Geez Tom,

I am going backpacking with my twelve year old daughter in the heart of grizzly country hunting Dall Sheep and caribou next week, and I am just bringing my rifle. You make me feel so inadequate.

Don't feel inadequate! I am probably over prepared, but the way I look at it is, after I empty my 30-06 if that doesn't stop the bear (bad bullet placement, bullet fragmentation or failure, gun jamming etc) I can pull out the .357 and get 6 more shots off. Also, the .357 will be good if I am in a tough spot where I can't get my rifle into position, like if the bear is on top of you. If all of that fails I am hoping that a big knife/small sword could cut the bear deep and maybe bleed him out before he killed me LOL. Hey, the way I look at it, I'm a big guy at 6'0 and 265, and a former professional fighter so I am in real solid shape at that weight, so its not going to kill me to carry an extra pound or two into the woods. Plus, if it saves my ass I will be saying that its all worth it!

I am a big guy myself, but when it comes to backpacking into a place, I say, less is better. I hate carrying extra crap. My hunting has changed from the days of essentially truck camping and hunting to now where it is fly in or boat in or backpack. I seem to bring less and less every trip as I learn what I really need and what I really do not. I just laugh when my dad and his buddies load up two SUV's full of crap for a five day hunt from a cabin.

Myself i do and have a 44 super blackhawk with me all the time even when archery hunting just in case we have some frendly bears here where are you going in at may visit.

To each his own!

I live and hunt in griz/cat country, I would use my bear spray when hunting in the bush, usually solo at that, but when I'm around tropping in the bush, sometimes you may stumble across something you ain't suppose to , and because of the human element being as unpredictable as the creature is, I pack a light weight 357, 3" ruger. 44's are probably better but I got charlie horses in my calf from the excess weight. Don't leave home without it.

Bobby

I have two more arrows to back me up if the first one doesn't work when I am being attacked. I hunt the backcountry alot and have never had a problem. No Griz in my area though, but lots of blackies, cats and wolves. If you are hunting the lower 48, and are not in the griz zones. You should have nothing to worry about. I would be more worried walking in any of the cities in the USA than I would walking in the Rockies.