I'm sick of this "self-defense" excuse...(and so is Fish and Game).
Redhawk, good post/valid points...you are probably the exception to the rule. Gunny, you are RIGHT ON TARGET!
All I'm saying is I'm tired of seeing the unnecessary death of Bears from people uneducated about what attracts them (garbage/food discipline, etc.) They all but "bait" the bear into their camp with bad garbage discipline, then are forced to shoot the bear in (so-called) "self defense" with a "problem bear"...when in fact THEY were the problem. I'm sick of this "self-defense" bullcrap.
They go out into the bush, and the only Bear knowlege (or respect) they have (
or care to have) is the thought that the Big .44 (454/500) is gonna solve any problem they come across.
Further, they often are not trained to the HIGH DEGREE that YOU are, and their .44/454/500 results in a wounded bear (often one with cubs).
Darn right poor bears, and it's a tragedy I have seen
way too often since the .44magnum got all it's publicity in the 70's. Before that, no idiot in their right mind would think of using a pistol against Alaskan Brown Bear.
Good old "Dirty Harry" changed all that.
So NOW you have the average idiot (not yourself) who WAS the problem to begin with(NOT the Bear), who has NOW maybe wounded the bear because: 1) poor marksmanship, 2) not careing to educate himself on the ways of Bush Discipline, and 3) the use of an underpowered weapon.
Let me ask this (rhetorical) question: How much training do you have in marksmanship training with the .44/454/500? Do you have over 3000 rounds of rapid draw/fire practice? Do you shoot several hundred rounds a year with it to stay sharp? Do you practice shooting in a Bear related (stress-fire) type training situation to actually be qualified to use it in this situation?
Are you thoroughly educated on bear attack prevention procedures?
Do you carry your food into the bush in Bearproof containers?
Were any of the 4 Bears pissed off, and charging you or your family?
etc., etc., etc.
If NOT, then you are
part of the situation that is ALL TO COMMON...and YOU ARE the problem, NOT the (poor) Bear (and maybe cubs).
Just having a .44 on your hip is NOT the solution to the "Problem Bear".
Education and prevention on YOUR part is the solution.
I have kill 4 black bear with different handguns, 500 Mag, 510 GNR, 454 Casull and 44 Mag. Every bear I shot, never made it further than 25 yards before expiring, and that is with heart and lung shots, no head shots at all.
YOU make my point exactly!
So, from your experience: 25 yards AFTER shooting heart/lungs.
What I'm saying is that the AVERAGE sunday camper with the "Big Bear-Handgun" mentality, shoots this bear in (garbage/food covered)camp, at 10yards, MAYBE makes a clean shot (and the SOB can still run 25yds!) ...guess what? You shot him at 10yds, and you needed 26!
That's the longest 5 seconds of that poor SOB's life when the Bear runs 10, and then has 5 or 10 seconds to kick his butt (before it MAYBE expires).
The BIG surprise is when the wife finds out that the "big .44" wasn't crap (like hubby swore it was, based on NO experience...but just marketing hype)...CUZ IT MAY BE HER BUTT THAT'S GETTING CHEWED UPON...or the KIDS.
OR ME!
It's kinda like riding a motorcycle without a helmet...if it's your head...okay, more power to ya, and GOOD luck! Hunt Cape Buffalo with a pistol if that's your thing. But don't put your poor wife, kids, camp neighbors, myself, the guides, and Fish and Wildlife into the mix...because it was
too inconvenient to carry a larger weapon. (speaking to Average Joe, of course).
IF you are going to be bringing family into the bush, get educated on the ways to be Bear Safe, prevent the unnecessary killing, and stop blaming the "self-defense" situation on the (poor) Bear (and maybe cubs)...when in fact it was
YOU that are the problem. Bears will be Bears.
YOU are supposed to be "smarter", and use techniques to avoid this situation. It seems, however, that MOST PEOPLE just aint! It's always someone elses (or the Bear's) fault.
Maybe some folks just like the tragedy of having to kill a bear over garbage, then listen to it's cubs scream and cry over their dead mother, or enjoy calling Fish and Game to come and clean up a problem that was
created by YOU...(not the Bear).
:banghead: