Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Bear protection- Pepper Spray or pistol

So how old is "old Mike"?

Mike will be 51 or 52 in June, CRS here, I gave him a guide gun in .45/70 for his b-day so I'm thinking maybe he's 52 this year.


in SC as we speak having a hip resurfaced. it got yanked outa socket when he was 19 and now 30 some odd years later or so after I don't know how many miles walkin the country often with a full backpack full of meat for lots of those miles and pounding pavement in an airplane hanger for just as long, his hip gave out on him. Couple of years ago his boy took his first moose and I did all the packing to save his hip and ankle.



but the dude was a freakin animal Barkoff, I'd have placed big dinero on him in the uphill Olympics.


in his early 40's he had some chest pain and went in to do a stress test on the treadmill. When he got up to 200 beats per minute heartrate, he told the docs he wouldn't be able to keep up that pace all day. They figured about then his heart wasn't causing the pain.


we used to use heart rate monitors to train going steep uphill with fairly heavy loads say around 90 lbs., about 176 bpm or so I'd have to back off so I could breathe and walk. He regularly would hit 192 beats and just keep trucking.

our legs are about the same length though he has a slightly longer stride.

but the guy had heart, still does, if he gets this hip lined out, expect to hear I died of a heart attack somewhere out in the bush trying not to lose sight of his azz.


it's a view I've had often hunting with him.

but we've had some danged grand adventures together, lots of fun times and sat the hard seat a time or two.

he's good company and a man to ride the river with.

I've been fortunate to call him friend for bout 30 years now.


oh and that dog CAN hunt

That's what it's all about.

I like the idea of a pistol with a lanyard string attached to you.

A question and answer about bear spray on the "Backpacker" web site states:

Does it work? In laboratory conditions, every time. Out in the wild, sprays vary in their effectiveness. In 20 well-documented cases of spray being used on grizzlies, the bears were stopped by the spray. But three of the bears came back later and attacked. In 26 cases of spray vs. black bears, six of the bears returned, but none attacked. There are probably no more than about 70 known times spray was used against bears in the field. That's not many to base a sure answer on. But it looks like bear spray probably works most of the time when used according to the manufacturers' instructions.

To me that doesn't sound like there is really much evidence to base anything on!

Phil

This thread is nothing, if not entertaining.

I have VERY limited experience in real bear country. I have only seen one grizzly in my life while in the field. Passed about 50 yards in front of our hoarses. Gave us a look, and kept walking. The horses on the other hand nearly chite themselves...

With my VERY limited knowledge, my current approach is this.

Neither bear spray nor a pistol are going to stop a charging bear once he's made up his mind. The exception being that you're somehow able to put a solid into his CNS. Possible, but not probable.

Bear spray will likely detur a bear that is in your personal zone but hasn't yet committed to attack.

Being alert and careful will likely keep me out of a bear's personal zone.

I have yet to carry spray or a pistol, but always feel like I should. It is probably going to take a close call for me to come to my senses. When that does happen, a pistol will likely be the first thing I add. This would be for those times when I'm archery hunting and unable to carry a long gun.

Priceless quote -

Last time I bought a pack pistol the smith asked me if I was intending to use if for bear protection. I said yea of course... He told me if that's that case I should take a file and cut down the front sight.

After figuring I heard him right I asked him why, so there's no chance of the gun hanging up coming out or something?

He said "No, no... that way when you pull that thing out of your arse it won't scratch so much.... That's where the bears' gonna put it."

I still bought it and would have used it if needed of last resort.


LOL


Answer is - CARRY A BIG GUN - pistol or rifle no hot sauce........

While I can see carrying bear spray, if you wanted to, I'll never be without a gun. If I have a rifle, we still have a TI 44 mag. Sometimes the rifle isn't handy in situations.

I'd rather have the pistol than nothing. I'd rather fight than die.

While I certainly can feel bad about killing a sow and little ones, I won't loose much sleep at all. Different mentalities driven by liberal govt ideas IMHO.

Just a few thoughts.

Jeff

I'm with Jeff.

You never know if you brought bear spray to a gunfight in the remote areas where I hike.

I bring both.

Yeah, you're in my area, David. We have a few wackos up here in the northeastern part that like to keep their secrets. Onion Creek by the Canadian border has the drug traffickers and a few remote, and apparently at least one guarded pot growing facility that the DEA seems isn't worth the risk to go in after.