Better to be safe (armed) than sorry in bear country

[pricedo]

A friend of mine was on vacation in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada earlier this month but the hiking trails were closed on the day he visited because a Grizzly estimated to weigh around 800 pounds had killed an adult Black Bear & was observed feeding on the carcass.
The warden said that the phenomena of Grizzly/Black Bear predation was not singular and had happened several times before.
If these things will track & hunt a 300 pound Black Bear what chance does an unarmed man have once a Grizzly has added you to his lunch menu?
I have visited Banff (no guns allowed) but stay in the built up areas and don't hike the trails..........I have no faith whatsoever in bear spray..............I've seen peeved off sow Black Bears with cubs snort and ignore bear spray like it was perfume.
Heavy projectiles made of lead are the only effective bear deterrent that I know and you will NEVER find me in any bear country where you can't possess guns.

[Tuco Ramirez]

The only thing that comes to mind this early in the morning is Run Pricedo Run if you are not armed.....

[pricedo]

The only thing that comes to mind this early in the morning is Run Pricedo Run if you are not armed.....

I'm sure the Black Bears at Banff would be happy to have me around.
If I was they wouldn't need to be able to run faster than the Grizzly as long as they could run faster than me.

[BNSF]

My son and I hiked in Yellowstone 5 days and nights last year, armed with pepper spray, thought we had a bear in camp last morning we were there. we made it out alive, probly would do it different if we go back.

[pricedo]

Surprised a big black bear sow with 2 cubs several years ago.
She was making false charges, doing "push-ups" (jumping up & down on her front legs), popping her jaws and wasn't affected in the least by the bear spray though the spray stream hit close enough to wet her muzzle.....I think she liked the stuff cause she shook her head and licked her lips.
I backed off & the family of 3 went on about their business.
I was armed but gladly I didn't need to shoot her.
I left the spray at home after that incident ....... false security.

[357cyrus]

Pepper spray is a condiment! Rare black bears are just as big. Every year in Pennsylvania there are a handfull brought in over 700 pounds. Record I believe is 879. http://atvingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.p ... ord_black_

During my football years I worked on a farm and had to catch and vaccinate 100-150lb animals. I can tell ya for sure, you ain't gonna win a tussle with any hooved animals much bigger than that. ALL bear species make their living mauling deer that size. Even against the small ones you ain't got a prayer unless you're slingin lead from afar.

[Model 52]

My wife and I heard this on public radio the other day. She now totally gets why I carry a gun when hiking in bear country.

It's Joe Williams talking in 2008 about his attack by a female grizzly in Glacier National Park in 1959. He died last year.

http://www.thestory.org/stories/best-st ... ck-1012013

This is the PBS "expert" advice on how to deal with a Grizzly encounter:

If you encounter a grizzly, do not run.
Avoid direct eye contact.
Walk away slowly, if the bear is not approaching.
If the bear charges, stand your ground (you cannot outrun it).
Don’t scream or yell. Speak in a soft monotone voice and wave your arms to let the animal know you are human. If you have pepper spray, prepare to use it.
If the grizzly charges to within 25 feet of where you’re standing, use the spray.
If the animal makes contact, curl up into a ball on your side, or lie flat on your stomach.
Try not to panic; remain as quiet as possible until the attack ends.
While in bear country, be aware that you may encounter a bear at any time.
Be sure the bear has left the area before getting up to seek help.

I agree with most of the above, except I'm going to have a firearm, not a condiment.

[Fullthrottle]

Yup, lack of the ability to carry a firearm.....is the only reason I have not visited Banff! I really want to go there some day. But my travels on two wheels I have been protected by my carry weapon....I have a hard time giving that up!

[pricedo]

This is the PBS "expert" advice on how to deal with a Grizzly encounter:

If you encounter a grizzly, do not run.
Avoid direct eye contact.
Walk away slowly, if the bear is not approaching.
If the bear charges, stand your ground (you cannot outrun it).
Don’t scream or yell. Speak in a soft monotone voice and wave your arms to let the animal know you are human. If you have pepper spray, prepare to use it.
If the grizzly charges to within 25 feet of where you’re standing, use the spray.
If the animal makes contact, curl up into a ball on your side, or lie flat on your stomach.
Try not to panic; remain as quiet as possible until the attack ends.
While in bear country, be aware that you may encounter a bear at any time.
Be sure the bear has left the area before getting up to seek help.

Of course the typical anti-gun liberal bureaucrat whose total outdoor experience is sneaking out to the small yard behind his office complex for a smoke under the sole oak tree there would know better than we do about how to survive a bear encounter.

**I must have missed the part about what to do when a predatory bear (not surprised by the human or defending its territory or young but one that is intentionally hunting humans for food) starts EATING you. These false aficionados need to pull their heads out of their backsides and quit giving advice that leads to a sense of false security where a painful mauling death is the endgame.

I've had this conversation with the "pasty faced wonders" office bound bureaucrats (who I can usually tolerate until they start giving me wilderness survival advice obtained from their friends in the forestry department at the UNIVERSITY ) back when I managed diamond drilling crews in Canada's far north and went eyeball to eyeball with them and drew the line in the sand......"I'm not going anywhere near that country without a gun of my choosing.......if you don't like that get somebody else to go". They gave me a "bear kit" consisting of bangers, cans of pepper spray and holsters, whistles and clusters of metal jingle bells with belt loops. I said the kit was fine but my rifle was going with me. The VP finally said ......."you know best, you're the field guy"........I said ...."thank you for finally acknowledging that, leave the bears to me and we won't need any body bags" (presuming there would be something left to put in them).

[357cyrus]

From what I understand we've got the same problem developing with wolves in the N.W. U.S. After almost being wiped out they were put on the endangered species list and given a "mythical unicorn" like treatment by disconnected politicians and bleeding hearts. Fast forward a few decades and people actually living with them are finding out why wolves were hunted to near extermination in the first place... they're killing people and wiping out whole herds of livestock. Luckily they've opened hunting seasons for them again. Imagine a PACK of these eying you up. I'll keep my AR-15 and hi-cap magazines thank you very much.