Bear Protection/safety

I carry a Smith and Wesson 329 pd, it is a scandium framed 44 mag. I have loaded some Speer 270 grain JSP. You should also be concerned about Moose just as much or more so than a bear. They usually fear nothing and a cow with a calf is a force to be reckoned with. Like was said before I would carry at least the 44 and the spray.

At first I would consider a never going any where without a second person, one of you carry lethal force and the other a shot gun with bean bags or rubber bullets and spray. If they won't leave you alone after that then you have lethal force that can be used.

But never forget about the Moose, my sister in law, while riding a snow mobile almost had a real problem with one until my brother in law T-boned it with his snow mobile. After that she left but it took some serous convincing.
 
Any issues with a Taurus M444 ultralite Mag. Something I can stick in my pocket easily and sleep with too.
Had a nosy Grizz in camp last year. Made me start thinking about carrying something in the future.
When I came out of the woods I learned of the attack at Soda Butte that sealed it for me.
I'm sold on a 44 mag, now I just need to figure out what to buy. I know you folks probably get this a lot so I won't ask. I'll just keep reading and nosing around but if you want to hit me up with suggestions I would consider them all. So far I've only fired two different S&W's. I've had a Taurus 425 tracker reccomended, but so far I'm still looking. I've got time til next years wilderness treks.

Jeff
 
I am going to go with the Ruger Super Redhawk since it can take the high powered rounds without a problem. Some of the other .44 magnums are limited in how far you can push the high powered .44 rounds. Secondly, it weighs 53 oz which helps with recoil. Just my take on the issue.
 
Well I mostly archery hunt so I do lots of Hiking and weight is an issue for me, so I pack the Smith and Wesson 329 PD it is a scandium framed revolver and weighs in at a nice 26 Oz empty.
 
The old redhawk 44 mag with 300 gr cast has been with me most everywhere for the last 20 years, while I've never needed it for bear protection it has worked for a hunting tool [works well on black bears & moose] and has provided a great deal of comfort on several encounters with browns & grizzlies ,and as a noise maker/ deterrent it work fairly well on cow moose with calves.
Alex
 
I spend alot of time up in central maine and there are some BIG bears up there. There's alot of guided hunting up there over bait. I've seen sign but I have never run across one in the woods. I've seen a few small ones from my deer stand but nothing agressive in the least.
I'm alot more concerned about moose.
However, I do carry a gun with me more often than not. I don't always bother though. It's more for two-legged protection than four-legged. I usually carry a 357 with 180gr hardcasts. Sometimes i'll carry a standard 45 colt load. May as well be able to handle both kinds of threats if the situation arises.
 
I think people often overlook the threat that a moose is. I think people get all wound up over the large teeth and big claws of the bear. I know most people around us who are not outdoors people have no concept just how dangerous a moose is.

I have seen one bear in the wild, we were on horses packing out a bull elk and the bear could not clear country fast enough. Moose on the other hand make me nervous, I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen one run from me. Most of the areas I hunt have gobs of moose, seeing a moose out there is kinda like seeing a person in Walmart you just sorta know its gonna happen.
 
If a pistol is required a 10mm is also a good choice depending on what you shoot better.
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+1
I carry a Glock 20 with a six inch stainless barrel, loaded 780ft lb @ the muzzle Buffalo Bore. Well ahead of the .357 magnum in terms of energy and 250% the shots. There are definitely more powerful handguns out there but its what I like.
 
Alaskans are more scared of moose, than they are of bear.
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I am under the impression that the greatest danger of moose is in driving accidents where they come and join you in your front seat after you take their legs out from under them. Just one more reason for having a monster truck up in Alaska and forget the low sedans. Moose often run back across the road from where they came from.

My father had the habit when we lived up in Anchorage of honking his horn every time he saw a moose to get them moving before we got too close to them. We used to watch the moose cross the roads when we were waiting for the school bus. Usually quite docile, but like any wild animal, can be unpredictable. The bears back in those days never came near. I would say that in part due to our changing behavior towards them, they have learned to not fear man as much as they once did.
 
My wife has some advice on using firearms for bear defense.

It was around the time of the 9/11 attack, and her dad had just passed, so she moved back home with her mom. Home was in the mountains west of Pueblo, Colorado.

Her dog had gotten into trouble, so she put her in a dog crate outside. She hadn't had enough time to put the kennel up yet, so that had to get the dog by for the night. As she left, she told the dog, "And I hope the bears get you!".

About midnight, she saw the motion light come on. Yep, a bear had come in after chokecherries and garbage. Now worried about her dog, she asked her mom, "Where's dad's guns?".

She grabbed the first one she saw, and headed out the door to protect her dog.

At some point, she decided to shoot the gun into the air to scare the bear away. She pointed the rifle up, and pulled the trigger. "Pfft".

It was a .22 rifle, loaded with CB shorts.

She doesn't recommend this particular cartridge, BTW.

Then there's her cousin, who went out to scare the bears out of the apple trees by banging a couple of steel cook-pots together. She got their attention, too. All eyes were upon the dancing show while they continued to feast on apples.

This isn't recommended either, btw.

I just wish more people took bear defense as seriously as these two do.
 
45 acp bear medicene

I WILL SAY THAT A MAN RECENTLT KILLED A GRIZZ AT A NAT.PARK,9 SHOTS I THINK,EVERYONE EXPECTED TO SEE THE BEAR ONLY WOUNDED.:eek:
 
Pulled the trigger...

So to speak.
One my to p/u a S&W 329 PD today.
Now to read up on the round to use for taking down Ursa Horriblis
Fishing in bear country...
 
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