Bear spray vs a handgun

[dnovo]

I've got a question I've been wondering about while reading all these responses. What happens with the bear spray when the wind is blowing from the bear to you? Seems to me that situation could happen as that way the bear hasn't winded you if you surprised it at close range and it did not know what you were.

[ChuckC]

I like to have my .44 in the tent at night.  Not worried about hitting what I can reach out and touch.  I am not very worried about any of them during the day when I can see.

ChuckC

[vernon]

I spend most of my time in grizzly country and pack both a .41 mag and bear spray.  If things get western I will definately go down shooting.  I was in an instructor in oleoresin capsicum (oc spray) and tour the same factory where bear spray was manufactured.  I can vouch for the spray working HOWEVER the biggest down fall is the wind, which we always hunt into causing the spray to basically go in your face.  Most encounters we have are due to the fact we startled the bear because we are slinking thru timber with wind in our face.  The real close wolf encounters I've had, or friends have had, usually involve having a dog at camp and the wolves will lurk around our campsite about 100 yards.  In short if you have both pack both.  My spray is zip tied to my backpack and goes in my cargo pocket if I dump my pack.  Good luck

ps. just got back from bighorn sheep hunting and saw 3 grizz and a black first day. Had a griz come thru camp and lost my 4 horses and a mule--thank god I caught them later:)

[gringol]

Wissler, I think a few others made this point already, but to answer your original question, "bear spray or borrowed .44" for black bears and wolves....

bear spray all the way.  I would never count on my skill with a borrowed gun, especially a cannon like a .44.  I've shot a few of those at targets that weren't trying to eat me and I did more damage to my hand than the target.

[Chromebuck]

I run the risk of getting this pulled.  But it's intention is to bring to light that it does and can happen.  This is less than 5 miles from my house.  Yes a whole lot of luck played into this.  Our very own Greg Brush of Easy Limit Charters, G.Loomis pro Staffer.

This situation was similar to that of Timothy Treadwell in Katmai.  An old bear, no teeth, mouth full of abcesses and just mean and hungry.

 
King salmon season is over, and since I had a day off before silvers start, I thought I would go for a walk! This occurred at 11:16 am this morning (Sunday), just 2/10 of a mile from my house, ON OUR ROAD while walking
my dogs (trying to get in shape for hunting season, ironically!) For the record, this is in a residential area - not back in the woods, no bow hunting, no stealth occurring...

I heard a twig snap, and looked back...full on charge - a huge brownie, ears back, head low and motorin' full speed! Came with zero warning; no Woof, no popping of the teeth, no standing up, nothing like what you think or see on TV! It charged from less than 20 yards and was on me in About one-second! Totally surreal - I just started shooting in the general direction, and praise God that my second shot (or was it my third?) rolled him at 5 feet and he skidded to a stop 10 feet BEYOND where I was shooting from. I actually sidestepped him and fell over backwards on the last shot, and his momentum carried him to a stop past where I fired my first shot!

It was a prehistoric old bear - no teeth, no fat-weighed between 900-1000 lbs and took five men to DRAG it onto a tilt-bed trailer! Big bear - its paw measured out at about a 9 1/2 footer!

Never-ever-thought "it" would happen to me! It's always some other smuck, right? Well, no bull- I am still high on adrenaline, with my gut in a Knot. Feels like I did 10000 crunches without stopping! Almost puked for an hour after, had the burps and couldn't even stand up as the troopers conducted their investigation! Totally wiped me out - can't even put that feeling into words, by far the most emotion I have ever felt at once!

No doubt that God was with me, as I brought my Ruger .454 Casull (and some "hot" 350 grain solids) just for the heck of it, and managed to Draw and snap shoot (pointed, never even aimed!) from the hip! Total luck shot!

All I can say is Praise God for my safety and for choosing to leave the wife and kids at home on this walk! Got a charter tomorrow, so gonna TRY to get some sleep now!

Talk to ya soon, -Greg

[Suty]

Vernon sounds like a man of Good Judgement, and in his choice of sidearms too.  

[Recurve50 LBS]

In the communist state where I live it is illegal to carry a hand gun while hunting and it is illegal to possess any pepper spray larger than 3/4 ounces.

Our state wants us to be bear food!

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I carry Bear spray when I am in Yellowstone taking pictures. If in my home state of California and it's legal I carry 1911 or 44 Mag not because of Lions or Bears it is because of the Meth heads and Pot growers. The only thing in the woods the makes me nerviest are those two.

[Soonerlongbow]

A properly aimed .22lr is better than a total whif from a .500 Linebaugh. Spray is great, carried it for years as an MP and cop. But cops don't only carry OC for a reason. Carry the biggest handgun you can shoot accurately. .357, .41, or 44 will all take down a black bear or wolf.

My personal preference is the .41rem mag. It has near same power as the .44 and a little more recoil than the .357. Stiff loads from Grizzly Cartridge Co. will actually surpass nearly all .44 mag loads.

265gr hard cast lead, mv 1400fps and me or 1153f/lbs. Little in North America that won't stop, including a brown bear.