I think people forget one thing. When it is your time its your time no matter what you do. As for the eye thing yes it does sound funny to me to but it worked on a Great White Shark and no bear in the world is bigger stronger or faster then one of those.

Dakor, that is not the point. I would think that most rational people understand that their time is up when it's up, but also have some instincts for self-preservation, and try to put it off as long as they can.

Perhaps you would count on your ability to stick your finger in a bears eye, or a shark, or lines and tigerand mamba snakes, to save your life. But is that rational? Does that make any sense?

If the shark or the bear sneaks up when you are asleep, un-awares and gets in a killing bite or blow what do you think you are going to do? You are dead and you are not going to do a damn thing.

A man can only do something if he doesn't allow himself to be caught unawares, sound asleep. All this other talk is just foolishness. Wayne

Walex if you read my post I said I would go for the eyes if I was able to fight back and I was being mauled without a weapon. What else would you do just let them get an easy meal? I never said I would be able to do this in my sleep. I also said that some times no matter what you do it is your time to go. When I say that I mean just what these people did and they still ended up getting killed. They had a rifle in the tent all their food packed like it was supposed to and still ended up on the short end of the stick. Lets just hope for them it was a quick deal and they never knew what was going on. I never said if it was me I would have walked away. More then likley unless I had luck or someone up stairs helping me I would be dead like these two people. I know what a bear can do let alone a pissed off one. To sum it up if you get atacked in your sleep by a pissed off bear you are pretty much SOL.

dakor, I was under the assumption that we were talking about the situation where these folks were caught sound asleep, not what-if if one had a chance to fight back.

I spent my mid-40's doing a little amatuer boxing, sparring with pro heavyweight in Joe Toros Eagles gym in Seattle, and sparring and an exhibition bout with a pro heavy here in Juneau. I could max out one of those punch meter machines with either hand.

Some wag asked me how I would fight Mike tyson who was at his prime then. I'd fight a brown bear the same way, I would right at him as fast as I could cross the ring, and GET IT OVER WITH QUICK! wAYNE

For one we do not know they were sleeping. What they think is that they were attacked in the tent. Everything else is speculation.

Me thinks Wayne has been doing his darndest to let folks know that the typical what gun should I carry in the woods arguments we have ad naseum are bunk.

There are situations albeit rare, where the bear is going to win, no matter whether you have a 44 mag, 12 ga, 45-70 or 577 NE.

Thanks Paul, It's all "what ifs" if you allow your self to be caught unawares, and it doesn't matter if you are a wake or not.

All the fire power in the world, fingers in the eye, and karate moves, won't do you much good if you can't get it into action, and totally incapacitate the attacker.

In the case of a bear, many have killed the animal, and still have been badly hurt or killed them selves by the animals last gasp death throes.

If you are caught unawares and/or sleeping, especially zipped up in a sleeping bag and in a tent, your chances are very seriously diminished if a predatory bear decides to have you for a midnight snack.

The poor people up at Kaktovik are only the latest of a good many victims who have perished in these circumstances.

Whether any of them were awake or not is really immaterial with regards to the outcome. They didn't have a chance to put up a defense or a struggle, or bring their firearm, whatever it was, into play.

However, I understand that unless one has seen one of these animals in full fury, or in a fight with another bear, seen the blinding speed at which they can move, it is difficult to believe what one is told about them. You just have to see for yourself.

Common sense should dictate your actions, however, then you can enjoy the animals, watching them, hunting them, whatever snaps your pipe.

Just don't be foolish and stake your very life on the Timothy Treadwell pap, the disney channel and the "it's all about your garbage crowd."

These animals like to play, but they are "party animals that play rough" and somethimes play for keeps.
Wayne

Went caribou hunting with a very reputable outfitter. He and the guide said not to worry about bears. The guide kept our food in his tent. We saw about six grizzlies, including one eating a caribou calf. One time I was up a rock pinnacle about 200 yards from our spike camp and saw a grizzly coming along the ridge we were camped on. About 100 yards from camp, he stopped, stood up and looked at the camp, then got down on all fours and went back the way he came. Funny thing is I never thought anything about possible danger, though we slept with our rifles' magazines loaded. At that time of year you see them out in the daytime stuffing themselves on blueberries from little bushes about a foot high.

One thing to note on the attack is it occured in spring/early summer, in which case the grizzlies are really hungry and don't have a huge selection of food stuffs. Since you were up in the fall, they have more options of eats.

Paul,
I was going to hold off on this thread as it speaks for itself when you really break it down. You are correct about the available food source in the early time of the year. One might overlook the strong possibility that them young bears do not have any real fears as yet. I know we here in the interior watch for just that - just like teenagers if you will. In time most bears learn to fear the "smell" of man and some instinctive "alarm" goes off for those that have not been huminized. It pays to take a canine friend to be part of the "group", rather not just a mutt but a well learned dog. It was not there "time" as one mentioned otherwise.

I agree that bears are fast and likely to win the game, when they attack at night or in a thicket. BUT, at least you have a chance, if you packin' a 4" barreled 500 S&W loaded to the max. If nothin' else, you can shoot yourself rather than suffer the horror of seeing/feeling yourself be eaten alive. Suppose you're lucky and get a 500 S&W slug into the bear - at 2000 plus ft# of energy, you're going to make him think twice, maybe even scare him with the sound and muzzle blast.

My first year in Alaska, 1965, I was out exploring on a river, and heard a small sound from the river bed, I was up on the bank, about 20 feet from the edge. The brush was very thick, thick enough that I got down and crawled thru it while trying to see the "small sound". As I got to the edge, I realized that I was looking into the face of a grizz. She discovered me at the same time. She dropped back and ran to her cub, about 50 yards away, as I put it in reverse through the brush.

The bank was about 10 feet above the edge of the river.

When I calmed down a little, I realized a few things.
1 This was not a bear like I was used to.
2 I was lucky, she could have just as easily made a move on me, it was arms length at most.
3 The outcome of that encounter was totally out of my control.
4 She was curious, yet I had no idea she was there till eye contact. She had real bad breath!!
5 She was faster than I had any idea she could be.
6 I would never do that again. Be sneaky, that is. They are better at it!!
7 "Enough gun" would not be a shoulder fired weapon!!

I really enjoyed my years in Alaska, but the experience of lower 48 black bears is not even close. A good pitbull would make a good companion in Alaska, maybe two!!

No experence with bears, Would something like this work for camp security?
http://www.bullybeef.co.uk/alarm-trap-gun.htm

Just wonder

quote:

Originally posted by invader66:
No experence with bears, Would something like this work for camp security?
http://www.bullybeef.co.uk/alarm-trap-gun.htm

Just wonder

I wouldn't use it. Hard to say what will set a Grizzly off. Sometimes a loud sound does it. Lawdog

I'm going Black Bear Hunting in Northern Ontario
in a couple weeks. I'm really looking forward to
it. I know that a B.B. isn't a Grizzly. It is just a big black bear. I'm using my 338 Rem.

quote:

Originally posted by jro45:
I know that a B.B. isn't a Grizzly. It is just a big black bear. I'm using my 338 Rem.

Good choice. Remember that there are more people attacked/killed/devoured every year by Black Bears than Grizzly/Brown Bears. Ontario Black Bears can weight almost as much as many a inland Grizzly(over 500 pounds). Lawdog

I am interested in knowing more about the motion detectors you are talking about and where to get them

when bear charge everythins is to fast, even with biggest gun u are not sure,in this situation most accurate shooters can loose their lives,sometimes anima hit i the vitals can live and have enough energy to tear u ,it all happens in a second,and as a hman we all respond differently,guy with calm head wins not the gun

I have probably done around 18 or 20 hunts in bear country.

I always sleep with my 44 mag or my 475L inside the sleeping bag.

I wear my belt with the revolver in its holster...

Sounds crazy, maybe...

But if a bear "grabs you, or gets on you" while you are in your sleeping bag, if the handgun is not attached to you, chances are you will never find it...

If you can get to your gun, at least you have a fighting chance..

And I have had bears in camp on a "few" occasions.