8 May Handguns for Bear Country May 8, 2020By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 I’ve been carrying handguns on outdoor adventures since I was a teenager and consider them essential tools of the trade. Handguns are easy to carry, so you have them within reach at all times, and they handle well inside small tents compared to long guns. A great deal of my outdoor activities in North America have taken place in country where black bear are common, and I have happened upon bear countless times where a gun on my hip provided great comfort. The handguns discussed here are specifically for personal protection against black bear—not to purposely hunt bear with. There has always been some discussion to weather or not black bears are much of a threat to humans. All I can say is, black bears have the power to hurt humans gravely, and because they eat the same food that we do and are scavengers as well as omnivores and predators, they have a bad habit of coming around campsites and human dwellings. Therefore, the potential of confronting black bear at close quarters is high if you spend much time in the woods. For the record, black bears do occasionally attack and kill humans. During the backpacking/canoeing days of my youth I carried a Colt Huntsman .22 pistol most everywhere I went. It provided me with small game for the pot, as well as some level of personal protection from aggressive animals, including bear and humans. Admittedly, a .22 pistol does not offer much protection against bear, although I’ve encountered bear while armed with a .22 handgun more times than with any other firearm, and I’d rather have a .22 pistol in my hand with a bear staring me down than a rock or a can of bear spray. Usually a couple of shots fired into the air from a firearm will quickly send a black bear spinning his wheels and headed in the opposite direction. Not always, though. I’ve had a black bear calmly stand on its hind feet at 20 yards and totally ignore the shots fired from my .22 pistol; and I’ve had a pack of wolves howling close to my tent at night and they also ignored shots fired from a .22 handgun. A better choice is a gun that makes more noise and delivers more lethal power. When traveling through serious bear country, or when packing meat my go-to bear gun is a Blackhawk revolver loaded in .45 Colt or .45 ACP. I’ve carried this gun for years now and have taken 1 black bear with it by chance encounter, and several Arkansas hogs that I also stumbled upon by chance. It hits with authority, and makes plenty of noise without rupturing my eardrums. Other good handgun choices for bear protection are revolvers chambered in .357 or .41 magnums, or any .44-caliber revolver or larger; semi-auto pistols chambered in .357 Sig, 10mm, or .45 ACP are also good choices. In vogue lately has been the Glock pistol in 10mm. A .38 special revolver or 9mm pistol should be considered the minimum power to deter a bear at close range, though they do not have adequate power to hunt bear with. If you’re hunting deer or elk in bear country and already have a rifle in your hands, carrying a handgun for bear protection could be viewed as excessive. If you’re in bear country and are field dressing game, packing meat, baiting bear, scouting, fishing, camping, or partaking in any outdoor activity that makes it difficult to carry a rifle, carrying a handgun is a valid consideration. Good hunting, Joe Cavanaugh Related Posts Have You Got Your Bear Bait Ready for the Idaho 2023 Bear Hunting Seasons? Pretty pink, pretty blue, purple, orange, yellow, tan, chocolate, etc. does it really matter what the name is for bears to like it? The answer is obviously a resounding NO! If it is full of sugar and by default calories, bears are gonna love it and you will have success with this or almost anything edible as bear bait. The main questions in my mind are A) can I get enough of it in a consistent supply, B) can I even afford to feed it to bears and C) how do I keep from producing world record sized squirrels on my Granola, Trail mix, Honey Roasted Nut formula I am currently using? Idaho Spring Bear Season “Officially” Opens in Backcountry Units It is almost time for my second favorite time of year…spring bear season! It “officially” opens in many back country units like where we guide in the Middlefork zone on April 1st. I say officially as that is when it does open, but with this years late and heavy snowfalls, I am confident the bears will not be waking from their winter slumber for at least a few more weeks, at least at our elevations. Bulk Bear Bait for a Successful Spring Bear Hunt We have begun selling bear bait at our Challis, Idaho location. We are excited about the possibilities of being a “one stop shop” for all things bear hunting and bear baiting related. We have been baiting bears in the Idaho backcountry for ten seasons now and have constantly worked to improve our system of baiting and over time have developed what we believe is a very “complete” system for baiting and are excited to share our system of scents, sprays and bulk baits. 2020 Idaho Spring Bear Season Means Bear Baiting Season as Well! With the official opener of Idaho’s 2020 backcountry spring bear seasons just about 1 month away, now is the time to get prepared by getting your bear bait at an affordable price while supplies last. There are a lot of places to get bear bait, but only one place that can sell it as affordably priced as this. All our baits are priced at 20 cents per pound and are packaged in manageable sized packing from 35-pound buckets of peanut butter to 30 pound boxes of jellied candies. 2015 Idaho Spring Bear Season Begins with a Trophy Class Bear Our first official week of spring bear hunting in our backcountry unit 27 in Central Idaho began with a father son combo from Nebraska and when we went to sit a couple of baits within ear shot of each other, Cam (the son and youth hunter) and I were greeted by the sound of a rifle report just towards the end of legal light. With curiosity getting the best of us, we sprinted over to where his Dad Jeff had been sitting and he and his first year guide, Jacob Roy, were no where to be found. Four Generations Bear Hunt Well, the sun finally set on the last day of our 2019 Idaho spring bear hunting season and it ended on a very high note! We had 2 hunters in camp, and each scored on a bear and as all who were involved would tell you, it was the youth hunter harvesting his bear that managed to make the whole week so enjoyable. The weather was unseasonably comfortable, baits were incredibly active and as the last night came about for this young man to sit, our decision came down to which bait, of the several that were active, to sit that night. Well, as you can imagine, we guessed correctly, and this young man scored on a very respectable cinnamon boar. Comment (0) Comments are closed.