Bear Protection

[KMart]

As a little humor to this subject, I ran across this. Be sure to read the last paragraph.

 

[BigDMT]

Oh my god, that is the funniest thing I've read in a long time lol! I gotta save that image and pass it on to my friends and family

 

[Valar]

Like I said first Grizz is different animal than a black bear. They are the extreame. I will not crry a side arm or spray in black bear country ever again. Attacks are seldom. When my number is up it is up! Will not push it in grizz teratory!

 

[scott in ohio]

Read the 3rd post on page one!!!!!! : : : Scotty

 

[Lazydays]

As a little humor to this subject, I ran across this. Be sure to read the last paragraph.

First time I was up on Highway 212 out of Redlodge I stoped in a rest area , and there was a bear warning sign posted there. About the sametime a forest ranger or DNR guy in uniform walks over to me as I was looking at it. He asked me if I understood it, and I said I did. He then went into depth about what goes on up there and why. The I look over at this Dixie Dumpster that looked like it was made out of 3/8th" or 1/2" boiler plate. The lid was bent up about a foot, and there were these deep claw marks down the sides that must have been close to .20" deep! Somebody wanted to get inside that dumpster really bad!

But my alltime favorite sign was one that used to be posted right outside the old Lion Country Safari in Arlington Texas. It was a no trespassing sign sign that said "all tresspassers will be cheerfully eaten"! Didn't think too much about it till I saw them drive that Ford Bronco around feeding the lions.
gary

 

[Lapua40X]

IMO, bear spray is for visitors to National Parks who might have to ward off a pest. If the bear has your name on the menu for dinner and comes charging out of the brush you "may" have time to get that spray can out of your pouch or pocket, release the safety and fire off one squirt. I'm gonna vote for the shotgun (or a heavy duty 44 - 50 cal. handgun). What I find interesting is that he talks about alternating loads from shot to slug. Shot of any size would be fairly ineffective for a charging grizzly. Why he'd want to fire a round of shot between shots of big nasty slugs is beyond my understanding. Of course, my weapon of choice for a charging grizzly would be an RPG . But that may be a bit of overkill. :

 

[rogn]

This is a bit of information that some might find useful. Ive been a horse doc over the past couple of decades and while Ive never even seen a bear, I do have a couple of observations. I have had to on several occasions been called in for gunshot wounds on dogs. More than 1 dog thats been shot in the head with birdshot at short range. None of the dogs got off easily, and all stopped aggressive behavior immediately. However all lived with a bunch of attention and care, non died on the spot. 100 to 150# dogs. I dont see the ones that died at the site though. Hollowpoint pistol ammo is a definite nono if you want to survive. Limited experience with these but all blew up on bone. The Litttle exposure I have it sounds like big slugs or big rifle.

 

[mgx1138]

I lived in Fairbanks a long time ago; did a lot of hiking in the backcountry. ALL the locals carried a 12 gauge and a revolver for bear protection. Shotguns were loaded with alternating slugs and buckshot. Handguns were .357 or .44 magnums. This was the preferred choice for Grizzly bear. Now in Alaska, you often see the bears... unless you are in the scrub or willows. If you surprise a bear in the scrub, you won't have much time to react; handgun might be useful, might not. I know guys that were "charged" and the 12 gauge was the right weapon; bear dead or deterred. No firearms work well if you don't know how to use them. I don't know anybody that has ever sprayed a bear, so no data, no opinion.

 

[Hopkins]

Growing up in the south in the 60's buckshot was the standard choice for deer hunting here. It can be marginal on a deer at 25 yards. The .36 shot will ricochet off of just about anything including jaw bones,ribs and antler tines. If you are going to use a shotgun use the slugs. I personally would rather have a 94 Winchester in 30-30 than the shotgun. I'm not saying it would be my first choice, just that I'd have more confidence in it than the shotgun for a charging bear.

 

[Frankr]

We grouse hunt in the mountains some, black bear country. carrying a stacked barrel 20ga. you feel defenseless should you have a bear problem, so i asked a few guy's should i carry spray? they said hell no you have that shotgun. 1oz of lead shot is like a 400gr bullet at 1,250FPS at 10-15 feet. so i thought i would shoot some stuff up close just to see how powerfull it seemed. yea i would say if i hit one twice in the head at 10-15 feet it would be quite potent.
I dont reccomed it. but i feel better
this has been a interesting read.

 

[madderg]

In oregon, seeing as you can't use dogs or bait, the bears have gotten way out of hand over the past 15 years. In the brushy coastal range a lever action 35 Wellen or a 444 Marlin are what people carry that are serious for bear protection...also in revolver form, the 454 ..

 

[onelastshot]

I have enough problems with a dog that outweighs me. I think I'll leave big bears to folks with better negotiating skills. [br]
Speaking of nightmares; I had a few after watching "The Edge." However unrealistic, the idea of a relentless, vengeful, 1500 pound bear pursuing you is truly the stuff of nightmares. The only good part was seeing Alec Baldwin's character die.

Agree, 100%. The movie was garbage but watching Alec Baldwin die ( even though it was only a movie) was the only redeeming element of the movie.

As far as bears are concerned, they say making loud noises help scare them off. A rifle or handgun throws lead as well as making a lot of noise, providing two benefits. If you want to use repellent in one hand and an air horn in the other, go for it; personally speaking, the idea of my hands wrapped around my Marlin 444 provides a far better level of comfort. Lastly, using a firearm, One doesn't have to wait for the damn bear to get within 10 feet before taking action.