libidilatimmy
Veteran member
When bow hunting in grizz country, we always carry a slug gun. The caller will have this handy at all times, but bear spray is carried by both at all times as well.
Bow hunting personal protection firearm.
- Thread starter henkesean
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sheephunter
Active Member
I carry a Taurus Titanium 41 mag...sometimes I lust for the firepower of my RSR 44 mag but I have the 9 1/2" barrel and it's just too big and heavy to carry the places I end up going. I actually had my 41 mag out of the holster once on a sow with a cub at a later measure 11 yards and all I could think was "if I kill this bear I am really going to screw my weekend up"; I think the bear spray camp certainly has some merit.
and that's all I need to know. currently have a rehawk .357 but thing is so heavy , and long, looking at a new .44
In God We Trust
Very Active Member
Just out of curiosity does anyone know the statistics of how many grizzly attacks/deaths occur in Wyoming each year? I ma headed up to the northern part of Region G this summer/ fall and am going to carry a can of bear spray as well as my S & W M&P .40 Cal that carry with me whenever I am hunting
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
Sounds like a dangerous place.
Do you think having your camps in the same place year after year and all the food issues that go along with that is a factor in the number of angry grizzly encounters you are having?
Do you think the bears in your area react differently than bears in areas where bear spray has proved to be an effective deterrent?
What did you do in your attack where the bear ran through the spray?
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
When I was on an elk hunt in Thorofare (in the Teton Wilderness) several years ago, the camp was protected with elec wire & had dogs for alarm too. All the food was on tree platforms and we were not allowed to have any food (candy, nuts, etc) in our tents. Every hunter had to have bear spray. All the guides carried it and most had heavy cal handguns too. I had my .50 S & W and the spray. We did see grizzlys several times on the trip. One night the dogs started to bark and the camp woke up in a hurry. I guess ...better safe than sorry.
One morning 2 sows & 2 year old cubs came within 40 yards of us. The wind was in our favor, but my guide was plenty nervous. We got out the spray and guns and got ready. Thankfully they kept walking away and we never saw then again.
the wind, as has been said before, is my only hold back with bear spray. I would love to hear some first hand encounters where bear spray has worked for someone. I trust what is said on this forum more than I trust what I read in articles payed for by bear spray manufactures. grizz have started showing up in numbers in my hunting areas in Idaho where they haven't bean as much as activity as before. now every year im cutting grizz tracks.
mntnguide
Very Active Member
We have the same bear or two around that camp each fall for the past few years...Hes one of the largest bears ive seen up there, and he is a nuisance, but he is what we call a "good" bear. The moment he sees us coming out at him, he takes off. Its the bears that dont take off are the ones that are dangerous. The camp being in the same spot definitely could be a problem for the couple bears that hang out down low, but we lock everything up and the bears have never really gotten a "treat" from the camp, just the constant smell of dead elk keeps one or two around. But it wouldnt surprise me at all that those bears have learned that camp will be there each fall.
The majority of bear problems i have encountered have happened while out hunting many miles from the camp. From what I gather from other guides throughout NW Wyoming, our bears are no different in how they act to other areas. Some bears are good, some are bad and dangerous in my personal thoughts. The vast time i have spent in close proximity to them, I get a pretty good idea of which kind of bear it is pretty quick just based on their physical actions. Most the bears dont push the envelope, but we have a couple in the area that are well known to us and not ones to test. We have had to give up entire elk kills to a couple of these bears, because they know they can take them. We just try to get mules to the elk ASAP and get it off the hill and back to camp.
I definitely do think bear spray works, in most circumstances. But in my opinion, a Griz that has decided to charge and attack, will not be deterred by the spray. They run through it, shake their head, do not like it at all, but if they are set on charging they usually will be persistent. We are hearing of more and more encounters each year in this area and a lot of that has to do with the growing population of grizzlies pushing one another further and further out of the previous thought "grizzly" areas. Now sometimes it is a non-resident hunter who has never been around grizzlies or bears in general and sees one at 50 yards, and shoots it because they think they are in danger, those encounters are what keep the bear and wolf lovers full of ammo in the court system unfortunately, and it happens each fall.
I really dont worry about the grizzlies much until October. When the first snows hit and the temps drop, that is when we see the bears around us acting much more persistent in finding food before hibernation. During that time of year, I am a lot more worried about bears coming in on me. I always make sure my hunters are looking for bears constantly whenever we have an elk down in thick country. . I carry the snake rounds in my .44 for the reason of a close encounter. I peppered a bear in the head to turn them away in that one instance where they got FAR to close for comfort. With all the drama surrounding them, i would much rather not end up killing one and dealing with investigation and feds, if i can help it.
mntnguide
Very Active Member
Ya never know whats hanging around late at night.....
These 3 and I were in a race to get to a bull I had got the night before, luckily I was able to run them off with my horse enough to get the bull loaded on the mules.
These 3 and I were in a race to get to a bull I had got the night before, luckily I was able to run them off with my horse enough to get the bull loaded on the mules.
Curlybuck
New Member
My choice would be a 45. I can't amuze the thought of carrying a side arm during archery season. Stupid tree hugging lawmakers have made it illegal to carry a firearm during archer in Cali
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
mntnguide,
Thanks for the response.
I haven't had your experience with bear charges. I was charged once, but I guess it wasn't determined.
I am still curious about the times you have seen a determined bear run right through bear spray. Did you have to shoot those bears? How many have you had to shoot?
Thanks for the response.
I also think bear spray works in most circumstances. Firearms can work too, and neither is fool-proof.
I haven't had your experience with bear charges. I was charged once, but I guess it wasn't determined.
I am still curious about the times you have seen a determined bear run right through bear spray. Did you have to shoot those bears? How many have you had to shoot?
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
I am with you on the wind, ivorytip, but I would rather be half-sprayed than mauled.
This isn't a first-hand account, but my close friend was guiding fisherman near Iliamna Alaska several years ago, and sprayed a bear that came at him aggressively. He said it was amazing how the bear spun and took off.
Take that for what its worth. Just one account.
I do need to start having spray with me, wear it on my belt?? just got a new holster for my sidearm that goes over shoulders, that will be nice and out of way. I will not go into mountains with out that on me. I do need to get some experience with the spray.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
A side story on bear spray in the kind we used it says to discharge a small amount before going a field to verify that the can works properly. My buddy at the time walks out the front door of his house turns face first into a 20+ mph points the can straight out, I look out his patio door and thought is he seriously dumb enough to push the trigger. Yep he sprayed it for maybe a second the yellow haze came right back in his face and he hit the deck crying snot rolling out out of his nose like a facet. I don't know that I have ever seen something so dumb/funny in my life. After a bit he says yea I guess it works. I took away two things this guy is kind of dumb and I can't imagine what that would be like if you got a direct hit for a couple seconds, it would have to be crippling.
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I had a grizz come into camp 3 times one morning and the third time he wasn't going to be scared off. He stood on the other side of a log 7 yards away when we decided to spray him. He looked through the yellow haze and crossed the log towards us. He wasn't aggressive just wanted our food (we were eating breakfast when he came in the first time). I had had it and was going to shoot the bear when my dad stepped in front of me saying I would go to jail since we were in Yellowstone. So I picked up a 5 pound rock and hit the bear in the back with it and he ran off. This fall I will have bear spray on my left and a .44 on my right. When I see a bear both will come out but the hammer will be cocked on the S&W.