25contender
Veteran member
- Mar 20, 2013
- 1,638
- 90
Handgun in Bear country
- Thread starter wildstreak
- Start date
sneakypete
Veteran member
Bonecollector
Veteran member
I went to the gun shop Wednesday to check out the Ruger SuperHawk vs the Ruger Toklat 454 5" barreled Casull. Which is the better option in everyone's option? Reviewing both in the double action. Will be used for occasional local hunting in Ohio (5" barrel is legal) and bear protection on Western hunts.
Thanks guys!
Thanks guys!
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Alright now let's see who knows the rest of this joke. When I was in Montana I was told to carry a .22 short in bear country...now do y'all know why??? First one to answer gets a "Thata Boy!
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
Shoot your buddy in the knee so you can get away? As long as he was carrying all the food and was using bacon scented soap. Some of these guys on here could probably still out run me.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Nope...lol...that's considered kinda like the "buddy system"...you dont have to out run the bear just your buddy. Comeon AgainsttheWind I figured all y'all boys from out west had heard this one. I will give it some more time, surely somebody has heard this one before??
Have you looked into the rocket propelled grenade launchers, here there pretty effective on bears.
Bonecollector
Veteran member
MountainMariner
New Member
Sawfish
Very Active Member
tim
Veteran member
out of curiosity, how many people have had to use a handgun in self defense with a bear?
The only time I have ever needed a weapon in self defense with a bear, I truly wished I had bear spray. When you put one in the chamber for real and wait for it, lots of stuff go thru your head, like if I had bear spray this situation would be done, over and no more bear. but if I shoot the bear, I will have to forget my raft trip, because I now have to go talk to the fish cops.
true story, I had my warning shot line at 20 feet out and the kill shot at 10 feet out. he hung up at 25 feet for what seemed eternity, but probably only for about 45 seconds. I even looked at my bear spray packing and left it at home. If I had it, I could have stepped forward and hit that bear in the face and been done with it.
I do need to state that I have thrown rocks at grizzlies numerous times and have had many black bear encounters, of the dozen encounters in my life, the bears have always run, until this one time with a 2 1\2 year old bear.
The only time I have ever needed a weapon in self defense with a bear, I truly wished I had bear spray. When you put one in the chamber for real and wait for it, lots of stuff go thru your head, like if I had bear spray this situation would be done, over and no more bear. but if I shoot the bear, I will have to forget my raft trip, because I now have to go talk to the fish cops.
true story, I had my warning shot line at 20 feet out and the kill shot at 10 feet out. he hung up at 25 feet for what seemed eternity, but probably only for about 45 seconds. I even looked at my bear spray packing and left it at home. If I had it, I could have stepped forward and hit that bear in the face and been done with it.
I do need to state that I have thrown rocks at grizzlies numerous times and have had many black bear encounters, of the dozen encounters in my life, the bears have always run, until this one time with a 2 1\2 year old bear.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
I've only come in close contact with one Alaskan brown bear/grizzly bear on a guided fishing trip out of Juneau, AK. The bear was probably 70-75 yards away. He never posed a threat. Literally stood up sniffed us and got down and hit the road. It was truly surreal for me as I didn't know what I should do for a second. Luckily my guide had a 12 gauge as bear protection for us just in case. Definitely gave me confidence having him for backup cause I had nothing...was gonna have to use the "buddy system" I guess. That would have been a bad idea since I was on my honeymoon. Probably would have been divorced if that played out. Lol.
sheephunter
Active Member
I ran into a sow black bear with a cub a few years back while on a weekend backpack archery hunt. She "woofed" and sent the cub up a tree and turned to face me. I had my Taurus Titanium 41 mag drawn from the holster and hammer back real fast. She was close enough that I could see the flies buzzing around her head, and she was chopping her jaws the whole time. There was a log angled across her chest and I believe the log is what kept her from a flat out charge. I was thinking if she crosses that log I'm gonna have to shoot. Things that went through my head were (1)if I kill this bear it is really gonna screw up my weekend, as I'll have to get DOW people involved (2)if I kill this bear I will also be responsible for killing the cub too (3)I didn't think the sow would leave the cub if I fired a warning shot into the air or ground (4)my decision to go ultralight and not carry any extra ammo all of a sudden didn't seem too smart; if I fire a warning shot and it doesn't work I will just have reduced my firepower by 20% (5 round cylinder). It seemed like a long standoff but I doubt if it lasted more than 20 seconds or so. The sow woofed her cub down out of the tree and they ambled off. I hightailed it up the trail but only made a quarter mile or so as it was getting dark. I did not sleep much that night. A couple days later on my way back out I used my rangefinder on the log that was in front of the bears chest and it was 11 yards. As usual most of the time for me in the mountains I was alone; I'm not embarrassed to admit the encounter scared the bejeebers out of me.
Over the years, I've had numerous encounters with bears. Mostly Brown/Grizzlies then Blacks. Most of my Polar bear encounters have been at a safe distance, and I don't have too many of those. My belief is that 98% of bears are pretty well behaved.
I had one close call with a Brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula when I only had a handgun. I was roadside fishing and wandered off a little more than I should have, trying to catch some coho salmon. I left my truck on the road and was about 100 yards away from it. When I looked at the truck, a bear was flatfooted with his head in the open drivers side truck window. I yelled at him to get out of there and here he came, on a run. My handgun was a 2" model 19 S&W with 38 Special loads. When he got to about 50 yards I fired one round over his head...I don't think he heard it. He stopped about 20-25 yards away and began stomping his front feet and chomped his teeth. I took off my rain coat and laid it down then backed away. He moved forward as I backed up but stopped at the coat. I kept backing while he sniffed the coat and gained enough distance to go for the truck. He didn't keep following and didn't even eat my coat!
Yep, I was dumb for letting myself get that far from the truck in an area so populated with Brown Bears and Salmon. My shotgun was in the truck, not doing me much good. Trust me, a .38 seems woefully inadequate when a mature brown bear is 25 yards away.
As I morbid side-note. I had a photo of a man who was eaten in that very area just a few years before that day. Bones and boots were all that was left.
Most of the rest of my close calls, I was better armed. I've killed 2 grizzlies in defense with rifles.
I had one close call with a Brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula when I only had a handgun. I was roadside fishing and wandered off a little more than I should have, trying to catch some coho salmon. I left my truck on the road and was about 100 yards away from it. When I looked at the truck, a bear was flatfooted with his head in the open drivers side truck window. I yelled at him to get out of there and here he came, on a run. My handgun was a 2" model 19 S&W with 38 Special loads. When he got to about 50 yards I fired one round over his head...I don't think he heard it. He stopped about 20-25 yards away and began stomping his front feet and chomped his teeth. I took off my rain coat and laid it down then backed away. He moved forward as I backed up but stopped at the coat. I kept backing while he sniffed the coat and gained enough distance to go for the truck. He didn't keep following and didn't even eat my coat!
Yep, I was dumb for letting myself get that far from the truck in an area so populated with Brown Bears and Salmon. My shotgun was in the truck, not doing me much good. Trust me, a .38 seems woefully inadequate when a mature brown bear is 25 yards away.
As I morbid side-note. I had a photo of a man who was eaten in that very area just a few years before that day. Bones and boots were all that was left.
Most of the rest of my close calls, I was better armed. I've killed 2 grizzlies in defense with rifles.
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Matthoek21
Veteran member
That way it doesn't hurt as bad when the bear shoves it up your a$$. No one gets a "Thata boy" cause no one answered. I thought it was a funny joke. Has no one ever heard this? It still makes me crack up.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Thanks Ivory, really can't believe none of you western boys had never heard that one. I thought it was pretty funny.
sneakypete
Veteran member
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Oh lord, I can already see the picture now. Sneakypete walking all bow legged and jacked up with his Son's new carbon barrel custom rifle hanging out of his anus...too funny. That's some funny stuff right there I don't care who you are.
Sorry Pete I'm literally laying in bed typing this laughing my butt off. At your expense no doubt.
ok u can come back swinging now but I'm still laughing at my joke.