Bear Protection choice

What should I take on my fishing trip for bear protection?

  • Ruger M77 .30-06

    Votes: 61 93.8%

  • Savage 24 .22/20 Gauge

    Votes: 4 6.2%
  • Total voters
    65
  • Poll closed .
If you're afraid of bears, stay home. Yogi doesn't see you as anything but trouble. Cindy will only bother you if you get between her and her kids.
If you opt for any firearm, be sure it's legal to have with you outside of hunting season. If you took one in Northern Ontario, you'd end up being charged with hunting out of season and without a licence. Don't know about Saskatchewan.
 
Sunray, I've gone there for 5 years without ever taking anything with me. I'm not exactly scared of bears. Last year I did have an incident where the island that I usually camp on was covered with bear crap. On the other side of the island I saw three bear cubs in a tree. I never did see the mom, but it made me think about them strolling into camp one evening. Thus the desire for a comforting gun.

I can't see a FWO giving me grief for having a cased, trigger locked rifle in my vehicle. Totally legal.


SS
 
Cindy will only bother you if you get between her and her kids.
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This is so wrong on so many levels. Statements like the one above can get inexperienced people hurt or killed.

The most dangerous human/bear conflict situation is food defense.

Please don't take Sunray seriously.

Read James Gary Shelton's book "Bear Encounter Survival Guide" and just do what he says to do.
 
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Don't look down at bear spray it works better than people give it credit, combined with a decent gun and common sense, it gives you a multi-layer defence against bears.
 
Originally posted by colin "Don't look down at bear spray it works better than people give it credit, combined with a decent gun and common sense, it gives you a multi-layer defence against bears."

That is pure BS. Once a bear is in bear spray range you have no chance to deploy a firearm, Bear spray is only potentially effective at very very close range. IF A BEAR IS THAT CLOSE IT NEEDS TO BE KILLED. Yes common sense is the part most people lack and common sense tells me that life and limb are not worth risking for the sake of a bear.

#6 at close range will be perfect bear medicine. Ever seen something shot at 5 yards with light shot?? much more effective then bear spray and only marginally less effective then slug or 00 buck.
 
combined with a decent gun and common sense, it gives you a multi-layer defence against bears.
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I agree with Colin. Having spray, crack flares and a firearm gives you much more flexibility.

Example: Your partner is down and being mauled with the bear straddling him/her. You are afraid to fire, even from 5' away because you are in an adrenaline dump and bullets can do strange things when they hit dense bone. With the spray, you can take a chance and spray the bear in the face from 12' away while still keeping your firearm ready (especially if you have an ATC like me!).

#6 at close range will be perfect bear medicine. Ever seen something shot at 5 yards with light shot?? much more effective then bear spray and only marginally less effective then slug or 00 buck.
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Not enough penetration with birdshot, even at contact range to use #6 shot for bear defense. If that was all I had, sure. But otherwise slugs only.
 
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geologist said:
This is so wrong on so many levels. Statements like the one above can get inexperienced people hurt or killed.

The most dangerous human/bear conflict situation is food defense.

Please don't take Sunray seriously.

Read James Gary Shelton's book "Bear Encounter Survival Guide" and just do what he says to do.
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Stephen Herrero's "Bear Attacks" is another excellent book on the subject.
 
See why I love bear protection threads so much? You can get 15 opinions out of ten posts!

Either shoot the sonofa#####, or don't.

Either way, the thread will never die!:rolleyes: :D :p
 
Stephen Herrero's "Bear Attacks" is another excellent book on the subject.
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Herrero is a good read. His access to data seems to be cut off around 1995. He is also more PC than Shelton.

I prefer Shelton because he has more up to date data and is not trying to be politically correct.

My point is read verifiable, documented information and don't believe this "Yogi will only attack if you get between it and the cubs" bullshi*.
 
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geologist said:
This is so wrong on so many levels. Statements like the one above can get inexperienced people hurt or killed.

The most dangerous human/bear conflict situation is food defense.

Please don't take Sunray seriously.

Read James Gary Shelton's book "Bear Encounter Survival Guide" and just do what he says to do.
Click to expand...


Really? I was gonna go out and make a name tag to put on the bear and call him fuzzy bunny:rolleyes:
 
That is pure BS. Once a bear is in bear spray range you have no chance to deploy a firearm said:
You have never had your gun fail on you have you?

Having both gives you options as geologist mentioned, plus if there is more than one person, you can split the defence between you if dummy didn't bring their own already.
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Bear defense threads are my favorite. If it's a boar challenge it to a game of "Rochambeau", extra points if you let it go first. If it's a sow just shoot it, no point getting into an argument with the fairer ###.
 
Sam Steele said:
I can't see a FWO giving me grief for having a cased, trigger locked rifle in my vehicle. Totally legal.


SS
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So when the bear comes along to attack you and your slow/fat friend, you're going to run all the way to your vehicle, unlock the trunk, open it, get the gun case out of the trunk, get the gun out of the gun case, fiddle around to find the key to the trigger lock, unlock the trigger lock, remove it, open your box of bullets, load them into the rifle, aim, shoot?


I would hate to be your fat/slow friend. :(
 
Geez, where do you go with another bear defence thread?

If we did a search and took all the 20000 responses to heart were all in alot of trouble. I grew up in the northern Ontario wilderness walking around with little to no worries, I've been within 5' of black bears and wasn't worried at all. Yes a sow with cubs is dangerous but she's worried only for her offspring and as long as their safe she's gonna head for the high country herself. I'm an Ontario boy, not to sure about the rest of the country but black bears are like bunny rabbits to me, I don't raise a hair. I see a good size Timberwolf and I'm heading the other way even though I know black bears are much more likely to attack. I just got out of the bush last month after treeing a 250 lb sow who most likely tree'd her cubs before the Walker hounds even got a look at her. This was with NO FIREARMS and she came down the tree not 3 feet frome me, all she wanted to do was high tail it outta there and get away from them crazy mutts, she looked me right in the eye and more or less said "thanks" as I was holding onto three of the Walkers. As for the bear defence mentality, come on guys, does this mean every time I go check out my deer stand I gotta be packing a 12 gauge (or whatever the "in" bear defence gun is this week) plus a couple cans of bear spray and some bear bangers packed on the side? Cripes, I'm gonna look like Rambo walking through the bush. If a bear is that comfortable around man that it ain't afraid then it's gonna attack sooner or later anyways. Do yourself a favor, you gotta bear hangin around your place with the kids out in the backyard, blast it and call someone later (or don't). After the liberal tree huggers put an end to the spring bear season up here and the population went sky high I've got no problem with someone taking out a nuisance bear, the way I see it they brought this stupid useless slaughter of bear meat that isn't even being used upon themselves. I kinda wish someone would take a bunch of pics of the dead nuisance bears and send them to PETA showing exactly what they wanted "nothing but waste" and it looks good on them when all the bears start wandering into Barrie and other Toronto surroundings and people start whiningabout them, screw you, deal with them cause us legal hunters aren't allowed to anymore.

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I live in northern saskatchewan and a big sticks works pretty good.
30-06 will flaten anythig that bleeds in saskatchewan
 
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