Pistol or Spray in Brown Bear Country?

[WapitiTalk1]

Yes, it's a constant debate on which one to carry in brown bear country while elk hunting. The most important thing to carry is your wits about you and be constantly aware of your surroundings, and, know how to react or not react if you find yourself in close proximity with a grizz. I carry an ultra lite .44 MAG with 305 grain bear loads. The video below is why I choose to carry a pistol vs the spray. What do you folks think is the smart carry while bowhunting in big bear country? RJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMbnmLLnsfw

[>>>---WW---->]

I wasn't able to open your link. But is that the one where the bear was doing a bluff charge on the guys in a boat? If so, do you really think you could place a well aimed shot on a bear that is charging you at better than 30 MPH ?

Just something to think about!

[WapitiTalk1]

I wasn't able to open your link. But is that the one where the bear was doing a bluff charge on the guys in a boat? If so, do you really think you could place a well aimed shot on a bear that is charging you at better than 30 MPH ?

Just something to think about!

Yes, it's the Alaska Fred Eichler video where the brownie sow (with three cubs) comes blasting out of the brush towards the raft in a shallow stream. It's the loud 'boom" that turned the bear which is the point I was getting at. I would never (nor recommend) shoot at a moving bear at that distance with a pistol. I experienced something similar in Alaska on Baranof (spelling) island years ago. A sow and cub came crashing across a salmon stream directly at us and two quick shots in the air turned the old girl and she retreated. I'm just a fan of the big boom theory. Last resort.....I've always figured that my hand cannon would be handy to shoot a bear and try to disrupt his/her nervous system as I'm being drug away by one leg

[dotman]

I carry both, min weight penalty. FYI... where I was hunting in CO a guy from WI had a cougar 10 yards from him sneak up and get ready to pounce on him, he shot at it twice and didn't hit it that he could find but it took off quick. Now he was calf calling but he said he stood up and the cat was not backing down. It is pretty crazy that I saw more cat and bear sign then elk the last few years. In the same area I had cougar tracks on my tracks, never saw it though.

[Bullnuts]

I'm a spray guy. To set the stage, I've worked in law enforcement for over 20 years and I'm a firearms instructor/trainer. I know my capabilities with a handgun and I'm confident with it, but I know that I'll have very few precious seconds to get my rounds on target before a determined bear decides to take half my torso off. The spray puts out a big pattern that I hope will deter the bear or at least blind it enough to buy me some time to move away.
It's been my experience that most people aren't skilled enough to deal with a charging bear with a pistol unless the bear is right on top of them and they can spray and pray. In that case, the bear will likely do some significant damage before the bullets find their mark. I can disperse a wide pattern with my bear spray, it doesn't take fine motor skills to deploy, and the spray has proven effective in numerous attacks, even when employed by inexperienced people.

[one_elk]

I am also a bear spray (or what ever is lookin to ruin your day spray) the odds are simply in your favor using bear spray....

[T/H]

my Taurus UltraLight .44 mag snubby will accompany me on all my hunts.

[pointysticks]

[Firemedicbkelly]

That's too funny pointy sticks, I have always heard that you don't have to outrun a bear, you just have to outrun whoever is with you!

[Lefty]

I carry spray,.. and when hunting bears with my daughters a shotgun with buckshot also

That's too funny pointy sticks, I have always heard that you don't have to outrun a bear, you just have to outrun whoever is with you!

Not the story last fall in SE Idaho last year. The man that had been in front passed his buddies, The bear knoocked one hunter down on his way to the man in front,.. and she ambled by the one fellow who made it up the tree and just waked buy the one that couldnt climb.,..
Lots of stiches for the fastest runner