30-06 for brown bears
- Thread starter tommy88
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Up here there is an area along the Demster hwy, that is know for high grizzly density and also known for bears coming to gun shots! On a caribou hunt many years ago, my brother in law couldn’t pack out all the meat in one trip so went back the next day, we saw 3-4 grizzly bears in the same valley, one on the same side of mountain we were going for… we had the wind in our face and we kept it that way, retrieved the rest of the meat and and left with out wasting to much time hahaha! That bear never knew we were there!
I'm a Little surprised our resident 30-06 expert Chuck has not chimed in Yet ? 
RJ
RJ
Well, I've never been killed or mauled by a BEAR, but I have been charged on several occaisions by both Grizzly and Black Bears.
I did shoot one off my sleeping bag, while I was still in it and you can bet its intentions weren't in my best interest. That one was a mature Grizzly, that came into our tent, during the middle of a rainstorm, about 2am.
On another incident, only a few kliks from home, I was walking down a bush road and a 3-4 year old Black Bear Boar started following me. This went on for almost a klik and the Bear was getting more courage every second, as well as closer.
I finally picked up a dead Fir branch, appx two meters long and 4-5cm in diameter.
When it got close enough, I whacked him across the nose. That must have really hurt. I could hear the bones/cartilage crunch and it closed its eyes and stopped. Never even made a whimper.
Blood was running down onto the ground in front of him and he just stood there, on all fours.
I kept that branch with me and got out of there PDQ, all the way to my truck, about a klik away.
I would have given my left nut for the 12 gauge, that was locked behind the seat, just a few minutes earlier.
Grizzlies, are usually given a bad name, mostly because they're almost blind beyond 25 yards. They will stand on their hind legs, sniffing the air and making themselves look intimidating, until they get your scent. Usually once they realize it's a human, they turn arond and run.
Making lots of noise will usually get them moving faster.
Black Bears, on the other hand are often attracted to voices or noise and will get up close and personal to investigate.
I called a Black Bear right up to our Suburban a few years after I married my second wife. At first she though it was pretty cool, then she started getting scared, so we drove back to Trout Lake to do some fishing.
Not a good way to impress a city born lady.
If you come across one protecting a food source and don't intend to kill it, back away. It might even charge you, but usually will stop about 20 yards away, until it recognizes what's in front of it, then usually, unless it's very young and aggressive, will turn away and run off.
Black Bears are far less predictable. 99% of them will run long before you even see them. About the only reason they will stick around is that they're into some food and very hungry.
Black Bears are sneaky and can be aggressive. If it's up close and personal, put some distance between you, if you don't want to kill it.
If it won't let you do that, and you have the means then kill it and aswer for it later. Usually, powder burns on the fur will exonerate you, should any questions be asked.
The Bear I shot off my sleeping bag, had its feet on my pelvis. The muzzle of my firearm was in its mouth.
The last bear I shot, was just over 75 meters away.
The Black Bear Boar, 2 meter+ rug on my living room floor was shot at 5 meters and because it was intent on my partner that didn't know he was there. That Bear got nervous, when it saw me and while growling, turned towards me, I shot him, with a 30-06 at almost point blank range, taking out its spine, purposely, because I didn't want it to go anywhere from where it was, before I could get out of the way. That would be like standing in front of an insane buzzsaw. The next shot went into the base of its skull.
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Or guys from the city.
Maybe in Saskatchewan.
Long term average; 2 deaths per year. BFD
Only 10% of people who get hit by lightening die.
Still about 40 people in north america get hit by lightning per year, and over the last century about 2 people get killed by bears.
On the other hand a friend and co worker got killed by a black so it does happen. RIP Chris.
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More you hunt in Bear habitat more chances of encounters then shouldn't be dismissed as unlikely. In more than a few & expect ongoing. Outcome depends on situation & chosen course of action it's all part of the game.
Recent examples from around here -
Fatal 2014: https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/missing-hunter-found-dead-after-grizzly-bear-attack
Self-defense prove it 2008 : https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20080508/281956013518272
Nuisance/threat 2018: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/2-charge...ing-grizzly-bear-assaulting-witness-1.5202871
A sighting from last season safe distance in my boat: https://imgur.com/FWqxV8M
Recent examples from around here -
Fatal 2014: https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/missing-hunter-found-dead-after-grizzly-bear-attack
Self-defense prove it 2008 : https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20080508/281956013518272
Nuisance/threat 2018: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/2-charge...ing-grizzly-bear-assaulting-witness-1.5202871
A sighting from last season safe distance in my boat
: https://imgur.com/FWqxV8MWe have so many bears that there is a trapping season for them. Province wide, no limit.
So I have another question. What is the magical number of foot lbs that is required to stop a grizzly bear within 40 meters?
I've heard people tell me that a 44 mag (900-1100ft/lbs) will be enough, then also tell me that a 30-06 (2800-3100ft/lbs) is not enough.
I've heard people tell me that a 44 mag (900-1100ft/lbs) will be enough, then also tell me that a 30-06 (2800-3100ft/lbs) is not enough.
We went quite a few years without any close calls. Thought keeping a clean camp, cook/defecate away from camp, etc were enough. The last 6-7 years, between grizzly and Cougars, my small group of hunting friends have had 4 extremely close calls- including a self defence shooting of a charging grizzly @ 9 meters. (COs came to the scene and declared it a 'good' shoot.) I know first-hand of multiple other close calls, shootings (reported and not), and mauling deaths in the last decade in the area as well. So yeah, I think you're right, it does happen and odds of encounters vary based on several factors, including location.
I ain't scared either. I stay alert and and pack whatever rifle I want.
I carried a 44 mag. handgun for years , and always said when asked that it was 5 for the bear and one for me. The handgun was a stick it in it's mouth or ear and pull the trigger. It was better than nothing but did not do much for the pucker power created when I was to close to a bear.
It all depends on where you live and if you come into contact with bears on a regular basis. You can’t use statistics for North America for lightning and bears to make comparisons. Most people in North America live in cities and will never see a bear or even be in their territory. A lot of people I know who live in the bush in bear country have had really close encounters, some serious or fatal. None have been struck by lightning. Your odds of a close encounter with bears is good if you are around them a lot. Most bears run away, but the odd one won’t. If you only hunt for a week a year in the fall, the odds a bad encounter are probably rare, unless you are successful and have a carcass to deal with.
I had to shoot a black bear while solo sheep hunting quite a few years back, I was getting water out of a creek for my hike up my chosen mountain. I had my rifle beside my pack and could hear some rustling behind me as I was filtering my water. I grabbed my gun and my bear spray and turned around. It was a blackbear boar, medium sized and was standing about 20 feet away across the creek. I ran a couple of steps into the creek and yelled at it, that didn't spook it. I yelled again at it and it started to step towards me, I gave it near half the can of bear spray and the bear did a little twirling action to get out of the pepper cloud. I gave it almost all what was left in the can and it didn't really phase the bear. I think we both had adrenaline going by now, I raised my 7 rem mag that had 150gr hornady bullets and shot him in the chest at 15 feet away. He rolled of the little bank edge sideways and into the brush beside the creek and gave the death moan. Once my adrenaline wore off I felt the effects of the bear spray causing my mouth to water and eyes were stinging. I've had more blackbears curious about if I'm food that grizzlies in all the seasons of hunting the bc mountains. I'm only really worried about young dumb bears of both species, the rest of them I avoid or managed to get them to avoid me.
I dumped a griz with my 30-06 shooting a handloaded 168gr TSX at near 2900fps. Not a big bear, it was a BC interior mountain griz at near 400lbs. Biologist aged him at around 12 years. My ex-CO buddy says that is the load he ever used for all the 'bear management' he had to do. Mind you, my guide gun is a 338WM!
most of the time it is right but last year and the year before the sow with the 2 cubs in haines junction was interesting to see ...
