Hiking in bear country?!?

[Daddymac]

This question is directed mainly to those of you that live, work, and play in bear country.

The fam has talked me into a vacation to Montana, now I find out that a shed hunter was killed about a week ago by a grizzly in the same place we are headed.

I have spent my life outdoors and hunting the kind of animals that don't hunt you back, I am ignorant about that type country and the animals there, I have a deep respect for both and the dangers they may present. I am currently gathering as much info as I can on the former to try and pepair myself and looking into how to legally carry a defense weapon, but the issue is which one.

I have put thousands of rounds on target, with some under a little stress (local competition) and I am very comfortable with that firearm and it is also my daily companion, unfortunately it is a 9mm. A 44 mag is the caliber I believe would be the best choice, all things considered. I own a 44 mag but it is a longer pistol set up for hunting and I cannot tell you the last time I have fired it, and I have no solid bullet ammunition in 44 mag it is all expanding. I also have a 10mm in a 1911 and enough 180 grain solid ammo to put 300 to 400 rounds down range for practice.

I have always said that six hits with a .22 was better than six misses wit a .45, but I'm not sure it applies in this case. So what is your opinion on my choices? I have one month to prepair
Use the high capacity 9mm that I shoot very well with fmj bullets?
Get to work and get up to speed with the 7 round capacity 10mm?
Buy a 4" 44 mag and hope to find enough solid amuntion to do what I need to prepair?

FYI, everyone on this trip is close family so out running one of them is not an option.

Thanks in adance for all input and advice of any kind about this part of our country.

 

[acloco]

There is a very wise saying by a hunting guide, who dropped off a two person party at a hunting camp.

As he handed them a can of bear spray, he said, "If something bad happens, the bear spray can should be deployed.....looks better in the after event paperwork".

 

[Charlie-NY]

There is a long and current thread on this topic over at longrangehunting.com. Several very knowledgeable posters are there that live & play in grizzly country.

 

[JFrank]

I live in Bear country
10mm will be enough gun if you have time to use it.
Grizzlies are protected in Montana btw…

 

[Edd]

I don't know anything about protection from a grizzly. But, if I could legally carry it, I would want a short barrel 12 gauge shotgun with as long of a magazine as I could get.

If I was going to carry a pistol, I would want something that was easy to carry like a snub nose 22 long rifle. Then if I got attacked by a grizzly, I would just shoot myself in the head.

 

[L.Sherm]

I live in Bear country
10mm will be enough gun if you have time to use it.
Grizzlies are protected in Montana btw…

Not if its self defense, just have your ducks in a row so to speak. Your gonna be guilty untill proven innocent if you have to shoot one.

 

[JFrank]

Not if its self defense, just have your ducks in a row so to speak. Your gonna be guilty untill proven innocent if you have to shoot one.

I carry a good rifle most of the time,( marlin 30-30)

 

[L.Sherm]

The guides i know in the Yukon carry nothing but 45-70's.
In Alaska when I worked there we all carried 12guage riot shotguns with Buckshot and slugs alernatated

 

[JFrank]

Sherm’ I don’t blame ya a bit’ more than one fella I know hikes with a shotgun. For some reason I’m more wary of a Moose than the Bears although as @Ledd Slinger told me—- keep your head on a swivel ‘ I do for real

 

[L.Sherm]

The problem with only a shotgun is the scenario like what happened with a friend of mine about 4 years ago in Hungry Horse reservoir when he had to shot a G-bear off his son with a 44 mag.
If you can carry both shotgun and biggest handgun you can shoot well and don't be quiet. Stay away from areas you can't see very far either.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Just tell them you were shooting a movie and you didn’t know the gun was loaded and you didn’t pull the trigger.
Seriously, if there are no witnesses, just walk away. And take your .45 with you.
I have no experience with bear.
And Sherm is in Montana so he would know.

 

[L.Sherm]

Both these bears were N.W of Kalispell about 4 miles away. The one with my hand was in the N.F of Flathead river I was hiking up a trail you couldn't see 5 ft in front of you

 

[littlebuddybr]

If it were me i would buy a new 44mag.
I wouldn't carry anything smaller.
Wheel gun's are very reliable.

 

[K22]

My only scary encounter with a bear was several years ago hunting predators in the Weiser State Forest in eastern PA.

I was using a Primo's Electronic caller with a fawn distress call. I heard the crunching of fallen leaves and branches and saw a rather large Black Bear coming to the call which was about 50 yards away. I was armed with a Model 7 Rem, 223. I almost S*** my pants but the bear winded me or figured out that the call was not eatable and took off in the opposite direction. That was the last time I hunted predators in that area.

While I've hunted black bear in the big North Central Woods of PA, I was never in fear of one since I was armed with a 30 06 or 308. Also, black bear attacks are rare in PA.

I don't know what I'd done if the bear kept coming but I would have probably shot him in the eye and hoped for the best. True is would have been a "sticky" dilemma with the PA Game Commission, but I would have rather had paid a fine than being mauled.

 

[centerlineseal]

The guides i know in the Yukon carry nothing but 45-70's.
In Alaska when I worked there we all carried 12guage riot shotguns with Buckshot and slugs alernatated

This. When I jumped fires in Alaska, at least one of the local smokejumpers had a shotgun dropped with our firepacks on each and every fire. Some had 44 Mags, but were considered marginal.

When I dropped timber for a mine on Admiralty Island, I spent almost every day out and about by myself, ... always with a marine grade Mossberg in 12 gauge, slugs over 00 buckshot.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

From all the time I worked in logging camps in BC, we had bear (black) encounters almost weekly. I've never had any problems with them up there or here in Orygun, where we see them in the black timber all the time whilst hunting elk.

When I'm in the timber with or without a rifle (rarely), I almost always carry my 3" Smith M29 Classic Hunter OWB. Never had to deploy it, but it's comforting having it on my hip. I know from deer hunting experience with my 44's, that the 250gr Keith SWC cast hard will/has blown through every deer I've shot with one. Hard cast bullets are much more desirable for this instead of HP's, as the cast slug will penetrate further every time should you be forced to use it.

My advice is just to be situational aware, head on a swivel, and travel in a group, and have bear spray on each person in your party. Having at least one shotgun properly loaded would be a very good idea too.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

870 with a long mag with a slug then 00 buck, a glock 20 with some underwood heavies, a 329pd with underwood heavies, or a short 45-70 lever gun.

 

[JFrank]

Practice your Bear scare tactics, then spray them with food coloring. ( They hate that !!!)

 

[SEM]

Drop a convenient BIG rock on your foot the day before the hike, It will heal faster

 

[BigWyoming]

There is a story on the Buffalo Bore website about a guide killing a bear with his 9mm using their ammo. If you go that way I would make sure it functions in your pistol. The idea of well-placed shots is a worthwhile one.

The 10mm will work if pressed into service also. A lot of guys are switching to it because of the increased capacity and the ballistics on the heels of a 44.

Always buy a gun if you have the chance! Just be sure and shoot some full power loads so you know what you are in for - our rule is don't shoot the bear while it is mauling me, I'll take my chances!

Carry bear spray also. Odds are you won't see a bear, they are not behind every tree waiting to kill you. Awareness and avoidance are your best tools. Don't let irrational fear ruin your experience.