Is carrying a side arm necessary?

[h2ofowlr]

I always carry one.  I have ran across to many tweakers up in the woods over the years.  Along with pot grows and other stuff.  I just don't trust some of the people I have seen or ran into behind closed gates.
Came back to my rig a few years back and someone was trying to break into it.  Always nice to be prepared for the unexpected situation.  One carry's one as they hope nothing will ever happen.  Only takes one bad situation.

[buglebrush]

Is a headlamp necessary?  No, but I am way more comfortable carrying both.  I have had to kill a bear point blank with my .44 too.   

[Mxracer532]

My wife got to find out that bear spray has a reverse effect on whacked out drug addicts.  Just seemed to make him more mad and determined.  Sounds like the "...failure-miss-wound and angry more severe attacks are possible" narrative can be used for gun or bear spray.  Although if you really have to save your life what the heck is wrong with death.  Better his than yours!

There are multiple instances of (usually drug crazed) humans being shot more than 20 times and surviving.

On bears, spray is statistically more likely to stop a charge than a firearm.

I remember reading this a while back.  If I remember correctly (what are the chances of that  ), the survey picked every firearm bear encounter and every spray encounter.  I think a bear spray usage encounter is straightforward enough--bear charges human, human sprays with actual bear spray (not human level pepper spray).  For the firearms, it was stuff like a guy wounded a bear.  Then went to the bushes to find said bear.  Then the bear jumped out and got him before he could get a second shot.  Or things like using a .223 or a 9 mm and having a bear encounter. Quite a few guys I knew in Alaska used .243 for their deer rifles and didn't carry a sidearm--Ketchikan area, I'm not sure I could've done that.  Guess I'd like to see the .300 Win Mag and up comparison to bear spray.

I used a .243 on my Wenaha Spring bear last year. 95gn Berger put it down no problem.

[Jonathan_S]

I don't know Mudman.  When a neighbor worked at Olympic NP he had to use bear spray on a goat.  The goat killed a guy a couple weeks later.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Hiker-killed-by-mountain-goat-in-Olympic-Nat-l-887209.php

[Mongo Hunter]

If I knew I was going to need it, I wouldn't go there. that's why I always have it no matter what.

[Gringo31]

If I'm on a hike, I'll carry.


If I'm bowhunting I don't.  I don't get nightmares of a bear/cougar/wolf attacking me.  To me it's like being worried about being stuck by lightning.  I've hunted black bear in alaska with only my bow (much to my brother freaking out) but I did pack and have a backup shooter when chasing browns with my bow. 

Keep a cool head fellas!  THAT is your best weapon.....and I'm fortunate to only really spend time in tweeker free areas. 

[Kittman]

If you can carry and don't, why, might be a better question.

[headshot5]

Is carrying a sidearm necessary?  No. 

Is being a victim necessary?  No. 

Personally I pack a pistol if I'm not already packing a rifle.  I carry because I've seen some crazy stuff in the woods.     

[CP]

I’d rather hunt without a sidearm than walk the streets of Seattle without one.

[jasnt]

My wife got to find out that bear spray has a reverse effect on whacked out drug addicts.  Just seemed to make him more mad and determined.  Sounds like the "...failure-miss-wound and angry more severe attacks are possible" narrative can be used for gun or bear spray.  Although if you really have to save your life what the heck is wrong with death.  Better his than yours!

There are multiple instances of (usually drug crazed) humans being shot more than 20 times and surviving.

On bears, spray is statistically more likely to stop a charge than a firearm.

I remember reading this a while back.  If I remember correctly (what are the chances of that  ), the survey picked every firearm bear encounter and every spray encounter.  I think a bear spray usage encounter is straightforward enough--bear charges human, human sprays with actual bear spray (not human level pepper spray).  For the firearms, it was stuff like a guy wounded a bear.  Then went to the bushes to find said bear.  Then the bear jumped out and got him before he could get a second shot.  Or things like using a .223 or a 9 mm and having a bear encounter. Quite a few guys I knew in Alaska used .243 for their deer rifles and didn't carry a sidearm--Ketchikan area, I'm not sure I could've done that.  Guess I'd like to see the .300 Win Mag and up comparison to bear spray.

I used a .243 on my Wenaha Spring bear last year. 95gn Berger put it down no problem.

killed my bear last year with my 243

[Mudman]

I don't know Mudman.  When a neighbor worked at Olympic NP he had to use bear spray on a goat.  The goat killed a guy a couple weeks later.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Hiker-killed-by-mountain-goat-in-Olympic-Nat-l-887209.php

Ya, thats it, thanks.  Man Moose and Goats are to be respected.  A sidearm is always an option for sure but I feel the need is greater when dealing with people compared to our local animals.  Sprays work for me yet things can change.  I can say a black bear confrontation ends with an arrow just like a bullet.  Alaska would be both gun and sprays!  A Grizz and Cougar are what makes my hair stand up-If it was still on top of my head!

[JimmyHoffa]

My wife got to find out that bear spray has a reverse effect on whacked out drug addicts.  Just seemed to make him more mad and determined.  Sounds like the "...failure-miss-wound and angry more severe attacks are possible" narrative can be used for gun or bear spray.  Although if you really have to save your life what the heck is wrong with death.  Better his than yours!

There are multiple instances of (usually drug crazed) humans being shot more than 20 times and surviving.

On bears, spray is statistically more likely to stop a charge than a firearm.

I remember reading this a while back.  If I remember correctly (what are the chances of that  ), the survey picked every firearm bear encounter and every spray encounter.  I think a bear spray usage encounter is straightforward enough--bear charges human, human sprays with actual bear spray (not human level pepper spray).  For the firearms, it was stuff like a guy wounded a bear.  Then went to the bushes to find said bear.  Then the bear jumped out and got him before he could get a second shot.  Or things like using a .223 or a 9 mm and having a bear encounter. Quite a few guys I knew in Alaska used .243 for their deer rifles and didn't carry a sidearm--Ketchikan area, I'm not sure I could've done that.  Guess I'd like to see the .300 Win Mag and up comparison to bear spray.

I used a .243 on my Wenaha Spring bear last year. 95gn Berger put it down no problem.

killed my bear last year with my 243

For black bears sure.  I use .25 cal-100 gr for black bear.  In brown bear territory if I didn't have a big rifle/shotgun, I'd at least have a big pistol.

[jasnt]

Ya I like my 44mag for big bear areas!

[JJB11B]

I have to laugh at a friend of mine. He told me as I was heading out after a bear one day, "A 7mm short mag will not kill a bear" I just scratched my head and left. sad thing is he tagged out on deer and bear and I ate tag soup.

[RadSav]

I have to laugh at a friend of mine. He told me as I was heading out after a bear one day, "A 7mm short mag will not kill a bear" I just scratched my head and left. sad thing is he tagged out on deer and bear and I ate tag soup.

No gun can kill a bear if you never see one to shoot at.  So I guess he was right!  

Reminds me of the months leading up to killing my first bear.  The local hunting store owner had my mother demanding I not hunt alone.  He had convinced her I could not kill a bear with a bow and I'd surely end up dead if I tried.  After killing my first bear, alone with a bow and no backup gun of any kind, he told her I was just lucky and found a small passive bear.  He said the same thing on bear #2, #3, and #4.  On bear #5 he told my mother that maybe I was just unique.  To which, as my mother recalls, she responded with, "Oh he's unique alright!"  To this day I'm not sure if she was standing up for me or telling him I'm not right in the head.