Do you carry a pistol for bear when elk hunting???

[Irishman]

Bowhunt in grizzly country often. I bring the bow and pepper spray, no handgun.

 

[gunstar]

No, just my rifle.

 

[Akcabin]

I don't when moose hunting. I once did but was distracted by it often. I read a story in FFG from a bear biologists in Wyoming or Montana. He had this philosophy. If you only wound a charging grizzly or even fatally would it. It's momentum will not stop. And if it's not a fatal shot that kills fast your in for a real bad time. With a wounded grizzly. If you play dead it will probably bite or roll you but will probably not last long, he states 15 seconds or so. When it assumes you are not a threat it will leave.
For me I believe not carrying is a better way to keep my focus better. And the weight became an issue as I get oller. And fwiw I don't carry a GPS and usually no phone. And I have my rifle when hunting. And thinking about the practicality of this. If I have a rifle in hand probably wouldn't draw a pistol.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Stupid waste of energy packing a heavy revolver with only 6 shots. Watch a couple survival stories and one will realize 6 ain’t cutting it unless you’re extremely talented or extremely lucky. Better off shooting 5 and saving one for yourself.

Not worried. Back in '72 when I qualified with a .45 at military police school, I fired the third best score ever. I'm also pretty good at hitting moving targets. When I had horses, there was no such thing as bear spray. Today it's my primary bear defense when fishing or hiking. The .357 only comes along on windy days. Six shots out of that cannon is plenty enough to stop a bear. I'm not prone to panicking. If I intend to hit a bear with six shots, it will be close range and it will be hit six times ... if needed.

Survival videos? Pffft. Probably could learn more practical stuff about handgun shooting watching 1950s cowboy movies ... = nothing.

 

[jejack26]

Spend fair amount of time in areas with grizzly bears, anymore I just carry couple cans of spray.

 

[Bullshot]

For bowhunting, I carry a little snub 38. It’s light, compact, and virtually foolproof. Not powerful “enough” but more of a “persuader” for black bears, cats, dogs or people. I figure the odds of a problem are initially very low, the odds of a loud bang being enough if a problem did begin are very high, the odds of something persisting past the bang and then persisting through being shot a few times are very very low. Mind you, this is non-grizzly country.

Would be great for coyotes (it does happen). Reminds me I was once elk hunting and while stalking, cracked a small twig. Almost immediately, a pack of coyotes flew from the brush and converged on me from a few directions and to a few feet until I jumped and they turned completey on themselves and ran off in terror. Opened my eyes to their pack/surprise strategy though.

 

[theat]

I hunt primarily in parts of Montana with high concentrations of grizzlies and have been spending quite a bit of time in the backcountry of Alaska lately. I used to carry a pistol when archery hunting, but now I only carry it when returning to pack loads of meat and only if the kill site is in thick timber. I do always have bear spray.

Interetingly enough, I have killed 3 black bears with a pistol. All were previously wounded with a rifle or possibly hit by a vehicle/fell off a cliff, but were still pretty mobile. I have been charged several times by grizzlies and a few pissed off black bear mommas.

The scariest was a tiny little black bear with 3 cubs that followed me for 3/4 of mile. She was small enough to disappear in the huckleberry bushes and popped out numerous times at less than 10 yards. The whole ordeal took over an hour and a half and the look in her eyes said that she wanted to rip my throat out.

Second most scary was a griz that tore into my backpack in the middle of the night about 15 feet from my bivy sack. I quietly got my arms out of my bag, grabbed my rifle then yelled and spun around on him. Thankfully he ran off a bit, but then spent the next couple hours circling me in the dark timber huffing and pounding the ground every once in awhile. Made for a long cold night siting up in by bag with my rifle in my hands trying to sound confident and calm while attempting to talk him out of eating me.

A couple of AK grizzlies that got closer than I would like.

 

[HerkHunter]

If I carry a pistol it is a .22 for grouse and small game. Arrows are expensive and if it is gun season well center fire round is loud and not worth the possibility of vaporizing the small game. Bear spray in griz County every time.

Idk why I never thought of the 22 idea but I like that. Smart for grouse like you said or in a survival scenario much better to shoot squirrels and small game with that and not your rifle. Gonna start using this one

 

[Doublecluck]

Bear spray and a 10mm in archery and bear spray and a rifle in rifle season. Will carry my 10 in rifle if I’m going back for meat or walking in at night. I’m hunting mostly open country in rifle and mostly timber in archery.

 

[Wallydeuce]

Good info guys, thanks. I've been wondering about this since I have a Colorado unit 54 archery bull hunt coming up. It's been 35 years since I've hunted alpine country. I got back into hunting 7 years ago and its all been in Juniper, Pinion and rock cliff type terrain.

Otherwise, don't give it too much concern until I drop an elk, then carry protection within reach?

 

[Brad]

No.

 

[WIbiggame]

Personally archery season I carry a handgun on my pack and sleep with it next to me. Spray is attached under my binoharness.

I like having 2 options spray will be my goto. I have dropped my pack 2 times hunting to move on elk still had the spray. And when nature calls I always leave my pack and walk aways a bit so have the bino harness on.

Also having read the story about the guy who got attacked in SW MT a few years ago and used his spray successfully but had to walk back several miles wounded,having the bear following him. I think having the 10mm in my hand would've made that walk a little more comfortable for me.

The weight issues is a mute point pretty easy to lose 4lbs to make up for it if it bothers you.

 

[Phaseolus]

Good info guys, thanks. I've been wondering about this since I have a Colorado unit 54 archery bull hunt coming up. It's been 35 years since I've hunted alpine country. I got back into hunting 7 years ago and its all been in Juniper, Pinion and rock cliff type terrain.

Otherwise, don't give it too much concern until I drop an elk, then carry protection within reach?

In 54? No need.

 

[noisy]

If rifle hunting, I carry spray on my pack belt and that's what I'm going to use. Personally I think the main thing is to have a plan and stick to it. You don't want to be waffling between rifle/sidearm/spray in that situation.

 

[Braveheart]

Thanks for all the replies. The landowner sent me pics of a huge black bear that has been frequenting his place all summer.

He also sent me a picture of a grizzly that he said showed up last week. He said he usually doesn't see many grizzlies but he has started to pack a pistol around just in case.

I will work on trying to post the pics he sent me.

 

[D_Walt]

I’ve never bothered with a pistol in Colorado or NM, but when I archery hunted western Wyoming a couple years ago on the edge of grizzly country I carried a pistol and bear spray. Bottom line, if having a pistol makes you more comfortable then take it.

 

[Braveheart]

Here are the pics

 

[Braveheart]

Some black bear

 

[beaston]

yes i normally do rather be safe than sorry!

 

[shannerdrake]

I don’t carry a handgun when I have my rifle. However, I will swap to a pistol if I’m on a packing run and leaving the rifle behind.

That being said, the one time I had to do a night pack out run in serious bear country, I carried in a shotgun loaded with slugs.