BEARS

[salmonchaser]

I like the idea of a mounted light. I need to take care of that. Tonight I could sweep the perimeter at 0300, probably wouldn't need a light. Two weeks from now not so much. That being said I keep a couple of stream lights stored with the rifles.


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[Thebear_78]

I made that light mount out of s broken piece of scope rail. Only took a few minutes on the mill to make that mount and not much longer to inlet the stock. Aimed it match up the the sights and epoxied it down. It's a great setup.

You can also take a rear Remington 700 scope base and attach it to the forearm of your rifle. It's a little less involved but not nearly as handy.

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[Thebear_78]

It's not just night that makes a light important. You start crawling thru a riverbottom jungle in a braided river bed or old growth coastal rainforest and you will find a lot of dark shady spots, and every single one looks like a bear when your tracking one.

I was charged in a forested area. It was a black bear bait site where we had many runind with brown bears. It was that deep twilight where the sky was backlight but the brushy Forrest was dark. I had been walking down with my rifle slung on my pack but it would squeak upon every step. The rhythmic squeaking was getting on my nerves. I stopped on the trail and took my pack off and removed my rifle. I popped the scope off and stuffed it in my pack and reslung my pack.

About 50 yards further down the trail does a switchback and swings left along a little shelf. A perpetual trickle of water leaves this stretch soft and muddy. As I sloppily tromped thru this section I heard a large animal running thru the brush, the closed in brush and slope made for an echo chamber making locating the source difficult. At this point I thought it was probably a moose spooked by me splashing thru the wet stretch.

The bear came around the shelf at a dead run, head low, it's rear legs throwing up the soft wet dirt. The intensity and single minded focus resembling a jack Russel chasing a tennis ball. He was coming to eat something. It's a completely different feel than the angry, tooth popping, huffing, hair standing on end, bouncy gait of a bluff charge of an alarmed or threatened bear.

I gave a loud manly yell, [emoji6], swung up my rifle flipping on the light as I did. Not a lot was running thru my head. I've always been able to stay oddly calm in high stress situations, it's not till later that the shakes and nerves hit. I remember thinking "damn I'm going to have to shoot this bear" while trying to figure out which of the several bears we had on camera

At the bright light and manly shriek the bear stopped about 30-35 feet short. Swinging its head back and forth in confusion under the bright spotlight. The thought that I only had 3 rounds in the gun, did I dare risk one to a warning shot crossed my mind in that seconds long standoff.

The bear turned slightly to the right and looked to be trying to re access the situation. I figured now or never and fired a round above and in front of the bear. At the shot he charged up into the brush and I could hear him crashing thru the brush in a half circle above and around me and continued along the shelf. I hustled down the trail to my truck before the nerves set in.

The worst part was I then had to drive a mile down to our other bait to pick up my buddy. The 3/4 mile back thru the brush to the second bait thinking there was a bear behind every tree sucked.

I credit the light more than anything else with stopping that charge. I think it's as important as iron sights on a backup gun.


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[35 Whelen]

Well I am not going to launch into how many Bear hunts we have been involved in over the last 45 years or even my thoughts on calibers.
But I will give you all some food for thought. Back in the late 1980's I was flying for Alaskan Guide Kelly Vrem out of
Alexander Lake Lodge.(Kenny Clarke's old place) Kelly had a bunch of horses out there; and was hunting Mt Susitna, west of Anchorage. There was an OLD Minner (late 80's) that had a log cabin in there on Wolverine Ck he had spent 60 years there looking for color.
We got to talking one day(we were using his airstrip) about bears and he told me he had to kill 2/3 Brown Bears every year that would NOT leave him and his stuff alone; and became a nuisance to his safety.
I asked him what he preferred to shoot them with for a gun? He said " my old 30 Govt " so I asked to see it and he showed me a very well worn rifle with a rear mounted peep sight. ....
He says" I like to shoot from about 50 yards, and prefer Remington 180 Corelokts ,but any bullet will do!" I asked where he shot em and he says " in thar neck" so I asked
How many ever gave him a problem killing them?? He says "all of them or I wouldn't have had to shoot em" lol
Here is a fellow that had killed HUNDREDS of big bears and god knows how many Blackies, that easily has more experience, than "everyone on this forum" put together; on the art of shooting bears. And he found the common 30/06 with regular over the counter ,non custom bullets More than enough to protect himself for 60 years in Alaska!
But somehow now its all changed around ??
And now most folks feel ,they need big magnum calibers
And most certainly custom ammo..........
Sorta makes me wonder how he ever made it???? (No cellphone, no neighbor, no mail, no electricity, no internet, no 911,no Magnum, no exotic bullets, none of it? Just an outhouse and a 30/06!
When I pressed him again if he felt there was a time he needed more gun? He simply said "nope, only time I ever shoot em again is if I haint hittinem right in that first place!

PS. When I asked him how much gold he had found there over the past 60 years he grinned and says " now wooden
You like to know young fuller" :lol:
PSS. When he passed away a friend that attended his funeral told me he had been highly decorated soldier in WWI , they had his "Expert & Sharp Shooter" medals on display near his casket............
That's the "real deal" right there my friend!

 

[Guy Miner]

Great stories guys!

 

[RaySendero]

.....

Ray, I agree, but based upon previous discussions about shotguns, etc as well as hunting, was the exact reason I ask --if you could take only one for hunting and for protection, what would the one choice. .....

Well...Like I said it would be the 9.3

But hunting away from home I always take 2 rifles.

 

[elkhunternm]

A .375 H&H loaded with either a 300 grain Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame.

 

[Thankful Otter]

Great story Earle. We have known a few of those old fellows. What you find stored away after they are gone is amazing sometimes. Loved the 06 and it severed me well for a long time, and still would.

Bear78- living in darkness for a few months each year gives one the will to find various ways to use lights. You make excellent points.

Ray, we always take three and sometimes four depending on where we are going and how long we think we will be there. We also actually carry a parts and a tool kit . You make a good point. April lives on a sail boat and the only thing she worries about is having enough gin for a martini when she wants one.

Dr Mike and I appear to be the odd men out using the lever guns in the field, or maybe we are just odd oh well

Hodgeman, would you be so kind as to pm me the name and phone number of your friend that sell's bison hunts, I have some questions regarding maintaining the health of the herd. Thank you

 

[DrMike]

Dr Mike and I appear to be the odd men out using the lever guns in the field, or maybe we are just odd oh well

Speak fur' yourself, young lady. Ain't nuffin' odd 'bout me, Cheyenne, 'cept I walk wid' a limp and git confused as ol' BlkRam's dad on occasion. :lol:

 

[hunternyny]

Dr Mike and I appear to be the odd men out using the lever guns in the field, or maybe we are just odd oh well

Speak fur' yourself, young lady. Ain't nuffin' odd 'bout me, Cheyenne, 'cept I walk wid' a limp and git confused as ol' BlkRam's dad on occasion. :lol:

LOL, very nicely played Dr Mike

I would actually choice the 45/70 lever, but since I have never hunted the big bears, just having that rifle does not put me in Dr Mike's or Cheyenne's class.

 

[RaySendero]

.....

Ray, we always take three and sometimes four depending on where we are going and how long we think we will be there. We also actually carry a parts and a tool kit . You make a good point. April lives on a sail boat and the only thing she worries about is having enough gin for a martini when she wants one.

.....

LOL, I can emphasize!

I like margaritas so tequilas would be high my inventory list like her gin!

 

[Africa Huntress]

Guy,

I have been asked to respond to your question, but in my case I am like April. My Grizzly or Brown Bear hunts have been limited and I never felt threatened. Again, like April, when my parents took us girls fishing ,we experienced a couple of bluff charges, but they never "seemed" threatening to me. I have not tracked a wounded bear so can not respond to that. On the other side of the coin, when a lion charges they intend to kill you and it is not a wise decision to wait and se if he will stop before he reaches you. To this day and after many lion hunts, they still are able to put the fear of god into me. I would personally tell you that my absolute worst fear is tracking a wounded leopard, after that a lion is a toss up, fear wise, with the cape buffalo.

My father has hunted a lot of bears, and lions, and I ask him. He said that overall lions make him a little more anxious when hunting them. But he has the same respect for a wounded bear if tracking it that he has for a lion, especially if doing so in a high foliage/treed area. He said to tell Mr Miner that when an upset and/or wounded bear, lion or leopard has decided to kill you, you experience the same rush of adrenaline and a lot of it, in the few seconds between them charging you and you surviving by making the proper shot.

Best regards

Jamila

oh I forgot, I would think the lever Dr Mike and/or cheyenne uses would also be a good option for me--but I admit I do not prefer a lever action, although my father does

Ray---I also so would chose Tequila over Gin. If you ever want to remove hair or maybe grow it try one of my mum's " sh-t howdy's" dont ask, I have no idea what is in it, but it is or was some kind of a cowboy drink in the 80's but since it was invented in Texas maybe Charles knows what is in it

 

[REDGREEN]

Having hunted bears for over 45 years, I became real fond of the 45 70. I initially hunted them with a rolling block with a 32 inch pipe on it loaded with a 500 grain hard cast. That accounted for a large number of black bear, moose, deer and everything else. I love a rifle that will drive a large heavy bullet in one end and out the other, smashing everything in its path. They fall down. I also like being able to eat right up to the entrance and exit holes. A 400 grain loaded to 1500 fps will totally ruin any bears day. True, I can load them for my 1895 a lot hotter, but I have found that it doesn't kill them any better, and when loaded to 1500, it don't cripple on one end and kill on the other. Also, having 3 crushed vertebra and osteoporosis in my spine, I don't do recoil real well anymore. I sold all of my super cannons after I broke my back. Only one that I truly miss is my model 71 Winchester Deluxe 348. I do not miss the 458, 378, 375,340, 338, 300 magnums etc. I have shot them at 10 feet with the 4570, and it has literally flipped them end over end. There is nothing on this planet that I would feel under gunned with a 4570 in my hands.

 

[Europe]

Redgreen, I have also had a few injuries and surgeries that do not allow me to shot and hunt anymore, so I sympathize with you sir. You certainly had some big boomers at one time. Was the 458 a Lott or Win.? My husband had a Lott and he really liked that caliber. Without a doubt the 45/70 is a good one! I bet you can understand why Cheyenne loves her Win 71, 348 so much. I would think that you would also be able to still hunt with it if you had it.

Dr Mike, Earle, Cheyenne, Guy, Hodgeman, Bear78, Salmonchaser, great stories, thanks for sharing. And thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute to the thread

Charles, you are determined to use a 404 Jeff on something lol

Jamila--thank you

 

[Polaris]

I've been involved in 1 wounded bear termination, two nuisance bear killings, and multiple "bear discouragement" shootings. In the wounded bear tracking, cover was extremely thick tag alder and cedar swamp, making a bolt action rifle impractical. I carried a Rem 870 with a short cylinder bore police surplus barrel and 2 3/4" Brenneke slugs. Did the job nicely on a 300 pound plus blackie at 15 yards who looked like he was about to maul me.

On the two nuisance bears, I shot one for the resort I used to guide from with a 303 British jungle carbine, as that's what we had on hand. OLD Remington green box round noses did the trick nicely on a good sized blackie raiding the dumpster. The other was in Upper Michigan with an M14 borrowed from the State Police and 150 grain Winchester soft points. Finished the bear bang-flop with a shoulder shot.

For chasing them out of camp, 10 grains of Red Dot, a 12S0 wad loaded in a Federal paper based shell with a full charge of airsoft BBs is quite effective. I do back the airsoft round with 2 loads of OO buck and 2 Brennekes.

I have taken 2 black bears hunting, both with my 280 rem and the 145 Speer Grand slam. In my experience they are not hard to kill. Have heard the same about Polar bears, anything in the 30-06 class with a reasonably well constructed bullet would suffice. If I lived in grizzly country, I'd probably have to go gun shopping. For the occasional traveling I do where the big bears live, my 30-06 camp rifle with 180gr Norma Alaskas goes with. I shoot it a lot, and I shoot it well, I think it would do the job. It's a sported M17, and I also like the positive bolt lock safety when sleeping in a crowded tent with a rifle and a restless dog.

 

[salmonchaser]

Pepper Spray.
I had the "opportunity" to spray a grizzly yesterday. A young bear, probably a three year old, popped out of the alders coming towards us. Did not like me swearing at him. At about 10 yards I lit him up.
One of my clients has photos. She missed catching the actual application but you'll see the before and after effects. I'll attach photos when I'm next in town.
I was prepared to shoot the bear, Guy will likely notice I was no longer indexed on the revolver. He was not charging, simply trying to push us around a little. His behavior was much like a dog, not an alpha, trying to be a big shot when he knows he's not.
In addition to firearms I think bear spray is a must have. Had I not had bear spray I very likely would have killed the bear.



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[DrMike]

I'll definitely be looking forward to those photos. I used to always carry bear spray when fishing, though I've grown lax in recent years. Neat to pick up some fresh spray as all I have is well beyond the expiration date.

 

[c. schutte]

Ray---I also so would chose Tequila over Gin. If you ever want to remove hair or maybe grow it try one of my mum's " sh-t howdy's" dont ask, I have no idea what is in it, but it is or was some kind of a cowboy drink in the 80's but since it was invented in Texas maybe Charles knows what is in it

No clue other than a drink that your MUM likes....................... Probably sold at Gilley's..........

I was never one for too many "fancy" drinks. The margarita yes, beer yes, Crown or Jack and coke....yes when I was young. Now days it is wine at my BIL's, beer anytime and the occasional golden nectar from God known as scotch.


Charles, you are determined to use a 404 Jeff on something lol


You better believe it! :>) Bout 9 months to a year from being done.......................

 

[DrMike]

I spent time in Gilley's when pipe-fitting on the ship channel and living in Pasadena. Don't recall anything by that name. Sounds fascinating(?) :? ; frightening(?) :shock: ; devastating(?) :twisted: .

 

[hunternyny]

I spent time in Gilley's when pipe-fitting on the ship channel and living in Pasadena. Don't recall anything by that name. Sounds fascinating(?) :? ; frightening(?) :shock: ; devastating(?) :twisted: .

LOL!

Charles, the one thing that doesn't sound like is "fancy"

April, thank you for starting this thread, got those of us who occasionally see a black bear, it is a great thread to read. A lot of great experiences have been shared. We have not even heard from Gerry and Gil I dont think. A lot of folks on this forum with a lot of bear experience.