Bear spray and black bears

[Colby3]

Do you carry bear spray while elk hunting with no threat of grizzlies and only black bears around? Archery elk hunting.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Nope I carry a pistol and a bear tag


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[ElkArcher918]

In moose, black bear, and lion country I just carry a 10MM semi-auto. Not too worried about black bears. Lots of moose where I hunt. Friend of mind was charged by a pissed off cow moose when he walked in between her and calf. Archery season always carry heat, rifle never. Keep a clean camp and hang food away from tent, 99% of BB problems avoided.

 

[Jtb.kfd]

I have been chased by a black bear sow in the spring (had cubs I accidentally walked up on) and had a boar come within 10yds while I was cutting up an elk one night in the rain. He hung around for a good 40 minutes before my brother made it to my location, then he just slowly moved off outside of our light. The next few days we would glass the gut pile hoping to catch him on it but he never did.
I ran up on one at 15yds last year on a first light trail run and had enough time to pull my phone and video him as he waddled off not in any hurry. All this to say, no I don’t carry bear spray or even a handgun. I may be wrong and might get eaten one day, but I have found them to be very timid animals.
Wolves are another story, had a bad experience with a pack last year on a trail run and I will carry spray or a handgun on runs in certain areas now because of them.

 

[wapitibob]

no spray no pistol

 

[aks]

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. That being said, I'm in Montana so everywhere around me is grizzly habitat.

 

[Wagondriver]

never touched a can of bear spray.
I've killed 7 bears, been very close to many. Never felt a need for bear spray.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

No, just having the spray is more a threat to you than a black bear.

 

[Kw168504]

Not if you’re a serious backpack hunter. Hand guns and bear spray add too much bulkyness and weight. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than needing a handgun or bear spray

 

[CMF]

Nope I carry a pistol and a bear tag

Same.

Not if you’re a serious backpack hunter. Hand guns and bear spray add too much bulkyness and weight. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than needing a handgun or bear spray

Ok then. I was almost to the point of leaving my pistol last year. Even left my 9 and chest holster at home and took my wife's 380 in my pack lid. Almost needed it to put down a great pyrenees only a few hundred yards from the trailhead. I carry more for dogs and crackheads than bears.

 

[bz_711]

I've hunted 15 seasons in black bear country and have seen exactly 1 bear ever.
I've hunted Grizz country twice and did not see grizz or black bear then.
I carry a pistol 99% of the time more so for all the unknowns...and because I can

 

[2tuna]

Archery elk in western Idaho a couple years ago, I was blood trailing a bull through mixed underbrush. While I was pussyfooting along, a big blackie was following my trail 50 yards behind me. I'd move, he moved. I'd stop, he'd stop.

Eventually I heard something and turned back towards it, thinking it was my buddy. When I got to about 25 yards the bear took off.

How do I know this? My so-called buddy was on a knob glassing the whole thing a 150 yards away. He never said a word. He said he wanted to see what would happen.

We're not hunting together this year.

But no spray or gun.

 

[Gerbdog]

Never taken anything for black bear except a tag ..... soon as you have a tag you never see them anymore... when i dont have a tag theyre everywhere. Ive had very close encounters with black bear and never felt threatened , if they figure out im there, theyre off as fast as they can move

 

[BillNye]

The only times I've had black bear that didn't book it immediately after they saw me were when they were very large boars on very dense food sources. Outside of early spring when there's occasional predatory behavior black bears are extremely passive, to the point where biologists can grab cubs from dens for tagging and measurement without the sows interfering.

I wouldn't bother even bringing bear spray unless it was early spring or there were salmon spawning nearby

 

[WoodlandCritter]

I carry a pistol and spray. The spray is for curious bears, pistol is for aggressive. I live in g-bear country but would do the same if I only have black bears I think. Maybe just pistol.