Bear country and no gun?

[Ripper]

You would think when you have multiple bear attacks that people would learn... Is it me or does it seem reasonable to bring something to protect your family and self just in case something like this could happen? I mean atleast have a steel pot next to you so you can ding the bear upside the head with it.

I can't imagine loosing a family member "son, daughter, wife" like this getting mauled to death. What a horrible way to go...

Reading the one story; you hear someone screaming in the camp next to you and one would think atleast recon it and see what is going on? A lady screaming bloody murder you'd think you might want to see what is going on?

People these days...

1. Bear attack Montana

2. Small bear attack list Victom's 5 months - 77 years of age. Incomplete list...

My dad told me a funny a while ago and it goes something like this:

The Forest Service has issued a BEAR WARNING in the national forests for this summer. They're urging everyone to protect themselves by wearing bells and carrying pepper spray.

Campers should be alert for signs of fresh bear activity, and they should be able to tell the difference between Black Bear dung and Grizzy Bear dung.

Black Bear dung is rather small and round. Sometimes you can see fruit seeds and/or squirrel fur in it.

Grizzly Bear dung has bells in it, and smells like pepper spray...

In all all seriousness; if you are wondering out in to bear country if it be black bear or grizzly and you are one of those whistle blowing idiots that chooses to carry just that or and mace than so be it. But I can say at least they chose to arm themselves with something... I can't see not having anything less than a .45 close by especially if I have the responsibility of protecting my family and self.

Hellooolightbulb You are in bear country! The old 850+ pd. griz like slow easy prey and they could care less if it's well done or rare. All they care about is the rumproast and tenerloin.

Cheers,
RiP

 

[winmag]

Im an avid bear hunter, and though my bear experience is limmited only to blackbears, I NEVER underestimate what could happen if I get between mamma and her cubs on accident, or cross a grumpy territorial boar.
In the spring I meat all kinds of twig and nut preaching granola chrunching tie die freaks ''hunting'' mushrooms. Always completely unarmed.
I once stopped and wached some hippies from up on a hill. I was on my way back to my Jeep from the mornings bear hunt, and to my suprise I crossed sign that wasnt there on the way in. Since it was close to the road, I didnt figure the bear would be there, but I went slowly and hered noise in the brush. As I eased over the hill I noticed the ''longhairs''. I was curious for one if my Jeep was ok, and for two if the tree huggers had any idea I was there or if there was a bear in the vicinity. They turnned out like most ground worshipers.... ''COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS'' to the reality that just because they belonged to peta, didnt mean they were safe from the animals.
I was suprisingly polite, considering I have Nothing in common with thier kind, and told them of the bear sign I had just seen. I belive I startled them a bit, but they chose to stay and pick mushrooms. I figure the bear smelled them LONG before and didnt want to eat something that had such a hanus odor.
Im sure they were fine, being smelly and all, but come-on! Show some sense for goodness sake and like you said ''at least have a steel pan to whop em upside the head with.'' I just dont understand where some peoples common sense went to.........up in ''smoke'' ? Hmmmm if the Birkenstock fits......
I whole heartedly agree with you about being prepared especially if my family is with me. While Im fully aware that bears ''R-U-N-N-O-F-T'' more often than not, I wouldnt want to be the one that tells that to a loved one of the recently deceased. I go prepared for a reason. Hopefully that reason never presents itself, but if it does MY family and I will be fine.

 

[Ripper]

Bravo! Well said Winmag; well said. You know as funny as it sounds to say, I wouldn't be the least bit suprised that bears are actually turned off by their foul odors. I have smelt their kind before and it is very unpleasent to say the least.

I had a friend that spun one of those hippies through the air by his dread locks down in Mexico when he got in a fight on the beach and he took him out in the ocean water and started dunking his head in and out of the salt water. He didn't say why he drug him over their but I while I was sipping on a tecate enjoying the breeze watching him I would guess it had to do with giving him a bath? I don't know I never asked. Either way I found it rather comical. How did it start you might ask. Well we were drinking on the beach relaxing and this group of nasty hippies decided they wanted to toss some sort of giant mexican made cherry bomb our way and get away with it. Well "Tiny" Terry "and listening to the story I am sure you know he isn't Tiny" Terry didn't take to it to well when sand flew on us and a second one was tossed our way. Maybe they thought since there was 5 of them and 2 of us they could get away with it.

Anyways fun and games with the lib hippies. One of those times you wished you had a video recorder.

Cheers,
RiP

 

[cowboy]

I have a cabin just out of Cooke City, Montana that is just 3 miles from the camp ground where the bear attack happened this week. They have captured a sow grizzly with 3 cubs that came back to the tent where the mauling death occurred. Two cubs were caught with mom and one is still loose. There are many cabins in the valley from the camp ground clear to the Yellowstone Park NE entrance which is about 7-8 miles away. Most of these places are only used seasonally but there are a few year around residences. We have been up there over 20 years and there is not a year that goes by that there is not a bear sighting-capture & relocate or very rarely a human encounter. Just a month ago there was a mauling death just out of Cody, Wy. which is not very far by the way the crow flies. Some of these bears have been drugged so many times for "scientific data" that I think their brains are scrambled. We have had grizzlies walk right through our back country camp sites with horses and mules on the high line going nuts and these bear act like nothing is to be feared. The grizzlies in our neck of the woods have lost the fear of man or domestic beast. I have seen a number of these bears on the trail while leading a pack string. You can not imagine how fast they can move. When it comes to bear protection - forget about a frying pan, bear spray, hand guns or any of that - you will just not have any time to react. I like to sleep with a shotgun tucked under my sleeping bag. I figure your only going to get one shot so give me the best at close range. What we need is a grizzly bear season and in a couple of years these bears will then revert to being wild and wary.

 

[winmag]

I agree whole heartedly with the hunting seasons Cowboy. I lived in Wise River for a time while workin on a registered Angus ranch. I was ''packin'' even while fixin fence. While I never crossed a bear, Moose were wary, but always to be considered a formidable threat. We gave em a wide birth.

I spent some time in Ennis, and I was in Virginia City once, even went down to Cody Wyoming to see the gun museum. I was supposed to ride a bareback hores there, but I got busted up at a rodeo in Tygh Valley the week before, so I never got to ride there. From what little Ive seen of your part of the country its one of the most beautifull places in the world. I would imagine that a Griz season would bennifit most all of the residents in the vicinity. I know for sure and for certain, that a bounty on wolves would do the Big Hole residents well, not to mention the residents of Wise River.

 

[bigngreen]

The wolves have gotten the bears a little more edgy now too I think. I think packing heat or bear spray really only makes me feel good, in a full blown grizz charge the only thing it will do is give me a chance to get lucky maybe with one bullet, if I clear leather before getting hit. I rely more on keeping my head out of the dirt and looking around so as to avoid a situation before it starts.
The grizz season will never happen, have you heard all the wailing over the pine trees dieing of causing bear numbers to drop BS. The same idiots that had a chance to spray a very few acres of beetle kill when it started but wanted to let nature take it's coarse are not whining and crying about it, the funny thing is I just don't think a grizz will sit under a dead pine tree and starve to death, they move right on and get food. It's there beloved wolves that have caused the grizz population problem with killing cubs or young bears. Bounty on wolves and a grizz season would be excellent!!!

 

[cowboy]

The last of the grizzly cubs in the bear mauling was caught this morning. That makes mom and the 3 cubs heading to Bozeman where their fate will be determined after all the fuzzy huggers get their say.

One of the things that the locals have seen way too many times that "has no scientific" multi million dollar study to back it up is the fact that the wolves are killing something, the bears are coming and running the wolves off and feeding and the wolves go kill some more. The wolves are working the valleys and calving areas and that is bringing more bears down closer to people.

The latest local info is that the three incidents were not side by side campers in the campground but quite a distance apart. The man that was killed was drug from his tent and the bears fed off the carcass, they then proceeded up the campground to the other 2 incidents.

 

[bigbuck]

The last of the grizzly cubs in the bear mauling was caught this morning. That makes mom and the 3 cubs heading to Bozeman where their fate will be determined after all the fuzzy huggers get their say.

One of the things that the locals have seen way too many times that "has no scientific" multi million dollar study to back it up is the fact that the wolves are killing something, the bears are coming and running the wolves off and feeding and the wolves go kill some more. The wolves are working the valleys and calving areas and that is bringing more bears down closer to people.

The latest local info is that the three incidents were not side by side campers in the campground but quite a distance apart. The man that was killed was drug from his tent and the bears fed off the carcass, they then proceeded up the campground to the other 2 incidents.

Man the bears actually went from camp to camp killing ? If a grizzly ever kills a human is their any chance that it will ever be normal again (I know grizzlies kill for food but what makes them pass up hippies on a trail and go from camp to camp slaughtering) ? I would think that the griz would be like these are easy steaks and persue humans even more . Is this what happens when they have killed humans ? I wonder if folks had been feeding the grizzlies in the area before ? Alote of questions rolling around .

BigBuck

 

[bigngreen]

Man the bears actually went from camp to camp killing ? If a grizzly ever kills a human is their any chance that it will ever be normal again (I know grizzlies kill for food but what makes them pass up hippies on a trail and go from camp to camp slaughtering) ? I would think that the griz would be like these are easy steaks and persue humans even more . Is this what happens when they have killed humans ? I wonder if folks had been feeding the grizzlies in the area before ? Alote of questions rolling around .

BigBuck

Once they come into that close of contact you might as well shoot them, they won't leave things alone after that. I have hunted an area where they dump the problem grizz from the park and you don't take chances with camping! Let the snow get deep so their denned up and the hunting is good.

If you have ever been down wind of our breed of "mountain hippie" you would know why a grizz wouldn't touch one, besides they would have to chew though the dreed locks and wirey hair to get to the soft stuff.

 

[Ripper]

Just my opinion; if you are in bear country, than you are in their country. If someone is mauled or killed and decided that they didn't want to arm themself with something to protect themself "and for the love of God their family member's" than they deserve what they have comming to them.

If you are one of those anti-gun bark eater's than there are alternate means of self protection for you site. You can go to a dollar store and get those magnetic sensored alarms for $1 a piece and place them around your camp site as a early warning system. You can also use a tazer gun or pepper spray etc.

I think their should be laws requiring people to have protection where bears or wolf packs are. There should also be postings to enter at your own risk but to enter those particular grounds you should have to be required certain means of self defense.

I can't imagine how the lady felt that had her 5 month baby snagged off her porch by that bear...

Shoot the **** gun!
RiP

 

[bigngreen]

I have a couple friends that have had real good luck with those little electric fence deals you see for campers, they actually work.

 

[Troutslayer2]

I am not so sure that a sidearm would have prevented that bear attack in the middle of the night in a crowded campground in Yellowstone. I hardly ever carry, but usually I will have bear spray. I actually had to draw on a griz once (.44 SuperRedHawk, 10 Feet!, didn't have to shoot it), but I still feel as safe with bear spray.


This is a thread on a boating forum debating on if it's better to bring a .223 or a .45 on a float trip for bear defense. If you read it you will see that there are plenty of complete idiots out there. All I need is to be in a campground when some ******* opens fire with a .223 because a bear is raiding his cooler.
Firearms on the MFS (or any other long trip) - Mountain Buzz

 

[Chas1]

Kind of damned if you do and damned if you don't. On one hand I say carry an appropriate caliber handgun/revolver...not auto and have mastered the motor skills to draw and be accurate. On the otherhand I don't want inexperienced folks armed and busting caps near me. IMHO...acquire the skills or don't go into dangerous game territory.

 

[Iowaboy]

I always keep a loaded 44 mag s&w under my pillow when I camp in bear country. Thats just how I roll.

I also carry spray with me while hunting. Figure I'd rather try the spray first then the firearm next if I think I can get by with it. Other wise its right to the gun in my hands first.

On the flip side, I've told all my buddies that I camp with. If you wake up in the middle of the night and there is a bear chewing on me just start blazzin a way. If you hit me too, so be it, just try not to shoot me in the freaking head. I mean I got a better chance surviving a GSW than a bear mauling!

Oh yeah, I'm not one of those people tha buy a handgun for protection and never shoot it. I go through hundereds of rounds a year staying profecient with the thing. I have no doubt in crunch time, I'll make a good shot.