Reg 3 & 5 - Do you carry bear protection? If so, what?

[slowjo]

when i'm bow hunting in g-bear country i carry a canuck regulator/defender 12 ga. with the bird's head pistol grip in place of a shoulder stock. it is just a tad over the minimum gun length. i have a nice scabbard on the outside of my pack and the gun's grip sits just over my left shoulder, so i can quickly pull it out if needed. a couple of buck shot shells and a couple of slugs. also, i usually have a pepper spray on my belt whenever i'm out, bow or rifle season.

[shottyshooter]

since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and
defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons
defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured
experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero
reached similar conclusions based on his own research -- a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from
a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used.

Just sayin.

Stats are useless because they can be manipulated to say whatever you want. If 1000 hikers sprayed at the first sign of a bear that wasn’t even interested in them and report that the spray saved them - and - 20 hunters with fresh kills or even just a recent gunshot (dinnerbells) actually shoot an aggressive bear looking for dinner one way or the other and half of them still get swatted and need stitches the stats can say 99.9% of spray was effective and 50% of firearms were ineffective!?!? Too many variables to statistically say one is better than another simply because it was present at the same time as a bear.

I think it was said before - I’ll carry a gun for bear defence because at least I can try to use the option I have the most confidence in - and most importantly - we’re usually not alone out there so someone with a gun can certainly shoot the damned bear off of me when they’re done panicking or vice versa! LOL

[walks with deer]

yes and if encounter grizzly or heavy fresh grizzly sign i hunt another area..
normally when a area has good game you can find a different pocket to hunt.

[mpotzold]

yes and if encounter grizzly or heavy fresh grizzly sign i hunt another area..
normally when a area has good game you can find a different pocket to hunt.

Remember hunting moose on a lone hunt in the Nation Lakes area around 1970+/-. It was in Oct. Got up very early in the morning & decided to circle a large swampy area. There was a fresh & heavy snow fall from the day/night before.
On my way back after a couple of hours saw fresh grizzly tracks that followed mine. Shouldered my 308 Norma & walked back slowly to camp looking back every few seconds. Once reaching the vehicle left the area quickly & headed for Germansen.

[Redthies]

I was invited on a climbing expedition into The Cirque of the Unclimbables in Nahanni back in the 90s. The plan was to do a new route on the Lotus Flower Tower (no really... look it up!). I think my buds who won the grant to pay for the trip invited me because I can shoot both my Nikons AND my Defender. In the end, I couldn’t make it. A few days later I asked what they planned to do about bear defense. They said “we each bought a can of spray”. I said “Umm, I don’t think that’s going to stop a grizzly”. They said in unison “oh, it’s not for the bear. We’re going to spray each other, and whoever is a quicker draw, and better shot will get away while the bear is eating the guy who was slower!”

Lickily they too didn’t see any bears.

Nowadays I have either my 1895GS with 405 grainers, or my .357 with 180 grain cast bear loads. The .45-70 gets the nod if I know I’m on grizzly turf.

[butthead]

after watching this grizzly i figured
i don't stand a chance anyways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hURgA_BNSGc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziib-MZ5IXY

[Gateholio]

since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and
defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons
defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured
experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries. Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero
reached similar conclusions based on his own research -- a person’s chance of incurring serious injury from
a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used.

Just sayin.

Could you tell us your personal experiences using spray on bears, please?

[whitlers]

This gets me thinking. What's the smallest lightest legal gun you can pack around that will still down a grizzly. My Moss 500 18" barrel is small but still heavy to add to the side of the pack if I'm bow hunting in Grizz country.

[Hunter gatherer]

I carry a Mares leg, call it peace of mind. Bear spray I would not have much peace of mind. With the wind in your face I know the bullet will go the direction it's pointed in ,bear spray would come right back at me. I've had enough close grizzly encounters that even with my hunting rifle I was shackie , with bear spray I would of had to leave some expensive merino wool behind.

[Redthies]

This gets me thinking. What's the smallest lightest legal gun you can pack around that will still down a grizzly.

Henry Mares Leg in .44 mag is probably the lightest “legal” option, but not exactly user friendly in a pinch. They are hard for the average guy or gal to shoot well at the best of times, so I’d stick with something with an actual stock. You don’t need any added challenges if it comes time to need to stop a bear.

if you watched the first video butthead posted, the speed that grizzly moved makes me agree with him that if one really wants to get you, you stand little chance of getting a shot off, let alone two.