Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BRrooster
I've heard it is quicker to have no round in the chamber of pump style shotgun, so you can pull the trigger and cycle a round into the chamber when you need it , than to think......."find the safety, release it, and pull the trigger. Every nanosecond counts.
I've also heard that a Black Bear will kill you to eat you , but a Grizzly will maul you to teach you that you are doing something wrong. Wrong place at the wrong time , so to speak. Although each episode or encounter will surely be different. Think about this, how many Bears were you close to , that knew that you were there, that you did not .
000 buck, slug, 000 buck , slug.
My brother in law was from Kelowna and he was of the same mindset. Must be the water.
A number of years ago, he and I were hunting west of Quesnel. This fine morning we go up the middle road of three that parallel, each in their own valley. Fresh snow had fallen overnight. Come out to a clearcut with only large spruce/balsam root masses adorn the landscape. Alan decides he needs a download and seeks the nearest root wad. I gaze up the road and at a short distance see footprints. No one else had preceded us up the main road, dude must be lost. Alan gets back in and I drive forward to turn around which brings us to the prints. Holy crap, those are grizzly tracks and a good sized one too going north. Back down we go, head north to the other valley. Go up a couple of clicks and get out to stomp the ground. Alan now slings a pump defender shotgun and he is also packing a 300WM. I ask he what the hell is that for, defense say he, grizzly around. I tell hem that he will never get it up in time to shoot and leave it behind, the mag will do the trick. He goes one way and I the other to meet back at Suzi in 4 hrs for lunch. Have a 2 hour siesta and upon waking happen to look across valley to south slope where I spy 5 bulls which have entered the clearcut from the above tree line. Back into Suzi, down the road and up another, lo, hunters in front. Guy motions for me to stop, I try to tell him that there are 5 moose not just the one he sees. Never mind, he shoots and the other 4 bolt from whence they came. Back down we go with a view of where we were not 15 minutes before and just above where we were parked is a cow and calf. Ruts on so there is a potential for a bull. This place we're hunting is older clear cut with 10-15' regrowth and closely spaced. I tell him that I will go the the left of cow/calf, he to the right, wind in his favor. I slowly make way up the hillside and dam, bust cow/calf but they bolt in Alan's direction. If there's a bull, there's a chance but with that thought barely out of my mind there is a blood curdling scream and instantly grizzly flashes into my mind. And Alan, that's where he was headed. Now what? Do I hurry to his rescue, do I leave and seek help from the other party across the way. I collect my thoughts. I'll wait 10 minutes, if he doesn't show up, I'll summon help. If he does, all is good. The minutes tick by and it is an agonizing wait as the time limit approaches. Suddenly Alan materializes around a spruce sapling and not nonchalantly either. He said he tried to shoulder-sling the 300 and ready the shotgun backing up at the same time. Bumped into this tree and that tree as he backed away from where he thought the scream emanated. He thought that it was me that was attacked. He said that it was the worst case scenerio packing that dam shotgun, never to be done again while hunting. What we hypothesized was the cow/calf were ambushed by the grizzly and the scream was the death throes of the calf.
Avoid regrowth if you can't see over it. If you can't avoid it, keep rifle at ready with safety off. Wear a large hunting knife on your right side if right handed, other side for lefties. Shoot if you have time. If bowled over, drop the rifle away and get the knife out. With the bear on top of you, you will want to make repeated stabs to his neck.
This advice is construed exactly from the action taken by a LML hunter when attacked by a grizzly in the Fort St. James area a number of years ago. As the hunter described it, the bear was plucking away at his stomach muscles like one plucking the strings of a guitar and once in awhile grabbing his head in it's mouth. He remembered the foul odor of it's breath. This hunter said that he was swearing off hunting, but I don't know if that was a for sure. And now that grizzly are no longer targeted, expect to see them wherever you may be.
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
How many of you pack a firearm when hiking out of hunting season? Here is am trying to save 10oz here or there in my pack and the GF won't go hike certain areas on account of there being Grizzlies around unless I bring a gun.
What's the lightest and cheapest grizzly approved firearm I can look for?
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
twoSevenO
How many of you pack a firearm when hiking out of hunting season? Here is am trying to save 10oz here or there in my pack and the GF won't go hike certain areas on account of there being Grizzlies around unless I bring a gun.
What's the lightest and cheapest grizzly approved firearm I can look for?
I don't blame her, you can probably out run her.
Shotguns (pump) are probably the lightest. Some like pistol grip type and others shoulder type. Shortest legal barrel in either. Recoil is handled better with a shoulder weapon. In the post before my latest post before this one, the poster mentions 000buck slug 000buck slug. Forget the buckshot. You do not want them or you spraying buckshot in an adrenaline driven situation. Slugs and better still are Berrnake slugs if you can obtain them. And remove the plug, utilize the full capacity of the magazine. You are not hunting.
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
These are the 5 things I carry when out shed hunting 1,1/4 oz lead 3 inch long shell 6 slugs in the Remington 870 12 gauge
keep in mind that you can't have this many shells in the shotgun if your hunting turkey or waterfowl .
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/004_2_5.JPG
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
What's the weight of a pistol grip 870? Still seems heavy.
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mpotzold
You're a brave man. 8-)
Given a chance to aim & fire I would shoot the charging bear at 40 yards. Any closer don't think one has the time to aim properly especially if scopped.
Consider the following video of a big black bear(almost 7') shot at 40 yards. It's fairly close!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=MKBO-H9EK24
Your right, I wouldn't even be looking through my scope at such a short distance....I had to shoot a black bear at about 15 years or so once, and I had to quickly just free aim...luckily, it was during the black bear season and I had a tag..I wanted to save it for a bigger bear but couldn't be choosey in that situation..
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
twoSevenO
How many of you pack a firearm when hiking out of hunting season? Here is am trying to save 10oz here or there in my pack and the GF won't go hike certain areas on account of there being Grizzlies around unless I bring a gun.
What's the lightest and cheapest grizzly approved firearm I can look for?
I pack a rifle year round, good for training for hunting season anyway..
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HarryToolips
I pack a rifle year round, good for training for hunting season anyway..
You're a wise guy!:-P
You never know where you'll meet one.
A few years back on our way to the Gang eagle eyes Eve spotted an unusual hump near a big boulder that turned out to be a large grizzly when we got closer.
Never saw a grizzly in the open area as shown in the photo before.
As the truck with camper got relatively close he hightailed it and ran full speed & stopped near the big tree ahead of the boulder & right of Fraser. There he stopped & showed off his massive body including his massive daggers while standing.
I have it on a video somewhere in bits & pieces.
Just imagine walking all alone on the gravel road without a weapon.
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/o...2.jpg~original
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
Re: What would you do if you Encountered a Grizzly, what are your thresholds. Comment
The most I've ever packed while out hiking was a slingshot with ball bearings/marbles, not much of a defense for bears but when out hiking we generally make a lot of noise, any bear within 2 miles would probably hear us and I've never felt uncomfortable. I'm also watching every pound I pack as like to keep things light!
If I decided I want to pack a firearm hiking then I'll bring my Rossi Ranch hand .44 as it only weighs 4lbs and is legal to carry.
My other option is my .12 gauge break action Chiappa triple barrel but that's more bulky and I use that for my bush camp and pre-hunt scouting trips.
Scouting trips are what keeps me on edge, when you're trying to be quite is when you may encounter a surprised bear or two in the wilderness, I won't take any more chances.
