Black Bear Attack

[Alaska]

I always carry either my custom Glock 20 in 10mm or my SW 629 in 44 Mag when fishing and camping or hunting. One spring we had 13 Grizzly and Black bear killed near Fairbanks AK and 2 people killed. We are surrounded with bear I always keep a Shotgun with Breneke Slugs handy at the house………too many children in the neighborhood playing.
A lot of these Bear attack involve tree huggers that like bear spray and dinner bells. They need to carry a handgun or shotgun for protection.

 

[Guy Miner]

I've booked a spring bear hunt in a remote chunk of Idaho this spring. Can take two bears and a wolf... We will see.

I've hunted bears several times, but never by bait, which isn't legal here in Washington. I expect a shot of 60 - 120 yards. Am using a fancy 7 PRC that Gavin built, totally not necessary at that distance, but a good chance to use the 7 PRC on big game.

I'll have a 44 with 300 grain handloads on my belt (unless I feel lazy and carry the much lighter 357 with 180 grain hard cast).

Might also drag my 45-70 Marlin along, loaded stout. With a flashlight on it, the Marlin will be a much better gun for following up a wounded bear at dusk. I've got good sights on it, and a lightweight 2.5x Leupold in QD mounts. I really want to swat a bear with it!

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

Should be a great hunt, Guy. I'll be looking forward to a good report of your experience. I've never hunted over bait. Like WA, baiting is illegal here in BC.

 

[RL338]

I've booked a spring bear hunt in a remote chunk of Idaho this spring. Can take two bears and a wolf... We will see.

I've hunted bears several times, but never by bait, which isn't legal here in Washington. I expect a shot of 60 - 120 yards. Am using a fancy 7 PRC that Gavin built, totally not necessary at that distance, but a good chance to use the 7 PRC on big game.

I'll have a 44 with 300 grain handloads on my belt (unless I feel lazy and carry the much lighter 357 with 180 grain hard cast).

Might also drag my 45-70 Marlin along, loaded stout. With a flashlight on it, the Marlin will be a much better gun for following up a wounded bear at dusk. I've got good sights on it, and a lightweight 2.5x Leupold in QD mounts. I really want to swat a bear with it!

Regards, Guy

Sound like an exciting hunt. 2 bears and a wolf would be a lot.
We can bait bear here and the northern part of the state they can run dogs.

 

[gerry]

I've booked a spring bear hunt in a remote chunk of Idaho this spring. Can take two bears and a wolf... We will see.

I've hunted bears several times, but never by bait, which isn't legal here in Washington. I expect a shot of 60 - 120 yards. Am using a fancy 7 PRC that Gavin built, totally not necessary at that distance, but a good chance to use the 7 PRC on big game.

I'll have a 44 with 300 grain handloads on my belt (unless I feel lazy and carry the much lighter 357 with 180 grain hard cast).

Might also drag my 45-70 Marlin along, loaded stout. With a flashlight on it, the Marlin will be a much better gun for following up a wounded bear at dusk. I've got good sights on it, and a lightweight 2.5x Leupold in QD mounts. I really want to swat a bear with it!

Regards, Guy

Clearly you need to take all 4 out to the blind

Good luck on the hunt Guy!

 

[gerry]

Have you heard any updates to what happened to the people who were mauled? Feel bad for them they they were the ones who ran into that bear.

 

[Vince]

I’ve been around black bears but never the brown/grizzly or polar bears.

That will change of course when I move to Alaska. The closest I ever got was about twenty yards to a wounded black bear that was charging the hunter. I was holding the three horses. Luckily the hunter was made of stout stuff and stood his ground and levered three rounds and hit the bear with all three shots.

The bear dropped about five yards from the hunter. I had my hands full with the horses. The third guy was holding the dogs. That situation, I was sixteen at the time, taught me a lot and has influenced my approach to bears ever since.

I just recently purchased bear spray and I’m training to access it at the same time as my handgun but my preference is for a rifle or shotgun over any handgun.

While I don’t know how I will react in a bear encounter my past experiences with aggressive bovine critters, as well as some predatory humans, not to mention that wounded black bear that charged, I pray has given me good experience in doing what needs to be done instead of panicking.

We won’t know for sure until it happens but I thank God for the people that taught me what I know. To a man they all just did what needed to be done and faced what came at them with solid resolve. I am more afraid of shaming myself in their eyes than I am of death.

“The measure of courage is being afraid but saddling up anyway.” That young man appears to be one to ride the river with. I pray I can be as resolute when the time comes. Notice it’s when not if. I think too many people have the attitude that it won’t happen to them. Some of us know differently.

Vince

 

[Alaska]

Just Remember
Black Bears will eat you like a chicken leg.
Grizzlies and Brown Bear will maul you and if your lucky a lot of stitches .
Between the 3 the Black Bear show the most aggression and a more numerous here.

Polar Bear well they are in different class no fear of man.

Baiting for Bear NEVER in a ground blind always in tree stand .

Vince you better have a good paying job before moving to AK times are tough up here.

Jeff in Alaska

 

[Guy Miner]

Sound like an exciting hunt. 2 bears and a wolf would be a lot.
We can bait bear here and the northern part of the state they can run dogs.

Ya... I don't think I'm going to take two bears and a wolf, but it's fun knowing that it could happen!

I don't know exactly why I got all fired up about this hunt. Between my son and I, we've got more bear rugs & hides around the house than we can even display. But what the heck... Why not? A spring bear hunt in the northern Idaho mountains sounded real interesting. I'll take the fly rod along too.

Guy

 

[Vince]

Just Remember
Black Bears will eat you like a chicken leg.
Grizzlies and Brown Bear will maul you and if your lucky a lot of stitches .
Between the 3 the Black Bear show the most aggression and a more numerous here.

Polar Bear well they are in different class no fear of man.

Baiting for Bear NEVER in a ground blind always in tree stand .

Vince you better have a good paying job before moving to AK times are tough up here.

Jeff in Alaska

I do.
I’ve been very blessed in that regard.

 

[Alaska]

If people in Fairbanks actually knew how many bears are around Fairbanks their would be a massive exit of the population of the residents. Even the Biologists just use a formula method. At one time had 4 bears circling my bait stand very cool watching the bear. I grew up in NC bear hunting with Plott hounds just under Grandfather Mountain running the ridges with my Win 94 that I still have. Young legs and among the best bear hunters on the East Coast that most are history now like Milk Craig and Ray Sanders.

Once had to spend the night in a tree stand in NC while deer hunting with a bow a big black bear next to a old orchard that was full of transparent yellow apples would not leave the area after several attempts to scare him away failed I just decided to sleep in the old wooden stand overnight. I wish I had a pistol for protection that evening. I could hear him crunching apples all night he had to be 500 lbs. huge .
Here in Alaska late April and May are great times to Bear hunt we usually go down the Denali Highway from Paxson to Cantwell and glass the sunny side slopes for Grizzly and Brown Bear.

 

[salmonchaser]

Paxson was where I was involved in my first DLP shooting. Next two were right around the Fort.

 

[Alaska]

Paxson was where I was involved in my first DLP shooting. Next two were right around the Fort.

Yes a lot of bears in that area !

 

[Vince]

I tell folks I’ll be grizzly bear poop before I come back to the lower 48.

 

[Alaska]

Speaking of poop (scat) had a big bear pile under my bedroom window in yard I found later one spring. I always keep a Bennelli M4 with Breneke Slugs close by.

Bear Dogs here in Alaska would go crazy too many bear. You would have dogs going after too many bear simultaneously. You would have chaos trying to keep a pack of dogs together.

 

[KinleyWater]

Was deer hunting a few years back, following a dry creek up into a draw. Found a nice tree growing out of a sand bar that I thought would be a good place to sit and watch the valley below. So, I plopped myself down, looked to my right, and found I was a just a few inches from a big old pile of bear scat. That moment I decided that: a) I hadn't brought enough gun, and b) I should probably look a bit more closely before I sit in something I would rather not.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Ya... I don't think I'm going to take two bears and a wolf, but it's fun knowing that it could happen!

I don't know exactly why I got all fired up about this hunt. Between my son and I, we've got more bear rugs & hides around the house than we can even display. But what the heck... Why not? A spring bear hunt in the northern Idaho mountains sounded real interesting. I'll take the fly rod along too.

Guy

1 bear 1 wolf and lots of fly fishing. Dan.

 

[Alaska]

Had a bear come into moose stand this year he growled at me. I went to higher ground to see if I could see him and get a shot. He must have smelled me I never saw him. It was late in the evening so I just quit moose hunting and went back to camp 100 yards away. I slept light that night with motion lights put out around camp. I always sleep with a Glock 20 and Bennelli M4 shotgun with Breneke Slugs nearby . All bears Grizzly and Black are legal game with no cubs.

 

[6mm Remington]

Ya... I don't think I'm going to take two bears and a wolf, but it's fun knowing that it could happen!

I don't know exactly why I got all fired up about this hunt. Between my son and I, we've got more bear rugs & hides around the house than we can even display. But what the heck... Why not? A spring bear hunt in the northern Idaho mountains sounded real interesting. I'll take the fly rod along too.

Guy

Guy make sure you shoot the correct type of bear. A few years ago a fellow in Idaho just over the line from us up Highway 12 shot a grizzly bear that came into bait thinking it was a black bear. Just saying it could happen. The grizzly bears have been doing really well here in Montana and are expanding their range a lot.
David

 

[hunter24605]

What's up with the black bears lately? They got grumpy all of a sudden and seems like I'm always reading about them chomping on somebody.