sout Light to search the area. As I entered the living room I saw black fur and some round ears on the other side of our kitchen island, and I instantly knew it was a black bear. I kept moving to get a better angle, and that is when the bear charged right at me. I quickly dumped seven rounds of Hornady Critical Defense into the bear, killing it instantly. Once I was sure the bear was dead and the house was secure, we called the Sheriff. He put us in contact with Parks and Wildlife.
How do you stay calm during high-stress situations, like that bear encounter?
Physical fitness is definitely important, but I think the two biggest factors are training and experience. I try to shoot at least a few times a week. I focus a lot on fundamentals right on up to drills like ready-ups and Bill Drills. I also try to incorporate movement into my shooting routine as much as I can. In a real-world scenario, it’s highly unlikely to be standing still shooting at a static target. Having practiced thousands of times can make all the difference when it counts.
The second factor is experience. I’ve been hunting for years, and this was not the first time I shot an animal. The first animal I ever harvested was a cow elk. I got buck fever so bad I had auditory exclusion, was shaking, and couldn’t think straight. As I sat there alone in the forest, I started doubting whether I had even pulled the trigger. I was only convinced I had, after I found a dead cow several yards from where I had last seen it. Over the years I have pulled the trigger on dozens of animals, and I’ve grown used to it. Stress inoculation is real.
I’m not sure if I’d be sleeping too well after that one. How are you doing after the fatal encounter with Smokey the Home Invader?
Well, I didn’t fall back to sleep immediately after shooting the bear. It was 4:00 am, so I was awake for the day at that point. Other than a couple of hours that morning, I haven’t lost any sleep over it. I’m now diligent about making sure the window it came through is closed, and I double check the rest of the house before bed to make sure everything is locked.
Should you move toward a threat or stay put in a home defense scenario?
It’s very situational. For example, if I had seen vehicles or people on my cameras, I would have put on more clothes and a plate carrier. I would have then held the choke point in my house while my wife called 911. There are a lot of other factors that could change the strategy, like proximity of the threat to loved ones. You should have a plan in place, but you also need to be able to make gametime decisions based on new data and changing factors.
What advice do you have for room clearing?
One-man room clearing is not ideal. As a civilian, or even a law enforcement officer, it may be necessary. It’s important to assess the threat level, and move with the appropriate amount of speed, or stay put if you can.
Don’t rush to your death, go slowly and deliberately if possible. Check the corners of rooms. Don’t hangout in doorways (the fatal funnel). Practice clearing your own house. This doesn’t even need to be done with a firearm in hand. Think about the layout and angles as you walk around your house. Lastly, go to a range where you can practice moving and shooting around cover and concealment.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Jordan B. Peterson. In it, he talks about how a good man is a very dangerous man who has it under voluntary control. As a fellow Christian, how has faith shaped your approach to being a dangerous man?
The way I think about it is agency. As a Christian man you should be cultivating your agency. You should have the skills, abilities, and tools to exert your will, and take dominion. Go to the gym. Get strong. Shoot guns. Read. Peterson is right, you should be a monster with extreme self-control. Basically, you can just do stuff.
Last question: gun to your head, what’s your honest opinion on M81 Woodland CAMO?
It’s a vibe for sure. I own some. Born Primitive has recently released some nice products in Woodland that I added to my camo wardrobe. However, where I live Multicam is very effective and easy to procure.
Conclusion
Veritas, thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions. We’re doing everything we can to keep the GOAT GANG satiated as they await the highly coveted M81 CAMO drop. You sir are an absolute legend, and I hope you guys are finding some peace after that home invasion. We’ve got pre-orders on the horizon boys. I already talked to your mom—she’s totally cool about you dropping some dimes on our high-quality gear. It comes in NIR-resistant nylon now, for no additional cost. That's possibly the best trade deal, in the history of trade deals. Besides, show me a mom who doesn’t appreciate a budget friendly, farm animal benefitting, dependable product—I’m waiting. That’s right, they don’t exist. They don’t exist because moms love good prices. I should know, thought it may come as a surprise, I'm married to one.