Carry for hiking

[jjrothWA]

Having hiked the WA. Cascades, I carried either a Ruger SS6 4", with Hornaday 140 gr., XTP's or a 1911 with the Hornady 230 gr FMJ-FP ammo.
Had spare speed-loader with Federal 180 gr., Hard cart bullets , as the 240 gr were for two-legged varmints.

Soke with the Sierra baslitic techs and they recommended the heaviest bullet at the maximum velocity you can handle.

Best defense is to MAINTAIN visual observations of surroundings.

[C5M1]

Sunray gave some sage advice. Add to that I carry pepper spray and titanium 41 mag revolver in bear country. 22 revolver everywhere else. Here is a good article from last fall near cody wy. The man left a wife and 5 children.

https://buckrail.com/10mm-glock-fully-functional-in-fatal-grizzly-attack/

[Vern Humphrey]

The first rule of gun fighting is, "Have a gun ." The second rule is "Have it with you."

[remus]

If I was in bear country I'd carry my Ruger .45 colt, loaded up, in a Diamond D chest holster. Fast access and comfortable. When I'm just out and about mod. 19, or 18, or 48, Smiths in the Diamond D. Good rig check them out.

[RED]

If you are hiking in bear country, you should carry pepper spray and wear bells on your shoes. If you see bear scat you should not be there.

The question being is "How do you know it is bear scat?"

Easy! It will smell like pepper and have little bells in it.

[dryheat]

-he carries an older Rossi 357 4" (cheap beater that works)- I don't remember the nomenclature, but I had that Rossi. What a great pistol. I miss it, but I sold it to Cop in training and the review was plus 1, so I'm happy with that sale.
Bear: Oooh, I hear bells.
Pepper spray can help...against people.
Up in Alaska where bears are a problem, the guys who are familiar with bear country will tell you to file the front site on your .44 down. That way it doesn't hurt so much when the bear shoves it up your ass.
In seriousness, I'd guess a .44(mag) or close would help some. But make sure you observe the wind and control your breathing.

[togor]

Years ago, at Yellowstone with some friends, we were enjoying the Gardner River at the North end of the park where hot springs meet a cold stream. Nearby was a Grizzly and a ranger with what looked to be a .44 Mag on his belt, FWIW.

[shjoe]

great responses. my first choice would be 45 colt. however my daily carry on the farm or during a woods walk is my glock 23 40sw, 180gr flat nose. plenty for most anything. it points well, sights come up fast, 10 rd mag. and, practice, practice, practice.

[Vern Humphrey]

Around here, we only have Blackies, and no one has ever been killed by a bear in Arkansas -- and we used to have so many bears it was called "The Bear State." I really carry my .45 in case I get a shot at a coyote or similar critter. Often, though I carry a Colt Woodsman and have taken a box car load of squirrels with that gun.

[lyman]

ditto here, all Black Bears,

most in the western part of the state, but they encroach on this area every year

also have a small population down in the Dismal Swamp

[Vern Humphrey]

ditto here, all Black Bears,

most in the western part of the state, but they encroach on this area every year

also have a small population down in the Dismal Swamp

When I lived in Tidewater, we used to go to the Dismal Swamp and there were walkways and wooden bridges clawed up by the bears -- marking their territory, I guess.

[barretcreek]

We have fatalities every other year or so; Yogi cleaning out the gene pool usually. The amazing thing is we don't have more. Bunny Huggers got hunting over bait eliminated in the early '90s and it's been normal for bears to forage in town ever since.

[lyman]

We have fatalities every other year or so; Yogi cleaning out the gene pool usually. The amazing thing is we don't have more. Bunny Huggers got hunting over bait eliminated in the early '90s and it's been normal for bears to forage in town ever since.

we have them roaming done from 'the hills'

fact of the matter is they are on the west side of the metro area, and the young ones tend to follow the rivers down thru town (or north or south) thru the counties that generally don't have a bear population,


meaning, a hiker, fisherman, etc will see one wandering down a river or creek, or one my cut thru some suburb,

makes the news, everyone be careful, etc etc,

and the bear usually eats out of someone's trash and moves on,


rarely one has to be relocated,

[Vern Humphrey]

rarely one has to be relocated,

In Arkansas, we rarely had luck relocating bears -- we tried it to spread the population out. Youi relocate a bear and two weeks later he's back at the old stand.

Finally, we started trapping and pulling tracker collars on females. Then in the winter, we'd track them and if they had cubs both mama and the cubs would be relocated -- to a nice pre-prepared den. When they woke up, mama couldn't head back because the cubs were too small to make the trip. By the time they were big enough, she'd forgotten all about the Big Swamp and made her home in the hills.

[lyman]

they catch one every now and then, big write up, drama on the evening news, and poor Yogi or Mrs Yogi gets a ride somewhere else to raid other peoples picnic baskets,

meanwhile life goes on,