Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Bear protection

On some jaunts, I make sure to have one.

I always have one when horseback whether just riding out from the house or on a week-long hunt. My rifle is in a scabbard on my saddle and if I were to unceremoniously part company with him (hey, I guess it could happen) and he were to exit stage left, I want some firepower.

A handgun is far more maneuverable inside the tent than a rifle. Also, I would not take one on a backpack hunt.

Shoot 38spl out of the 357 for a bit first too, IMO.

Or load it down a bit for practicing. The shorter 38Spl brass let's hot gasses out into the chambers which over time may cause a bit of a sticky situation.

What kind of sticky situation? I've shot a billion or two .38 specials through various .357s with nary a problem. Am I missing something?

Sheep/caribou hunting rifle. Forget the sidearm. Wasted weight. But don't forget awareness, or the sheep hunting rifle even if just going 50 yards for a dump.

I came to Alaska in 1968, and have never HAD to shoot a bear. ( I've been around the block a couple times - others on here are regular whores! ) But then again, at my Kenai Peninsula home, brown bears thru the yard (and on the deck, and in the back of the pick-up) are fairly regular occurrences.

Bearanoia is way over rated. I've never had any interest in provoking one by poking a hole in one (except for the occasional black for meat).. Not to say I haven't had some interesting moments, but I've never had to trip the trigger on a Griz/Brown. Detente!

When not hunting, but just on walkabouts, I carry a Win 94 in .30-30. (higher MV /energy than a .44 Mag) Last thing I killed with it was a NoDak whitetail in 1966... But I have, in early years, carried a couple different Ruger Blackhawks in .44Mag. No longer own one. Do have a Python (.357) - but that's mostly for people, tho I do carry it out and about from time to time when I don't feel like the .30-30.

Take something of more use/value - like a couple good paperbacks, or sundowner juice.

Got a little more on that, Art? I've not heard that either.

Powder dependent?

Never been to Alaska but run in to a few bears here.

I guide several hunts a year plus hunt for myself and with my kid.

I almost never carry my handgun if I have a rifle. Sometimes when I've left an elk out overnight I'll carry my rifle and handgun. I admit that is partly because of the Bears and because I like it. But I'm also usually horseback doing that so the weight isn't a big deal. And for me that is consistently the most predictable bear encounter to have. And they are usually cranky about it too.

Handgun is a Ruger .45 colt. I've been using the HSM bear load. Haven't killed a bear yet with them, worked good on an antelope and horse. I tried the buffalo bore load and they were fine but maybe a skosh more than needed and a bunch of money too.

But when I'm on foot hunting or guiding I prefer a rifle and don't want to pack a handgun too. I dang sure would if I couldn't have my rifle.

I got charged while horseback last fall by a sow with cub. And I've surprised a couple other bears at close range while horseback. Some people have asked if I was getting my gun ready and that thought has never occurred to me even though in all cases I had at least one with me. I was always more focused on staying aboard, figuring that to be my best option. Thankfully my horses have always behaved pretty reasonably given the circumstances. I pretty much always carry my handgun while horseback if not hunting. But getting bucked off and landing on a gun isn't fun either. Sorry for the detour probably wasn't all that helpful for the OP's question.

You can practice with 40 SW in the G20.

Also remember- Jack O'Conner was a professional journalist... only slightly more trustworthy in that age than now. And then only because he was a hunter. Dunno about his fishing....

Canadian perspective: I can't by law carry a handgun in the bush in Canada, doubt it would even be legal under US law if I went to Alaska as a non-resident alien.

When hunting in bear country here in Alberta I carry a rifle I am very proficient with, in my case a Ruger 77 35 Whelen w/250gr loads. I am very confident it will do the job as I practice with it.

Flyfishing or hiking in Alberta bear country I carry my 44 mag Marlin, again a rifle I am very confident will handle an issue as I practice with it as well.

In both scenarios I also carry bear spray, have deployed it a time or two. It has defused the situation fast.
Have yet to shoot a bear because it wasn't happy with my presence.

If a bear were actually on me I would still at least try to deploy my spray if my rifle were lost etc. Better to wear a bit of bear spray and live, I suspect a wee bit of medical attention will be required anyway.

Carry what you are accustomed to, be very proficient with it and practice situational awareness.

Northerner- here is my last bear encounter (that I'm aware of- there are probably 10 or more for every one the person is aware of).

A buddy and I were in a dome-tent about 40 miles up the Noatak River, which drains into Kotzebue Sound, 6 sea-miles across from our apartment here. With us was my now deceased Lab, Tripper. The tent was pitched at the mouth of the tributary Aggie Creek. Nice little bench with game trail there, and a 4 inch deep , 20 foot wide side channel immediately beside. We were camped on the lee side of a little point of timber, with a pretty good breeze coming up the Noatak.

During the night I woke to hear sloshing just downstream from the tent. I was contemplating whether it was wind/surf slosh on the inflatable boat or not when it ceased. NOT! A bit later the sloshing began again, on the upstream side of the tent. I nudged the sleeping dog, who sat up, barked "Bear" once, laid down, and went back to sleep. Helluva bear dog...

7 " bear tracks in the morning on the sand across from the tent- not too bad for an interior Griszzy.

Worked out well for all concerned.

The Lab died of liver cancer a couple years later by the way.

Re read my Glock armoror's manual, no mention of Short and Weaks in a 10MM. I have heard of this. I SAW a fellow shoot a whole box of 9MMs through a 40 S&W once too! They all fired but the power and precision was lacking!

Bill what impressed me with the Glock 20 and Buffalo Bore 220 gr cast loads was the how much better I could shoot it. Than my S&W model 29 44 Mag that I have owned for 30 years.

One 10MM might not stop a bear but it has 14 friends.

A lot easier to grab the Glock with 2 loaded mags on outings than the S&W.

You can do that but i wouldn't recommend it . They headspace on the case mouth and .40 is enough shorter that it's not safe to do so. Spend $100 and buy a conversion bbl.

I have seen rough chambers with rings at 38Spl length that made ejection a bit stiff with 357. Some cleaned up easily; some did not.

I think thats 15 friends actually. LOL.

But compared to my 329PD esepcially, the 10 is MUCH easier to shoot. And consider, one gun, 2 spare mags and you have almost a box of ammo.

YOu do still have to hit vitals, not just make loud noise with bears if its real...

IF you maintain the chambers now and then you are usually ok.

Damn shame the old lead wipe out or wipe off rags are not around anymore. They would help there, and would sure make cleaning my suppressors baffles easier.

Oh, okay Art, that makes since. I've always been retentive about cleaning so that wouldn't be an issue for me.

Rost, I just bought some of those lead wipes patches recently. If I remember right they're made by Klean Bore.

Really, have a link, or can you check for sure. Used to be called wipe out or wipe off I THINK... leather type piece of cloth in a glass jar. I"m sure EPA banned it, or I'd bet...

I have seen actual pits in chambers from gas jetting.