Good Thing He Had His Bear Spray....

[longslide10]

There is even a group out there who believes bears are impervious to gunfire but are taken out with spray!

-Doc

Timothy Treadwell and company

 

[Deserteagle]

When I hike in black bear country, I like having my m4 with 30 rounds if 5.56. If that wouldn't stop it, I may as well just drive a tank. If I was in grizzly country, I'd keep my 12 gauge loaded with slugs, and maybe a .44 mag as well. No bear spray

 

[localgirl]

Timothy Treadwell and company

Oh Timmy. That foolish, foolish boy.

 

[sourdough44]

Bear spray? No thanks, Ill stick to my rifle and handgun.


ANCHORAGE, Alaska –



But the mother grizzly was just around a bend in the trail, poised to attack. Radakovich dropped one of his hiking poles and reached for his bear-repellent spray on his belt. The bear jumped on him, knocking the spray out of his hand and going for his backpack.

Read more: Alaska bear mauling victim recounts harrowing ordeal | Fox News

As often the case it happened very fast, unable to deploy his bear spray. Who's to say he would of got a shot off? Nothing wrong with a gun, but spray has it's place too. Kinda old thread, I know.

 

[Bigcarlover]

Bear spray... for bears that like their meals a little on the spicy side.

 

[farsidefan1]

I've been fishing and hunting in Alaska for the last 25 yrs. I buy some of the nasty bear spray every trip as they won't let you carry it even in your check in luggage. When we are coming back from a river with a bunch of salmon I always walk in front with bear spray in my hand with the safety clip removed. At least it puts out a fairly large cone. Usually you have only a few feet of clearing, often lots less, before the bear would be on you.

As to carrying a handgun. A hunting guide once told me to bring my rifle and a .44 mag but keep it snapped in the holster. If we wounded one and it surprised us in pursuit he said if the handgun is snapped in the holster it won't get lost if the bear knocks you down. Then while laying under the bear IF you can get to the handgun pull it out and empty it into the bear.

As to pulling out the gun and shooting the bear in mid charge - I don't think Annie Oakley could make that shot. I was fishing on the Kenai one time and a cub came and took a salmon from the rocks where a guy beside me had placed his fish. The idiot turned and snapped his rod and caught the cub right square on the tip of his nose. I couldn't believe it. I was less than 20 feet away. The cub sat on his butt and started crying. Mama came over the top of the hill and her feet hit the ground exactly once as she covered about 20 feet. The jackass jumped out into the river where a drift boat grabbed him as he struggled. As he disappeared around the bend I was standing there watching mama. She had slobber running out her jowls and the hackles were standing straight up. She was furious. I was thinking "Be the tree" meanwhile I noted the wind was in my favor. She finally turned and gave the cub a swat that sent him howling with a real hurt this time. She lumbered up the hill out of sight and as she disappeared I grabbed my fish and headed for the car.

The speed of the attack was beyond anything I could have imagined. That is why I always have pepper spray as a backup. Between what I saw and the hunting guide told me I prefer to have both. We have had 3 pretty serious encounters with bears and a handgun would have been useful of those times.

Ps black bears climb like champs as do grizzly cubs. As Grizzly (referred to as brown bears in Alaska) grow their claws become less curved so they can't use them to climb BUT they can climb a tree using branches so pick your tree wisely grasshopper.

 

[flyandscuba]

Transplanted to Alaska about a month ago from Florida -- and loving it. Explored around Reflections Lake today with Winston, my Jack Russell. He's got a good nose -- and would surely alert to anything of the wildlife sort being close by if he gets a whiff. My sidearm of choice while in the woods is a Glock 30 Gen 4 converted to 460 Rowland. 255gr Hardcast loads rated at 1300 fps. I'd rather have 10+1 460 Rowland rounds in a carry-friendly handgun (with a 13rd spare G21 mag) on my side than a heavy DA 44 Magnum revolver offering only 6 rounds.

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If I am expecting bears and/or serving as a "bear guard" while hunting & fishing, I will most likley tote this (loaded with Brenneke Classic Magnum slugs)

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

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[telpinaro]

LOVE Alaska... Been there once and can't wait to go back.

Of course, hiking where bears are I'll have everything I can carry... bear spray and guns. Right now the biggest I have is .357 mag, but it's surprisingly fast to get shots off. By the time I am able to go hiking there again, I'll have something bigger. Hiking trips that may happen some day are a good excuse to buy more guns, right??