I'd say carry what you feel most comfortable with. For some guys it's a gun and for others it's the spray. I myself prefer a gun :-)
Printable View
I'd say carry what you feel most comfortable with. For some guys it's a gun and for others it's the spray. I myself prefer a gun :-)
That why bear spray is recommended. It is cheap, legal and works.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
"Yep. More often or not it's something we do, that triggers it.
....or food around campsites, or Sows with cubs"
The majority of fatal attacks are by healthy boars out in the wild. They are unprevoked, predatory attacks. A black that commits is more likely to seal the deal than a brown/grizz (higher precentage of attacks result in death), although the latter is both larger and more aggressive. The "sow with cubs" deal is also more of a grizzly thing. A black sow will almost always run them up a tree, and often flee a little ways herself. A charge by a black will almost always be a bluff. It's for show, to intimidate, run you off. A predatory attack will start slow and deliberate (eg; people being followed, "stalked").
I've had several encounters, seen many, many more out and about. Most of them run in the opposite direction. One made an impact. I was bird hunting in an area that was boat access, carrying a .410 sxs stuffed with 7 1/2's. I'm sure it would have done the job point blank had it gone that far, but I ran into a 350-400lb fall bruin at about 15' and it felt like a pea shooter in my hands. What I feel was the limiting factor was the fact that I was on top a ridge, looking for a spot to get down and it was at the bottom. I ended up walking backwards through the bush until I hit the boat, untied it with the gun still in my hands and didn't unload until I was a good 30 yards from shore. I believe it trailed me out. I had people try to tell me afterwards things like "you surprised it" or "it didn't know what you were". I was wearing blaze orange and was making ample noise busting through brush and whatnot. I wouldn't hunt or go into the bush solo for 3 years. I stopped sleeping in tents. When I did feel comfortable enough to go hunting for birds during that time (with others) I took the 12, slugs in the back pocket. I knew it could be a ticket if I ever got checked. I didn't care.
I'm much different now. Did a bear hunt with some buds a few years ago. Tracked mine solo a short while. Had an incident where 4 of us were tracking in the rain one evening. One guy went back to the truck to get his gun and pushed another bear off the bait. Scared the $#*! outta him, so he yelled which scared the $#*! outta the bear, which ran between the other 3 of us. Certainly wasn't a calm moment but nobody drew their gun, fired a shot. My buddy said myself racking a round was the loudest thing he heard through the whole fiasco. Maybe we're different. I worked with a guy who hunted with a party.. they were tracking a bear and a bull moose got up in front of one of the guys. Guess what happened...
Going into the bush and it's not hunting season, I take a good strong paddle if I feel I need something. Aim for the nose/eyes. Don't trust the spray.. too many variables.
Well, all I can say is. I'm currently camping/fishing near Marathon with a few guys from the board. We've now had a Sow/cub in camp, and this morning at 6am when I unzipped my fly (lol), and stepped out of my tent. There was a nice 300 pounder 15 yards away. He looked at me, I looked at him. Another board member and I watched him for the next hour.happy to say, no theories tested.
Imagine that.
Glad to hear you did not pull out your rifle and blow him away. Again common sense makes sense... Others would not agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by JBen
Can you link to any post here that recommended shooting bears that weren't attacking? "Blowing them away". Really???Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonura
North hunter. Thanks for the story.
Why didn't you fire a warning shot.
I'm not sure... to be honest the gun at the time felt completely inadequate. Sometimes your brain takes about half a second to process everything and tell you what's going on. When that happened my main focus was getting the hell out of there. I would have used it if I needed to, glad I didn't need to. I had already passed a spot where I could get down where the bear was (before I knew there was a bear, of coarse) and decided the ridge was a better vantage point. I often wonder how things would have played out if I got down low instead?
"Blow him away"? Really? Um-m-m,let's not forget that the spring Bear hunt is still on until June15. For anyone with a tag,that's a trophy Blackie.Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonura
I carry a 410, and always have a slug or two.... the 22.410 combo is a nice compromise for you. so i vote for that along with some of the others