Countering dangerous game while hunting
 

My friend and I nailed down a spot with a lot of big game, and there are also several cats and some large black bears.

Obviously, we are going to carry sidearms to defend ourselves if we need to.

To the experienced hunters who have hunted the same type of areas, did you set up with solid cover behind you? Did you make it a point to only hunt from elevated positions?

Honestly, I have hunted in bear and cat country my whole life....hardly ever had I had a problem. Only once in fact. A big ole bear that was wounded wouldn't back down....until I hit it with a rock, then it scampered. Almost without fail, black bears are scaredy cats and cougars would much rather melt away without you ever knowing they were there.

I hear ya. It may be something in the water up here, but the cats and bears around here like to attack hunters. The local hospital gets hikers and hunters fairly regularly that were wounded by them.

Otherwise, I might just refrain from taking naps while hunting. :)

I carry bear spray, but I never had to use it, or any other problem with bears and cats.

They're more scared of us than we are of them. Unless you're talking about grizzly's.

I carry a 10mm when I scout and hunt muzzleloader. Its not for the bears and cats as much for the not so nice people I ran into in the past. I never had a problem with getting bothered by wildlife even when cubs are around. I wouldn't let that effect how you hunt.

The most dangerous game in the forest walks upright on two legs and carries a rifle. In 40 plus years of hunting bg in the mountains of CO I have never had a problem with the four legged kind....seen several but they went on their merry way. No so with the two legged variety.

I hear ya. I guess what it comes down to is doing what you feel is comfortable. Being that I have no experience hunting in areas with bears and cats, I'm gonna do what I feel necessary to give myself the advantage over any threats.

I'd carry some spray for piece of mind, but wouldn't lose any sleep (or change how I hunted) worrying about it. I had a cousin who had a black bear get a little aggressive with him while trout fishing. He was on his way back to his truck, wearing waders, and had a creel full of trout -- couldn't move too good with the waders, so he gave up the trout. The bear was satisfied with that.

I worry more when fly fishing the high mountain creeks. It was the actual reason I bought the bear spray. Unlike hunting. When fishing the creeks the noise of the creek drowns out any other noises. Plus, i'm concentrating on the water, and not looking around at all. It would be simple for a bear to walk right up to me, and i'd never know it. The last bad thing is that's where bears hang out is around the water.

I never worry while hunting, because they couldn't sneak up on me, and i'm carrying a gun if they do. If I was a bow hunter. The bear spray would be enough, but even then. I'd have a bow.

Hard to stop a bear with a fly rod.

Really ......."It may be something in the water up here, but the cats and bears around here like to attack hunters. The local hospital gets hikers and hunters fairly regularly that were wounded by them"
Do you have any links to all these cat and bear attacks, I have not heard of any recently, heck they been less than 10 bear attacks in all of Washington state in the last 50 years, with very few cat attacks also!!! me thinks someone might be messin with yer head...........I don't carry a hand gun when I'm hunting, I don't need it I have a high powered rifle that works much better for dispatchin pests!!! Why carry the extra weight in case of a none existant threat???
You asked for advise as you say you are inexperianced but then don't want to listen to said advice... then why ask??? I would worry about a fellow hunter mistaking me for game and shooting me before I would worry about a black bear or cougar!!! JUst my two cents and I have been hunting Washington state for about 50 yrs now!!!!