Bears and pistols

[CobyRupert]

 

[atsah]

:laughing:

 

[k0ua]

View attachment 624290

Yep....

 

[shooterdon]

Having a dog with you might help. The dog will sense the bear before you do. The dog will attemp to protect you. Gives a few more seconds to make a better shot and repeat shots. It is likely the dog may not survive.

 

[Jstpssng]

I don't know anything about grizzlies or brown bears, but I've been around blacks all of my career. One thing that I do know; don't mess with the mother of any species. Years ago a coworker had recently graduated with a double major... BS in both Forestry and Wildlife. One day he was telling about coming across some bear cubs in a tree, so he climbed it to see if he could catch them. When I mentioned that it might not have been a wise move he replied "adult bears can't climb trees!' Not long after that one of the foresters came back from doing job inspections in the helicopter, and was telling about watching a sow and two cubs in the top of a poplar tree feeding on the buds. As for dogs, noises, and bears; when she was young my last dog used to wear a bell in springtime, to warn nesting mothers that we were around. One day we were walking down a winter road when a bear suddenly tore up out of the ditch about 40 feet in front of us. That bell did no good whatsoever. Toward the end of her life we were walking down a winter road and I noticed a bear feeding on the clover up ahead. Like a dumba** I said "you be good"... until then she was walking quietly by my side but that warned her that something was around so she tore off down the road, running past the bear, then sniffing around before running back to me again. At that point the bear took off into the woods... reappearing on the side of the road 15 feet from me, as my dog stood behind me. I yelled at her and started clacking my tree calipers together; luckily for me the bear turned and ran off, obviously feeling that she had made her point.

 

[bullbreaker]

Some pack hunting outfitters put bells on their horses/mules to alert bears they are coming up/down the trail in an attempt to avoid face to face surprise encounters . Also to alert other hunters . Theres always been a debate whether these bells work or not ($ grubbing gimmick). Also some put bells on their horses when there on a line like at nite in case horse gets away its easier to find .

They say a good horse can smell a bear at a distance of over 600'.

 

[bcp]

I've read several places that bear spray is about 1/10 the strength of pepper spray intended for defense against humans.

Bruce

 

[Sigarms]

Having a dog with you might help. The dog will sense the bear before you do. The dog will attemp to protect you. Gives a few more seconds to make a better shot and repeat shots. It is likely the dog may not survive.

I have no doubt that my dogs consider me their master, and I have absolutely no doubt that my dogs would alert me to the presence of a bear, but unless the bear is on top of me, I'd like to think my dogs are smart enough to understand that all they have to be able to do is outrun me.

 

[shovelmike]

If in bear country with a pistol I would want to be very well practiced in marksmanship, and have large caliber hollow points, the last thing you would want is an angry bear. Incidentally.....bear meat is good! Yes, I've eaten it.

 

[Sigarms]

If in bear country with a pistol I would want to be very well practiced in marksmanship, and have large caliber hollow points, the last thing you would want is an angry bear. Incidentally.....bear meat is good! Yes, I've eaten it.

Only thing I'd use in a pistol for large animals such as bears is heavy hardcast bullets.

Found I can shoot a G20 with some stouter 10MM loads a whole lot better than a 4" .44 for a "back pack" gun.