An eclair, tart, fritter, or cannoli will get their attention! Omnivores they are.

Bear claws…

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Get a Frisbee and tape a jelly donut to it. When the bear comes around, fling the Frisbee and slip outta there.

I honestly think this would work. They're like big raccoons. At least here in PA. I've seen them 4 or 5 times in my yard/my neighbors yard in the last few weeks alone. Even with cubs, they tend to clear out and keep their distance, or zip up a tree.

The only attack I'm aware of in my area in my lifetime was when some lady's little shit yappy dog went after a cub, and the owner tried to separate them. She took some damage, but even then, she was pretty much basically fine after treatment of minor wounds.

For black bears near me, I prefer a camera.

A lot of hunters in Montana including friends and relatives carry a Glock 10 mm.

Yes, a G20 loaded with Buffalo Bore or DoubleTap 220 grain hard cast solids would do the trick. I've got a G20SF and Glock's 6 inch "hunting barrel". Properly loaded, you could ruin Yogi's day. Up to fifteen rounds doled out quickly would be decisive medicine. Carried in a chest rig for quick deployment, such a setup would be all you need. Consider a powerful WML as well, such as the Streamlight TLR-1 HL-X I have on my G20. For a pistol to be kept for camp, a bright light like that makes a lot of sense. You can really light up the woods with that WML.

I'd surely hate to shoot a bear, though. I'd rather give it enough donuts to put it in a sugar coma so deep, I'd be driving down the interstate by the time it finally woke up.

If you want to go nuts with this, get yourself a custom single action in .500 Linebaugh. Yes, a single action. Ask Tim Sundles (the owner of Buffalo Bore Ammunition) if he feels disadvantaged in any way by using a single action revolver for dangerous animals. He has experience hunting dangerous game.

I've posted this clip before. Fun to watch, not so much fun to shoot, I imagine.

quote:

Originally posted by DitchDoctor911:
What’s the thinking on .357 Sig? I camp in the western NC area. Not that I need a reason to get a 10mm, but I have several Sigs and Glocks in .357 already.

You’ll be fine with a .357. Just use a quality solid bullet like Buffalo Bore.

Was talking with someone today and the subject of bears came up. Suburban bears being moved around because of development and showing up in the backyard of someone they know. It's becoming a thing in what used to be Back Country, VA. And elsewhere.

And I was wondering why anyone would even mess with a black beer cause that stuff sounds nasty and then I realized, you're not from Boston.

"beer, bear" - never can tell what someone from Boston is referring to when they say that

Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica!

Your bullet, whatever gun or caliber, should be heavy for caliber for the chosen round, solid lead hardcast, jacketed JSP, but no JHPs of any kind. 357, 10MM, or even 45 ACP if you're going with a dangerous game defense solid harddcast from the likes of Underwood, Buffalo Bore, Federal. For wildlife defense I wold stuck with major brands like these. Also make sure you put enough rounds of your chosen defense load to make sure your guns is reliable and prints where you point. All this is based on Black Bear. Griz is another matter. And don't forget the bear spray, in a speed holster on your hip or appendix or front backpack strap. I never hike or walk where black bears are common without bear spray. Lots of acceptable, and outstanding, chest rigs to choose from in all price ranges. I'm not a Glock man but a Glock 20/21 is a great dedicated black bear defense gun.

Oops my bad, see Para's last post recommending gun and ammo combo, that's all you need to know.

With DoubleTap ammo, check that your gun can handle hard primers. I don't know if that's a known thing or not, but I had a GP100 factory spring that was not reliable with Double Tap 357 mag heavies. I read that a longer firing pin would help, but I don't know about the relative value of a stronger hammer spring vs longer firing pin for hard primers, if the firing pin protrusion is within spec. Unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to install a longer firing pin in the GP100, seemed to be more of real gunsmith job than I could pull off.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

I've posted this clip before. Fun to watch, not so much fun to shoot, I imagine.

That looks painful, but I'd try it, once.

quote:

Originally posted by chbibc:
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica!

False, black bear
Bears eat beets

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Do people worry about black bear? I’ve hiked many miles in black bear territory and never even thought twice about them. I mean, I’m not slathering myself with honey and trying to steal cubs…

Grizzlies will kill you. Black bears will eat you.

A BB attack is a lot less likely but not unheard of. Not common, but I have seen some huge black bear. A 400-500lb or bigger black bear will get your attention.

This is an IMPORTANT distinction most people do not know. Black Bear attacks are, for all practical purposes, ALWAYS Predatory, meaning that you're 100% Dinner, which is not true for Griz. That's why they say if you're attacked by a Black, protecting your head and neck with a Grizzly attack will get your dead with a Black, because you will end up in the bear's stomach, and is the reason that fighting like your life depended on it to the last possible second with a Black should be SOP in the rare case you get involved with one.

I'll start out with spray and guns, and a big knife if the first two fail.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Black bears will eat you.

And steal your golf clubs.

https://x.com/RivsHughey/status/2076822460381503686

Brown bears like to kill you, let you marinate a while, then come back some time later and eat you. So if they think you're dead, you have a chance.

Black bears don't have the same culinary skills.

Also consider that bears are omnivores, not predators. You could get killed by a mountain lion if it has the chance to get to your neck but bears are a different type of danger.
Black bears will begin eating and you don’t necessarily have to be dead.

Having a bear feasting on my legs, back or -[insert body part here]- is NOT going to be a “good time was had by all” type of encounter. That’s why you fight like your life depends on it because IT DOES!
Any handgun is better than nothing even if it’s the lowly 22lr. Would I prefer a 10mm, 12ga slug or my 44mag?
HELL YES!!
If nothing else at least you give yourself *some* chance of surviving an attack. A black bear that knows you are human is there to consume you…act accordingly.

Had a black bear walk thru the yard in Colorado on Sunday. He's a regular, knocked over my 600# offset barbecue smoker last summer, he knows what smells good that's for sure! First thing I would do is get real loud and start waving my arms. If that doesn't work I pick Glock 20, and 3rd choice would be the 9mm that's already on my belt and hope that's enough.