Do you guys carry bear spray in Black Bear country?

[Sourdough]

Correct, if you are having so many dangerous bear encounters that you recommend an AR-10 as an EDC weapon.....nothing stated in this thread will help you.

I request you post "where" I RECOMMENDED an AR-10 as an EDC weapon.

You most likely have reading comprehension issues.

 

[Sourdough]

nothing stated in this thread will help you.

I have spent the last 53 out of 76 years living with bears in wilderness Alaska. Have been bitten by bear, run over by several bears, trying to stop them. Had seven Alaska Coastal Brown Bears in camp most of one night.

My neighbor and friend of 22 years was mauled to death and eaten by both a brown bear and a black bear in our backyard, Dan, was found with a completely empty can of bear spray. I doubt there is anything in this thread that will transform my years of experience living with bears.

 

[Coldtrail]

I have spent the last 53 out of 76 years living with bears in wilderness Alaska. Have been bitten by bear, run over by several bears, trying to stop them. My neighbor and friend of 22 years, was mauled to death and eaten by both a brown bear and a black bear in our backyard, was found with a completely empty can of bear spray. I doubt there is anything in this thread that will transform my experience with bears.

You are kinda backing up what I said, if you are a person who is having multiple "ugly" bear encounters over several years, you aren't going to find any value in an internet thread about spray vs gun on black bears to provide any insight. My experience both personal and professional is that the "ugly" bear encounters I have had, as well as others I've been involved in or locally knew about could have been avoided by human beings simply making better decisions leading up to the event or not having a bear cornered by hunters and hounds, again this is MY experience, yours may be different, you do your thing, I'll do mine and the reader can decide whether one or both of us either knows everything, knows anything, or are entirely full of BS....it's the internet so not going to hurt my feelings either way, I'll be walking in bear country as soon as the sun comes up and not stressing about it.

 

[Sourdough]

I'll be walking in bear country as soon as the sun comes up and not stressing about it.

I live with bears in my yard, nine months a year, have them sleep right outside the door. One slept right outside the door for three nights and followed me for three days, was never actually a problem.

 

[Wrench]

 

[MarlinMark]

Wrench - thanks for sharing that story. It is very educational.

Mark

 

[Newtosavage]

We are heading into an area this year that is known for holding A LOT of black bears but no Grizzly. I know they are generally more afraid of you than you are of them. I really don't feel like carrying bear spray. Do you guys think its necessary to carry bear spray in black bear country??

No. I've hunted NW Colorado for years and am still waiting to see my first bear while I'm actually hunting. Seen a few before season while scouting, but usually from a mile away through a spotter. It's for this reason that I've never paid for a bear tag, even though CO seems anxious to reduce bear numbers.

 

[cuerro viejo]

No bear tag and I’ll see one in every drainage like this year, have a bear tag…. Won’t see one

 

[Dos Perros]

I don't carry spray. When weight is less of an issue I would carry a pistol, otherwise go without.

 

[young7.3]

No

 

[TradArcher]

Bear Tag, Sig sidearm, Archery gear.
Carry spray or sidearm when walking the dog near the house, sidearm when hiking with him on a trail.
About all bears ran away from me so far but I did have one that seemed like he was stalking me a couple years back in a bow hunt (no tag so I couldn't take advantage of that bear's curiosity then). That did skeer me for a bit and since then I just have the gun on me when outdoors. It only takes one "bad" bear to have a bad day and I prefer avoid that.
A couple years ago on a hike I had 2 weird guys follow me around and literally stalk me for awhile and then catch up and try to block my path - I was off trail so there was zero reason for their behavior. I had to confront them pretty aggressively to dissuade their behavior. I am female so that was pretty creepy so the sidearm is for humans as much as bears and I make a point of open carry whenever hiking. I hate that has to be that way but better safe than sorry.
I also dress for hunting so that you cannot easily determine my gender because of that incident but then that is for the weird human avoidance and not so much the bears.

 

[WCB]

Never carried bear spray in Black Bear country weather it was out west or here at home(I live in MN). 99% of the time I have my pistol on me anyways whether in a stand or in the grocery store. If I am in the woods and don't have it most likely because it is firearm deer season and a rifle or shotgun will get what ever job needs to be done accomplished.

As a side note whenever I have my pistol in Black Bear woods about 0% of that is because of Black Bears.

 

[Coldtrail]

Bear Tag, Sig sidearm, Archery gear.
Carry spray or sidearm when walking the dog near the house, sidearm when hiking with him on a trail.
About all bears ran away from me so far but I did have one that seemed like he was stalking me a couple years back in a bow hunt (no tag so I couldn't take advantage of that bear's curiosity then). That did skeer me for a bit and since then I just have the gun on me when outdoors. It only takes one "bad" bear to have a bad day and I prefer avoid that.
A couple years ago on a hike I had 2 weird guys follow me around and literally stalk me for awhile and then catch up and try to block my path - I was off trail so there was zero reason for their behavior. I had to confront them pretty aggressively to dissuade their behavior. I am female so that was pretty creepy so the sidearm is for humans as much as bears and I make a point of open carry whenever hiking. I hate that has to be that way but better safe than sorry.
I also dress for hunting so that you cannot easily determine my gender because of that incident but then that is for the weird human avoidance and not so much the bears.

You should have asked those two guys if they ever watched Hunger Games.......

 

[Brownrice]

Pistol, but that goes everywhere all the time.

 

[GT1]

nope

 

[ShortMountain91]

Never have. Been really close to 2 bears and both times they backed down. Seemed more curious than aggressive

 

[DawnPatrol]

Bear Tag, Sig sidearm, Archery gear.
Carry spray or sidearm when walking the dog near the house, sidearm when hiking with him on a trail.
About all bears ran away from me so far but I did have one that seemed like he was stalking me a couple years back in a bow hunt (no tag so I couldn't take advantage of that bear's curiosity then). That did skeer me for a bit and since then I just have the gun on me when outdoors. It only takes one "bad" bear to have a bad day and I prefer avoid that.
A couple years ago on a hike I had 2 weird guys follow me around and literally stalk me for awhile and then catch up and try to block my path - I was off trail so there was zero reason for their behavior. I had to confront them pretty aggressively to dissuade their behavior. I am female so that was pretty creepy so the sidearm is for humans as much as bears and I make a point of open carry whenever hiking. I hate that has to be that way but better safe than sorry.
I also dress for hunting so that you cannot easily determine my gender because of that incident but then that is for the weird human avoidance and not so much the bears.

Uggg. That’s messed up. If I was female, I imagine I’d be strapped 100% of the time; bears being the least of my concerns.

 

[jdmaxwell]

No...

 

[Rangerpants]

Not for black bears, Most are big wusses. Those that aren't are mostly just curious or want to eat your garbage. There are fatalities from black bears now and again, so I don't judge those that do. The odds say you are more likely to fall and get hurt or killed out in the woods than get attacked by a black bear, so that's what informs my decision. Grizzly territory is a different story.

 

[Rokwiia]

If my math is correct, there have been 30 humans killed so far in the 21st century by a wild black bear. The number killed by wild brown/grizzly is 34.

That's not a big difference. Roughly 88% as much a chance of being killed by a black bear than by a brown bear, in this century.