Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
It probably means more to people who've actually encountered bears in the woods. Maybe you need to broaden your experience a bit.
Possible bear attack
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It probably means more to people who've actually encountered bears in the woods. Maybe you need to broaden your experience a bit.
TallPine
Member
Let's see ... at least three times that I can remember right off. (no, make that four on second thought)
Once I walked up on a sleeping bear that practically jumped up under my feet. Funny thing was, after it ran a little ways it turned and started wandering back to its nice warm bed. I was just standing there watching it and finally I decided all at once that it was just too darn close, so I started backing away slowly. When it realized that I wasn't just a funny looking tree, it ran off for good this time.
Another time I snuck up within rock throwing distance and watched the bear poop in the woods. He never noticed me, but he looked all around just like a person might do to see if anyone was watching.
Their sense of smell is supposed to be phenomenal, but their vision and hearing are apparently nothing to brag about.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
I spent three weeks on survey on Prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska in June 1993, just before the start of salmon run. We had a good relationship with the black bears and there were bears in every inlet we visited, sitting on their rear haunches, waiting for the salmon.
We opted to sleep on the boat.
During survey, we made plenty of noise. Usually by the time we saw bears, they were already moving out of our way. There were some that seemed to have no concern about us what-so-ever. We surveyed around them, us watching the bear as the bear watched us. However, on a couple of occasions, we managed to be surprised by bears who were not after us, but could have been. That was pretty disturbing. Both events were on the beach, waiting for pickup form the zodiac. In both cases, we were stationary and felt secure. In one case, a cub rolled out of the tree line baaahhhing. We left in a controlled hurry. In the second case, a bear came out of the woods to take up a watchful position on the beach maybe 50 yards from us, I guess hoping the salmon would be coming by that evening. It was weird. He wasn't there and he was there and already settled down and watching the water.
We kept black bears distant by making a lot of noise while on survey and that can work fine for black bears that are not starving, with cubs, or in rut. Noise is non-lethal and eco-friendly and works very well, until it doesn't.
We opted to sleep on the boat.
During survey, we made plenty of noise. Usually by the time we saw bears, they were already moving out of our way. There were some that seemed to have no concern about us what-so-ever. We surveyed around them, us watching the bear as the bear watched us. However, on a couple of occasions, we managed to be surprised by bears who were not after us, but could have been. That was pretty disturbing. Both events were on the beach, waiting for pickup form the zodiac. In both cases, we were stationary and felt secure. In one case, a cub rolled out of the tree line baaahhhing. We left in a controlled hurry. In the second case, a bear came out of the woods to take up a watchful position on the beach maybe 50 yards from us, I guess hoping the salmon would be coming by that evening. It was weird. He wasn't there and he was there and already settled down and watching the water.
We kept black bears distant by making a lot of noise while on survey and that can work fine for black bears that are not starving, with cubs, or in rut. Noise is non-lethal and eco-friendly and works very well, until it doesn't.
Stevie-Ray
Member
I've been up close and personal to the black bears of Northern Michigan twice. Once unarmed. Terrified, I never wanted to be unarmed again. Now it's 10mm, 200 gr solids for me while trudging the U.P. The second time, again, I didn't have to fire, but I felt a lot better.
PlayboyPenguin
member
I have been near black bears many times as a kid in West Virginia with no real problems (a few times by myself but mostly had others with me). I have been near larger bears in Alaska a few times but under pretty controlled circumstances.
The_Shootist
Member
Bear Gun?
What was it an Alaska Fish & Game officer was once quoted as saying? "We're uncertain as to how effective it is to use a handgun to defend against bears, but we know a number of people who've tried."
I view a handgun as back-up against bears. If in bear country and you're hiking about, I'd consider it REAL prudent to have a rifle handy and a handgun to pull if you can't deploy the rifle fast enough.
Mind you, its easy for me to sit here and pontificate, sitting in comfort on Galveston where you likely won't run into a bear taking out the trash.
Coyotes might eventually be a different story...if you can believe the news reports, they're staring to overrun San Antonio and Houston can't be far behind.
What was it an Alaska Fish & Game officer was once quoted as saying? "We're uncertain as to how effective it is to use a handgun to defend against bears, but we know a number of people who've tried."
I view a handgun as back-up against bears. If in bear country and you're hiking about, I'd consider it REAL prudent to have a rifle handy and a handgun to pull if you can't deploy the rifle fast enough.
Mind you, its easy for me to sit here and pontificate, sitting in comfort on Galveston where you likely won't run into a bear taking out the trash.
Coyotes might eventually be a different story...if you can believe the news reports, they're staring to overrun San Antonio and Houston can't be far behind.
Shootist;
There was a bear in the next town , Edinburg, when I lived in the Valley and they are now being seen about 75 miles east of where you are now.
TPW estimates 40 breeders in the area west of IH35 and 30-50 east of IH 45.
Next time at Rayburn or Toledo Bend for a little bass fishing, keep an eye out.
There was a bear in the next town , Edinburg, when I lived in the Valley and they are now being seen about 75 miles east of where you are now.
TPW estimates 40 breeders in the area west of IH35 and 30-50 east of IH 45.
Next time at Rayburn or Toledo Bend for a little bass fishing, keep an eye out.
I saw one at a zoo. I also camped at Raton pass for a couple of days. I never actually saw a bear, but I suspect I was within 100' of one at some time.
I tend to avoid creatures which exhibit two characteristics, namely, being bigger than me by more than ~30%, and exhibiting a propensity for consuming other members of my species. Screw .44s and 12Ga. slugs. If it's not at least .50BMG, I'm hiking somewhere else. I just don't get this "It'll kill a bear" nonsense. I heard that a lot at gunshops when the .500 S&W revolvers came out. A magnum handgun makes me a bear killin' machine just like wall-climbing boots and single-shot .300WSM rifles make me a leet SEEL.
I did read an account in The Last Of The Mountain Men about a fellow bedding down on the trail up in Idaho once. He woke in the middle of the night wondering why he smelled so awful. Being only partially coherent, he decided to go back to sleep. The next morning, he found the tracks and the spot where the bear had laid down while trying to figure out just what this snoring hairless monkey thing was. There's a lesson in that: stay out of Idaho.
Ryder
Member
I've not heard bears mentioned in any gunshop. Although by coincidence I did purchase my Super Redhawk in a place named "Bears Sporting Goods".
You know how they say it isn't the weapon, it's the person? Nobody here knows if YOU have the skill and determination to successfully defend yourself against anything with any firearm. Only you can answer that.
The salesman may have been trying to better serve you by determining your application. Lots of people believe the 44 mag is a bad choice for self defense against humans. Did you try to impress him with your superior gun knowledge?
You know how they say it isn't the weapon, it's the person? Nobody here knows if YOU have the skill and determination to successfully defend yourself against anything with any firearm. Only you can answer that.
The salesman may have been trying to better serve you by determining your application. Lots of people believe the 44 mag is a bad choice for self defense against humans. Did you try to impress him with your superior gun knowledge?
PlayboyPenguin
member
Same here...the only bears you run into around here are those big hairy guys that like to wear leather.The_Shootist said:Mind you, its easy for me to sit here and pontificate, sitting in comfort on Galveston where you likely won't run into a bear taking out the trash.
PlayboyPenguin
member
Naw, what I do know I tend to keep to myself when gun shopping and just let the salesman talk. I find it is easier to tell who is legit if you just let them cover everything. Even the few things I already know.Ryder said:
HighVelocity said:If you go to buy a car and the salesman tells you that "you could even jump a ditch with it". Are you going to point the car at the first ditch you see and hit the gas? Probably not.
Funny you should say that . . . a few years back I bought a brand new Jeep Wrangler. The salesman handed me the keys and said, you can take the back entrance if you want. The back entrance was a two acre lot with a long snaky drive between and over dirt hills and rock piles and through a man-made river.
The only time I saw a bear for real was a Yellowstone NP. Watched it for about half an hour. Unfortunately, I was so rivited I didn't hear the buffalo approach withing 20 feet of me and scratch his head on a big tree. I managed to get a couple of minutes of video, close up, before I left to clean my trousers.
Shoot them with a flare gun... That would burn the crap out of them and I bet that they wouldn't stick around after that.
I was just trying to think of something inventive.
Hey, Black Bears can be dispatched with a .44 mag. In fact, I would use a .357 (with the right loads) on one. I would venture to use a .45 auto if I had the hot 185grain CorBon loads in it.
If all I had was a .22, I would empty a clip at the bear, tactical reload and empty another clip at him. I would already be pulling my knife out (Cold Steel Recon tanto) and when I was empty of the 2nd round of clips... I would scalp that bear. Teach him to mess with Irishmen in the woods minding his own business.
I was just trying to think of something inventive.
Hey, Black Bears can be dispatched with a .44 mag. In fact, I would use a .357 (with the right loads) on one. I would venture to use a .45 auto if I had the hot 185grain CorBon loads in it.
If all I had was a .22, I would empty a clip at the bear, tactical reload and empty another clip at him. I would already be pulling my knife out (Cold Steel Recon tanto) and when I was empty of the 2nd round of clips... I would scalp that bear. Teach him to mess with Irishmen in the woods minding his own business.
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