- Apr 26, 2022
- 472
- 152
- 45
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Protestant
- Marital Status
- Private
When prepping you need to ask yourself what you will use for a bear gun when you are in bear country? This is a popular discussion widely discussed among those who either live in bear country or travel into bear country. Now I only lived in bear country for two years. I never had any bear attack me but was stalked by a bear at night and all I had on me was a little knife. What made the bear go his own way was how my brother and I grabbed two tall dead trees and began to walk with them. With every step we would use the dead tree as a third leg, per se, which made us sound so much bigger than what we are. It worked good enough for the black bear to leave us alone. But I learned a valuable lesson from that bear enounter and from a Cougar encounter in which I was stalked at night by a Cougar. The lesson I learned was never to walk in bear country without at least a good and well tested pistol. You cannot carry a rifle everywhere you go. So in those events you do not have a good rifle on you, it would be wise to have a pistol that can defend your life in the event of an actual bear attack. This is a real survival scanario that anyone who decides to venture into the wilderness needs to consider.
So for rifles all you need in black bear country is a 12 gauge shotgun, 45-70 rifle or even a 30-30 Win will due. A rifle is preferred. Though for pistols we need to step it up from that .22lr pistol and into some more serious calibers. For black bear I carry a Dan Wesson 10mm and that will do the trick. It will also take out wolves if such a rare and dangerous encounter should happen when you find yourself the target of a wolf attack. And while 9mm and 45 acp have been known to take down black bears, its not advisable. A bear has a very thick skull and thick hide. It takes a lot of penetration to get through that hide or to get through the skull of the bear. So the minimum caliber for black bear would be a 10mm.
For brown bears you need to stict to the big bore guns. For rifles, no less than a 45-70. Though many people have had success in bear hunting with a heavier grain 30-06. However, hunting a brown bear and defending yourself against an angry brown bear can mean a world of difference in terms of the bears stamina and how the bear in a charge will be facing you and not posing their side for you as when hunting a bear. For pistol calibers, once again, no less then a 10mm. A 45 acp was not designed for bear hunting. John Moses Browning designed the 45 acp to take down people, enemy combatants in war. Humans are made differently then bears so the 45 acp is not the best choice for bear defense. Though in reality, that 10mm may be a little on the anemic and it may take several shots, a mag dump, to take out a large adult brown bear. That's even if those shots are well placed. So in reality the 44 mag is a better choice. Sure, 454 Casull or higher calibers are good. I have a 460 Rowland that has near the power of a 44 mag in a semi-auto pistol. That caliber, though somewhat obscure, has gained in popularity in Alaska as a good bear defense round.,
Bear attacks are not a common occurence. However, black bear attacks are on the rise and so are brown bear attacks. This probably has to do with over-developing into the bears territory. I'm constantly hearing about new bear attacks out west, especially among elk hunters. Bears are smart and there is a certain type of bear called a Dinner Bell Bear. This is a bear who hears the shot fired from an elk hunter and knows there is a dead elk somewhere near for him (the bear) to eat. So the bear is on the way toward the sound of the the gun shot. The hunter may end up in a fight for his life over the elk he just shot. And most of these Dinner Bell Bears attack when the hunter is dressing the elk with his rifle set aside. This is why a good pistol is a necessity.
Preppers should know how to discard any type of left over food or fish guts or anything that may attract a bear. They have great noses and can smell for miles. Taking dogs with you may sound like a great idea when in bear country, but most bear attacks happen when a dog aggravates a bear. The bear will by nature chase the dog and the dog will run for it's owners. When the bear sees the owners of the dog the bear will then turn his aggression against the owners of the dog. There are a multitude of bear attacks where a dog was involved. Bears will attack even if the dog is on a leash. Bears are used to wolves, coyotes and Cougars. They are a bear's natural enemy in the wild. So when a bear sees a dog, especially one wondering around off a leash, a clash between the bear and the dog can quickly turn into a clash between you and the bear. So hiking in bear country is safer when you don't have a dog. I know many people who have had dogs to scare off black bears in their property. From what I have seen it works well. But hiking with a dog could change the situation when you are on the bear's property.
The best thing to do in bear country if you are out hiking or hunting is to not walk like a ninja in the forest. Being quiet is not a safe way to avoid bear attacks. You're probably wondering how a hunter can be quiet and still be able to hunt successfully? Yeah, that is a good question. Hunters need to be careful out there. Hikers, on the other hand do not have to be quiet. They should be with a couple other people and armed for any kind of conflict. Walking and talking and even laughing is good. What is very bad is to walk quietly like a ninja and then creep up to a bear and startle it. A startled bear will quickly turn into a very angry bear! And you better believe that startled bear is gonna seek revenge on you for startling it. When you walk with friends and make noice the bear will hear you far away and will move out of sight.
Those who are new to prepping need to know how to live in bear country if indeed you ever plan on venturing in bear country. Bears are usually reclusive and stay far away from humans (especially black bears). There is much more to prepping than just having all the gear ready to go. Yes, yes, gear is important. But learning how to live in nature will help you in times of dire need. Learning how to prepare you food is a huge plus! When things get bad you will need to have some knowldge of these things. I am of the belief that it is better to plan out your prepping strategy with a group of friends and family members. This way there are more minds in the mix and more people to work together as a family of survivors. I guess it may come down to the tribal instinct. But going in alone is a scary ordeal. I admit, my survival skills simply will not allow me to survive for a prolonged length of time. This is why more minds make for easier success in survival situations. You also have more protection from those two-legged predators.
Anyway, I hope this was helpful for those who may be new to prepping and survival. Yes, I agree, the world today is a scary place. I would not be prepping at all if I thought our nation was safe from harm. Though like many people, probably many of you here, I fear for this countries future and see America becoming like a Mad Max movie. I work with local people I trust and make connections with people who want to live. The people I feel most sad for are those who need life saving medication. My heart and my prayers go out to them. For when America falls there will be no more medication. Many people will die as a result of our countries demise.
God bless everyone and remember to pack a few good Bibles and other very useful Christian literature in your survival packs.
So for rifles all you need in black bear country is a 12 gauge shotgun, 45-70 rifle or even a 30-30 Win will due. A rifle is preferred. Though for pistols we need to step it up from that .22lr pistol and into some more serious calibers. For black bear I carry a Dan Wesson 10mm and that will do the trick. It will also take out wolves if such a rare and dangerous encounter should happen when you find yourself the target of a wolf attack. And while 9mm and 45 acp have been known to take down black bears, its not advisable. A bear has a very thick skull and thick hide. It takes a lot of penetration to get through that hide or to get through the skull of the bear. So the minimum caliber for black bear would be a 10mm.
For brown bears you need to stict to the big bore guns. For rifles, no less than a 45-70. Though many people have had success in bear hunting with a heavier grain 30-06. However, hunting a brown bear and defending yourself against an angry brown bear can mean a world of difference in terms of the bears stamina and how the bear in a charge will be facing you and not posing their side for you as when hunting a bear. For pistol calibers, once again, no less then a 10mm. A 45 acp was not designed for bear hunting. John Moses Browning designed the 45 acp to take down people, enemy combatants in war. Humans are made differently then bears so the 45 acp is not the best choice for bear defense. Though in reality, that 10mm may be a little on the anemic and it may take several shots, a mag dump, to take out a large adult brown bear. That's even if those shots are well placed. So in reality the 44 mag is a better choice. Sure, 454 Casull or higher calibers are good. I have a 460 Rowland that has near the power of a 44 mag in a semi-auto pistol. That caliber, though somewhat obscure, has gained in popularity in Alaska as a good bear defense round.,
Bear attacks are not a common occurence. However, black bear attacks are on the rise and so are brown bear attacks. This probably has to do with over-developing into the bears territory. I'm constantly hearing about new bear attacks out west, especially among elk hunters. Bears are smart and there is a certain type of bear called a Dinner Bell Bear. This is a bear who hears the shot fired from an elk hunter and knows there is a dead elk somewhere near for him (the bear) to eat. So the bear is on the way toward the sound of the the gun shot. The hunter may end up in a fight for his life over the elk he just shot. And most of these Dinner Bell Bears attack when the hunter is dressing the elk with his rifle set aside. This is why a good pistol is a necessity.
Preppers should know how to discard any type of left over food or fish guts or anything that may attract a bear. They have great noses and can smell for miles. Taking dogs with you may sound like a great idea when in bear country, but most bear attacks happen when a dog aggravates a bear. The bear will by nature chase the dog and the dog will run for it's owners. When the bear sees the owners of the dog the bear will then turn his aggression against the owners of the dog. There are a multitude of bear attacks where a dog was involved. Bears will attack even if the dog is on a leash. Bears are used to wolves, coyotes and Cougars. They are a bear's natural enemy in the wild. So when a bear sees a dog, especially one wondering around off a leash, a clash between the bear and the dog can quickly turn into a clash between you and the bear. So hiking in bear country is safer when you don't have a dog. I know many people who have had dogs to scare off black bears in their property. From what I have seen it works well. But hiking with a dog could change the situation when you are on the bear's property.
The best thing to do in bear country if you are out hiking or hunting is to not walk like a ninja in the forest. Being quiet is not a safe way to avoid bear attacks. You're probably wondering how a hunter can be quiet and still be able to hunt successfully? Yeah, that is a good question. Hunters need to be careful out there. Hikers, on the other hand do not have to be quiet. They should be with a couple other people and armed for any kind of conflict. Walking and talking and even laughing is good. What is very bad is to walk quietly like a ninja and then creep up to a bear and startle it. A startled bear will quickly turn into a very angry bear! And you better believe that startled bear is gonna seek revenge on you for startling it. When you walk with friends and make noice the bear will hear you far away and will move out of sight.
Those who are new to prepping need to know how to live in bear country if indeed you ever plan on venturing in bear country. Bears are usually reclusive and stay far away from humans (especially black bears). There is much more to prepping than just having all the gear ready to go. Yes, yes, gear is important. But learning how to live in nature will help you in times of dire need. Learning how to prepare you food is a huge plus! When things get bad you will need to have some knowldge of these things. I am of the belief that it is better to plan out your prepping strategy with a group of friends and family members. This way there are more minds in the mix and more people to work together as a family of survivors. I guess it may come down to the tribal instinct. But going in alone is a scary ordeal. I admit, my survival skills simply will not allow me to survive for a prolonged length of time. This is why more minds make for easier success in survival situations. You also have more protection from those two-legged predators.
Anyway, I hope this was helpful for those who may be new to prepping and survival. Yes, I agree, the world today is a scary place. I would not be prepping at all if I thought our nation was safe from harm. Though like many people, probably many of you here, I fear for this countries future and see America becoming like a Mad Max movie. I work with local people I trust and make connections with people who want to live. The people I feel most sad for are those who need life saving medication. My heart and my prayers go out to them. For when America falls there will be no more medication. Many people will die as a result of our countries demise.
God bless everyone and remember to pack a few good Bibles and other very useful Christian literature in your survival packs.
