Tracking Bear- Spray or Handgun?
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Hunt98
10-Jun-16
If you were going to track a wound bear in thick brush what would carry bear spray or gun (handgun or ??)?
From: Shawn
10-Jun-16
12 Gauge pump with slugs in that scenario. Shawn
From: drycreek
10-Jun-16
My son and I tracked a wounded boar hog at night with a pair of handguns with lights on them, and the next day I promised myself that I wouldn't do it again. And I haven't !
From: Teeton
10-Jun-16
What kind of bear? But in thick brush. Of the guns I have it would be my dads pump Remington 35 Whalen with open sights. That would me my ideal gun for any bear. I think it can push a 250 gr at 2700 fps.
Ed
From: Teeton
10-Jun-16
I would never use bear spray at all on a wounded bear.
From: Mpdh
10-Jun-16
I once hunted with an outfitter in Seney MI and this is no lie. He used a Bowie knife and a baseball bat.
From: Bow Nut
10-Jun-16
Bigger the better. A wounded bear doesn't give a rats ass about bear spray. They're running on adrenaline and endorphins. About ten years ago my outfitter had his shotgun with a buddy for backup also with a shotgun and they dropped it about 10 ft short of a bad situation.
From: IdyllwildArcher
10-Jun-16
Ten feet is inside the "pants crapping" range.
From: Zinger
10-Jun-16
Neither. I'd pack at the minimum a 12 gauge and preferably a semi auto rifle in 308 or larger. Right now I would probably take my SCAR 17 in 308 with a Streamlight TLR mounted on it but I would also have another light in my hand.
But in all honesty there really isn't a need for a gun to track a bear - but I would still carry one.
From: Rayzor
11-Jun-16
10mm or 45 w/Corbons for me.
From: Rayzor
11-Jun-16
Short SxS 12 w/ 000 Buck will stop anything too.
From: carcus
11-Jun-16
Bowtech experience
From: SteveB
12-Jun-16
12 gauge Remington 870 pump with Brenneke Gold Slugs.
From: JusPassin
12-Jun-16
True story. My brother wounded a blackie in Ontario about 10 years back. 9:30 at night he and I are crawling down one of those bear "tunnels" in the brush. I had a knife, and he the muzzle loader. He got to take the lead.
Luckily, the bear was found dead about 150 yards in. Dumbest thing I think I've ever done.
Definitely would want a pump 12 gauge with slugs.
From: jstephens61
12-Jun-16
12 ga with slugs and 00 or 000 buck shot. I don't want to miss if I have to use it.
From: Jim D
12-Jun-16
870 pump with Brenneke slugs
From: Mr.C
13-Jun-16
Pistol 45/410 3 shoot shells and 2 holow points...its heavey but it cant get in your eyes MikeC
From: Nick Muche
13-Jun-16
I take a 12 gauge with slugs or a .375 along with a 10mm to the bear stand everytime I rebait or hunt and damn sure while tracking bears. Had my first encounter with a bad bear this spring and now he's in my freezer. I'm also in the vicinity of these badasses quite often where we hunt. Bear spray wouldn't give me much confidence, personally.
From: Ibow
13-Jun-16
That's an awesome picture Nick.
From: LBshooter
13-Jun-16
I wouldn't rely on spray with a pissed off wounded bear. Biggest gun I could shoot well, probably a 12 gauge.
From: Beendare
14-Jun-16
I didn't think much about those black bears until a trip I had in British Columbia a couple years ago. My buddy Dave had wounded a bear through both back legs and we got on them the following day. You would've thought that there would've been pretty broken down by then But no! Our guide had his trusty lab ( that ended up being a worthless tracking dog ) and left his lever action back at the truck. The bear charged the dog from about 10 feet and it startled him so bad he fell tripping over his own feet Lucky he didn't impaled himself on a broken off saplings when he fell down. We yelled for some rifle hunters that were with us to get over there and they handed my buddy Dave their 30 .06. we crept in again and the bear came over a 4 foot log at us like Superman and Dave shot him out of the air like he was a pheasant about 8 feet off the end of the rifle
To this day it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen
From: skookumjt
14-Jun-16
500 Beowulf upper on an AR lower. 10 shots with same ballistics of a 45/70.
From: Outdoorsman
14-Jun-16
I am with Jstephens61... 12 gauge with alternating slugs/buckshot is what I carry when tracking wounded black bears.
From: stagetek
14-Jun-16
12 gauge auto with OO buckshot.
From: brantman
14-Jun-16
I use a .454 because I couldn't use a .460
From: skinner creek
16-Jun-16
Are we really having the conversation!!! bear spray........really.
Beendare your guide was a complete assclown
