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Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7216688
03/15/21 04:35 PM
03/15/21 04:35 PM
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Posts: 15,577
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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Trapper7 Offline
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MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Years ago, I remember hunting with a guide in MT. He said gunshots were like a dinner bell for a bear.


I don't care how nice the hand soap smells, you should never walk out of the restroom sniffing your fingers.
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7217880
03/16/21 06:29 PM
03/16/21 06:29 PM
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,500
Kenai AK
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KenaiKid Offline
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Joined: Nov 2015
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Kenai AK


Originally Posted by Dirt
Originally Posted by Rat Masterson
Boco couldn't catch a cold.

But if he did, it would be Top Lot.
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7217893
03/16/21 06:47 PM
03/16/21 06:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 234
Cheyenne, Wyoming
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wadask Offline
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
Not starting a fight here but i beat 95% including me would not be able to hit a bear in the brain at10 yrds in a 2 second charge. Yes probably complete a body shot maybe two if your lucky but your torn up before they die if they die. Anything more than the recoil of a 45 acp and you only get one shot the second round would be held next to the bears body if your man enough to hang onto the gun after the impact. And the investigation of a firearm being involved is almost not worth carrying a gun to avoid the legal matter. Thier is lots of recherché out thier by biologist that actually deal directly with this on a regular bases but its alway hard to overcome the ego of a man with a gun. LOL

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7217933
03/16/21 07:31 PM
03/16/21 07:31 PM
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 395
wyoming
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WyFurHarvesters Offline
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wyoming
Your right on that one the oh poo factor comes into effect real fast, I have seen that with rooster pheasants, white tails popping out of the brush and coyotes coming in from behind. Also they don't weigh up to 800lbs have claws and teeth. As far as bears coming to gun shots its true they become conditioned very fast where they have total protection and the state of Montana even did research on it also put GPS devices on hunters and followed there movements and the movements of bears with collars tracking them and coming in after a shot. Think about it a bear hears a gun shot, smells a gut pile fresh blood and gets a free meal next time he gets quicker about it so he does not lose the meal to another bear. No different than banging a pan prior to feeding chickens or slopping hogs.

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7217975
03/16/21 08:00 PM
03/16/21 08:00 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 234
Cheyenne, Wyoming
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wadask Offline
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
Ya my old college roommate has lost elk in the Absaroka Range because of the dinner bell effect. And gets real tired of chasing his mule down from camp after a grizzly spooks it off. LOL

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: wadask] #7218017
03/16/21 08:23 PM
03/16/21 08:23 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
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yukon254 Offline
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Posts: 4,421
Yukon
Originally Posted by wadask
Not starting a fight here but i beat 95% including me would not be able to hit a bear in the brain at10 yrds in a 2 second charge. Yes probably complete a body shot maybe two if your lucky but your torn up before they die if they die. Anything more than the recoil of a 45 acp and you only get one shot the second round would be held next to the bears body if your man enough to hang onto the gun after the impact. And the investigation of a firearm being involved is almost not worth carrying a gun to avoid the legal matter. Thier is lots of recherché out thier by biologist that actually deal directly with this on a regular bases but its alway hard to overcome the ego of a man with a gun. LOL


A solid hit anywhere is usually enough to turn them. Bears, and bear charges, in the real world are much different than those who havent experienced it probably think. Each case is different too. The last time I had trouble with a grizzly a young sow came from 350-yards away at a dead run. Wide open alpine country and I had a hunter with me at the time. I turned her at 40 yards with a shot in front of her so it ended well.

A friend of mine followed a wounded grizzly into the brush a few years back. This fellow is extremely athletic and experienced in bear country. The bear was waiting, and got on him before he could get off a shot. He lost his gun in the scuffle but was able to scoot under a partially fallen tree. The bear tried to go over the tree, but because its shoulder was broken from the first shot, it couldnt make it over. My buddy escaped and the only injury he sustained, is one bite make directly in the middle of his back.

Might be different in WY, but up here the majority of biologists spend most of their careers behind a desk. They would be the last group of people I would go to for advice on bears, or how to deal with an aggressive bear.


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

www.grizzlycreeklodge.com
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218024
03/16/21 08:29 PM
03/16/21 08:29 PM
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,776
Pennsylvania
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patrapperbuster Offline
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Pennsylvania
Originally Posted by Grandpa Trapper
If you were carrying both on you, which would you use first? Let’s keep long guns out of it.




A few tips from survival class. If a bear cannot be stopped with spray or gun and you are down try to keep presence of mind to focus on its eyes. Every predator, be it bear, man, shark, whatever, they all have one vulnerable spot. That's the eyes. A knife or gun is the best tool for the job. Putting (sacrificing) a hand or forearm up to take the bite & using the other to take out an eye with knife or gun is what can save your life in that situation. If you have handgun in hand with a bear on top of you focus gun under its chin or throat if eye is not poss. Of course keep firing or stabbing till threat is no longer. God forbid there is ever any escalation to that point. In ending, in brown bear country carry gun & fixed blade knife. Stay safe out there

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218233
03/16/21 11:03 PM
03/16/21 11:03 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 234
Cheyenne, Wyoming
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wadask Offline
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Posts: 234
Cheyenne, Wyoming
And another off topic view of this matter is every time a bear is supposedly killed by a self-defense situation by 99% human error/fault thats one less reason i have a legal season in wy to hunt grizzlies other than the fffinnngggg Judge from montana what is up with that guy anyway. I have no knowledge of him.

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218249
03/16/21 11:28 PM
03/16/21 11:28 PM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,233
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
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Leftlane  Offline
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The Hill Country of Texas
If I am ever in grizzly country I'd have no problem keeping a can of bear spray close (so long as my .45 Colt was just as easy to grab).

I don't know crap about bears but I can tell ya a bear set on pushin you out of its feeding ground might be one thing but I would guess a momma who thought you had come by for her cubs might be a different kinda encounter all together.

I love when you guys post first or 2nd hand stories about encounters, I watch as many as I can on youtube or the TV but there is always a lot of hype and drama that I think could usually be left out. I might have ADHD too LOL


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218309
03/17/21 12:36 AM
03/17/21 12:36 AM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 411
TN
Oreamnos Offline
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TN
Been bluff charged by one coastal brown bear sow with cubs in tow. I fired off a warning shot and she stopped and locked eyes. Never moved, I slowly backed away after a min and she just watched. When I lived in AK I went with a gun every time over spray. Bullets don't care about wind as much. When you see a bear charging across a salmon stream at you the last thing you'll want is an aerosol cloud as your only defense.

My opinion on the whole "spray is more effective" thing is that spray is over reported and gun usage is probably under reported. Any yuppie hiking Yellowstone for the first time that sees a bear is going to fire off that spray (even if the bear was already walking away by the time they deploy it). When they get off that trail they're going to report it to the parks dept or dnr. Most outdoorsmen in the wilderness won't report a warning gunshot that stopped a bluff. Myself included. I even knew people that claimed they had shot bears charging them and never reported it due to hassle involved ( I do not condone or agree with this).

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Oreamnos] #7218329
03/17/21 01:09 AM
03/17/21 01:09 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,233
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
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Oreamnos Your guess might be a good one.

Originally Posted by yukon254
Might be different in WY, but up here the majority of biologists spend most of their careers behind a desk. They would be the last group of people I would go to for advice on bears, or how to deal with an aggressive bear.


Not in every state but IDT we have too look too far to find biologists who are gettin ever more political (I wont mention any wolf problem states yall know who you are and ya know I am right about this too unfortunately)


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218333
03/17/21 01:17 AM
03/17/21 01:17 AM
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 2,874
Kentucky
KYtrapper2005 Offline
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Kentucky
My plans are to move to Montana and if a grizz or a moose is a coming at me he will take a .454 cassul to the face

Last edited by KYtrapper2005; 03/17/21 01:18 AM.

Trapping is what built North America, why take that away?


pro second amendment-- pro God-- pro Trump-- Pro America!
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218369
03/17/21 02:45 AM
03/17/21 02:45 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 625
AK / ND
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aknome Offline
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 625
AK / ND
Seems like every salmon stream on the road system has an army of fishermen standing hip to hip, handguns strapped to hip or chest, bowie knife on the opposite hip, and some with a shotgun as well. The bears show more sense than the human hoards. Given the number of bears and the number of fishermen up here, there are remarkably few stories to tell.

Sows with cubs are the worst. I've had three unexpected encounters and I have always had a rifle nearby, but in two cases it was useless. It was in a gun case strapped to ATV. The third time was butchering a moose in the dark. Mama and two large cubs circling and woofing just out of flashlight range. I had the young guy with me remove the shell in the chamber of his gun. He was way too excited. There's no bear as deadly as a human with a loaded gun. A close range sudden encounter is truly scary. Grizzly bears are astoundingly fast.

Situational awareness will prevent MOST problems. But I'm thinking bears like spicy food, so I pack a gun.

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218612
03/17/21 10:50 AM
03/17/21 10:50 AM
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Posts: 4,421
Yukon
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yukon254 Offline
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Yukon
Older bears that are starving are the worst, especially in the winter. I ran into an old boar one fall while I was guiding. We were drifting in a boat with the motor off. Long story short, when the bear spotted us drifting by him about 20-yards from shore he didnt hesitate. He locked eyes with me, and came like a freight train. My rifle was in a case in the bottom of the boat. Luckily my hunter was a good rifleman. He shot the bear in the neck 10-feet from the boat. I won the buckle that year for that bear. It was the largest grizzly taken in Yukon that year. My rifle is never in a case now.


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

www.grizzlycreeklodge.com
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218616
03/17/21 11:00 AM
03/17/21 11:00 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,233
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
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The Hill Country of Texas
Cool story bro cool

Got any pictures for us guys in the lower 48 to look at? Also on a scale of 1-10 what was your pucker factor at that moment LOL?


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218666
03/17/21 11:54 AM
03/17/21 11:54 AM
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MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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I always remember listening to Paul Harvey one morning when he was talking about some hikers planning to camp in Glacier National Park. They were told to carry bear spray and to wear little bells on their clothing to alert the bears a head of time that you were in the area.

One of the hikers asked the ranger in charge, "How they would know if they were in bear country?"

The ranger said when you come upon fresh bear scat, you would know there was a bear nearby.

"And how can you tell if it's bear scat?", the man asked.

Two which the ranger replied, "You can tell by the little bells in it."


I don't care how nice the hand soap smells, you should never walk out of the restroom sniffing your fingers.
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Trapper7] #7218679
03/17/21 12:11 PM
03/17/21 12:11 PM
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Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
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GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
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Green County Wisconsin
Originally Posted by Trapper7
I always remember listening to Paul Harvey one morning when he was talking about some hikers planning to camp in Glacier National Park. They were told to carry bear spray and to wear little bells on their clothing to alert the bears a head of time that you were in the area.

One of the hikers asked the ranger in charge, "How they would know if they were in bear country?"

The ranger said when you come upon fresh bear scat, you would know there was a bear nearby.

"And how can you tell if it's bear scat?", the man asked.

Two which the ranger replied, "You can tell by the little bells in it."


"it smells like pepper and there are little bells in it" that's how I remember hearing it


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218688
03/17/21 12:24 PM
03/17/21 12:24 PM
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Posts: 4,421
Yukon
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yukon254 Offline
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Yukon

Here's a few pictures of nasty bears over the years. The top bear was a small sow that was laying under a log waiting for me, ( she had been wounded an hour earlier.)

The picture of two guys is my son and another guide with a bear my son had to kill a few years back. It was a large boar that was starving. It was quite the story that went on for three nights before my son finally killed the bear. Amazing someone didnt get killed.

The picture with me and the big boar and muzzle loader is the biggest bear I've ever taken. He was stealing meat at the trapline a few years ago.

The old black and white photo is a picture of my dad in the late 60s with a real tank of a bear he killed at the Gang Ranch in BC. That bear ranks #16 in the BC book to this day. Notice the rifle? Its a little Ruger 44 semi auto. My dad killed 7 big coastal bears with that gun. He never reloaded so had to be using 240 grain factory bullets. Some people say the 44 isnt adequate for grizzly...... another bear myth busted.



[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

www.grizzlycreeklodge.com
Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: yukon254] #7218710
03/17/21 12:50 PM
03/17/21 12:50 PM
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N.W. Iowa
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N.W. Iowa
Originally Posted by yukon254
Older bears that are starving are the worst, especially in the winter. I ran into an old boar one fall while I was guiding. We were drifting in a boat with the motor off. Long story short, when the bear spotted us drifting by him about 20-yards from shore he didnt hesitate. He locked eyes with me, and came like a freight train. My rifle was in a case in the bottom of the boat. Luckily my hunter was a good rifleman. He shot the bear in the neck 10-feet from the boat. I won the buckle that year for that bear. It was the largest grizzly taken in Yukon that year. My rifle is never in a case now.

Glad that guy was ready!

Re: Pepper spray or pistols for bear attacks [Re: Grandpa Trapper] #7218944
03/17/21 05:37 PM
03/17/21 05:37 PM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,233
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
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Very cool pictures Yukon254, that picture of your dad is awesome. IDT if it is the way he wears his hat but he just looks like a man who would be handy with that rifle.


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


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