Bear spray is the first line of defense assuming the wind is at my back or non-existent. The backup plan is 12 rounds of 10mm Buffalo Bore or Underwood handgun ammunition.
The only close encounter I’ve had with a grizzly (and a moose too) was in Canada where I was not allowed to have my handgun. I made a point to not wander more than maybe 25 feet from my vehicle so I could make a quick getaway if needed. The grizzly came within 100 feet of me on a river bank on the opposite side of the Kluane river in Yukon Territory and the moose wandered up river then floated downriver.
What? That link immediately refutes this claim in the next sentence “Although this claim has been disputed because of the 83 incidents in the Smith study[10] only 18 cases involved an aggressive bear, and of those 18 only 9 involved a charging bear.”
Agree but you need to be very mindful for the type of gun.
Any more typical pistol like 9mm, 380, 45ACP won’t do much against a bear. 10mm high penetration rounds (ie not holopoints, hard cast is preferable) is probably the minimum I’d want if I can’t carry a rifle in bear country.
Or, how about avoiding those life and death situations? I’ll “stand my ground” that most bear attacks are caused by people. Don’t do that. Don’t be stupid and rely on blasting away to save your life. Bear bells, secure food storage away from people, not getting too close with your photo attempt, are much more effective
Yes I agree do all of this, don’t just shoot everything you see. But on the chance this fails or you make a mistake, you should have a gun as a last resort.
Okay bud. If you don’t want to carry by all means no one is forcing you. But I’m going to protect my family when we camp or need to visit bear country for any reason.
Carrying them openly at camp sites and in national or provincial parks is not.
More people carrying guns will result in more suicide, more domestic violence murders, and more accidental homicides than it will prevent human deaths from fucking bears.
Go unarmed then. I don’t actually care what you do. But if carrying a gun gives me a last resort to save my family in bear country, I’m going to train and carry.
If holding a gun makes you suicidal, homicidal, or if you’re worried you’ll accidentally kill someone, don’t carry or seek training.
Gun owners have to pipe in whenever there’s a legitimate reason for a firearm otherwise the narrative is that we only have them because we love mass shootings and dead children.
We know you love them cause they make you feel like a big man, their widespread ownership just also always leads to mass shooting and the mass death of children.
We understand where you’re coming from, we just think your prioritization is objectively and statistically stupid.
Should have brought a gun.
No. Should have brought bear spray. Apparently the latest wisdom is that guns aren’t very effective against bear but the spray is.
ETA: Here is Wikipedia on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_danger
Porque no las dos
Bear spray is the first line of defense assuming the wind is at my back or non-existent. The backup plan is 12 rounds of 10mm Buffalo Bore or Underwood handgun ammunition.
The only close encounter I’ve had with a grizzly (and a moose too) was in Canada where I was not allowed to have my handgun. I made a point to not wander more than maybe 25 feet from my vehicle so I could make a quick getaway if needed. The grizzly came within 100 feet of me on a river bank on the opposite side of the Kluane river in Yukon Territory and the moose wandered up river then floated downriver.
Yes, not a crazy idea. But if you see that Wikipedia article you need bigger caliber weapons to be effective.
What? That link immediately refutes this claim in the next sentence “Although this claim has been disputed because of the 83 incidents in the Smith study[10] only 18 cases involved an aggressive bear, and of those 18 only 9 involved a charging bear.”
Agree but you need to be very mindful for the type of gun.
Any more typical pistol like 9mm, 380, 45ACP won’t do much against a bear. 10mm high penetration rounds (ie not holopoints, hard cast is preferable) is probably the minimum I’d want if I can’t carry a rifle in bear country.
If they have the right to bear arms, so shall I.
Good ol idiot gun nuts piping in to let us know that every problem can be solved with more guns.
What are you on. Life and death situations are textbook uses for guns no matter how antigun rights you are.
Or, how about avoiding those life and death situations? I’ll “stand my ground” that most bear attacks are caused by people. Don’t do that. Don’t be stupid and rely on blasting away to save your life. Bear bells, secure food storage away from people, not getting too close with your photo attempt, are much more effective
Yes I agree do all of this, don’t just shoot everything you see. But on the chance this fails or you make a mistake, you should have a gun as a last resort.
If every back country hiker was strapped up we would have more deaths, not less.
Okay bud. If you don’t want to carry by all means no one is forcing you. But I’m going to protect my family when we camp or need to visit bear country for any reason.
Okay bud but this is Canada.
Many guns are still legal in Canada.
Carrying them openly at camp sites and in national or provincial parks is not.
More people carrying guns will result in more suicide, more domestic violence murders, and more accidental homicides than it will prevent human deaths from fucking bears.
Grow up.
Go unarmed then. I don’t actually care what you do. But if carrying a gun gives me a last resort to save my family in bear country, I’m going to train and carry.
If holding a gun makes you suicidal, homicidal, or if you’re worried you’ll accidentally kill someone, don’t carry or seek training.
Do what’s responsible for you.
Or just don’t voluntarily go somewhere that could result in a “life or death” situation?
If that’s how you want to do it. Nature is dangerous sometimes. Shouldn’t let that prevent you from seeing its beauty.
From someone firmly against the proliferation of firearms, I think taking a gun on a camping trip where there might be bears is a pretty solid idea.
Gun owners have to pipe in whenever there’s a legitimate reason for a firearm otherwise the narrative is that we only have them because we love mass shootings and dead children.
We know you love them cause they make you feel like a big man, their widespread ownership just also always leads to mass shooting and the mass death of children.
We understand where you’re coming from, we just think your prioritization is objectively and statistically stupid.
A lot of common calibers really don’t do much against a damn grizzly, those bastards have every possible cheat code active.