Bears
08-11-2010, 11:00 AM
#31
Been working in Bear Country in my line of work for many years: Some thoughts!
BEAR SPRAY - works awesome on both Grizzly and Black Bears! It will stop them in a heartbeat if you spray them in the face! I will take Bear Spray any day over: a Gun/defender, bear banger,knife, axe, etc. This stuff has worked 100% for me on over 15 encounters closer than 10m and a few charges.
Drawbacks -
1) you have to be within 5-8m of a charging bear to disperse and hit the bear! (Check your canister for distance as some offer longer distances).
2) you have to be aware of the wind direction as you may get a face full of spray as well!
BEAR BANGERS - Worked on 100% of my Black Bear encounters but only 5% on Grizzly Bear encounters.
BELLS - Forget it makes any bear more curious and you will encounter them!
GUNS- Mixed on this. Yes it may work on Bears....
Drawbacks -
You better have steady aim with a big Boar Bear charging you through BRUSH and hit them in the vitals! You may piss that bear off more if you wound or graze him! Also, a Grizzly bear full of adreniline and hit with a bullet can still reach you and maul you before you reload, aim and fire another slug into him!
Also, be aware of the person packing a gun for the bush....they may have an itchy finger when they hear snapping!
BLACK BEAR ATTACKS- he is there for one reason...FOOD! You fight back as much as you can...Don't play Dead! hit them in the noise or eyes to get the bear to stop or use a knife,rock or stick whatever you can grab to fight!
GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACKS - most cases you play dead and try to cover up your neck and face (Fetal position). Usually once Grizzly Bears prey is dead they will drag it off and bury it and come back to feed later.
CLIMBING TREES- It does work to climb trees as you can kick them in the face if they decide to come up after you!
- Both Grizzly and Black Bears can Climb Trees- Grizzly will more than likely try to push or shake the tree rather than climb.
CAMPSITES- Keep it clean...throw away garbage into bear proof bins or burn it! Store food away from camp and up into trees. Don't keep food in a vehicle they can get in!
DOGS- Mixed on this one - Depends on the breed!
I have seen Border Collie/German Shepard dogs get chased right back to the owner by Both Grizzly and Black Bears. I have seen Akita's hold there ground to a Grizzly Bear to protect myself and his owner. I lost my Kheshond to a Grizzly Bear as he stood his ground and took the focus off me as I retreated back to my work truck. He came back but was so banged up by the attack that the vet had to put him down.
KARELIAN BEAR DOG - If you really want a great bear dog that will protect you and will kill a bear at no cost look at this bred. Specifically to attack put chase to bears and will sacrifice it's own life for it's master!
A Few pictures I took last fall on a drive up to do some Cut Block Layout! 10m away from my truck!
Cinnamon Bear about 10m away from our JK.
Black Bear tracks heading up where I am going camping.
BEAR SPRAY - works awesome on both Grizzly and Black Bears! It will stop them in a heartbeat if you spray them in the face! I will take Bear Spray any day over: a Gun/defender, bear banger,knife, axe, etc. This stuff has worked 100% for me on over 15 encounters closer than 10m and a few charges.
Drawbacks -
1) you have to be within 5-8m of a charging bear to disperse and hit the bear! (Check your canister for distance as some offer longer distances).
2) you have to be aware of the wind direction as you may get a face full of spray as well!
BEAR BANGERS - Worked on 100% of my Black Bear encounters but only 5% on Grizzly Bear encounters.
BELLS - Forget it makes any bear more curious and you will encounter them!
GUNS- Mixed on this. Yes it may work on Bears....
Drawbacks -
You better have steady aim with a big Boar Bear charging you through BRUSH and hit them in the vitals! You may piss that bear off more if you wound or graze him! Also, a Grizzly bear full of adreniline and hit with a bullet can still reach you and maul you before you reload, aim and fire another slug into him!
Also, be aware of the person packing a gun for the bush....they may have an itchy finger when they hear snapping!
BLACK BEAR ATTACKS- he is there for one reason...FOOD! You fight back as much as you can...Don't play Dead! hit them in the noise or eyes to get the bear to stop or use a knife,rock or stick whatever you can grab to fight!
GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACKS - most cases you play dead and try to cover up your neck and face (Fetal position). Usually once Grizzly Bears prey is dead they will drag it off and bury it and come back to feed later.
CLIMBING TREES- It does work to climb trees as you can kick them in the face if they decide to come up after you!
- Both Grizzly and Black Bears can Climb Trees- Grizzly will more than likely try to push or shake the tree rather than climb.
CAMPSITES- Keep it clean...throw away garbage into bear proof bins or burn it! Store food away from camp and up into trees. Don't keep food in a vehicle they can get in!
DOGS- Mixed on this one - Depends on the breed!
I have seen Border Collie/German Shepard dogs get chased right back to the owner by Both Grizzly and Black Bears. I have seen Akita's hold there ground to a Grizzly Bear to protect myself and his owner. I lost my Kheshond to a Grizzly Bear as he stood his ground and took the focus off me as I retreated back to my work truck. He came back but was so banged up by the attack that the vet had to put him down.
KARELIAN BEAR DOG - If you really want a great bear dog that will protect you and will kill a bear at no cost look at this bred. Specifically to attack put chase to bears and will sacrifice it's own life for it's master!
A Few pictures I took last fall on a drive up to do some Cut Block Layout! 10m away from my truck!
Cinnamon Bear about 10m away from our JK.
Black Bear tracks heading up where I am going camping.
Last edited by RevyJKU08; 08-11-2010 at 11:03 AM.
08-11-2010, 12:46 PM
#33
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Yep, a rifle slug coming out of shotgun will send a bear to berry land; however, it's the very last resort. As someone said earlier, if you're not intimatley familiar with a weapon, spend a lot of time at the range before you take it with you. You should not have to think about how to handle the weapon, it must be instinctive; otherwise, under a stressfull situation you'll waste precious time that could make a bad situation even worse.
08-11-2010, 01:07 PM
#34
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08-15-2010, 06:52 PM
#35
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This stuff has worked 100% for me on over 15 encounters closer than 10m and a few charges.
Was also wondering how you could have 15 encounters with brown and black bears but can have the bear bangers work on grizzly's 5% of the time. Did you mean 50% of the time?
Would never go hiking or camping in brown/grizzly bear country without a high powered firearm of some sort. Every bear is different. Time of year can really count too. Spring time when they come out of hibernation and there hungry could turn a normally docile bear into a pretty aggressive bear. In the fall when brown bears have all the salmon they can eat I can't imagine them bugging you too much, unless you get between them and there cubs or they feel like they're being threatend in some way. Can't imagine any big dog not being a help against a black bear. But, I don't know that much about the whole dog thing.
08-15-2010, 08:32 PM
#37
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Some good recomendations.
I cook and eat away from camp, and keep my food there.
Carry something just incase: 12ga loaded with bernake slugs is good. I have a 45-70 with 450grain hardcast bullets. Some of my buds in Alaska have big bore revolvers in 44mag or 454 casull.
Saw a griz once in AK. Suffice it to say my buddies and I unassed the area.
I cook and eat away from camp, and keep my food there.
Carry something just incase: 12ga loaded with bernake slugs is good. I have a 45-70 with 450grain hardcast bullets. Some of my buds in Alaska have big bore revolvers in 44mag or 454 casull.
Saw a griz once in AK. Suffice it to say my buddies and I unassed the area.
08-16-2010, 07:13 AM
#38
Sounds like you need to find a new place to go camping.
Was also wondering how you could have 15 encounters with brown and black bears but can have the bear bangers work on grizzly's 5% of the time. Did you mean 50% of the time?
Would never go hiking or camping in brown/grizzly bear country without a high powered firearm of some sort. Every bear is different. Time of year can really count too. Spring time when they come out of hibernation and there hungry could turn a normally docile bear into a pretty aggressive bear. In the fall when brown bears have all the salmon they can eat I can't imagine them bugging you too much, unless you get between them and there cubs or they feel like they're being threatend in some way. Can't imagine any big dog not being a help against a black bear. But, I don't know that much about the whole dog thing.
Was also wondering how you could have 15 encounters with brown and black bears but can have the bear bangers work on grizzly's 5% of the time. Did you mean 50% of the time?
Would never go hiking or camping in brown/grizzly bear country without a high powered firearm of some sort. Every bear is different. Time of year can really count too. Spring time when they come out of hibernation and there hungry could turn a normally docile bear into a pretty aggressive bear. In the fall when brown bears have all the salmon they can eat I can't imagine them bugging you too much, unless you get between them and there cubs or they feel like they're being threatend in some way. Can't imagine any big dog not being a help against a black bear. But, I don't know that much about the whole dog thing.
You don't need a Firearm...been in Forestry for 20 years and never packed a gun ONLY Bear Spray and Bangers and have still survived! I have seen and heard from other employees issues with firearms wounding bears and pissing them off even more or getting mauled because they missed the bear or hit a tree or brush in front of them. Bear Spray you just pull the pin and spray within the required distance and it STOPS Grizzlies & Black Bears in there tracks hard!
Any Bear Aware Courses I have attended for Safety Training I discussed with the Conservation officers & Fish and Game speakers and they state that Bear Spray is the best defense for any Bear encounter over a Gun!
Again some dogs will help....but you better be sure that dog does not chase after a bear and that big Grizzly or Black Bear Boar or mom bear turns on the dog and that dog will high tail it back to were it feels safe the owner!
08-16-2010, 10:42 AM
#39
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You don't need a Firearm...been in Forestry for 20 years and never packed a gun ONLY Bear Spray and Bangers and have still survived! I have seen and heard from other employees issues with firearms wounding bears and pissing them off even more or getting mauled because they missed the bear or hit a tree or brush in front of them. Bear Spray you just pull the pin and spray within the required distance and it STOPS Grizzlies & Black Bears in there tracks hard!
Any Bear Aware Courses I have attended for Safety Training I discussed with the Conservation officers & Fish and Game speakers and they state that Bear Spray is the best defense for any Bear encounter over a Gun!
Any Bear Aware Courses I have attended for Safety Training I discussed with the Conservation officers & Fish and Game speakers and they state that Bear Spray is the best defense for any Bear encounter over a Gun!
If you're going to carry a firearm, the key element is proficiency. If you can't hit a charging bear (in the shoulder), then you need to practice. If you can hit a charging bear in the shoulder, then you can stop even a grizzly.
08-17-2010, 08:52 AM
#40
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I used to be a part 135 pilot in S.E. Alaska and was more partial to guys carrying firearms in the airplane rather than bear repellent, mainly because of accidental discharge of the spray in aircraft. Matter of fact we used to pack it in an ammo can and carry it outside of the cockpit if possible. I would always feel way more comfortable packing a high powered pistol (.44 mag) than bear repellent. I guess that's all just personal preference though. Plus you don't have to worry about which way the wind is blowing. 