Why the fascination with bear defense?

Black bears exist in almost all 50 states. Together with the coyote they are the most successful cridder in the wildlands. You are bound to run into one eventually.

Yeah I'd say probably just for the simple fact that they could tear your head off with one swipe! They are just fascinating creatures in my opinion, and obviously many other people's. It is indeed fun to read the thread's about grizzly encounters/defense and hunting stories.

Yeah I'd say probably just for the simple fact that they could tear your head off with one swipe! They are just fascinating creatures in my opinion, and obviously many other people's. It is indeed fun to read the thread's about grizzly encounters/defense and hunting stories.

[Secret]it's an excuse for a whole genre of handguns[Secret/]
Heck I live in Kansas no bears but I have a BFR in 475 just in case.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/04/woman_visits_site_of_fatal_bea.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2006-04-16/...d-erlanger-hospital-stable-condition?_s=PM:US

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/dec/04/story-of-bear-attack-to-air/

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/12/black-bear-attacks-boy-in-smokies-father-also/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBnGe9HDGBI

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...MwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=th4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6771,4733706

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3306263

http://www.bakercountypress.com/ind...s-attack-by-shot-bear&catid=59:news&Itemid=57

Those who don't spend much time in areas where bears live often make remarks like "you'd be extremely lucky to even see a bear in the wild". I hunt, camp, hike a lot in the N Georgia, East Tennessee and Western NC mountains and see bear on many of my trips. Seen dozens over the years and have killed 1, been present when several others were taken.

I'm not paranoid, have never felt threatened by one even though I've been within 10 yards of a few and within 30 yards of a mother and cubs before. But I am prepared just in case.

The links above are of bear attacks in the areas I frequently hike or camp in. These are the ones that made the news. There are dozens of other incidents that I'm aware of where no one was injured that were either never reported, or were not in the news.

Just another topic for forum conversation.

Since bears are so widespread, they become a convienient excuse for the wife when you buy that super-ultra-mongo-magnum whatever to 'protect me from any bears when I'm out (insert anything one does outdoors here)'.

I live in black bear country and never give them a second thought till I see another bear tread around these forums. You stand a way higher chance of haveing confrontation with a person on the streets than you do with a black bear in the wild. The average 2 legged slug stomp'n around in the woods will scare off the wild life most times before you would ever see what it was. Or if there raiding your bird feeders, jump up and down holler'n at them or fire a 9mm around there feet and they will be gone very quickly and more than likely for good. Non hunters or weekend warriors do seem to be oh so worried about them.

Poor Bears are being poached for their gall bladders. They have a lot more to fear from people and likely will be driven to extinction as organized criminals hunt them out.

Maybe we should fear the organized criminals and the meth labs more than the bears.

Unfortunately for bears, they are the only species with a gall bladder that produces fairly large quantities of bile, or bile salts, an ingredient that has been used in traditional Asian medicines for as long as 3,000 years……. Prices for bear gall bladders are astronomically high in some countries — in Japan, gall bladders can sell for $1500 to $4000 each….. This has led to an increase in poaching across North America and Russia

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http://www.americanbear.org/anatomy.htm

A few years ago a dramatic decline in previously healthy Black Bear populations occurred in California. The Department of Fish and Game investigated and found that the decline was the result of illegal hunting of bear for their gall bladders.

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http://www.canadianrockies.net/banff/poaching.html

Since bears are so widespread, they become a convienient excuse for the wife when you buy that super-ultra-mongo-magnum whatever to 'protect me from any bears when I'm out (insert anything one does outdoors here)'.

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I tried this. I apparently wasn't convincing enough.

I do my share of hiking in the "wilds" of northwestern New Jersey and have encountered dozens and dozens of black bears and their youngun's. It is one of Justice's greatest contradictions that I am prohibited from defending myself with a firearm in the (unlikely) event of a bear attack in New Jersey, yet elsewhere I'm good to go.

I see bears very frequently as I hunt them in both spring and fall annually. Black bears generally are about as dangerous as a poodle, unless a sow with cubs is startled. Griz are far different, especially if your bump in to one all camoed out while elk hunting with a bow, as a good friend of mine can testify to. (he suffered multiple broken bones and was basically scalped)

Although I hate to admit it, bear spray is a far better defense than any firearm (less $$$ too, although not nearly as manly or fun). So I carry both as backup; spray and 44 Mag w/ 300gr or better. Better yet - 12 gauge and spray.

Zombies are fake and no one wants to be bear poop.

I guess that some of it comes from a bit of fascination with the idea that homo sap is not always at the top of the food chain.

Hey let me in, I'm home!!

+1 clipper, isn't that true!

[Secret]it's an excuse for a whole genre of handguns[Secret/]

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Truth

Bear threads usually don’t have much to do with bears at all. People just want another gun and hey, why not, it’s their money, though they may regret carrying it after a few miles of mountainous terrain.

Sure, a few people here have legitimate worries about bears but most of us only have black bears around if even that. Black bears are hardly worth worrying about at all. You shouldn’t try to give them a pet or hand feed them but honestly, they are way at the bottom of potential wilderness threats.

I think on a deep level humans like to think there are four legged dangers out there. Theorizing about how to deal with the beasts goes back at least as far as cave art, and those paintings of game were possibly the first bear threads ;-) "What spear for aurochs?"

But also running across them or even their sign is memorable. I remember finding a section of forest floor that looked like a backhoe had been at it. It was a brown bear that had apparently been after ground squirrel. When they darted in the ground, the bear just removed the ground. Going through old and thick tree roots like they were sisal twine. They're amazing. The one thing I can say for sure is that if they ever really wanted to hunt men, we'd be in deep trouble with or without firearms.

#1 Every single year I go camping, I have seen bears either on the trail or in camp. This has occured in 5 or 6 different states. Yes, it is a 100% clean camp, and most encounters have been of the distant spotting variety. I have had no trouble with any of them.

#2 It's a heck of alot better than the current Zombie fascination, don't you think?

K1500 said:

#1 Every single year I go camping, I have seen bears either on the trail or in camp. This has occured in 5 or 6 different states. Yes, it is a 100% clean camp, and most encounters have been of the distant spotting variety. I have had no trouble with any of them.

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Where are you camping? Maybe I'm just camping in the wrong areas, cuz I haven't seen one in a couple of years (Course, I don't go camping as often anymore)

the most dangerous animal in north America is not the bear. ...rather, it is the wolf.

City folks think they need to worry about bears. They don't have a lot of familiarity with 'em, skirt, I guess. They think it takes some sort of anti armor gun, German 88 or hellfire missile or something, seems like. When you mention black bear, ain't 3 posts until someone brings up Kodiak bear, even if the OP is in Florida. Those threads are getting kinda monotonous.

#2 It's a heck of alot better than the current Zombie fascination, don't you think?

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Actually, at least I get a chuckle out of THOSE threads.

A old wolf on its own is not any more to worry about than a feral dog or any larger wild animal thats sick and old. And a wild wolf pack does not have much on a pack of feral dogs. A pack mentality is what makes wolfs, coytes and feral dogs scary.