If you see a black bear, DON'T RUN
- Thread starter wetnose
- Start date
Fortunately, a park ranger was able to shoot it (or possibly a different bear) in the face before it ran off.
That should take care of the problem.
That should take care of the problem.
Of all the encounters I've had, the one that works best for me is yelling, banging pots and looking as large as possible. They tend to leave shortly afterwards.
Seems to be some repeat offenders in my hood aka garbage bears. Locking garbage cans in sheds or garages is the way to go since these animals want an easy dinner.
Seems to be some repeat offenders in my hood aka garbage bears. Locking garbage cans in sheds or garages is the way to go since these animals want an easy dinner.
If you don't carry a gun, which I always do......travel with a partner that never shuts up, and runs at half the speed you do.
Bears like people can have a bad day, and if you piss a Grizzly off, you always shoot it in the shoulder first.
Black bears almost always run off unless it's habituated......then it becomes part of the natural selection process.
I've been charged by probably a dozen bears.....I don't know if it was a false charge or not in each case.
When it comes to large predators.....I don't believe in warning shots, if the animal is keeping its distance but appears aggressive, I will fire a shot in the air, to avoid having my scalp lifted years later.
If they mind their own business....like the one living on my place right now....we make a pact....he stays hidden, and I leave him alone.
Bears like people can have a bad day, and if you piss a Grizzly off, you always shoot it in the shoulder first.
Black bears almost always run off unless it's habituated......then it becomes part of the natural selection process.
I've been charged by probably a dozen bears.....I don't know if it was a false charge or not in each case.
When it comes to large predators.....I don't believe in warning shots, if the animal is keeping its distance but appears aggressive, I will fire a shot in the air, to avoid having my scalp lifted years later.
If they mind their own business....like the one living on my place right now....we make a pact....he stays hidden, and I leave him alone.
According to a wildlife expert, bear spray is the best deterrent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y
For much of my life I worked in the bush, often alone. In those days I carried firearms, but I have no idea how effective I would have been at shooting a bear. I've never actually shot at a live target. I had many bear encounters, but I was always lucky. The bears and I went our separate ways.
These days I carry bear spray, but I don't have a lot of faith in it. Catch the wind wrong and I might just annoy the bear and disable myself.
My dog is quite bear-smart. She gives me early warning of bears, and she's smart enough not to try and engage with one. I rely on her for warnings, and the bear spray is only a last resort.
These days I carry bear spray, but I don't have a lot of faith in it. Catch the wind wrong and I might just annoy the bear and disable myself.
My dog is quite bear-smart. She gives me early warning of bears, and she's smart enough not to try and engage with one. I rely on her for warnings, and the bear spray is only a last resort.
I would also like to add...
Running triggers a predatory response in any large predator, the chase and kill mechanism is instinctive for their survival.
A grizzly will roll you around and half the time bury you for seasoning to consume your carcass later, and /or to hide it and the scent...sometimes.
Black bears will start ripping appendages off immediately because it wants to consume you,before other predators threaten his lunch that are the same size or bigger....or out number him.
Playing dead may not work......running never does.
FYI?....in very northern areas, the main food source for Grizzlies in spring is hibernating black bear.....if you fall into a den with a half asleep black bear, your really screwed.....it will fight to the death.
I know from first hand experience bear spray and a lot of noise works very well for mountain lions.....
The height of arrogance, a tech nerd/hacker telling a seasoned hunter/ex-military man how to deal with bears in the back country.
Bear spray is better than nothing but not by much.
The default is 12 guage with 00 buckshot. Maybe alternate with deer slugs. Aim at the chest as Sybian said. Their heads are solid and shooting their face does squat. Remember, grizzlies fight other grizzlies and they bite each other's faces. A face that can withstand those bites will shrug off most bullets.
The default is 12 guage with 00 buckshot. Maybe alternate with deer slugs. Aim at the chest as Sybian said. Their heads are solid and shooting their face does squat. Remember, grizzlies fight other grizzlies and they bite each other's faces. A face that can withstand those bites will shrug off most bullets.
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Emptied a 1911A1 into a grizz.....then had to track the blood trail for two days before he went to ground. Still breathing, but not charging though he did try. Hated to put a tough old bastard like him down.
Moreover I saw the same advice from a bear researcher. He did a demo with bear spray and a laser-tag gun against a simulated moving target with a hunter and non-hunter, I recall. Same results: the bear spray was faster and didn't have to be accurate to hit the simulated bear.
Also saw a video where a guy sprayed two cougars that attacked him on a logging road - he said he had the can in his hand ready to go after he sensed something and if he hadn't, he would have been toast (even with the open space that the cougars covered).
A lot of grizzly attacks I've read about are VERY sudden - innocently walking along a trail and coming upon a sow with her cubs. Those mamas can go 30+mph. Unless you're John Wick-like, or have your 12 gauge at the ready, probably won't help ya.
Also saw a video where a guy sprayed two cougars that attacked him on a logging road - he said he had the can in his hand ready to go after he sensed something and if he hadn't, he would have been toast (even with the open space that the cougars covered).
A lot of grizzly attacks I've read about are VERY sudden - innocently walking along a trail and coming upon a sow with her cubs. Those mamas can go 30+mph. Unless you're John Wick-like, or have your 12 gauge at the ready, probably won't help ya.
Enlisting hackers at the rank of Colonel.
That is quite a claim. I need to see that link son.
BTW as a former military you must know that a Colonel does not enlist.
Listen guys.......your bare hands don't do anything against a bear.
Carry something....anything to give you the edge in a firefight.
Your on their terrain, in their back yard, and they dramatically outweigh you....I have a healthy respect for even the smallest bear.
They also kill to survive, the Grizzlies circulatory system is slower than most other animals, so a bleed out kill is out of the question.....Bear spray is better than nothing, but I've picked up human remains that had a empty bear spray can in the aftermath......just sayin'
Carry something....anything to give you the edge in a firefight.
Your on their terrain, in their back yard, and they dramatically outweigh you....I have a healthy respect for even the smallest bear.
They also kill to survive, the Grizzlies circulatory system is slower than most other animals, so a bleed out kill is out of the question.....Bear spray is better than nothing, but I've picked up human remains that had a empty bear spray can in the aftermath......just sayin'
Yeah but it'll break your heart and back carrying it up in the Highcountry....I carry a little friend called a .45 acp 1911 under my arm....and a cut off .45-70 Browning on my saddle or behind my seat as it only has a 14 inch barrel.....it also freezes me solid laying next to my sleeping bag.How about a C3 105mm Howitzer during avalanche blasting. That'll kill the Grizzly
UncleG will also endorse the fact I'm not full of shit ,when I tell you that a hollow point with a drop of mercury or distilled water in the hole, sealed with a little wax makes an exit wound you can stick your head into ,when it expands on impact......We used to call those little projectiles Taliban neutralizers.
....and yeah I already know it's illegal to carry a sidearm......better to be an alive convict ,than a dead law abiding citizen.
I contract guide for Government Wildlife, Search and Rescue, Forestry, and occasionally the RCMP.......my weapons I tend to carry are simply overlooked by the individuals I'm guiding.
They do notice them after a few days, and are never mentioned,even in Provincial Parklands.......I got one handgun confiscated once, went to court paid the fine, and got it back.
I don't have much experience with Moose, as I live in the Highcountry, that lacks the water, and it's the terrain I know well so that's the type of Guiding I tend to do.....I also can't swim worth a shit, so I avoid water.
And your right about Grizzlies surviving multiple gunshots......I skinned one with 3 healed wounds from some sort of .30 Cal from a few years before.
Yup....better to be judged by twelve, then carried by six.... That conversion will do that, but I found with the .45 range has an affect. I found that if you were a bit further out the round would tend to spread more after impact, in fact it would practically explode so you were picking bits of lead out of the target's ass as well as the neck. Think of it as swallowing a small grenade.
