okie man
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2013
- Messages
- 1,040
How I wanna do it. Up close and personal. Been within spitting distance of a brownie fishing a couple times. Didn't scare me much. Lol
Bear protection handguns?
- Thread starter jeffreyjwilliams
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Your hunting rifle is your protection! Then bear spray! Last is a 10mm or larger handgun! While scouting the NE mountains of Wa state we often encounter black bears. Almost all of them run off. We have sprayed 1 bear in 15 years of scouting. Never shot at one.
wilkup
Well-Known Member
Like you, a hunting rifle is also my first choice, followed by a big bore handgun or marine grade flair. Bear spray doesn't and likely won't ever make it onto my list.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Black bears are deterred by bear spray. It's worked for me as a first resort before drawing my sidearm. Seemed very effective at that time. I think based on stories I've heard about the browns and grizzlies, it's kinda like a breath spray. Not an effective method to prevent an attack.Like you, a hunting rifle is also my first choice, followed by a big bore handgun or marine grade flair. Bear spray doesn't and likely won't ever make it onto my list.
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
I think most hunters would use their rifle first . Most likely only one shot off if bolt action. Then hope you have time to draw pistol, or spray if you wish. You will never know how much time you have. The bear could be 5 yards. or 50 yards from you if it happens. You may or may not see it before it does and they can cover a lot of ground quick. Id be most worried about walking up on a griz that has killed something. I'm mainly talking about inland grizzlies.Like you, a hunting rifle is also my first choice, followed by a big bore handgun or marine grade flair. Bear spray doesn't and likely won't ever make it onto my list.
memtb
Well-Known Member
I'm not very versed with the human anatomy! Exactly what part of of the body is the Upper Kenai region?
memtb
wilkup
Well-Known Member
Did the individual not have a firearm or some other form of protection!? I've never been to Alaska, but hiking with some way to defend one self just seems like it'd go without saying…
I always pack a firearm here in the northwest and we supposedly only have a handful of grizzlies in the areas I frequent. Absolutely no way would I be venturing into any part of AK without some form of lethal protection.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Ya another good thing would be able to outrun your Border Collie. We're always gonna be the bait pile.
wilkup
Well-Known Member
Article said the guy had bear spray but was never able to use it. Didn't provide details but I'm thinking had it in a day pack rather than an accessible holster.
Bear bit him on one arm. The man retreated into the Kenai River in an effort to survive. The bear followed him into the river and bit him again on a shoulder. Then the bear left. Said the guy didn't suffer life threatening injuries.
Would have been all sorts of time to get a revolver or pistol into this fight had one been carried externally in a holster. Folks keep betting their lives on the one in a million odds. And then become the "one".
wilkup
Well-Known Member
I'd say it's less than one in a million, especially when you consider the number of assaults experienced by those in the Alaskan wilds compared to those who explore them. Personally, I'd like to stack my deck against the bear as much as possible. Marine flair in one hand and big bore wheel gun in the other
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
I agree slim chance but not one in a million. Maybe one in 100,000I'd say it's less than one in a million, especially when you consider the number of assaults experienced by those in the Alaskan wilds compared to those who explore them. Personally, I'd like to stack my deck against the bear as much as possible. Marine flair in one hand and big bore wheel gun in the other
Alaska has a total population of ~ 700,000. Well less than 1 million. We have multiple bear attacks every season the bears are out of hibernation.
Sometimes bear attacks have occured mid-winter. I remember at least 3 incidents where bears were disturbed in their dens. Accidentally disturbed twice. The one was purposeful harassment of the bear.
The last incident was only ~3yrs ago. Two guys playing on snow machines on the Kenai Peninsula disturbed a boar in mid-winter. The bear came out after them. He was easy to spot against 3 foot of snow. They escaped on their snow machines. Brown bear season was open year round. So they retrieved rifles, licenses, and brown bear tags, and returned to go bear hunting. No big surprise the boar comes after them again. This time they were prepared and killed it.
The one incident where a big brown bear was harassed in its den by a group of oilfield contract workers resulted in the death of a Mexican. It was a siesmograph team setting off explosive charges and collecting readings. Some of the workers had noticed a bear den and threw snowballs at the den. They contined on and the last guy comes past the den was the Mexican worker. I don't think he even knew the den was there. Just plodding along catching up to his co-workers. The boar comes out of its den, crushes the man's shull with one bite (instant kill), then flattens his body into the snow by pouncing on him repetitively with front paws. The workers that threw the snowballs were some distance up ahead, but close enough to hear the screams just before the bear killed their co-worker. They turned in time to watch the bear kill. They quickly climbed up in some nearby trees and stayed put until well after the bear left. Bad deal for the man pulling up the end of the line.
For general knowledge, bears aren't true hibernators. They go into a slumber but can wake and kill as necessary. Especially brown/grizzly bears. Black bears are way less apt to come to life in kill mode. They go into a real slumber in their dens. Brown bear - not so much.
Sometimes bear attacks have occured mid-winter. I remember at least 3 incidents where bears were disturbed in their dens. Accidentally disturbed twice. The one was purposeful harassment of the bear.
The last incident was only ~3yrs ago. Two guys playing on snow machines on the Kenai Peninsula disturbed a boar in mid-winter. The bear came out after them. He was easy to spot against 3 foot of snow. They escaped on their snow machines. Brown bear season was open year round. So they retrieved rifles, licenses, and brown bear tags, and returned to go bear hunting. No big surprise the boar comes after them again. This time they were prepared and killed it.
The one incident where a big brown bear was harassed in its den by a group of oilfield contract workers resulted in the death of a Mexican. It was a siesmograph team setting off explosive charges and collecting readings. Some of the workers had noticed a bear den and threw snowballs at the den. They contined on and the last guy comes past the den was the Mexican worker. I don't think he even knew the den was there. Just plodding along catching up to his co-workers. The boar comes out of its den, crushes the man's shull with one bite (instant kill), then flattens his body into the snow by pouncing on him repetitively with front paws. The workers that threw the snowballs were some distance up ahead, but close enough to hear the screams just before the bear killed their co-worker. They turned in time to watch the bear kill. They quickly climbed up in some nearby trees and stayed put until well after the bear left. Bad deal for the man pulling up the end of the line.
For general knowledge, bears aren't true hibernators. They go into a slumber but can wake and kill as necessary. Especially brown/grizzly bears. Black bears are way less apt to come to life in kill mode. They go into a real slumber in their dens. Brown bear - not so much.
Last edited:
