6 Bear attacks in two weeks in Alaska

[Nevada Ed]

Sort of funny.........
Hunters have to spend a week hunting down bears and hope to get within 100 yards for a close shot, if possible.
Half the time the bear gets wind of them and quickly splits.........

It is usually the mother with cubs or the "Tame" hand fed bears that get you into trouble.
The chance of coming up on a bear that does not hear or see you is very slim. Of course I talk and cough a lot, when I am hiking in the bush, with my trusty "Magnum" fly rod in hand.

I treat bears like rattle snakes.
Don't get them mad, and they will usually wander off to cover.
Get them mad and you are in for it !!

 

[30-30remchester]

No caliber and no bullets gets 100% success. All the hoopla about knock down power I have not witnessed in the hundreds of big game animals I have seen taken. A head shot is not always fatal and sometimes gets little reaction from the animal. I shot a car hit fawn mule deer between the eyes at a few feet away with a 12 gauge slug and it had zero effect on the deer. It just blinked at me. On the other end of the spectrum there is the Kodiak island rancher that only carried a Colt Woodsman with a 4" barrel. He killed a Kodiak bear that was charging him with a single shot from that Colt. They all act different to the shot. As somebody above posted that in 2 of these attack, the attacked didn't have time to unsling their rifle.

 

[kwselke]

OK, I am skipping over all the commits to START this again !!

WHAT IS THE BEST HANDGUN AND CALIBER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST BEAR ATTACKS ??

(if this don't get me in "Time Out" nothing will)

There is no best handgun for bears. Phasers set to kill might work, but I know of no reliable phaser manufacturer. Getting along with bears is better than a fight to the death.

 

[BearBio]

"Danish Arctic researchers are said to be issued Glock 10 mm's."

You may be confusing the researchers with the long-range Dog Sled Patrols in Greenland (part of Denmark)==they carry G20s and Enfield 1917s.

 

[richardw]

Wonder how many of the encounters were because the people failed to respect the danger of a large wild animal.

I think that failure to know bear behavior and the way to avoid confrontation is a big part of the problem. I live in PA and I do a lot of hiking and trekking during the summer and fall. We only have black bears in PA, but people have been injured and killed by them. Fortunately that does not happen often.

I have had a dozen bear encounters in the past decade. Six of them were defensive aggression by females with cubs nearby. Avoided problems by just backing up and changing direction. Two were by males who exhibited the signs of defensive aggression. Same story-back up and change direction.

Two were aggressive, predatory attacks by males. No point in backing up and changing direction in such a case because the bear is out to get you and you cannot outrun it. You have to stand your ground.

When I trek I leave my LC9s home. It is not going to stop a bear. I take my 22 Compact to dispatch the occasional copperhead or rattle snake that I get dangerously close to. That has only happened twice in 15 years. For bears I carry bear spray. I prefer 12 oz containers of spray with 2% capsaicin. I use Counter Assault. I know it works.

The two times I was charged by a predatory male the Counter Assault spray dispatched one bear with one spray at 7 feet. The second bear was a bear of a bear, and he was driven off by a spray at 10 feet, but he recovered quickly and charged again. That time I hit him at 5 feet with the entire remaining spray in the can. He ran off and started running into trees because he was temporarily blinded. He fell over panting because his breath was impaired. I withdrew and retrieved my back up can of spray. I don't know what the bear did, but I assume he recovered with a memory imprint of a very bad experience.

Fact: bear spray drives off bears.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I do know that the LAST thing we need is a bunch of Georgia hunters running around the Arctic shooting each other!

Does that happen a lot?

 

[rburg]

Bears are smart, but I doubt they are smart enough to recognize the caliber of a gun.



If they're attacked anyways, having a rifle would obviously be helpful. But it's all about relative risk.

If you ever watch people, you'll see armed people handle themselves differently than unarmed. Its called body language. There's little doubt in my mind that 4 people armed with 458s will walk differently in bear country than your 4 with toilet paper. In many parts of the country during hunting season many game animals seem to be much more wary of guys carrying rifles than those with binoculars.

I wish I still had the comic with a band of Injun's looking at a landing party of Pilgrims with their flintlocks. The one Indian says to another "it hardlly seems fair, their sticks aren't even pointy."

 

[vytoland]

Which handgun calibers would be powerful enough for defense against a bear attack?

rocket powered shoes and a clear path ahead.....

 

[Franklin]

Which handgun calibers would be powerful enough for defense against a bear attack?[/QUOTE


Any caliber with a +P rating!

 

[JohnRippert]

rocket powered shoes and a clear path ahead.....

If I had those it would probably look like Tony Stark trying his Ironman suit thrusters for the first time.

 

[richardw]

Which handgun calibers would be powerful enough for defense against a bear attack?[/QUOTE


Any caliber with a +P rating!

With respect for your opinion I must say it is misguided. Yes, there have been incidents where a bear was brought down even with the 22 caliber by well place shots to the side of the skull. And there is evidence that some bears have been taken out by a 9mm. But the reality of successes is not generally understood.

A charging bear is terrifying. As I said in my post above I have been charged twice by predatory male black bears. I did four tours in Nam in the Infantry and Recon. I faced numerous charges by NVA soldiers. It was not as scary as the two bear charges I faced.

It is not the ammo that matters. Bear spray has been proven time and time again to be more effcetiven than firearms in deterring a bear attack.

The reality is facing a bear or armed man charge is far different than the reality. The adrenaline surge coupled with the natural nervousness makes precise aim a real challenge. When trying to kill a bear with a gun the placement of the shot even with the major Magnum rounds critical. +P 9mm, 380, 40 and 45 are no guaranrtee of stopping a bear. Accuracy and the steel nerve composure of facing the threat are more important that caliber and powder load. Steel nerve is the most critical.

I could kill a bear with a 22LR if I waited for it to close enough to allow me to make an accurate series of shots into the eyes of the bear. On the others hand I could fail to stop the bear with a 44 Magnum if nerves and recoil ruin my aim.

Accuracy with bear spray is not an issue like it is with guns.

 

[Skeet 028]

Of two bear encounters I have personal knowledge of one was dispatched at about 7 or 8 ft with one shot from a 4 inch 41 mag. Complete penetration front to back with a 250 gr cast bullet. The other was also a single shot on a supposedly wounded grizz at 30 yds. Win M-70 375 H&H..270 gr Silvertip I think. It did run about 40 ft after the shot. Another fellow here in Wy killed a grizz that attacked him north of Cody near a town called Clark. 3 shots from a Ruger Blackhawk 41 mag. The bear got in some attack time first. Part of the problem we have here is bears transplanted from places like YNP and other places where they have had some extensive interaction with people. They are not afraid of humans. In some places shooting a deer or Elk is akin to ringing a dinnerbell. They like deer or elk meat as much as we do and will take it. And with the ESA as the law of the land there is not much you can do about it. Don't forget also..bear attacks quite often happen quickly with no warning. I don't want to be spraying a bear after being attacked or mauled. If I have to choose between bear spray and a 41 or 44 mag in that instance..... I think I would choose the revolver. I'd rather not be in that position in any case

 

[keith44spl]

I have personally been involved in two black bear charges, and they's weren't kiddin none.


Two shots from my sixteen year old son stopped the first one with a 340 Weatherby.


Three or four years later,


I stopped a blackie from running up my britches leg.
Turned it at a distance measured in feet on the first shot,
killed it with the second with a 250gr Winchester Silver Tip .348.


Have bumped into several bears while packing in hunting camps.
I give them the right of way and it all worked out fine on my end.


Also, have had big bears come in to camp, one was an ol sow with cubs in tow.
We all came out alive.


Just cause I can.....
I'd keep my short 45-70 Win. around camp or in my saddle scabbard most times in bear country.

 

[ColbyBruce]

I told you I could shoot bears off my porch

This one just came up and tipped the hummingbird feeder and took a drink.

 

[Skeet 028]

I stopped a blackie from running up my britches leg.
Turned it at a distance measured in feet on the first shot,
killed it with the second with a 250gr Winchester Silver Tip .348.


Have bumped into several bears while packing in hunting camps.
I give them the right of way and it all worked out fine on my end.


Also, have had big bears come in to camp, one was an ol sow with cubs in tow.
We all came out alive.


Just cause I can.....
I'd keep my short 45-70 Win. around camp or in my saddle scabbard most times in bear country.

When I hunt the black timber I also carry either a M-71 Win or I have a Marlin 1895 CB rifle I carry. Shots on elk will be short and both have more'n enough oomph. 2nd scarest I have ever been was when I was spooked by a moose that was stalking me...and it was a cow(with calf). I lived for a while in Alaska's interior. One of my native friends told me if a black bear makes an attack on a human...it is gonna kill you and eat you. He wasn't joking either.

 

[billwill]

This one just came up and tipped the hummingbird feeder and took a drink.

Remember to use a car seat when you guys leave. He is still a growing little boy. Does he get any electronic device time each day.

Kidding aside, he likes your place too much. I'd have to start wearing Depends cause one day soon he will make you use 'em

 

[Absalom]

........ I don't want to be spraying a bear after being attacked or mauled. If I have to choose between bear spray and a 41 or 44 mag in that instance..... I think I would choose the revolver. I'd rather not be in that position in any case

Actually, that might be precisely when I'd prefer the spray. Close-quarters hits with a handgun might eventually kill the bear, but the spray has all the advantage when it comes to getting the bear to back off RIGHT NOW.

Some of you may have seen this video. Youtube is full with fake footage purporting to show fatal grizzly attacks. This is the only to my knowledge authenticated fatal attack video I know of, and it's not in the wild. The victim stumbled off camera, but died shortly after.

But the important thing here is the instantaneous effect of the spray on the bear which by then is in full attack mode. It's just one data point, but pretty convincing.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=At9-DwXVQPU[/ame]

 

[Skeet 028]

Actually, that might be precisely when I'd prefer the spray. Close-quarters hits with a handgun might eventually kill the bear, but the spray has all the advantage when it comes to getting the bear to back off RIGHT NOW.

QUOTE]
Actually At the point where a bear has you down attacking I doubt very much you would even think about the spray. Remember you are gonna get it too if you spray it. That might work if you have someone else to do the spraying like in that video...might. Closest I ever came to a situation like that was a plane crash and an auto that rolled 5 times. Your decision making is severely compromised during those events. At least mine was during the incidents...before and after I knew what needed doing

 

[vigil617]

Just cause I can.....
I'd keep my short 45-70 Win. around camp or in my saddle scabbard most times in bear country.

A broke shoulder is better than being mauled or killed!

 

[GaryS]

As I've told people in other contexts, "Mother Nature hates you and wants to kill you."

People need to understand that "Nature Will Eat You" When you are out there, that is
their house. If you are not smart enough to understand that then sprinkle a little hot sauce on you, bears like a little flavor with din din.