CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
08-10-2003, 08:24 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 127
CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
HUNITNG WITH OUTFFITER in area 51 most northwest corner of WY outside Yellowstone . in third week of Oct. packing in int about 12 miles!
Would it be adviseable to carry a hand gun in thei area! not really concerned about the days cause I always have a hunting rifle but if you get up int he middle of the night and have to take a leak!
Read alot of your posts here especailly form you guys that are out ther in in this country?
PS have lots of handguns would consider carrying a comapct 45 auto!!
all thoughts appreciated!!
Would it be adviseable to carry a hand gun in thei area! not really concerned about the days cause I always have a hunting rifle but if you get up int he middle of the night and have to take a leak!
Read alot of your posts here especailly form you guys that are out ther in in this country?
PS have lots of handguns would consider carrying a comapct 45 auto!!
all thoughts appreciated!!
08-10-2003, 08:38 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Moccasin, Montana
Posts: 1,835
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
I will tell you now leave the auto home,unless it' s a desert Eagle 44 or 50A.E..If you wan' t to take one do so.I live in Montana and have packed a side arm when with rifle of hiking.It' s not that much weight.Alot of guys here have never been confronted by a Grizz @ 20 yds.(I have, twice same day)[X(] It makes it easy to go to the john and not have to carry a rifle.
But if you do make sure you don' t fire early if charged,do every thing in your power to avoid confontation.BBJ
But if you do make sure you don' t fire early if charged,do every thing in your power to avoid confontation.BBJ
08-10-2003, 09:42 PM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
If your hunting in Griz country, carry a good bear spray. I for one think that I' d have a better chance getting a blast of capsicum in a bear' s face at 5 yds than I would try to get a 45 slug into a vital area without really pissing him off. If you' re rifle hunting, you got enough gear to tote any way(spotting scope, extra clothes, water etc). That pistola is just more weight that you don' t need.
08-11-2003, 06:14 PM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location:
Posts: 266
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
I agree with BareBack jack, leave the auto home, that would just cause you some big problems, I was attacked by a big black bear while field dressing an elk several years ago, the 44 Mag w/240 hollow point made it' s mark, but to be honest having this big black coming at me, and hitting it at 20 yards, would tax any hunter, I don' t care how much experience they have. Play it safe!
08-11-2003, 06:44 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
You might as well jus' piss on a bear than try to defend yerself with a 45 ACP. A good camp dog is still the best defense in the mountings. Now I carry a 44 mag in the summer, but its a last resort an' I don' t have a rifle with me then. More likely I' ll need it to put a horse down after he gits hisself hurt in a cluster fuk. Besides all thet, a handgun is damn heavy to hike with in rough country. You fellers been watchin too many movies. There ain' t bears ahind every tree, an' a lil' common sense will keep you safe.
08-11-2003, 07:30 PM
#7
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: East Central Wisconsin
Posts: 162
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
I posed your question to a friend at work who for quite awhile lived in SW Montana. He said if you were going to carry a 45 for protection from griz/blacks, you should think about filing the front site clean off the gun. He said that way, when the bear shoves it up your a$$, it won' t hurt so much
Seriously, pepper spray would be a better deterant. If you must carry a side arm, he said go with a 44 as a minimum!
Seriously, pepper spray would be a better deterant. If you must carry a side arm, he said go with a 44 as a minimum!
08-11-2003, 07:41 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MN USA
Posts: 1,392
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
BareBack Jack and BeaverJack - Please share some more of about what you mean by " avoid contact" and " use commonsense" , for those of us who have no experience with bears that are a whole lot bigger than black bears we have in these parts.
It' s a bit intimidating to be in the woods where we' ve seen the marks a grizzly makes 9' in the air on a big pine tree, knowing they might not react like blackies back here do 95% of the time and run away when they see a person.
I know not to run away from a grizzly and not to look them in the eyes if they look at me. Do you just stand still and look from the corner of your eye, ready to use your rifle, sidearm or spray only as a last resort, look for a tree to climb quick or what?
30 years ago, my brother-in-law and his friend had to spend the night in the top of some pine trees in Yellowstone Park. He had a young dog with him that got the bear pizzed off at them I guess. He had the dog in between him and the tree with his belt around them both and the tree. He said the bear went back a forth all night hitting the trees trying to shake someone loose I guess. Not a picture I' d like to see first hand.
More than commonsense, I' d like to hear first hand experiences from those who' ve lived near and experienced Grizzly Bears encounters. I hope I never see one up close, but I' d rather be prepared to react right. In N.W. WY where we' re hunting Elk again this year, they do have some that they say have been moved out of the Park.
Thanks!
MinnFinn
It' s a bit intimidating to be in the woods where we' ve seen the marks a grizzly makes 9' in the air on a big pine tree, knowing they might not react like blackies back here do 95% of the time and run away when they see a person.
I know not to run away from a grizzly and not to look them in the eyes if they look at me. Do you just stand still and look from the corner of your eye, ready to use your rifle, sidearm or spray only as a last resort, look for a tree to climb quick or what?
30 years ago, my brother-in-law and his friend had to spend the night in the top of some pine trees in Yellowstone Park. He had a young dog with him that got the bear pizzed off at them I guess. He had the dog in between him and the tree with his belt around them both and the tree. He said the bear went back a forth all night hitting the trees trying to shake someone loose I guess. Not a picture I' d like to see first hand.
More than commonsense, I' d like to hear first hand experiences from those who' ve lived near and experienced Grizzly Bears encounters. I hope I never see one up close, but I' d rather be prepared to react right. In N.W. WY where we' re hunting Elk again this year, they do have some that they say have been moved out of the Park.
Thanks!
MinnFinn
08-11-2003, 10:22 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Scottsdale Arizona USA
Posts: 527
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
Well, I' ve been around quite a few browns in Alaska over the years and have a few photos I took of a sow with two cubs looking at me. Second shot she is in the creek pushing water and the third is trees ' cause tough old me backed away real fast which probly would have got me eaten if she didn' t have the cubs to go back to. I had a small airhorn in my waders per advice from a buddy but it went off when I bent over and about froze my weiner off so I got rid of it.[
] I have tried carrying a pistol and it is a big pain to haul the extra weight so haven' t done that for ten years. Most dangerous time on any bear or cat is when your cutting fish or game and then the gun would be nice but I still bowhunt without one. Good hunting.
] I have tried carrying a pistol and it is a big pain to haul the extra weight so haven' t done that for ten years. Most dangerous time on any bear or cat is when your cutting fish or game and then the gun would be nice but I still bowhunt without one. Good hunting.
08-12-2003, 11:22 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: CARRY HANDGUN OR NOT?
Common sense in bear country:
1. Keep a clean camp
2. Make noise when you ain' t hunting
3. Have a friend near when field dressing
4. Don' t come up on a carcass too quick or quiet when returning with pack animals
5. Carry pepper spray
6. When confronted by a bear, back away and avoid eye contact
7. Keep a good hound in camp
8. Clean all yer fish at once and leave right away, putting the fish in a plastic bag
9. Store yer elk quarters between two trees and 12 feet high
10. Whistle or sing as you ride out with yer meat
11. Move yer quarters away from the gut pile before heading back to camp for yer pack animals
12. Keep yer rifle in reach when answering nature' s call, particularly at night
13. Don' t have wimmin in hunting camp if you can help it
14. Be sure you are in eminant danger before poppin' off at any bear, especially a griz; the G&F people are very good investigators an' not too unnerstanding when they decide you were jus' bein' macho when you kilt an endagered species to protect a elk, a dog, a horse, or jus' cause you cain' t lay off the trigger when you see fur
15. Store yer food high an' away from yer sleeping tent
16. Don' t eat ANYTHING where you sleep
17. Often a bear will give a false charge before comin' full bore after you. Hit him with the spray as soon as it looks like he ain' t gonna go quiet. If you gotta shoot him, do it when he' s within 20 yards and keep shootin' til he ain' t movin' . Best he has pepper spray on his coat when the G&F arrive, fired from where you say you fired it, an' his tracks prove he was chargin' an you were dead in front when you plugged him. Anybody usin' a handgun may not have to worry about the last part too much cause it ain' t sartin yer gonna stop a real charge with that gun. A handgun is best used in a tent or at extremely close quarters when you got no other choice.
1. Keep a clean camp
2. Make noise when you ain' t hunting
3. Have a friend near when field dressing
4. Don' t come up on a carcass too quick or quiet when returning with pack animals
5. Carry pepper spray
6. When confronted by a bear, back away and avoid eye contact
7. Keep a good hound in camp
8. Clean all yer fish at once and leave right away, putting the fish in a plastic bag
9. Store yer elk quarters between two trees and 12 feet high
10. Whistle or sing as you ride out with yer meat
11. Move yer quarters away from the gut pile before heading back to camp for yer pack animals
12. Keep yer rifle in reach when answering nature' s call, particularly at night
13. Don' t have wimmin in hunting camp if you can help it
14. Be sure you are in eminant danger before poppin' off at any bear, especially a griz; the G&F people are very good investigators an' not too unnerstanding when they decide you were jus' bein' macho when you kilt an endagered species to protect a elk, a dog, a horse, or jus' cause you cain' t lay off the trigger when you see fur
15. Store yer food high an' away from yer sleeping tent
16. Don' t eat ANYTHING where you sleep
17. Often a bear will give a false charge before comin' full bore after you. Hit him with the spray as soon as it looks like he ain' t gonna go quiet. If you gotta shoot him, do it when he' s within 20 yards and keep shootin' til he ain' t movin' . Best he has pepper spray on his coat when the G&F arrive, fired from where you say you fired it, an' his tracks prove he was chargin' an you were dead in front when you plugged him. Anybody usin' a handgun may not have to worry about the last part too much cause it ain' t sartin yer gonna stop a real charge with that gun. A handgun is best used in a tent or at extremely close quarters when you got no other choice.