Bears! Oh My!

KSFreeman: I don't have any stats. You might try doing an internet search.

"All I know is what I read in the [internet] papers" :)

SierraTimes.com usually picks up stories about animal encounters.

A month or two back a guy camping out in Arizona woke up to a black bear chewing on his head. But the bear picked the wrong head to chew on because the guy pulled a 38 revolver out from under his pillow and dispatched said bear. (so much for the theory about 357 not being quite powerful enough - you just have to wait till they get REAL close).

Colorado is not hairy-chested anymore. Denver, which stretches from Fort Collins to Pueblo, is just LA East, IMO. Western CO is not even much beter anymore. That's why I ain't there no more.
 
carrying in National Park...

EMS Dude,

What happens if you are made in a national park where firearms are generally prohibited? What's the penalty for that? You know, little more than spitting on the street is a felony anymore.

Just wondering.

PigPen
 
TallPine-

"Bee ranches" are called apiaries.

The man who wanted data on bear attacks should hit his local library and also research the matter on the Net. One current book that most booksellers should have or can order is: "Man-Eaters", by Michael Bright. Costs about $6.95 in paper.

The Canadian bear expert to whom I referred is James Gary Shelton. He has two books, "Bear Encounter survival Guide" and, "Bear Attacks: the Deadly Truth". Do an Interlibrary Loan search or see if your bookseller can order them.

Other good titles include, "Man is the Prey" by James Clark. Out of print, but some libraries may still have copies.

Don't confuse Bright's book with Peter H. Capstick's, "Maneaters", which I believe is still in print. Border's and Barnes and Noble stores often have the late Mr. Capstick's works.

"Outdoor Life" may do the best job of the major outdoor titles at covering animal attacks.

Lone Star
 
Pigpen states:

What happens if you are made in a national park where firearms are generally prohibited? What's the penalty for that? You know, little more than spitting on the street is a felony anymore.
Click to expand...

My discussions on the subject with forest rangers in Colorado indicate that it's OK to open-carry in national forests - but NOT in national parks. Concealed-carry is apparently a no-no in either locale.

I've open-carried on my fly-fishing trips in Colorado (usually south-central, Canejos River) for several years with no legal episodes.
 
originally posted by stellerpod:

"My discussions on the subject with forest rangers in Colorado indicate that it's OK to open-carry in national forests - but NOT in national parks. Concealed-carry is apparently a no-no in either locale."
Click to expand...


That's what I have thought also. Of course, the National Parks is where I have had *ALL* of my up close and personal encounters. If the Park Service encounters a nuisance bears that have lost their fear of humans, they capture them and take them to the remote areas of the national park.


Remote areas are where you encounter them! They say that after a number of times, if the bear returns to inhabited areas, they destroy it. Same with alligators and I would venture, any animal that loses it's fear of humans and becomes a pest.

Back to the question. I have talked to Rangers who told me so long as it did not become an issue......they would try not to notice that I was armed. But, if you shoot a bear, it might be noticed.....then what? I honestly don't know and doubt anybody can predict. It probably depends on the park servce where the incident occured.......not a good thing.

PigPen
 
I've been hiking and hunting in the woods.......

of the great Northwest for over 40 years. During that time I have run across a few black bears and they all ran away except one. That one ran toward me and gave every indication that it wanted to do me egregious harm. I thank my lucky stars that I was carrying a 44 magnum that day. I shot her coming at me at about ten yards and that was enough to do the job. The 240 grain bullet did the job and she was stopped in her tracks. Now, I know that this is a clinical trial with a sample size of one. But IMHO a 357 magnum would not have done the job that day. I have always carried a 44 magnum as a "bear gun" and, except for that one time, have never needed it. So FWIW I think a 44 mag is a better choice if bear protection is the issue at hand. Good shooting:)
 
Last month three fishermen in Alaska killed a Grizzly on the banks of the American River with a 9mm.

A world-record Grizzly was killed in the 1930s by an Eskimo woman shooting a .22-caliber rimfire rifle.

A young man in the prime of his life, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, was mauled and killed by a Grizzly bear in Denali National Park in 1991.

Bears are big, dangerous animals that are better left alone. If you must tangle with one at close ranges, bring a .45-70 lever-action and a buddy with a 10-gauge.

However, judging by previous engagements with bears, I'd say your .357 Magnum is about as good as anything else you can carry on your hip.
 
pepper spray

Know how to check for friendly-unfriendly bears in your area? Check the bear scat "poop". If it has fur, berries, bone and smells like sh*t then it's a friendly bear. If the scat has hair, bones and smells like pepper it's an unfriendly bear. I'd trust my 357 over a can of aerosol spray. Even better would be a .44 mag. However, in my part of the country I don't carry for protection from 4-legged predators, only 2.
 
rg1, very well put. HaHa. Thanks to everyone for thier help on this issue. Till I can afford the 44 I feel somewhat comfortable with my 357.
 
I posted one of the previous bear threads. Decided to buy the Ruger Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger. Purchased what I needed to load it with a Cast Performance 390gr. LFNPB. From what I have read, heavier hunting bullets traveling at a good clip are the way to go. Also, Ruger has a rebate going on the Super Redhawks and there are some really good prices out there. Have .357 and .45 LC, but I figure that you should use the correct tool for the job. I suspect that .454 Casull, L.C. (going at Redhawk velocities), or even a stiff .44 mag. would do just fine, but I would not feel comfortable with the .357. Now, a .22LR might just do the job for H.D., but I would rather have something a bit stouter for protecting the homestead. Also, one good post mentioned aiming at the nose, in that the brain is located rather low. I can understanding yelling and making a real racket, but I'm not wasting one in the air. I think that stopping a good size bear would be a chore..especially a grizzly..not considered here and not encountered in my area.
 
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