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  #51  
Old 09-10-2013, 06:37 AM
AlaskaDawg AlaskaDawg is offline
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"Go to a natural history museum or zoo and study bear anatomy. Watch how the zoo bears move and plan your shot angles.

Those BB loads sound good. I've never seen them, but they seem fine in principle.

You aren't helpless without a .44 Magnum. Remember that fisherman and his knife!"

I remind myself I am not helpless with a 44 magnum and try to remember the 45-70.
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  #52  
Old 09-22-2013, 12:28 PM
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"bear threads" are helpful in my opinion ,while many will roll their eyes in a vain attempt to see the top of their own head, others listen with interest and learn from the knowledge of others.
while i agree that a violent encounter is rare, it still happens often enough that planning for it seems prudent.
cougar,coyote,wolves and feral dogs not to mention two legged snakes are also to be considered as potential threats while hiking.
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  #53  
Old 09-22-2013, 01:27 PM
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Most animals get funnier when you shave them.
Bears just get terrifying.


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  #54  
Old 09-22-2013, 01:47 PM
30-30remchester 30-30remchester is offline
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I am not sure of the newer Silvertips, but I killed a doe antelope years ago using a 45 ACP and using Winchester 185 grain Silvertips. It took 7 rounds to make the 100# doe lay down and expire. Very limited penetration due to the very rapid expansion. The new Silvertips may be an entirely different design or not. TEXAS STAR brought up a couple instances about bears killed by handguns. The story I remember but cant sweat to, had Louis Kiss the game warden shoot the grizzly 5 times, missing one time, and using 125 grain hp's . The first 4 bullets hit the head but failed to penetrate. The last shot was in the mouth that killed the bear. As for the New York polar bear killed by police officers after killing an 11 year old kid, the New York Times reported the bear was shot 20 times with 12 guage slugs and 6 times with a 38. I am NOT challenging TEXAS STAR, but am asking if anyone has a site that gives the specifics of these 2 instances. It would be a help if we could get the real story. Now days black bear are not afraid of humans, and locally have killed one local man and eating him after the bear ripped the door off his camper. Two instances of bears attacking campers while sleeping dispels the "bears only attack when scared or threatened defense", but agree that startled bears has to be a leading cause of bear encounters that turn bad.
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  #55  
Old 09-22-2013, 01:48 PM
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Black bears generally just want to avoid people and go on their merry way. I've encountered them many times in the woods. I just stop and let them walk on by and then I proceed. In 50 some years of being around bears, I've never seen a situation when it became necessary to defend myself.

Now, browns, grizzley and some others aren't so friendly and since they're bigger, you'd probably want a 44 or bigger with them.

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Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-of-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat. Black bear scat is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear scat has bells in it and smells like pepper.
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  #56  
Old 09-22-2013, 02:21 PM
tkdguy tkdguy is offline
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Best defense: use bear bells from Wally World sporting good department--large sleigh bells and they work just fine. Put 1-2 bells on your boots or backpack or the collar of your dog. Works for me. Works well for cats too. I've shot black bears with 30 30 170 gr soft point and it took three rounds at close range to stop him. I don't think much of the 357 for that purpose, but best advise is to "avoid' them with all the important precautions. Bear spray works wonders.

Last edited by tkdguy; 09-22-2013 at 02:23 PM. Reason: spelling
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  #57  
Old 09-26-2013, 09:01 AM
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Default a little more dangerous than a raccoon

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Originally Posted by SavageSmoker View Post
...... In all honesty, black bears are nothing but large annoying raccoons......
Well I don't know about that. I think of black bear defense the same as any other other 4 or two legged problem, odds of a conflict are highly unlikely but not quite zero.

Child taken from a stroller.

Catskill Bear Snatches Infant From Stroller And Kills Her - NYTimes.com

Mountain biker attacked, and his dogs didn't help. This one is also disturbing as he is visibly missing body parts.

Bear attack victim: ?It was surreal? - today > news - People: Tales of survival - TODAY.com

And the only confirmed person killed by coyotes. Keep in mind eastern coyotes are as big as a German Shepard.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...reton-1.779304

Bill

Last edited by b79holmes; 09-26-2013 at 10:07 AM.
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  #58  
Old 09-26-2013, 08:17 PM
30-30remchester 30-30remchester is offline
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A friend just shot a small black bear. The bear walked straight towards him in an open field. The bear walked to within 10' before my friend arrowed him. The bear showed no fear of him. He wasn't charging, but he also wasn't running away or appeared frightened.
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  #59  
Old 09-26-2013, 09:26 PM
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I can't contribute much here, but I know it is possible to kill a black bear with a .357 handgun, because 30 years ago my Dad killed one with a 6 inch Colt Trooper. He still has the rug. I have no idea what load he used, but I'm sure it was something made for hunting.
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  #60  
Old 09-26-2013, 10:27 PM
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There is no doubt that a 357 can kill a bear. In fact I can say I kinda killed a bear with a 357. I wounded a bear that ran into a thicket that I couldn't get my rifle into. So I took my 357 and crawled into the thicket and finished off a 200# black bear with a head shot using 158 grain cast lead bullet.
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  #61  
Old 09-26-2013, 10:54 PM
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Bears should NOT be allowed to shoot a .357....their paws are just too big!!

Randy

Last edited by growr; 09-26-2013 at 10:56 PM.
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  #62  
Old 09-27-2013, 03:46 PM
nawilson nawilson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by growr View Post
Bears should NOT be allowed to shoot a .357....their paws are just too big!!

Randy
Jordan Trooper stocks will fix that!

Why do some grouse about bear threads? If you don't like 'em, don't read 'em! Personally, I love bear threads because they are so entertaining.
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  #63  
Old 09-27-2013, 04:51 PM
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His paws WERE about the same size now that you mention it!!

Randy
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  #64  
Old 09-27-2013, 04:53 PM
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I'm fairly sure that most people who think a .357 magnum is reasonable for bears haven't seen one even reasonably close up. If nothing else, go to the zoo and take a good look. All you have to do is smell one when you are in the woods and you'll realize it is best to stay away from them unless you can't avoid it. They smell real bad in the woods and you will definitely know if one is around close.
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  #65  
Old 09-27-2013, 06:39 PM
NorthWoods1900 NorthWoods1900 is offline
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Zombie posts, newbies, etc? A year old post is a breach of etiquette?? Well, if they're posting a new bear thread every month, somebody is either interested or needs some possibly life saving information. As I said, bears are not a laughing matter. Thanks.
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  #66  
Old 09-27-2013, 07:28 PM
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We've got quite a few around where I live and they come into neighborhoods more and more often. This big boy hung out at Seven Eleven, a couple miles away, in a tree for 7 hours right on a main road earlier this week. The black bears here seem to be less shy, quite large and well fed compared to the scraggly ones I've seen and hunted in places like VA or WA. Stories about every couple weeks but don't recall anyone getting attacked here. When I saw this on news wildlife estimated him about 3 years old and close to 400 pounds. Probably still nice and tender

Bear Climbs Tree Outside 7 Eleven In Apopka Florida VIDEO RAW FOOTAGE 9-24-2013 - YouTube
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  #67  
Old 09-28-2013, 04:50 PM
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Around here, with snow starting to fall in the high country and the leaves starting to turn, bears are looking to fatten up for their winter hibernation. They have one thing on their mind: FOOD! When this happens, they pretty much go into "Ignore Mode" where they ignore anything or anybody except for food sources.
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  #68  
Old 09-28-2013, 05:17 PM
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There were a couple of videos last fall of bears around here that broke into cars,managing to lock themselves in and completely destroying the interiors trying to get out.One guy was actually brave enough to let the bear out of his car :-0
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  #69  
Old 09-29-2013, 12:59 AM
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I think part of the confusion with these threads is that people sometimes think of two completely different situations.

1. Can you use that .357 you own to hunt the (blank) bear, or should you get another gun to realistically and ethically handle the job?

2. Can you use that .357 you own to save your life if you are attacked by a (blank) bear, or should you get another gun to go in those areas where there are bears?

I am not a hunter, but from the safety of my armchair I believe that I would answer Question 1 with a "no". I would answer Question 2 with: "If you have a .357 and you are experienced and comfortable with it, then it is a better choice for you than a new gun that you are not used to, or possibly can't fire quickly."
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