Bear self defense

A researcher in Minnesota often took his granddaughter with him.  He was checking cubs, he could handle them and their mamma would not attack.  He found this a consistent behavior.  He did give his little granddaughter a pepper squirter, the kind that shot a stream.  He told her if that big bear gets to close you can squirt her, she ended up using it. The next time they checked those bears, the mamma saw him and was fine, but when the mamma saw his little blond granddaughter it bolted away.  Considering how often black bear and people cross paths and how few attacks there are, I think that there is a greater chance of getting injured by a falling tree branch in an Iowa farm grove.  We have had many close encounters with black bears on our dozens of canoe trips.  I carried mace for a couple of years, but it was just extra weight.  If an old boar bear either Griz or black decides to attack, they will do it from cover and be on you before you can draw a pistol.  I guess the choice would be while it is chewing on your leg, do you want to spray it in the face or shoot it.  Black bears sometimes do a false charge, it is a bit terrifying, but I would not want to spray or shoot a bear for bluffing, they are just letting you know they want some space.  If the chances were greater that I could be attacked by a Griz, like the ones I watched last year, I would pick a rifle any day over a pistol.  A pistol does make more noise than spray, but, as in our case, the noise of me telling them to go away was more than enough.

You should do what ever is legal and you feel comfortable with, but there are dangers out there.  Once while sitting in a tree stand with my old hang me until I am dead safety strap around me waste and my bow with a white fletched arrow on the string hanging in front of me, I heard metallic screech on one side and then the other.  Then, without warning, the biggest meanest screech owl in the world came and grabbed my arrow by the fletching.  He flew off with my arrow a ways, nocking my bow to the ground.  I went over backwards, struggled to get back on my board, and then preceded to miss most of the tree steps to surprisingly very hard ground.
  Another time from that same stand, I saw a chubby guy with a Bear Whitetail Hunter compound walk by.  He stopped on the top and took off his coat, he had an orange and electric blue shiny nylon shirt, and hung his bow on a branch about 60 yards away and then went behind a cedar clump.  I thought, omg, he is going to take a dump right there.  Second later I heard him in a very girly voice cry an alarm.  Then he came charging past suspenders flopping, crying in a high pitched whimpering like he lost his mamma, with a huge badger hot on his heals.  That fat boy could really run.  A bit later that crazy badger came by me, looked up at me and snarled, "I'm keeping an eye on you to."   After the badger left I went up and got his bow and his coat, I found the guy half way up a tree, he was easy to spot, and gave him his stuff.
   Badgers and bears might be fast, but nothing is faster than lightning.  That stuff terrifies me.

[Paul_R]

Originally posted by pavan:
You should do what ever is legal and you feel comfortable with, but there are dangers out there.  Once while sitting in a tree stand with my old hang me until I am dead safety strap around me waste and my bow with a white fletched arrow on the string hanging in front of me, I heard metallic screech on one side and then the other.  Then, without warning, the biggest meanest screech owl in the world came and grabbed my arrow by the fletching.  He flew off with my arrow a ways, nocking my bow to the ground.  I went over backwards, struggled to get back on my board, and then preceded to miss most of the tree steps to surprisingly very hard ground.
  Another time from that same stand, I saw a chubby guy with a Bear Whitetail Hunter compound walk by.  He stopped on the top and took off his coat, he had an orange and electric blue shiny nylon shirt, and hung his bow on a branch about 60 yards away and then went behind a cedar clump.  I thought, omg, he is going to take a dump right there.  Second later I heard him in a very girly voice cry an alarm.  Then he came charging past suspenders flopping, crying in a high pitched whimpering like he lost his mamma, with a huge badger hot on his heals.  That fat boy could really run.  A bit later that crazy badger came by me, looked up at me and snarled, "I'm keeping an eye on you to."   After the badger left I went up and got his bow and his coat, I found the guy half way up a tree, he was easy to spot, and gave him his stuff.
   Badgers and bears might be fast, but nothing is faster than lightning.  That stuff terrifies me.

Nominated for best post of the day!    

[dragonheart]

Originally posted by Paul_R:
 

Originally posted by pavan:
You should do what ever is legal and you feel comfortable with, but there are dangers out there.  Once while sitting in a tree stand with my old hang me until I am dead safety strap around me waste and my bow with a white fletched arrow on the string hanging in front of me, I heard metallic screech on one side and then the other.  Then, without warning, the biggest meanest screech owl in the world came and grabbed my arrow by the fletching.  He flew off with my arrow a ways, nocking my bow to the ground.  I went over backwards, struggled to get back on my board, and then preceded to miss most of the tree steps to surprisingly very hard ground.
  Another time from that same stand, I saw a chubby guy with a Bear Whitetail Hunter compound walk by.  He stopped on the top and took off his coat, he had an orange and electric blue shiny nylon shirt, and hung his bow on a branch about 60 yards away and then went behind a cedar clump.  I thought, omg, he is going to take a dump right there.  Second later I heard him in a very girly voice cry an alarm.  Then he came charging past suspenders flopping, crying in a high pitched whimpering like he lost his mamma, with a huge badger hot on his heals.  That fat boy could really run.  A bit later that crazy badger came by me, looked up at me and snarled, "I'm keeping an eye on you to."   After the badger left I went up and got his bow and his coat, I found the guy half way up a tree, he was easy to spot, and gave him his stuff.
   Badgers and bears might be fast, but nothing is faster than lightning.  That stuff terrifies me.

Nominated for best post of the day!      [/b]

X2    

[Ron LaClair]

A good knife will do the job...if you've got the stones for it....           http://www.shrewbows.com/bowie_defender.html  

     

[Paul_R]

Shameless Ron, truly shameless!    

[Machino]

I'm not sure if you already said this, but where are you going?

We have had two cougars in the valley we hunt, yes in Iowa.  When walking out in the dark, after finding giant kitty tracks in the dust on top of mine, I will admit to looking behind me a few times when walking out.  I was afraid that it could think that I was a jogger.  In California, cougars eat joggers.

[dragonheart]

Idaho

[calgarychef]

I forgot to mention, always wear a seatbelt on the way to your hunt.  You'll have a FAR bigger risk of getting injured in a vehicular accident than getting attacked by a bear.  We drive very day without giving it a thought at all yet worry about animals.

[Joeabowhunter]

Originally posted by pavan:
We have had two cougars in the valley we hunt, yes in Iowa.  When walking out in the dark, after finding giant kitty tracks in the dust on top of mine, I will admit to looking behind me a few times when walking out.  I was afraid that it could think that I was a jogger.  In California, cougars eat joggers.

   

For years the the dnr denied they were here.  Then one day a farmer west of here shot two in one day that were harassing his calves.

[Etter]

Black bears are nothing to worry about. I don't carry anything extra when messing with them.

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by beendare:

This may tick a few folks off but I think the F and G depts and many others glorify the spray and don't want folks putting bullets in those bears. One year I was in Ak, and the outward bound type youth group had a kid eaten- the bear came in to them cooking, they sprayed it,it ran off for a bit and came back and either killed the kid or seriously wounded him and a couple others I think(it's been awhile)bi think if you aren't a great hg shot, carry the spray, otherwise, the bang alone from a pistol has been enough to turn many bears.

I'm pretty sure this is the incident you're referring to. If it is, it had nothing to do with being in camp and nothing to do with a failed application of bear spray. It did have a LOT to do with surprising a sow with cubs in thick cover:
   Alaska bear attack: NOLS kids did a \\'phenomenal job\\'  

It used to be my task to hunt into the wind with a dog for overdue humans. In AK, that often included overdue hunters and was almost always done in brown bear country. I chose to carry the spray on SAR missions and use my short-barreled shotgun for camp defense.

One of the very few cases I know of a handgun being used successfully required letting the bear chew on the shooter's leg for a while. By coincidence, the shooter is also the author of the linked article.

As has already been said (in more polite language), the accusation that the spray is being pushed as a political matter is nonsense. The authors of the studies examining the efficacy of the spray and firearms are honorable people with a LONG history of professional involvement in investigating bear attacks and advising people on how to avoid them.

[TaterHill Archer]

I mentioned earlier that I carried a .45 Colt.  I should caveat it with this.  When I was fishing in areas that many people would be, I carried spray.  Nothing wrong with spray, I just didn't ant to be the guy just over the hill from a bear that had been sprayed.  A good .45Colt with hard cast lead is my idea of a perfect gun.  Problem is, in my opinion, the best gun for this is a 4" Ruger.  It won't be light, but with hard cast lead, it will shoot all the way through a bear.  If you want lightweight, a S&W 329 PD in .44 mag is an option.  It's LIGHT, but kicks like a mule with loads for bears.

When I got to AK, I was told over and over that a .44 was the minimum.  I wasn't comfortable with the minimum, so I got a .454 Casull.  I wish I would have kept it.  I carried .45 Colt loads most of the time.  Carried .454 when I was. In areas with lots of grizzlys

[Bjorn]

I have the S&W 329 Lightweight 44 mag and yes it does kick with the big loads. I had mine ported and a rubber grip to replace the wooden one so now it is tolerable. I don't carry it don't see the point-you will never get a hand gun out in time for it to be of much value. Besides my wife likes to have it when I am gone hunting.    

[Jarrod Reno]

Spending lots of time in Montana backcountry I started out with a Super Red Hawk 44 with HSM bear loads and now to a good ole can of bear spray. Hands down more effective when a crazy situation arises. Even with being careful and aware of your surroundings and what not... moving quietly, and cow calling can bring a bear right to you. They're getting smart up north.

The numbers dont lie when it comes to handgun vs. spray. Spray wins.

For Colorado, my home state. a .40 does me well if I need to scare off a blackie. But anytime I've seen one, he or she takes off really quick. Never had one mess with my tent thus far.

There was a period where it was common for canoeist up north to carry pistols.  They shot at every bear that came near them.  Sloppy camping was why the bears came into the camp sites of the BWCA.  I was told by one Ely resident that bears would be gut shot so they would die somewhere else.  Times have changed somewhat and more people now know the causes of problem bears and they keep cleaner camps.  I have seen exceptions, where people through ignorance and fear behave badly.  One case, three guys from the south were cleaning two hammer handle northerns and one smallmouth on a campsite that was at the time empty, not cool.  They were not campers, motorized day fishermen. They took turns holding a 357 and pointing it at the woods.  On pins and needles the one holding the gun flinched at every movement he saw and even let a shot off at one Unidentified movement.  I have personally seen how fast a bear charge is.  Unless the bear gave a warning, no one that I have ever seen could do much with either a holstered side arm or a holstered bear spray can.  Bears that do give advanced warnings rarely ever attack.  I am not against handguns at all, but if the logic for having one is fear of bears, I would go with the spray.  It is lighter, cheaper and in the very unlikely event of a real problem, it will save your life.

[Ron LaClair]

[nineworlds9]

WWTD...What Would Tristan Do?  

 

 

Any Legends of the Fall fans??