If i was in bear country i would carry both. I like the pistol solution but if a bear was charging and was within 10 feet do you think you could hold a steady aim, i dont think i could. I have read articles about people being ate by a grizz, and at there side was a empty revolver. you dont always have the time but if it was me i would keep them both handy and draw them at the same time in cerain situations.
black bears for the most part will not kill another animal to eat ..there main diet is berries roots insects ..there scavangers not killers..unless you are a threat of course..most of the ones i see are scared of you and run away ..
Black bears may be scavengers but Idaho Rob is absolutely correct that if attacked by one it plans on eating you. So don’t play dead. When I’ve encountered black bears out fishing most are running from me and if not they are quickly running from my dogs. Brown bears are another story. All the data I’ve seen suggest pepper spray is probable a bit more effective than guns overall. You might feel safer with the gun but if you don’t kill that bear you were probable better off with the spray. Part of the problem is the injured bear might be more likely to attack when it was charging and not actually going to attack. Sort of like the illusion that big trucks are safer. Everyone imagines the head on accident and not the more common cause of fatal motor vehicle accident in the West- single vehicle rollovers. You were safer in that smaller lower center of gravity vehicle. It handles better and never rolled in the first place.
thank god we dont have any brown bears or grizzlys here..but my self defense mecanism says a dead bear cant hurt me..or eat me..
Of course the general rules don’t apply to all of us at this site[;)]. We’d always kill the bear and not overcorrect or go too fast around that corner and roll. Everybody on BFT is in the top 1% at shooting and driving. But as far as the bears go I don’t think we should get over concerned just cautious as deaths are so rare. Lighting strikes, drownings, bee stings and crashing into animals in our vehicles are much more likely to kill us. I always think the gun isn’t a bad thing because it’s good protection from the biggest animal threat out there- whacko people.
I carry my .44 in hopes of never having to use it to be honest as opposed to some people i see on the Kenai penisula who walk around acting like they are back in the old west hoping for a chance to pull their hogleg.
If i had the time my first shot would be in the air in hopes of scaring the bear charging me. I have been false charged by a bear and all i did was palm the grip of my pistol and yell at the bear and it changed its mind and walked off.
I honestly wouldnt want to kill a bear even if if were charging me to do me harm, well maybe as a last resort i would, but i would rather wing it in a leg or other none lethal area to make it decide " Am I really that mad/hungry" And then get ahold of Fish and Game to track the wounded animal and get it help.
On a side note, I have also been told by reputable sources that a brown/grizz can live for up to 5 minutes even if you blow its heart out. So that might be a plug for the pepper spray crowd, however if you dont blind the bear with the spray you might just REALLLY piss him off and he runs off with a burning face to maul someone else he comes across.
I figure if you get attacked and killed by a bear it was just the big guy upstairs plan for how you were meant to go, messed up way but when its your time its your time.
I can’t agree with you more Riverdog. I have been extremely shocked at the number of people that claim to be in that same 1% group! What’s even more astounding is the number of them that provide me with job security! However you’re also right about that last statement. They do seem to provide an even larger percentage of my job security.
i really never have had any intention of killing a bear i think there a cool animal..but human survival will always come first..
I agree with Idaho Bob 100%. Too many people try to portray bears as ruthless killers or teddy bears. I think they fall into the middle. Bears will be Bears. They have diffrent temperments. There is no sure way to scare off a bear. As a general guide, black bear intend to kill you. Brown / Grizz beat you up until it deems you not a threat.
I have had alot of success putting my arms up in the air (makes you look bigger) and yelling. Mock charges are well, fake. They seem serious but then veer around you or stop and stand up to get a better look at you. I had a black bear stalking me two years ago out side of fairbanks. I was back in the woods a good bit looking for my buddies moose camp. I stopped for lunch and noticed a black bear in the valley walking twards me. I just packed up and started walking. After 30 minutes or so I saw the bear behind me again. I got out into a clearing a made a halfcircle then went up and sat on a hill and looked over the clearing. Sure enough the black bear walked my trail. At that time it was clear that we are going to have a confrontation. I stopped and waited for the bear. I wanted to scare the bear off my trail so I could continue. It showed up, stood up and then charged. It didn’t pop it’s jaw or give any warning signs. I was uneasy to say the least. I shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the mid back. Lucky for me the second bullet broke it’s spine. I got knocked over my its momentum and then I shot the bear again in the head. I thought it was a smaller bear but she was starved and had a larger head. I skinned it and removed the head for alaska fish and game (didn’t have a bear tag). Fish and Game later deemed it to be a DLP (defence of Life or Property) and cleared me of any wrong doing.
On a side note. Moose season was a bust that year. Got to love tag soup.
WOW! crazy story! glad everything turned out ok (for you anyway 
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THANKS FOR THE INFO..WERE IM FROM ALL WE HAVE IS BLACK BEARS AND YOU DONT SEE EM VERY OFTEN.MY OVERAL KNOWLEDGE OF BEARS IS LIMITED TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE..YOUR INFO WOULD BE HELPFULL IF I TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT AREAS..
great story and thanks for refreshing this thread again.
I have a question. Have any of you actually used pepper spray? If so do you get any of it as blow back in the air? Did it make you cough, eyes water, etc.
I have a reactive airway, and am not sure how bad the reaction would be if I had to use the spray. I would kind of like to have it as back up, but not sure if it wouldn’t do more harm to me than the bear.
I carry a small hand gun - Ruger LCP 380 (abt 9mm). Not bear caliber, but makes a lot of noise and is more because I hike alone a lot. – There are wackos out there – have had to show a pistol twice in my lifetime so far. Would be glad never to actually use it, but I will if needed.
Back to my question on bears – I was very interested to read of all of your experiences and thoughts on what you would do. First I would probably stand as tall as possible and shout. 2nd shoot into the ground (not the air-they do come down you know) 3rd if no other option – shoot the bear. Would prefer to pepper spray if possible.
Actually I am more nervous of cougars - They want you!
Can’t say I’ve used pepper spray before, but I have heard that given the right scenario your concerns would be valid. Specifically spraying into the wind for instance. Other than that I don’t think it would be a big problem. The propellants shoot that stuff out there a ways. Your plan for dealing w/ a bear would be pretty good, w/ the addition of first “calmly” talking to the bear, then if it continued to be agressive (come towards you) escelate your voice and size. I’ve read numerous books on bear confrontations and the “professionals” recomendations about how to confront a bear keep coming up w/ the same ideas. However they also all admit there are times where nothing follows the rules.
As for cougars, if they really wanted us I think that we would be in huge trouble. They do prefer to avoid us for the most part. Almost all cases of cougar attacks I’ve heard the person attacked has been alone, the cat young and/or malnourished and a lot of times the person ran igniting the chase instinct. I do know of cases where these rules were not the case, but for the number of cats we have I think we have very little to worry about. However I don’t blame you for carrying a gun in their yard in the case you are the exception[;)]. I know I do.
I was with my dad and a friend and we were charged by a grizzly. I’ve never felt more vulnerable in my life. We didn’t have either gun or spray. BYU did a study of bear attacks and statistically bear spray was more effective as far as extent of injuries or lack of it. The attacks that involved fire arms the person was worse off in the end. I carry bear spray pretty much all the time when I’m fishing because I see it as a multipurpose tool. I’ve seen rangers use it on bison and think it would work for moose as well. I also think it would slow down a human attacker because it hurts, I know. I fell on my bear spray once and punctured it. I was pretty lucky most of it got on my hands and they just felt warm but I managed to get it on my upper lip some how and holy crap did my lip throb for about 45 minutes.
Most likely though you wont see it coming and wont have much time to react so either one might not do you a bit of good. I don’t worry a whole lot about it though. I choose to get in my car everyday and drive. I’m in much more danger there than I am in the woods.
I have emptied old cans of bear spray and it doesn’t get on you but if you had to spray it in to the wind it probably would. When I sprayed it it goes out about thirty feet and about 6 feet wide so you wouldn’t have to be as accurate as with a pistol.
Here is a video that shows how fast it can happen. This dude was like Wild Bill Hickok with how fast he drew his gun. I’m afraid I probably would have been bear bait that day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuYs8Dnef3s
Thanks for your replies. I know that most any caliber gun is too small for grizzles and moose for that matter.
I am really not that worried about bears etc it is a calculated risk, and most won’t bother you. I just like to keep the calculations weighed more on my side in a problem situation.
My comment on cougars was more in the line of a light hearted remark. Most animals will give you a wide berth if you don’t surprise them.. I have had cougars in my yard and even on my back deck. They are bad news on my barn cats. But if one is stalking you-- you can be pretty sure that it means business, where as with bears they might just be bluffing or checking you out.
I have had a number of encounters with moose and they are very unpredictable. Most of the time they will just move on or spook. Just this last summer I had a nasty “brush” with a moose in Copper Basin. I was on a very small creek fishing up through the willows. I was moving very quietly and I surprised a moose. She was only about 20 feet away across the creek in the willows. I calmly spoke to her and slowly backed up. She glared and advance toward me. I spoke nice, drew gun, and backed up a bunch more. She glared harder and advanced more. This continued until I got down around a beaver pond that was below me. When she stopped, I got out of her sight, and I booked it a lot faster out of her area. She never completely charged me, and I never fired as I wasn’t too sure that a warning shot might not just provoke her. I knew that if I had to shoot at her it didn’t have much chance of stopping her. It was late summer and I am sure she probably had a calf somewhere there in the bushes.
I had scratches all over my arms and legs from going through the brush, that I never noticed at the time!!
This incident in what really got me to thinking that I need to carry bear spray or a larger caliber. I think I will go with the bear spray and hold my breath for a loooonnnnng time. That is a calculated risk also.
Both why because I trust spray and the hand gun.
Both can be used if needed. both only require one hand.
If I am bear country I keep senses turned on to max. which is a pain when your fly fishing. and I go with a friend or two.
I have never been attacked by a Bear but I have had confrontations with Dogs. Needless to say spray would be a better alternative than shooting or stabbing the dogs or hitting them in the head with a rock.
Ps once I was on the narrows and big malamute hybrid was almost on me luckly I had my spyder co knife. And it heard it owner calling to it. I was scared lol
once was in ogden river with a pitt bull luckly I had my neck knife. the people only got in action because I pulled my blade.
Once at my work I went out help the mail man and the pitt bull turned on me I had a big rock and was going to hit in the head and people screamed they were calling the cops. The cops shot that one but it didn’t die
when I talked to officers they said I had all rights to kill it when it came at me.
IMHO your more likely going to have to deal with a dog at large then a bear.
I would choose a gun a 45-70 at the least and here is why one year in salmon idaho area up steelhead fishing there was a ladie and her husdband and the ladie it was her time of the month and a grizzley walked into there camp and ate her from the crotch up this is a true storie mind you the husdband used bear spray and all it did is piss it off more the ladie was killed and the man seriously injured another camper near by heard the comotion and came running with his 44mag and it took 6 shots to the head of the bear to kill it when they took the bear for research to find what caused the attack to see if it was just from being sick they reported out of the 6 shots only 4 of them punctured the skull of the bear the rest mearly bounced off with evidnce of marking … Now grizzleys are rarely seen in idaho unless at yellowstone or somthing to that nature but they are there and bear spray isn’t going to stop the bear if it is angry enough you best bet is a very high powerd fire arm a 12 gauge shotie with slug loads or a 45-70 somthing very very powerful is your best bet because the bear may run away but what if it doesn’t you would be wishing you had somthing more than the bear spray..
REALLY? Exactly when did this happen? I’ve spent well over 20 years in the area and I’ve never heard this campfire story version.
as a former resident of alaska i went on many fly -in trips to lake creek, and bank fishing on the kasilof, kenai, russian rivers ect. i carried a 4" 44 with two speed loaders filled with 280 grn core-bon ammo. as well as a 3.5 " 12 guage 870 with an extended tube mag with alternating slug and buckshot shells. probably overkill, but when i was face to face with a sow and cubs i felt very confident i could win. the wind shifted and she ran off. this was the only bear i was inside of 75 yards from in the 4.5 years i lived there.bells and whistles and pepper spray are worthless. i will take large gobs of flying lead and copper everytime !