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I'm not quite sure what he is saying here. https://www.adn.com/outdoors-a...one-in-the-outdoors/ There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | ||
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He is saying people are more dangerous than bears so “what do you carry for people “ is a more pertinent question. My answer would have been “same as I carry for bears.” "The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights." ~George Washington - 1789 | |||
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" the titillation we humans seem to enjoy from wild animals is often the product of overactive imaginations,..." I think summarizes the intent of the author and article quite nicely. I think the article is a timely offering and a wise bit of shared philosophy for the 2019 Alaska Tourism Season. Alaska is about to be happily inundated with tourists, almost all unfortunately harboring an elevated fear of bears and the possibility of an encounter. I hope many get the opportunity to read and take council from this article. | |||
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The odds of needing any safety equipment are slim to none. So why wear your seatbelt, helmet, PFD, have fire extinghsers, have/use any other. The odds are one will never have to use it. | |||
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Well, the gun is the last resort. Being Bear Aware starts between the ears. But, you'll not catch me in the AK woods without a bear gun. I don't pack a backup handgun sheep hunting though because of the nature of the backpack expedition hunt. I do pack a handgun backup on my hip though moose hunting and on a Kodiak deer hunt a few years back. Primary weapon was a Ruger 45 Colt w/2X scope. Backup is a 4" Redhawk turned into a 454. Each to his own. | |||
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" Each to his own" has limits. The problem I see is the titillation and imagination mentioned in the article. The -06 isn't big enough so we get a 338. The .338 isn't big enough so we buy a .375. "Bear Aware" morphs into the " titillating and imaginary" voracious, man eating bear behind every Willow stem. Here in this forum we have had members mention that they sleep with their .44 strapped to them in the sleeping bag and another compared bears to man eating tigers.  . Lunatics. The presupposition that one needs or requires a firearm for defense when visiting Alaska is false. Want a firearm? Gonna bring one anyway? Well whatever, it's your luggage. | |||
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To each there own. What I bring on any given outing, depends on where I am going & what time of year. YMMV   | |||
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My only time in Alaska was a fishing trip 20-some years ago to Andrew Creek, near the mouth of the Stikine, just across the salt from Wrangell. Our Wrangell-based outfitter left us at our Forest Service cabin with an old Mossberg 12-gauge pump loaded with buck and slugs and instructions to call him by radio if we had a bear incident. I personally carried a stainless Redhawk .44 with heavy hardcast handloads. Our outfitter's Tlingit father-in-law opined that it was a little better than nothing. We of course fished by day and spent the nights in the cabin. It had been unusually warm for late August, and as a result the bears -- have no idea if they were browns or just grizz -- fed at night. We found parts of salmon, fresh poop piles, and their huge tracks on top of ours from the day before. Their tracks often led to tunnel-like holes in the thick walls of brush lining the creek. Was I just another clown from the Lower 48 for carrying a handgun under these circumstances? Curious what "real Alaskans" would have carried -- if anything -- in this place. There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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Certainly not clown Bill. But as the author of this piece found, you didn't " need" your Redhawk. Want or like, fine, didn't need. Many many folks fish the Wrangell area and Alaska generally without " needing a handgun". I think what the author takes issue with and I agree is the imaginary and amplified threat bears in Alaska pose to the populace. | |||
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I have been sheep hunting in AK on three occasions, the Yukon once and the NWT once. I never carried a pistol. I have been to BC on three occasions on mixed bag hunts. I have never carried a pistol. In August, I am going back to BC to hunt sheep. I am not taking a pistol. In late September, I am heading back to Alaska to hunt brown bears where the camp will be a stationary tent. We will hunt out of that fixed location. I am going to take my (you guessed it) 44 magnum. It will stay in the tent. Why am I taking a pistol? My answer is why not. I don't have to lug it around . It causes zero inconvenience. It does not slow me down at all. In all of those trips have I ever had a grizzly encounter that I didn't want. Yes, twice. Sort of. My first trip to AK, I shot a charging griz. We managed to walk up on its kill unknowingly. A pistol would have done nothing for me. I once fell asleep on the top of a mountain in the Yukon. When I woke up, there were grizzly tracks in the snow a few yards away. To each his own. If it is legal and it makes you feel better, go for it. | |||
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Larry For our readers information it is illegal to transport a handgun into canada.A resident isn't allowed to hunt with them either. | |||
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I must be very strange? For almost 40 years I have carried a SW 44 Magnum about everywhere. By that I mean everywhere but places it is against the law. Maybe I am just used to it? I does not weigh much more than a bag of burgers in my opinion. If you can't carry it because it is too heavy, I wonder if you are in good enough condition to be walking around in the outdoors. Now, I must admit the at times these days I leave the 44 magnum at home..... because I am carrying the SW .500 instead. | |||
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Some people prefer to be armed. I am one of them also. Other don't. | |||
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To each his own. I personally know two people who killed bears in defense of life, one brown on Kodiak and one interior grizz up north. I have been bluff charged twice by black bear sows with cubs. Yelling and quickly putting some distance between us and the cubs resolved both encounters. No need to use our rifles in either case. I carry a handgun when engaging in various outdoor activities, fishing, dipnetting, ATV riding etc. I would prefer to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I just feel more comfortable knowing I have some protection. I doubt I'll ever need to use a handgun to shoot a bear but it gives me peace of mind to carry it. Plus, I really like firearms. The more chance I get to carry and use them the better. | |||
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The article is rather pointless imo.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I agree. From what I have seen from other articles the ADN is some what anti gun. So I am sure the author wrote what he needed to to get paid for. | |||
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Well, the " it just ain't that big and scary!" line of thinking doesn't sell new guns, more bullets, longer knives or new books and articles that " titillate the imagination". I haven't looked at it, but I did see a " 505 Gibbs for plainsgame" title in the big bore forum. UEG. Clearly some of our friends here have had their imaginations titillated into hysteria. | |||
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I just found that a handgun was a big PIA and I always had a rifle anyway while in the field during my years in AK. I did not find a handgun gave me a level security that made up for the inconvenience of carrying one. I never carried any gun while working in the yard and we were in bear central 1/2 mile from the city dump. I never felt complacent I just felt like everyone else in Dillingham that bears were just a part of life June-Oct. If you like carrying a handgun that's great but it isn't absolutely necessary just because you are in bear country. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Mark, I wouldn't dream of carrying a handgun if I was already carrying a rifle. But when that long thin thing in your hand is just a 7-weight fly rod and you are in remote big bear country with daily activity, and the salmon are literally swimming between your legs ... There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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yea, but might be a really good idea on 3 mile road in Detroit or anywhere in Flint or Memphis. Because, I have to go to places like that, I feel 'naked' without it. So, you can bet, I will have that handgun even when carrying a rifle. | |||
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Do please try to lighten up quite a bit before vacationing in AK. | |||
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exactly why I like to visit Alaska. Very relaxing. | |||
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Agree, why carry a pistol when you're hunting carrying a rifle. When camping, fishing or hiking in bear country more often than not, I carry my Springfield v16 in 45 Super. Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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Better an over abundance of caution than what happens in Yellowstone with the Bison selfie takers, and people jumping into boiling hot springs and such. What force or guile could not subdue, Thro' many warlike ages, Is wrought now by a coward few, For hireling traitor's wages. | |||
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We people often think our life experiences are the standard measure of life and thus our choices are also then the “right” standard choice. I carry what I think I can as measured against what I might need. There are compromises that have to be made in that equation. Where I am and what the agenda has on it can vary widely. However, what I am carrying will be used in the best way possible to deal with any mortal danger whether human or animal. I would think that is precisely why Phil stuck his ccw sized 9mm in his gear load out instead of Old Ugly on that day’s fishing trip. His knowledge and experience guided him to the loads that were within it. "The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights." ~George Washington - 1789 | |||
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The article seems to be written from an urban Alaska's pov. Having spent 41 continuous years in Alaska and lived and worked from 1 end of the state to the other . And 1 side of it to the other. And been an outdoors man for all that time. Meaning I made my living outdoors mostly on my feet. I've learned that bears aren't the biggest thing to be concerned with. But are a big enough thing that precautions should be maintained. Bears aren't dangerous until they are close enuf to touch you. But they can get that close real fast. Obviously some knuckle head that would put his handgun on a tire and drive off isn't much of a gun guy . Or imho a prudent individual. So most of what he says comes out as urban , progressive blather. However , he does make a good point about asking people who query him about bear protection. What do they carry for 2 legged protection. Having successfully protected myself from a black bear problem with a 4 5/8" Blackhawk 41 mag in the summer of 91 . I don't see and problem with packin a 41. Having run off brown bears while armed with only a 40 S&W and 357 mag. And having packed 44 mags 45 Colts, 454 Casul, 480 Rugers and 10 mm autos. They all worked great to give me the confidence to bluff dozens of bears into getting away from me and leaving me and mine alone. If you spend alot of time in a bear rich area, your going to bump into bears. Just all there is to it. And because I know 10 figers full of people that have been mauled by, bit or swatted by brown bear. I've used my Spruce King (SS Ruger M77 Mk2 in 458 Win mag) to hide behind in more than 45 different up close bear encounters where I did not shoot the bears. And used many other rifles in many other up close encounters. My opinion is that. Having a firearm and a good dog or 2 with you is prudent. Anyone that doesn't want to pack a firearm , have fun. Bill, my opinion is that you were suitably attired to ensure you enjoyed your Alaskan adventure . Anyone poo poos that, flip em off ! Phil Shoemaker : "I went to a .30-06 on a fine old Mauser action. That worked successfully for a few years until a wounded, vindictive brown bear taught me that precise bullet placement is not always possible in thick alders, at spitting distances and when time is measured in split seconds. Lucky to come out of that lesson alive, I decided to look for a more suitable rifle." | |||
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Writers gotta write. I read the article and mostly thought - hmmm, needed a go to topic to fill a few paragraphs. Nothing really wrong with what he says. Pretty basic. He and his partner write nice hunting articles. Dave | |||
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He wrights pretty good for a retired Prison Gard  | |||
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No kidding?! Good for him. Enjoy his articles. Dave | |||
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Or am I an idiot and he's you?  Dave | |||
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Nope your no idiot, 20 years ago I did have 2 interviews with him at the local prison. Belong to the same gun club. He is a crazy (or was) SOB!!  | |||
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All the writer is trying to say in his article is as follows: "I will tell you my opinion about the .44 Magnum revolver or any other handgun used for bear protection. However, take my "opinions" with a grain of salt, for opinions are like anuses, and we all have one of those." Sorry folks, I could not help myself. When reading the article I thought about another quote often used by "some" gun writers: "...after watching numerous animals being killed by all kinds of rifles, I haven't seen a discernible difference in killing power from the .270 wall the way up to the .338WM. The real difference start with the .35-calibers." | |||
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