I've looked into bear protection alot because of trips to Colorado (only blacks) and it seems most experts agree that bear spray is a better choice than a handgun. Two main reason 1) bear seem to react instantly to the spray whereas a bullet, unless perfectly placed, will allow them to continue their charge, and you better be ready to prove your life was threatened or else your pocket book and hunting privledges will disapear quickly, and 2) you have a better shot at hitting your target with the spray. Your only gonna pull the trigger on a bear if he is ready to hit you and then you need to ask yourself how accurate can you be with a hand gun in the heat of the moment as your backpeddling and wetting yourself. The spray gives you a much better chance to hit your target and a greater margin for error. I don't carry either as evey bear I have ever encountered has turned tail and run, but every year my nerves make me revisit the subject.
I had a black bear walk in front of my house and garage and almost went into our garage and my brother was sleeping in the garage.
Here's another big black bear I would rather not see in the woods. Taken about 20min from my house. I believe he weighed somewhere in the mid 600's.
That video was INTENSE! I'm not afraid to admit I am fearful of grizzly's. They aren't usually out to get humans, but still. Just seeing what they're capable of is enough to REALLY frighten me. Black bears only bother me if I run into them in the dark (which has only happened once).
I don't like/fear all bears. I am big enough to admit it. I am a magnet for black bears, esp when I have a bow in my hand. Here is the bear I will pee in front of this year.
Remind me to NEVER hunt at your club, lol! I keep picturing you yelling as you run up the trail in the dark...lol. Or was that your buddy?
Ya. I am recruiting bear hunters at my cabin. I can't take off to hunt them, but we have a bunch. I think they are a bigger problem for our fawns then the coy dog.
The problem with a treestand is black bears will/can climb trees much faster than you can. I see black bears on my property every year and I have a healthy respect for them. I live about 20 minutes from Yosemite Nat'l Park and I'm sure some of them are park bears......probably more dangerous than others.
Just thought I should add I am DIEING to kill me a black bear. Soon, its going to happen one way or another.
I bought a bear tag this year....see what happens. I've seen a couple of huge black bears in the area while predator hunting.
About 20 minutes ago (8:40PM) my dog went crazy by the back door and when I looked out there was a black bear walking across the hillside above my driveway. He was about 50 yards away ambling across a clearing. It probably weighed in the neigborhood of 350 lbs, very black in good condition. When I yelled at it, it stopped and looked at me....I ran half a dozen steps toward him and he took off into the woods. I may use that bear tag this fall afterall.
