Bear defence with a shot gun
- Thread starter Covey Ridge
- Start date
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Talk to Boomer!
Chap I know shot a 400 lb polar bear with a slug from a M870. Bear was coming into the tent, he was sitting up in his mummy bag. Bear was a couple of feet off the muzzle of the gun. Slug entered at the corner of the eye, passed through the brain pan, exited through the back of the head. Bear was DRT. Adrenalin was squirting out the chap's ears, for some reason, and he shortstroked the gun, jamming it. Fortunately the first shot was sufficient.
This happened on an island in Hudson Strait, near Kimmirut, NU.
Now, having told this story, bear defence threads are in the same category as recurring running sores.
This happened on an island in Hudson Strait, near Kimmirut, NU.
Now, having told this story, bear defence threads are in the same category as recurring running sores.
American pie band camp quote from casted character known as "trumpet kid" that seems to talk with to much saliva in his mouth.."Guests bring food. Food attracts animals. This one time, a bear came. And then the bear had to be destroyed. Which means they shot it in the head with a rifle, and killed it, and it died"
In the North Rockies I carry a 12 gauge specifically for bear defence. In twenty odd years I’ve only had to use it twice, once with a black and once, sort of, with a Grizzly. I fired over the head of the black with bird shot to scare it off. With the Grizz, it as a weird scenario, it started a full on charge in my direction from 400m – well beyond the usual circle of comfort for these animals. I didn’t have to shoot as the bear lost track of me in the brush as it closed in, but I was literally seconds from doing so. I was carrying a 4+1 that day but because of this experience I have opted to go back to a 9 shot Mossberg 590A1. Given the size of that particular bear and its speed the extra shells seems very prudent.
Scott Bear
Regular
- Location
- Prince George
Just get a Marlin guide gun in 45-70. Shorter action makes for a lighter, more compact package and you can use it for hunting deer, elk, moose etc. Jacketed bullets penetrate better than lead slugs. If you can't stop it in its tracks with 5 405 grain bullets then you deserve to get eaten.
If you buy a gun just for bear defense you will probably never use it.
If you buy a gun just for bear defense you will probably never use it.
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I would agree with the switch lol after that situation. I have never been "charged or attacked" but I have had an odd hunting situation, been less than 8-10 yards away from one when I harvested it. I think that personally thats pretty damn close but I guess if you live in a province that allows baiting, then harvesting a bear at those ranges might occur more often.
8 to 10 yards is plenty close. Reminds me of a time when I was walking a fence line of a prospective acreage for sale when we heard a noise on the other side of the barbed wire. Parting the bushes “Laugh In” style (for those who remember that TV show) we realized we were face to face with 2 small cubs in a tree. After uttering a nice expletive at the gravity of the situation we heard the mom as she growled at us not more than 2 metres away. The only thing we could do at that point was to run – which we did, laughing the whole way back to the truck. Not sure on harvesting distances associated with baiting as bear hunting is not my thing (no judgement whatsoever on those who do mind you) as I have close friends who consider bruins as spirit animals. So I’m only going to shoot one when it’s him or me - and I’m betting on me!
Polar bears – different story. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Arctic and you had to be very aware of your surroundings when you were on the sea ice. I was mostly traveling on skis and alone. Depending on where I was, I sometimes carried a Mossberg Mariner and sometimes nothing. While they were rare in the Queen Maude Gulf they weren’t non existent. Seeing a polar bear out there meant it was seeing you and you were dinner.
Polar bears – different story. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Arctic and you had to be very aware of your surroundings when you were on the sea ice. I was mostly traveling on skis and alone. Depending on where I was, I sometimes carried a Mossberg Mariner and sometimes nothing. While they were rare in the Queen Maude Gulf they weren’t non existent. Seeing a polar bear out there meant it was seeing you and you were dinner.
glad to hear it was just a growl, could have been a bad situation! I think it would be exciting to in an enviorment of polar bears, sounds like you have had quite the life!
A guide gun will take care of those big costal grizzly
Sooo... so far, only 1, North2006west, use a warning bird shot, but still debatable as to if that was defense of life or not. Could have probably used a bear banger to the sasme effect on that particular bear.
Anyways, still would like to hear some more stories of CGNers, I know there's enough norcs/griz out there for bear defence, who's used them?
BTW, I totally agree with the comments on the 45-70.
Anyways, still would like to hear some more stories of CGNers, I know there's enough norcs/griz out there for bear defence, who's used them?
BTW, I totally agree with the comments on the 45-70.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
There have been many bears killed here over the years with shotguns, with both shot and slugs Specifically what is it you wish to know? You might find the books by Garry Shelton and Stephen Herrero enlightening.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
This is patently ridicoulous. A shotgun slug is not a benign slap, and it takes a rifle of significant power to equal the blow delivered by a 12 ga slug. There is nothing bullet proof about the bears of the Alaskan Coast, despite what the books might say.
Yeah right. I bet you believe the urban legend that shotgun slugs bounce off bear heads.
A shotgun slug is extremely powerful and will make a big hole in any animal. At close range, a rifled or sabot slug will enter in any bear like butter.
