Pete D.

Elgallo:

I think that you may have misunderstood part of my earlier comment.
Of course. You are correct.
What I meant when I wrote "In THAT scenario, where I don't have the luxury of running away, I'd like something that will put and end to the threat now and finally." was a gun.
Like many other folk, my sense of what to do is predicated on my own experience. Any time that I have been in big bear country, I have been fishing. I have waders on and a seven or eight foot fly rod in my hand; the option of carrying a rifle at the ready (optimal) is not open to me. Bear spray is.
If I were just walking through, I'd have a rifle and bear spray.
An additional idea - There are a number of "bear back up/defense gun" threads active right now on this and other fora. I do not understand the fascination that many folk have with the 12 gauge SG as a backup weapon. Some folk suggest buckshot.
Seems to me that a heavy rifle would be a better choice, though the 3 inch Lightfield slugs are certainly an option - a fat slug and 3700 ft.lbs of oomph.
Years ago, when I was a boy, I remember reading about Fred Bear bowhunting for big browns in AK (IIRC). He had a backup guide; that fellow carried a .375 H&H.

Pete

Wlfdg

How many of you who answered here have had close encounters with grizzlies?
Not just been in bear country but have had that "OH S#!+!" feeling? Entirely too close for comfort?
Just curious.

Pete D.

Not me. Just thinking about it when I was walking through the woods from the road to the river (Kenai) was unpleasant enough.
Pete

elgallo114

Not Grizzlies, but black bear. Never had one attack me (Thank God, as I write this, I'm waiting the last four hours before leaving for deer camp....middle of black bear country.), but I've had several black bear challenges, and a few stalk me.

Every time, I was very close to a vehicle except once. And that bear seemed to just be content to help me wet my shorts as a slowly backed up 150 yards to the truck. He/she was pretty far away at first, but even at a leisurly walk, he caught up to me. When I hit my truck, it was only about 35 yards away.

All the challenges seemed to be false charges. Just to scare me out of their territory I guess. You can never guess why a wild animal will think you're a threat.

On one of those "false charges" the bear got within 20 yards of my partner, as he was jumping into the truck. As he did that, he emptied a 24oz bear spray can into the direction of the bear. Now it wasn't a direct hit, but that bear jogged right into the mist. Didn't seem to bother it a bit. It did grab his attention, but I didn't feel confident that it would have stopped him.

Since then, still carry bear spray, but would not rely on it. I'll spray him after I run out of bullets.

Mr. Longbeard

I say bear spray and a 454 casul...