Handgun vs. Coyote/Bobcat

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Here’s a true and three week old tale of two buddies archery hunting only (deer) in the gravely ridge area of Montana armed of course with their 9 mm hand guns when out of nowhere they got attacked by a freakin grizzly. This was on the news BTW well one happened to be my coworkers friend. That 9mm didn’t stop the bear from moppin the trail with one fella while the other was shooting and damn near killed them both.
The point is ya never know
 
Here’s a true and three week old tale of two buddies archery hunting only (deer) in the gravely ridge area of Montana armed of course with their 9 mm hand guns when out of nowhere they got attacked by a freakin grizzly. This was on the news BTW well one happened to be my coworkers friend. That 9mm didn’t stop the bear from moppin the trail with one fella while the other was shooting and damn near killed them both.
The point is ya never know

I don't think anyone here thinks a 9mm is good medicine for a griz, but I'm pretty sure a 9mm will kill a stringy dog or an extra large house cat.

I wouldn't rely on a 9mm in big bear territory. However, I'm going to put money on not getting mauled by a grizzly here in southern Indiana. I'm ok with a 9mm.

I do admit that coyotes can be a bit unnerving. They travel in small packs in this area and yip to high hell out in the dark to such a degree you would swear there were 50 of them.

I watched one try to chase down a young deer right in front of me in broad daylight while visiting my stepdads cabin. This was after my 85lb mother and 4 year old daughter had been walking around by themselves for over a hour out there. When the coyote bolted in front of us, I instinctively stepped in front of my daughter and put my hand on the .380 in my waistband. The dog saw us after my mom yelled "don't eat my deer:confused:" and turned on a dime in the other direction.

I was unnerved that a coyote would be that active in the middle of the day and that my prey size mom and daughter were out there by themselves for over an hour. However, I never felt undergunned with 7 rounds of .380. I'll go to to toe with a coyote with a heavy stick if I have to.
 
Here’s a true and three week old tale of two buddies archery hunting only (deer) in the gravely ridge area of Montana armed of course with their 9 mm hand guns when out of nowhere they got attacked by a freakin grizzly. This was on the news BTW well one happened to be my coworkers friend. That 9mm didn’t stop the bear from moppin the trail with one fella while the other was shooting and damn near killed them both.
The point is ya never know

I agree with you point that you never know the future, but that isn’t the way the news story went...

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/10/gr...ntana-stopped-with-9mm-pistols/#axzz61hwgGnb2

Not saying your wrong, but that the stories conflicted. Gist of the Ammoland story was the bear bust out of the treeline at “oh ****!” distance. Neither guy pulled a weapon, and they each scattered a few feet in different directions. Both worked in the field as biologists and carried 9MMs

One guy was attacked. The other guy pulled his gun (Glock 43) and only had a shot from the rear of the bear (while it was mauling his partner) and put a round in his rump. The bear immediately let go and retreated to the thick wood line. No time for a second round.

It’s believed this bear, a grizzly, was a large boar. It tried to return a couple times but both times the two guys yelled and fired into the thick brush and deterred the bear from emerging.

it’s a good story at the link above.
 
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What’s the conflict?
I’m telling it the way it was told to me by a coworker that was getting reports as they came in from family members.
if you have a problem with that I don’t really give a Damn.
 
9mm plated 147 RN “minor” loads work fine. Any round better suited for SD would kill them just as dead.

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Here’s a true and three week old tale of two buddies archery hunting only (deer) in the gravely ridge area of Montana armed of course with their 9 mm hand guns when out of nowhere they got attacked by a freakin grizzly. This was on the news BTW well one happened to be my coworkers friend. That 9mm didn’t stop the bear from moppin the trail with one fella while the other was shooting and damn near killed them both.
The point is ya never know

A grizzly and a coyote or a bobcat are not even close to being similar.
 
Here’s a true and three week old tale of two buddies archery hunting only (deer) in the gravely ridge area of Montana armed of course with their 9 mm hand guns when out of nowhere they got attacked by a freakin grizzly. This was on the news BTW well one happened to be my coworkers friend. That 9mm didn’t stop the bear from moppin the trail with one fella while the other was shooting and damn near killed them both.
The point is ya never know
People with much bigger guns have also been killed by grizzly bears.
 
My Pitts need to take a leak or dump at night. Where we live in the Chattahoochee NF, we have bears, bobcats and mountain lions. Bears are easy or make noise they leave.
According to the internet, a bobcat can pounce 12' to 14' and a mountain lion's charge is over 30 MPH. How do I know they are here? The game cameras took their pictures. GA DNR claims there are no mountain lions here. Should I believe GA DNR or the cameras? Me, myself and I will believe the cameras.
So when the dog's need to do their thing; I have an AK or AR. No thanks on the handgun. My opinion is based on magazine capacity.. :)
 
Yeah, 9mm is ok for defense. Like others have said, either are way more scared of you. Also, these two creatures are fast. Most people can't hit the kill zone of a running deer, let alone something just as fast with a smaller kill zone. From the deer stand, I've seen a bobcat chase a doe. I've also crested a ridge to see a coyote scamper off from a neighbor's field dressing pile. Neither of these are dangerous game. If standing even somewhat still, either could be taken with a magnum rimfire rifle.
 
My Pitts need to take a leak or dump at night. Where we live in the Chattahoochee NF, we have bears, bobcats and mountain lions. Bears are easy or make noise they leave.
According to the internet, a bobcat can pounce 12' to 14' and a mountain lion's charge is over 30 MPH. How do I know they are here? The game cameras took their pictures. GA DNR claims there are no mountain lions here. Should I believe GA DNR or the cameras? Me, myself and I will believe the cameras.
So when the dog's need to do their thing; I have an AK or AR. No thanks on the handgun. My opinion is based on magazine capacity.. :)

Interesting, the PA version of that department insists there are no mountain lions in PA. All the sightings are large house cats.
 
My Pitts need to take a leak or dump at night. Where we live in the Chattahoochee NF, we have bears, bobcats and mountain lions. Bears are easy or make noise they leave.
According to the internet, a bobcat can pounce 12' to 14' and a mountain lion's charge is over 30 MPH. How do I know they are here? The game cameras took their pictures. GA DNR claims there are no mountain lions here. Should I believe GA DNR or the cameras? Me, myself and I will believe the cameras.
So when the dog's need to do their thing; I have an AK or AR. No thanks on the handgun. My opinion is based on magazine capacity.. :)
Georgia has mountain lions. I have seen way too many video cams and camera photos to believe other wise posted. We have them in my area of NW Florida. State game dept usually like to deny the existence of lost animal species. If they admit to its presence then they have to do something about it. Print policy, regulations, and devote personnel for studies and perhaps control.
For guarding dogs I would want a shotgun loaded with smaller buckshot or heavy turkey loads for moving critters. Drawback is that the shotgun has a pattern that could hit a dog. If a mountain lion can surprise a pit, it could easily take it. A real fighting pit is not a big dog- like 35-65 lbs max. Many dogs do not look up. Mine do, but they are watching out for birds of prey that get them really upset.
 
Almost every night, we hear coyotes in the fields and woods and along the creek out back. After some flooding, a dead cow floated in behind my neighbor's house. The carcass was a coyote magnet for about a week before it was just bones. I've seen them running through the neighborhood at night while walking my 65 pound black Lab mix. Another neighbor had one run through his back yard in daylight right after his little girl came in their back door. A few years back, my wife called me about coyotes coming close to our back yard. (We had a small dog at the time.) I got home to find two dead coyotes behind the house; she used her S&W Model 681 wearing Crimson Trace grips loaded with .38 Special +P hollow points to kill them both from the back door.

I carry 9x19mm pistols these days and don't worry about the coyotes.
 
Almost every night, we hear coyotes in the fields and woods and along the creek out back. After some flooding, a dead cow floated in behind my neighbor's house. The carcass was a coyote magnet for about a week before it was just bones. I've seen them running through the neighborhood at night while walking my 65 pound black Lab mix. Another neighbor had one run through his back yard in daylight right after his little girl came in their back door. A few years back, my wife called me about coyotes coming close to our back yard. (We had a small dog at the time.) I got home to find two dead coyotes behind the house; she used her S&W Model 681 wearing Crimson Trace grips loaded with .38 Special +P hollow points to kill them both from the back door.

I carry 9x19mm pistols these days and don't worry about the coyotes.

Nothing beats a good S&W wheelgun.
 
Elm Creek Smith said:
Almost every night, we hear coyotes in the fields and woods and along the creek out back. After some flooding, a dead cow floated in behind my neighbor's house. The carcass was a coyote magnet for about a week before it was just bones. I've seen them running through the neighborhood at night while walking my 65 pound black Lab mix. Another neighbor had one run through his back yard in daylight right after his little girl came in their back door. A few years back, my wife called me about coyotes coming close to our back yard. (We had a small dog at the time.) I got home to find two dead coyotes behind the house; she used her S&W Model 681 wearing Crimson Trace grips loaded with .38 Special +P hollow points to kill them both from the back door.

I carry 9x19mm pistols these days and don't worry about the coyotes.
Nothing beats a good S&W wheelgun.
Especially in the hands of a lady that can shoot well.
 
Elm Creek Smith said:
Almost every night, we hear coyotes in the fields and woods and along the creek out back. After some flooding, a dead cow floated in behind my neighbor's house. The carcass was a coyote magnet for about a week before it was just bones. I've seen them running through the neighborhood at night while walking my 65 pound black Lab mix. Another neighbor had one run through his back yard in daylight right after his little girl came in their back door. A few years back, my wife called me about coyotes coming close to our back yard. (We had a small dog at the time.) I got home to find two dead coyotes behind the house; she used her S&W Model 681 wearing Crimson Trace grips loaded with .38 Special +P hollow points to kill them both from the back door.

I carry 9x19mm pistols these days and don't worry about the coyotes.

Especially in the hands of a lady that can shoot well.

The first one was on our back lot line about 15 yards from the back door. The second was 25 yards out in the creek bed. One shot each, so, yeah, the lady can shoot.
 
I see at least 1 coyote a month, sometimes more. They either ignore me or they're running from me. I've never seen a feral dog but before Illinois passed concealed carry I was attacked by a dog, while I was riding my bike on a bike trail. While I was being attacked the owner assured me that it was OK and that his dog wouldn't bite. I nearly wiped out. Since passage of the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act, I never go riding without a 9mm, you never know what's going to happen, but a dog attack is always at the forefront of my mind.

I've never had a doubt that if I hit a dog with a 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series RA9T that it would stop the attack.
 
I see at least 1 coyote a month, sometimes more. They either ignore me or they're running from me. I've never seen a feral dog but before Illinois passed concealed carry I was attacked by a dog, while I was riding my bike on a bike trail. While I was being attacked the owner assured me that it was OK and that his dog wouldn't bite. I nearly wiped out. Since passage of the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act, I never go riding without a 9mm, you never know what's going to happen, but a dog attack is always at the forefront of my mind.

I've never had a doubt that if I hit a dog with a 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series RA9T that it would stop the attack.
Modern day Velo Dog.
 
I see at least 1 coyote a month, sometimes more. They either ignore me or they're running from me. I've never seen a feral dog but before Illinois passed concealed carry I was attacked by a dog, while I was riding my bike on a bike trail. While I was being attacked the owner assured me that it was OK and that his dog wouldn't bite. I nearly wiped out. Since passage of the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act, I never go riding without a 9mm, you never know what's going to happen, but a dog attack is always at the forefront of my mind.

I've never had a doubt that if I hit a dog with a 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series RA9T that it would stop the attack.

I used to do a lot of running and have had several encounters with dogs charging me but was never attacked. Just a lot of barking and sometimes being followed for a bit. And I never felt reassured when the owner said he won't bite.

I occasionally walk now, and I should get back in the habit of taking something with me. I just have to find a decent carry method.

Back in PA there were always dogs running loose, especially one idiot's Rottweiler. When out walking the dog I would take my Taurus 44 spl with me
 
I used to do a lot of running and have had several encounters with dogs charging me but was never attacked. Just a lot of barking and sometimes being followed for a bit. And I never felt reassured when the owner said he won't bite.

I occasionally walk now, and I should get back in the habit of taking something with me. I just have to find a decent carry method.

Back in PA there were always dogs running loose, especially one idiot's Rottweiler. When out walking the dog I would take my Taurus 44 spl with me
I’ve had the same experiences. Followed by a chow that was definitely trying to get behind me and bite. Followed me for a quarter mile. Finally got pissed off enough that I dropped my bag and went after it full steam intending to kick the living crap out of it. That’s when it turned tail.

Encountered a big ass boxer mix of some kind. I think it was mixed with a Doberman. That was tense before it ran off.

Got bit by a border collie at work. That dog was lucky I was at work and unable to carry or it probably would’ve gotten perforated.

A 9mm would’ve been plenty for any one of them.
 
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For years, the most threatening thing I've seen in woods in which I regularly hike have been deer and rabbits. Recently I've seen both coyotes and bobcats.

Fortunately both seemed rather scared of me and scampered off. But it did get me thinking...would the Glock G19 (9mm) I carry be sufficient for self-defense if one of them was not in a friendly mood?

I don't have a dog any more but will again some day...would not like to see him tangle with these sorts of animals either.

If 9mm isn't sufficient, I could carry a G21 instead (45 ACP) if that is a better caliber for this purpose.

To be clear...yes, I understand these creatures typically run away and I'm not going into the woods petrified of being attacked by coyotes, but always better to be prepared. I'm usually more worried about 2-legged varmints.

Thanks for any advice!

If you carry a 9mm for personal defense against humans why are you questioning if it would be sufficient for a small animal under 50 pounds?
 
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