Wrong mindset! Churchill said it before me, but never, never,never. never give up!

I know of a case in which a man stabbed a lion as it was dragging him off to eat. He wasn't planning on playing Tarzan, but it worked. His rifle was on his horse, and two lions attacked out of the long grass. His horse bolted, throwing him. His belt knife was all that he had. He got off with an arm that was only partially efffective thereafter. The lion's hide was on display for years after, in Kruger National Park.

If a knife can kill a lion, maybe a handgun can kill a big bear. They sometimes do, you know. I've encountered a number of such incidents.

And a black bear may be what attacks, if anything does. The majority of PREDATORY bear attacks are by black bears. I know of one killed by a fisherman (with a knife!) that was found to have about seven men stashed nearby, in a meat cache.

Keep in mind that this couple will carry rifles and maybe a 12 gauge. But if one can't get to the rifle, or it jams, a handgun can be priceless. I'd use a S&W M-629 with six-inch barrel. But the lady involved can't handle a .44 Magnum, or any N-frame gun. The man will carry a .44 Mag or a .454. I'm going to encourage them to go to a zoo or museum and study bear anatomy. Does anyone have diagrams of a bear's body, showing the internal organs?

T-Star