Buckshot and or a shotgun would be my personal last choice for defense on bears.
I saw video of a friend last year kill a brown bear with a slug. It ran off a bit. Bears generally run and or move until you hit CNS or they bleed out.
As long as we are all happy with our choices its good enough. And hopefully we never find out. Though I was happy to confirm that 9mm is more than enough in my instance. Which means my 10mm and my 460 Rowland. And my 458 Win mag are all more than enough.
In big bear country I would not be comfortable with anything less than a 375 and prefer 416 up. Especially as a backup gun.
Kind of interesting though that some folks seem like bear magnets. And others go forever without much of an encounter.
I still don't trust black bears though. Just big nosey PITA raccoons basically to me. They keep poking until prodded. Brown and Grizzly seem much more civilized to me.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Kind of interesting though that some folks seem like bear magnets. And others go forever without much of an encounter.
My buddy has been grabbed twice by bears on Baranof. The first time deer hunting in some thick brush and the second time when he was doing a stream survey. He was walking down the stream when he came around a rock outcropping and the bear was right there above him. He struck the bear with the butt plate of his rifle and gouged his hand on the bear's canine when it slipped off the rifle. The bear basically walked over the top of him and left. It's always made me more nervous because I look a lot like him and move a lot like him and it made me wonder if I might have some of his "bear magnetism."
My condolences to the family. Some years ago while fishing in the King Salmon, Alaska area, I briefly encountered a huge bear who seemed to resent my presents on his creek. I felt under-gunned with my 6-weight Sage.
For those that are fans of buckshot, [not me] try some Fiochi nickel plated buckshot and you'll find superior penetration in most cases.
Well said. Anything in shot that needs to be better, hard shot and nickel plated does better than just lead buck. Have used nickel plated a lot on pigs. It works good on them.
A great reminder of things we choose, and could they be better. I"d totally forgotten about nickel plated...
Copper plated in the day was SO much better on turkeys at distance than just lead... Nickel made that even better.
Wonder if there is any even denser stuff that wouldn't shatter on impact. Tungsten and the like.
But I'm with ya. Buckshot and bears just isn't a choice I"m willing to risk.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Dang. I'm gonna update my favorite thing about living in Iowa List.
LOL. Bears are really a non issue. I feel much safer in AK than getting on the road and driving in TX. My odds of a fatal or even non fatal wreck are MUCH higher the months I'm in TX.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Anyone have more details? Sow/cub type thing? You just never know, got to stay vigilant in those parts. I've only been deer hunting once in SE and had to defend myself. Fortunately ended with a dead bear.
If you don’t mind sharing your bear attack, I would like to hear the story and details of how it happened and what you used to kill the bear.
Hunting deer on Kodiak island in 2008. I guess it was a bad berry year and the bears were grouchy. My buddy shot a deer up on the hillside, we dressed it and were packing meat down to the lake. I was in front, he was a few steps behind. I foolishly had my gun on my shoulder, had gotten tired hauling meat and busting through the thick stuff and put the gun on my shoulder instead of in my hands. I had a brief alert with breaking branches and shaking alders and he came busting out of the brush about 17' in front of me coming hard. I instinctively took a step back as I went to get rifle off my shoulder, tripped and went over backwards. My buddy shot him and he turned enough that he didn't run me over. We both unloaded on him until he quit moving. About a 3 yo male. Luckily it was nice and thick in there, so he likely turned into a few meals for his mates. We were both shooting .300 Win Mag. I think I may have a claw or two somewhere in the pile.
The craziest thing about this is that just days earlier we had gone to the site where Matt Sutton had been attacked. (His story made it into Outdoor Life, you can look it up. The youtube link below is his story.) We were working for Dean Andrews of Andrews Airways, remodeling some hanger space. Bill Bush was working with us, he is the guy in the story that was with Matt out there in Vikoda Bay. After Matt was attacked he dragged himself down to the water, leaving his pack behind. In his pack was his digital camera, glasses, etc. We decided to go out there and get his stuff for him. Bill wasn't interested in making that trip so he gave us directions as best he could to find the spot. Dean Andrews flew us out there and we trudged around until we found the site. It was pretty surreal. A 10'x10' area torn up, bits of camo hanging in the brush, blood, his pack and walking stick. Just imagining the scene made the hair stand up. I've got the pictures somewhere. He's a tough dude.
Bill was an incredible guy, tough old codger. He kept Matt alive for a few days until they finally made contact for rescue. It was a pretty ugly few days for them, he wasn't going to let Matt die out there. He had Matt's bloody clothes at the jobsite, one of those old school white thermal undershirts that was mostly red.
Anyway, with that scenario pretty fresh in mind, we didn't bother taking names or asking questions, just put that teenage son of a bitch in the dirt when he came calling.
Having spent many decades around brown bears, especially on Kodiak and the mainland across...
Ayway, there is way TOO much bullshit added by people with zero bear experience. There is virtually zero reality in the vast majority of the "tale."
Many. Hmm. Can't find definition, would have guessed normally that would mean something like 10 or more. At least double digits. Decade. 10 years. Man you are looking good for your age. Grins.
Early '80s to present close enough?
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Dang, playing dead for that long would take nerves of steel.
My favorite bear story is Gene Moe. 69 yo badass that punched a bear in the nose and broke his neck. I think he stuck a knife in his neck a few times and was digging it around, they figure he must have done enough damage that when he punched it the neck broke.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gene's story is a great one, but none of the elements other than name, age, and badass status exist in your translation!
He did not break the bear's neck, let alone by punching. He did not stab the bear in the neck.
The story has been posted here many times.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Buckshot and or a shotgun would be my personal last choice for defense on bears.
I saw video of a friend last year kill a brown bear with a slug. It ran off a bit. Bears generally run and or move until you hit CNS or they bleed out.
As long as we are all happy with our choices its good enough. And hopefully we never find out. Though I was happy to confirm that 9mm is more than enough in my instance. Which means my 10mm and my 460 Rowland. And my 458 Win mag are all more than enough.
In big bear country I would not be comfortable with anything less than a 375 and prefer 416 up. Especially as a backup gun.
Kind of interesting though that some folks seem like bear magnets. And others go forever without much of an encounter.
I still don't trust black bears though. Just big nosey PITA raccoons basically to me. They keep poking until prodded. Brown and Grizzly seem much more civilized to me.
I completely understand your position and where you are coming from!
In my case where I hunt it isn't legal to carry a hand gun while bow hunting, neither is it legal to carry a rifle, our stupid F'ing Government at work again.
As you know 90+ % of bear attacks are a surprise attack and at very close range, typically in tight bush and you have seconds to react.
For me 00 Buckshot < 15 yards is the best option and will stop anything in North America in its tracks and with 00 you have a wider pattern with 8 to 9 BB'S, which to me is ideal over 1 slug. There isn't a bear in North America that is going to shrug off a face full of 00 at under 15 yards.
I have killed 2 bears with Slugs, one about 12 inches away in the head, not a problem, but as mentioned the other I shot twice @ 13 Yards with slugs and he made it 40 yards from where I shot him, and the damage was enormous with both lungs and his liver Liquefied.
3 shots in quick succession with 00 sends out 27 BB's, the best option IMHO. I am fortunate that I was never attacked by a grizz and had to put that test through the challenge! A black bear attacking me was Intense Enough!
Originally Posted by AGL4now
I was going to stay out of this conversation. However, decided to say something important. I once had a large male Alaska Coastal Brown Bear on top of me (or could be said "over" me) for about 18 to 20 minutes. I remained motionless for the time, taking half breaths. Moving only my eyes. I was not hurt in any way. So, my point is as hard as that was, I knew it was my only hope of not being mauled to death. Remining motionless is hard, very hard, but it can and did work.
OMG, I have never heard anything like that! Would you care to share your story in more detail, would be awesome to hear it?
You must be one VERY INTERESTING CHARACTER, and you definitely have NERVES OF STEEL!
Happy that you got out of that predicament unscathed, so a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to you Sir! 👍👍
OMG, I have never heard anything like that! Would you care to share your story in more detail, would be awesome to hear it?
Not nerves of steel, just the only available option. It is posted elsewhere. I'll try to find it.
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
Buckshot and or a shotgun would be my personal last choice for defense on bears.
I saw video of a friend last year kill a brown bear with a slug. It ran off a bit. Bears generally run and or move until you hit CNS or they bleed out.
As long as we are all happy with our choices its good enough. And hopefully we never find out. Though I was happy to confirm that 9mm is more than enough in my instance. Which means my 10mm and my 460 Rowland. And my 458 Win mag are all more than enough.
In big bear country I would not be comfortable with anything less than a 375 and prefer 416 up. Especially as a backup gun.
Kind of interesting though that some folks seem like bear magnets. And others go forever without much of an encounter.
I still don't trust black bears though. Just big nosey PITA raccoons basically to me. They keep poking until prodded. Brown and Grizzly seem much more civilized to me.
I completely understand your position and where you are coming from!
In my case where I hunt it isn't legal to carry a hand gun while bow hunting, neither is it legal to carry a rifle, our stupid F'ing Government at work again.
As you know 90+ % of bear attacks are a surprise attack and at very close range, typically in tight bush and you have seconds to react.
For me 00 Buckshot < 15 yards is the best option and will stop anything in North America in its tracks and with 00 you have a wider pattern with 8 to 9 BB'S, which to me is ideal over 1 slug. There isn't a bear in North America that is going to shrug off a face full of 00 at under 15 yards.
I have killed 2 bears with Slugs, one about 12 inches away in the head, not a problem, but as mentioned the other I shot twice @ 13 Yards with slugs and he made it 40 yards from where I shot him, and the damage was enormous with both lungs and his liver Liquefied.
3 shots in quick succession with 00 sends out 27 BB's, the best option IMHO. I am fortunate that I was never attacked by a grizz and had to put that test through the challenge! A black bear attacking me was Intense Enough!
Originally Posted by AGL4now
I was going to stay out of this conversation. However, decided to say something important. I once had a large male Alaska Coastal Brown Bear on top of me (or could be said "over" me) for about 18 to 20 minutes. I remained motionless for the time, taking half breaths. Moving only my eyes. I was not hurt in any way. So, my point is as hard as that was, I knew it was my only hope of not being mauled to death. Remining motionless is hard, very hard, but it can and did work.
OMG, I have never heard anything like that! Would you care to share your story in more detail, would be awesome to hear it?
You must be one VERY INTERESTING CHARACTER, and you definitely have NERVES OF STEEL!
Happy that you got out of that predicament unscathed, so a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to you Sir! 👍👍
Really? 90% fit your fantasy of a bear attack? What a clown!
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
From what I have read and heard tell, most bear attacks where hunters are involved are in tight bush situations with very little time to react. Opps, maybe it is 82.2%. lol
Really? 90% fit your fantasy of a bear attack? What a clown!
I don't understand or like the "Quote" system on this forum. Easy to get confused as to whom is making reference whom. My question is who are you referring to about 90% fantasy of bear attack.....??? ME or someone else.
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
Really? 90% fit your fantasy of a bear attack? What a clown!
I don't understand or like the "Quote" system on this forum. My question is who are you referring to about 90% fantasy of bear attack.....??? ME or someone else.
He was commentating on my comment, I said 90%, I was simply using a figure from the stories I have read about and heard.
This gentleman was attacked a couple of years ago where I hunt elk, he had no time to react, this is a picture he took of himself walking out of the bush after he was attacked by a Sow Grizz. He is lucky he made it out alive!
Really? 90% fit your fantasy of a bear attack? What a clown!
I don't understand or like the "Quote" system on this forum. My question is who are you referring to about 90% fantasy of bear attack.....??? ME or someone else.
He was commentating on my comment, I said 90%, I was simply using a figure from the stories I have read about and heard.
This gentleman was attacked a couple of years ago where I hunt elk, he had no time to react, this is a picture he took of himself walking out of the bush after he was attacked by a Sow Grizz. He is lucky he made it out alive!
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
I found the account of the Brown Bear on top of me and will send it Private Mail.
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/xQuKUVCh.jpg)
