Bear Defense thread.

Kelly Timoffee said:
So, back to the question, not very many people have had to defend themselves against an attacking or aggressive bear it seems.
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It's a loaded question, most people worried about it really give it too much thought. Some guys occupationally run into a lot more bears than say a hunter. Nobody's stupid for taking a gun into the bush, some folks just get a little too worried about it.
 
I spent a bit of time in and around Lac La Biche and up at Conklin when I was a kid. Was chased when I was 15 and only had the chance to scare the very intent bear with the bang of a .223 twice. Its hard to shoot accuratley when your running like the devil is on your tail in the opposite direction.

Another came out of the bush the following year popping teeth and making not happy at the edge of the muskeg that I was bogged down in. The frantic banging and whizzzing of .22lr around his head from the 10/22 I had sent him scrambling. Both times if I hadn't recently pooped, I would have pooped then.

I sold an 8mm Rem. Mag. to a friend and the first animal he popped with it was a grizz in full out charge. I thought he was gonna poop when he told be the story.

I don't like bears in close proximity, but I fear them less then the average house dog. Most of the time, give a holler and talk them gone.

I like a 30-06 or bigger, or my 12ga with a haaarrrddd slug.
 
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Ive luckily never had to pull the trigger, but I have had to jump into the truck and load the defender on my lap when we realized 3 or 4 grizz cubs and a sow were coming for lunch. I didnt want to share my sandwich :)
 
Ardent said:
It's a loaded question, most people worried about it really give it too much thought. Some guys occupationally run into a lot more bears than say a hunter. Nobody's stupid for taking a gun into the bush, some folks just get a little too worried about it.
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:agree:
 
Ardent said:
Don't sweat the wolves, I run into them non-stop and they just plain aren't interested in us. Grizzlies are less of a worry than Black as well, ask anyone who's dealt with both (northern CO's especially).

You wouldn't happen to work for Beck 212? Somebody very close to me runs a rig for them.
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No, I dont work on a rig, I get that alot from my screen name though.

I work as a junior geologist in the summers as student work, lots of soil sampling and various other things.

Working on a rig is dangerous work, you never have a chance to hear them coming. I think one or two folks in the Yukon got killed this year on rigs..

I have yet to come face to face with a wolf or grizzly, but someone that was supposed to be a cook at our camp got attacked by a wolf in the same area we work, and one of our crew got stalked by a wolf for a while. So I am not underestimating them. Grizzly's don't seem to be aggressive for the most part from what I hear, a few people on my crew ran into them during the summer and had no problems. You are right about black bears, there are a lot of them, and they are out to get their calories. I learned not to underestimate them this year.

When it comes down to it I prefer not to shoot an animal unless I feel my life is in danger, which I have yet to happen with a bear.

Hungsolo said:
I think people want a gun for peace of mind more than anything. I lived in Kitimat for 7 years, and running into a black bear there was extremely common. I never had one issue. Usually I wouldn't even leave my fishing hole. There are Grizzly there too and they are scary. I have never been charged, but I have backed out of a few trails awfuly scared. I could hear her teeth gnashing and the grunts it was making nearly made me crap my pants. A can of bear spray and a 44 mag ranch hand with 300 gr hard cast will make me feel better. Use the bear spray. It works! Internet bears are way scarier than real ones, but I do like the peace of mind from carrying a gun.
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exactly my thoughts.
 
In 25+ years of being around black bears, healthy and wounded, I've never been in a situation where I felt the bear would have attacked/mauled me. I've had a few bluff charges, mainly by sows with cubs nearby, but a slow retreat and loud talking have solved those issues. Quite a few younger bears have popped their jaws and puffed up when near me, but I don't think they had any intention of following through on their antics.

That said, complacency is dangerous and paranoia is silly and potentially dangerous. It could happen anytime or never. Following a wounded bear in thick cover without a firearm is foolish. Going for an afternoon walk with a pump shotgun for bear defense is equally foolish.
 
I know many of us are saturated with bear defense threads from years ago but there haven't been too many in a while.

I do understand the topic of discussion though...

a lot of us work out of town
a lot of us work in small groups or alone, or hunt alone, or own wilderness property and are alone a good percentage of the time.
there may not be many bear encounters where you have to have a gun but it only takes "one" if you are the "one"
there is something uncomfortable about being alone in the bush and you suddenly get that "being watched" feeling.

If you are alone you can't expect first aid or any other help right off the bat...or for several hours. If you are incapacitated and away from a radio or cell service...

So while many encounters are easily settled with pots & pans or bear bangers or rounds into the dirt, I will still continue to carry something that goes bang in the bush when I can. And I will read the BDTs to see if there is any new discussion.
 
driller212 said:
I have yet to come face to face with a wolf or grizzly, but someone that was supposed to be a cook at our camp got attacked by a wolf in the same area we work, and one of our crew got stalked by a wolf for a while. So I am not underestimating them.
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Hmm... wolf defense thread... Haven't had one of those in some time...
 
I've hunted and shot them, but never in a charge situation. Mind you, I try not to corner the beasties.

The majority of the threads I have read over the past few years seem to point to a couple of issues.

The first is that someone whom is experienced in the wilderness has bear encounters often, which results in the bear being scared away, if it was poking around for interest. If there was for food opportunities or garbage, then they came back, became a nuisance and were shot.

The second are those whom have no wilderness experience other than what they see on the nature channel or the movies. Then they want to know what to use for defense. They typically have no clue (the first clue to that is the fact that they even ask the question!) as to what they are doing and what can be done to ease the situation.

I know folks who spin the fish tales about the charging bear and the odd CO whom has had to dispose of problem bears.

I have two bear guns.

The first is my side X side 12 ga. I used that when I used to Salmon fish near Million Dollar falls or Dalton Post in the Yukon. Hell'uva noisemaker. Never used once in all those years in the Yukon.

The second is my 30-06 with 220's. Another hell'uva noisemaker. Never discharged at a charging bear.
 
bearkilr said:
That said, complacency is dangerous and paranoia is silly and potentially dangerous. It could happen anytime or never. Following a wounded bear in thick cover without a firearm is foolish. Going for an afternoon walk with a pump shotgun for bear defense is equally foolish.
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Not so if your afternoon walk is in bear country. :D
 
My hunting partner was knocked off a stump by a big grizzly while calling moose up in PG.
He got a shot off, had no idea if he hit it. He was being dragged away after having his leg chewed to shyte, when his father in law came and got a couple shots off, and scared it off.

The GW's came in by helicopter to take our buddy to hospital. The bear was tracked but never found, so his F-I-L must have gotten a hit or two, and it crawled away and died, because a couple days later two big cubs were also shot, as they wouldn't leave the area and kept harassing camp. His encounter was documented and printed in a poplular bear tales book not too long ago.

the point is, you might never see it coming in time to get off a shot. Having a gun doesn't mean you win. Brain first, gun second.



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On the other hand, I was out hunting grouse one day but I had my 12g loaded up with alternating buckshot and slug just in case, with just the first round a #6 birdshot to blind a charging bear.

Sure enough, a big grizzly black bear charged me, and I fired my birdshot and slug/buck combo from 80 yards out. It didn't work..... and I died.:D
 
I was much more worried about the charging cow Moose I had last year, after I shot her calf. She stopped 10ish yards from me though and strongly re-thought her actions :D

Black Bears are ghey.
 
As for myself, never. I spent a significant portion of my youth wandering around the bush, spent a few years working in the bush, and while hunting have nevr come across an aggressive bear.

The last summer I lived with my parents we had 43 bear sightings in the backyard between April and September. Not one of them resulted in an attack, or us having to shoot one.
 
archie_james_c said:
I was much more worried about the charging cow Moose I had last year, after I shot her calf. She stopped 10ish yards from me though and strongly re-thought her actions :D

Black Bears are ghey.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#Black_bear_2
http://www.backcountry.net/arch/at/9708/msg00232.html

I always get a kick out a kick out of replies like this. You don't need to be to be paranoid but black bears should not be dismissed. Notice the amounts of attacks in the NE BC area, this is tough country for a young bear to survive with the lack of typical food such as salmon streams and a short season to fatten up which tends to make them more agressive. We have black bears in our back yard as well and have worked for outfitters and oil patch for 30 + years and spend a lot of my spare time in real wilderness. I have only had one bad encounter but can assure you without a rifle that black bear would have at the least mauled or killed one or both parties present. Have had some interesting experiences with grizzlies when working as a guide however those experiences were not the same as an unprovoked attack.
 
bearkilr said:
I live smack in the middle of bear country. I have no issues with them and go for many walks without a firearm.
I'd be far more concerned going for an unarmed walk in downtown Vancouver. ;)
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Neither did the Bear whisper guy and his GF a few years ago.
Om nom nom. :eek: :D
 
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