Never go in the woods unarmed...

[Recluse]

Hell, after reading all this, I now have a new strategy whenever I go into the woods.

I'm going to take some Counter Assault PLUS my handgun (.44 Magnum).

If a bear comes my way, I'm going to fan a few shots at him from the Mod 29 to give him pause. Then I'm going to quickly turn the Counter Assault spray on myself and give myself a good faceful--might even spray some inside the front of my pants.

I figure if that spray does everything everyone familiar with it says it will, then I'll be screeching, hopping, howling and dancing like a friggin' banshee on LSD and that poor bear will immediately take a dump and run for his damned life.

Y'all can be bear bait if you like. But not this ol' Texas boy. No, siree.

[hickstick_10]

[waksupi]

Hell, after reading all this, I now have a new strategy whenever I go into the woods.

I'm going to take some Counter Assault PLUS my handgun (.44 Magnum).

If a bear comes my way, I'm going to fan a few shots at him from the Mod 29 to give him pause. Then I'm going to quickly turn the Counter Assault spray on myself and give myself a good faceful--might even spray some inside the front of my pants.

I figure if that spray does everything everyone familiar with it says it will, then I'll be screeching, hopping, howling and dancing like a friggin' banshee on LSD and that poor bear will immediately take a dump and run for his damned life.

Y'all can be bear bait if you like. But not this ol' Texas boy. No, siree.

Let me know when you are going to test this out. I want to watch. And take videos!

[oneokie]

Let me know when you are going to test this out. I want to watch. And take videos!

I'll buy a ticket to the event.

[Echo]

I have a friend that will put it on his web site...

[leftiye]

Anybody read the story (in one of E. Keith's books IIRC) about the Montana feller who went out to the road to get the mail and met a mama bear a baby bear and a papa bear?

Daddy bear charged this unfortunate, who pulled out a SAA Colt .45 and gave him one between the eyes. This upset mama bear (who had some romance in mind), and she charged this rancher too. Same result. Baby bear (the only one with any sense it seems) tried to run off, and the rancher put the last three boolits into him and went up to the house and got the dogs to chase him down. Guy just didn't like bears. Kinda went with those times.

Enough gun? (BTW, as the story read, the bears were of the grizzled presuasion).

[Old Ironsights]

...If our Canadian poster has a problem with me being cautious in an uncertain environment, I submit that I have a right to access the public lands of my country for recreation and enjoyment...

Funny(?) story about our Northern Brethren...

I was traversing the Northern Border Crossing at North of Dawson City one spring (1995) en route from AK to the Lower 48.

I was driving a soft top 4x4.

The Mountie at the crossing asked the expected "Do you have any weapons/firearms" question.

When I said "Yes" he answered.... "Good... the bears are just coming out of hibernation and they're hungry."

Somthing tells me that the Youkon Mounties are a bit more down to earth than the Lower 48 order Mounties...

[shootingbuff]

Lot of grizzlies in Florida?

No one says don't go into the woods without a gun (although I can see how you may have deduced that)

Just suggesting spray may be a superior bear deterent then a pistol.

But I should have known better then to do that on a gun forum

Oh my lol

[thx997303]

Ha, I think you were the only one limiting the conversation to a pistol.

My RIFLE goes with me into the woods.

My pistol too, but it aint gonna be good for bears.

Oh, and neither my pistol, nor my rifle sends blinding spray back into my eyes if the wind is wrong.

Just sayin.

[hickstick_10]

Ha reading must be a great effort.

Check my posts on page 3, concealed in the writing is me saying a long gun would be nice to have.

Just saying

[shootingbuff]

Way back yester year when I was in high school we started geting a dog problem in the state. Never to be one afraid of a dog plural has me concerned. I usually carried a 22 pistol for snakes but stated carrying long guns and then to med cal center-fire pistols for the ease. Then more BGs were around with at first pot fields and then meth labs. I always carry were permitted and seldom venture were I can not.

That stated - the two best ideas I had for an attacking bear are: 1. was mentioned before and that is someone with you who runs slower! 2.The second is to have a pistol with the sights removed. With the sights removed you wont be worried about watching the front sight and when the bear takes it away it wont hurt as much when said bear shoves the pistol up high.

I would think the best medicine would be a 12 bore loaded with slugs. The problem is one hitting the target and two ensuring the bear understands that the 12 bore loaded with slugs is supposed to mean something to it.

Cold Steel has a sticky foaming spray that sounds impressive and looks good on video. I was told a long time ago that all pepper spray does is season the meat the bear is about eat This stuff from Cold Steel sounds impressive for a spray.

Everyone stay safe.

[thx997303]

Ha reading must be a great effort.

Check my posts on page 3, concealed in the writing is me saying a long gun would be nice to have.

Just saying

Actually, reading CAN be a great effort for me. It's not a problem with the reading, but when the headaches get bad enough, I often can't see straight.

Anyway, much of our disagreement was BEFORE you said anything about a rifle.

Just saying.

[shootingbuff]

wrong thread - oops

[leftiye]

Ah'm too fat to run (wouldn't werk anyways). Guess I'll hafta shoot straight or else. Cain't really believe that puckerin' up will do any good (too ugly). Anybody feel like rolling up in a fetal position with their hands behint their necks?

[thx997303]

Hard to shoot from the fetal position.

[dualsport]

I say never go unarmed. I remember when I was young and dumb and.., well, you know. It never occurred to me I should have a weapon. Went woods roaming, back country loafing, wilderness camping solo. Not a care in the world. It was great. It seems that time and cumulative experiences have caused some trepidations and a nervous twitch. Now when I'm out there alone if I hear a twig snap behing me I'm wheelin' baby and bringing the muzzle up right now. Survival instinct I guess. I've almost been 'et a couple times, don't like the thought of that at all. Go in the woods unarmed? You're kidding, right? Still, I miss that ignorant bliss.

[leftiye]

Exactly. Plus - why not have a gun anyway? I like having a gun in the woods. Isn't it part of the equipment? Like matches. Like a knife? Like a canteen? (hydration pack? whut baloney!)

[thx997303]

I personally prefer my camel bak.

Guess that's just the Army experience.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

"Never go in the woods unarmed" . . . how about "Never go ANYWHERE unarmed"!

[deerslayer]

We don't have a bear problem here. Some feral dogs and a few coyotes but I have not heard of anyone being bothered locally by them. If I am hunting I do have a gun with me.

I never worried about it when cutting wood until one day I was cutting up a tree in my Father in laws yard about dusk. The neighbors wife came over and demanded we stop as her baby was asleep. She was absolutely furious and rather argumentative and I asked if she could close the windows for about 5 minutes and i would be done with the saw. This was not gonna work for this lady and my Brother in law began to argue with her. I decided let's not argue and told her she needed to leave the property and she immediately left. I fired up the saw and went to cutting and just as I started my brother in law taps my shoulder as I look up I see her husband in a dead run like a bull with his head down headed for me. He was still out about 25 yards when i pulled the chainsaw from the cut and just held it in front of me wide open. Thankfully he stopped about 10 yards away and I did not have to gut the fella. He never said a word just turned around and ran back home the same way he came. I am 6'7" and about 280 and my brother in law is 6"3" and about 270 so we were quite a bit bigger than this fella I am not sure why he stopped or what his intentions were but now I usually have a gun with me even when cutting wood.