needing wisdom in big game country

[Stickfight]

Having spent some time hunting in Co and AK I have to say that that is one of the most uninformed opinions on the subject I've ever heard. A guide gun in .45-70 will stop a charging griz an eternity before pepper spray. Perhaps you forgot the sarcasm font or purple?

No purple just facts like this study and this study and this study say it is more effective and the USGS and UWFWS and NPS council their employees to carry it whether or not they also carry a gun. Alaska Fish and Game also seem to believe it is effective, more so than a gun in many cases and so does their DNR. And here is the original paper from Montana U that kicked the whole bear spray thing off.

Have you found problems with it?

 

[VERT]

Only time I will recommend a pocket .380. Just make sure you are hiking with someone besides your immediate family. If hostile bear approaches just shoot the other guy in the knee cap.

 

[halfmileharry]

No purple just facts like this study and this study and this study say it is more effective and the USGS and UWFWS and NPS council their employees to carry it whether or not they also carry a gun. Alaska Fish and Game also seem to believe it is effective, more so than a gun in many cases and so does their DNR. And here is the original paper from Montana U that kicked the whole bear spray thing off.

Have you found problems with it?

We all know you can have faith in our govt agencies.

 

[Stickfight]

Montana University, Bringham Young University, and the University of Calgary aren't government agencies.

Do you have any evidence that handguns or firearms are more effective than bear spray? Do you have specific criticisms of anything I linked to?

 

[Thor]

No purple just facts like this study and this study and this study say it is more effective and the USGS and UWFWS and NPS council their employees to carry it whether or not they also carry a gun. Alaska Fish and Game also seem to believe it is effective, more so than a gun in many cases and so does their DNR. And here is the original paper from Montana U that kicked the whole bear spray thing off.

Have you found problems with it?

Those references of yours are both government ideology and generally don't reflect any real world experience. I refer to my earlier analysis of your post. You can choose to rely on pepper spray, that is your choice. I will choose a 460gr solid. If ever our tents are simultaneously chosen for bear or cougar intrusion the survivor can come back to post their victory.

 

[Thor]

Montana University, Bringham Young University, and the University of Calgary aren't government agencies.

Close enough, funded by the anti's to find a predetermined outcome to their 'studies'.

 

[09jjtierney]

well i thank you all for the imput, and any further to come. i do plan to have bear spray and most definitely a bigger backup gun. hope to avoid the bears, but like others said wolves, cougars and all as well.. not so sure the spray would work on them. sounds like im in the market for a .44 or bigger. thank you all. still welcome more wisdom.

 

[GIJEW]

I don't think the OC spray/which caliber question is an either--or issue. When I went hiking in Alaska, the locals joked about "bear food seasoning" and I had a S&W 629. I also had OC since I figure it could work to either deter or distract a bear (like a jab, setting up a right-cross)--couldn't hurt unless I sprayed it upwind.
10mm has been mentioned as an option. How about a 'desert eagle'? The one time I shot one in 44 mag, it seemed like shooting a 45ACP. If that's not enough power, there's .50AE
The closest I got to a grizzly was finding some fresh scat. Bear cannisters for food and cooking outside of the campsite should solve most of the bear problems.

 

[Stickfight]

Those references of yours are both government ideology and generally don't reflect any real world experience.

They don't reflect real world experience? Are you serious? The first and third links are based on actual instances of bears attacking people the last link is spraying actual live bears with various capsicum concentrations.

Do you have anything other than your own speculation and nonsensical beliefs about government ideology concerning self defense against bears to back up your claim?

 

[Stickfight]

Close enough, funded by the anti's to find a predetermined outcome to their 'studies'.

It is 1983. Republicans control the Senate and Executive branches of the US Federal government. The Democrat party responds by secretly training bears to react adversely to pepper spray and funds a study at Montana University that involves those same bears, as part of their long term plan to implement gun control. They also enlist a Canadian university to further their pro-bear/anti-gun agenda, because if you accept the previous premise that sort of thing naturally follows.

Progeny of these trained bears are released into the wild to spread bear mace fear among their fellow bears, so that follow up studies likewise confirm the anti-gun agenda.

 

[in625shooter]

well i thank you all for the imput, and any further to come. i do plan to have bear spray and most definitely a bigger backup gun. hope to avoid the bears, but like others said wolves, cougars and all as well.. not so sure the spray would work on them. sounds like im in the market for a .44 or bigger. thank you all. still welcome more wisdom.

While some of us have given our recommendations on calibre's more people use bear spray effectively to repel bears than handguns or rifles comebined.

And back in the day when I lived in Montana (1991-93) it was a $10,000 fine for killing a grizzly so if you do drip the hammer you better be able to articulate the need and hope it's justified.

 

[09jjtierney]

well that is definitely good to know! i sure plan on avoiding and never needing to shoot one, but i also would like to turn on the news and stop hearing about shootings in indy.. i definitely carry there too just in case.. but my wife grew up out there and never came across any grizzly just moose and one black bear. i just figure better safe than sorry. All of us including the kids will have the spray for sure.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I had a friend who was stationed on Kodiak Island for his Coast Guard duties.

He bought himself a .357 revolver for his "woods gun".

I chided him a bit about it and wondered why he didn't go with something a little bigger - something beginning with ".4" or so.

He told me that most people out there had .357s as their woods guns - that the larger caliber firearms weren't as plentiful.

Know what lives on Kodiak Island?

If those folks do just fine with .357 - then perhaps .357 is just fine. That, and a whole heaping helping of knowledge of behavior AND sign.

Me? I'd likely get a chest rig for a revolver and a nice padded sling for a 12ga. I'd also do my best to see if I could get an SBS - but I somehow doubt that they're approved in Washington (though I've not taken the 1.5 minutes it'd take to google it). A 14" 870 stoked with 5-6 slugs would be a good primary firearm.

 

[sloughfoot]

My grandkids worry about this. My grandfathers did not. Nor do I.

 

[Mgderf]

I have a problem with bear spray.
Mainly, the fact that you need an agitated bear to test it on!

 

[Thor]

Well, you could test it on a neighbor but you'd still not be sure about the bear...