During a bit of a crazy first year of fishing I encountered quite a few near-death experiences, and for 2015 want to do my best to keep those down to the bare minimum. With that in mind, I've been recommended by my dad and another over-protective friend to buy a shotgun for when I'm off in the bush alone wandering aimlessly to find a fish.
My favorite trips were hiking in seldom travelled areas with nothing but my rod and a tiny pill bottle of small choice lures. The idea of adding weight doesn't appeal to me, but I did run into a bear last year as well as know of wolf dens and cougars in the area.
Biggest decision then is do you think I should get a shotgun or not? I'm sure the statistics of animal attacks are low, but I do seem to hear of quite a few - plus I'm a bit cursed and have bad luck so it's probably just a matter of time before I wander in the wrong bush and the wrong time. That being said there is such a thing as being over-prepared, and I don't want to be bogged down by every piece of safety equipment.
If the general consensus is to get one, any recommendations? Price and weight would be the biggest factors for me.
Another topic of concern would be on when it's allowed to use and not. For this I would do the research, but if any members happen to know general areas that you can't protect yourself with a shotgun, let me know. I haven't been to any Provincial Parks yet but imagine there's laws there. I wouldn't mind going to get a Golden Trout again and have a feeling it might not be allowed to bring a shotgun to those mountainous regions, but don't know for sure.
I don't know much about this topic and keep in mind I am aware of that and that's the reason I'm asking - I will not get a gun and go shooting up the place blindly, so please keep any smart@ss comments away
50-50 chance of being mauled or killled using a firearm
use search function this comes up a lot and the statistics are readily available showing 98% of people using bear spray escape an encounter unharmed but using a firearm accounts for 50 death or injury from wounded bear.
use search function this comes up a lot and the statistics are readily available showing 98% of people using bear spray escape an encounter unharmed but using a firearm accounts for 50 death or injury from wounded bear.
Thanks ww...that's good to know. I actually made myself a little safety kit. It was just a knife and a bear spray bottle in a holster that I held up with a belt over my waders...lol. Guess that should work!
Thanks ww...that's good to know. I actually made myself a little safety kit. It was just a knife and a bear spray bottle in a holster that I held up with a belt over my waders...lol. Guess that should work!
Personally I would not carry a gun for the purposes that you mentioned. Bear spray perhaps.
I do not think you'd be allowed to carry a weapon in the National Parks.
As for Provincial parks
"Firearms and Hunting
• Hunting and the carrying and discharging of
firearms are not permitted in most provincial
parks and recreation areas.
• Hunting is permitted in wildland parks and
there are limited hunting seasons in some
provincial parks and recreation areas. For
information on hunting in these locations,
refer to the annual “Alberta Guide to Hunting
Regulations” (available in print and on the
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource
Development web site at esrd.alberta.ca) or
visit AlbertaParks.ca/hunting."
My advice as well would be to always make some noise as you hike through the bush or remote areas. Wear a set of loud bells on your backpack. Carry a small marine horn and let her rip a couple times along the trail. They'll hear you coming long before you ever get a chance to have a face to face encounter and will clear off. The horn will scare the bejeebers out of a lot of them especially if forced to use up close and personal. Always carry bear spray and by the sounds of it you may want to get a lucky rabbits foot to take along too.
Great topic here, I also wouldn't bring a weapon either, kinda limits where you can be. Bear spray and a horn is sufficient to keep safe,safer than to carry a weapon and actually ''encounter'' an animal. One thing I've got to ask is if pepper/bear spray can be used on other harmful/aggressive animals when circumstances may require (when charging at you)
Great topic here, I also wouldn't bring a weapon either, kinda limits where you can be. Bear spray and a horn is sufficient to keep safe,safer than to carry a weapon and actually ''encounter'' an animal. One thing I've got to ask is if pepper/bear spray can be used on other harmful/aggressive animals when circumstances may require (when charging at you)
Good to know, I've got a big bottle of it. Always expires before need to use it (a good thing), but worth your life. Always good to carry one whenever you're out and if you don't need to use it- good but if you used it and survived - even better
carried a light shotgun (20 g, single shot), or a handgun, with me on some of my adventures into "deep" wilderness, but never fired them on any such occasions, and they were a real pain when wading the canyon creeks or tough bushwhacking in question - the only way to travel those creeks/rivers. Almost all the encounters I have had with bears (several) or a cougar (once) were them just running away from the considerable noise I (we, sometimes) made as I/we hiked into their territory. If I had known about "bear spray" at the time, I would have carried it instead. I think the advice to be "noisy" is the single best deterrent. I will acquire some bearspray if and when I undertake any such new adventures.
The only time I ever actually fired a weapon was in respect to deterring an "acclimatized" black bear that was raiding an actual provincial campsite in the Kakwa area - we hardly ever camped in any "official" campground, but did on that occasion (we had some "yuppies" along who were deathly afraid of not having a real "toilet" nearby) - this guy/gal was pretty happy with the easy food situation (?), until he/she got chased by a couple of 12g shotgun blasts (over his/her head - I did not want to actually put some shot in its ass) at 3 am - he/she was actually sniffing around the edges of a couple of the tents when the occupants awoke me with their screams - that was the last camping trip for those yuppies - funny to me how the "civilized" campground was actually more "dangerous" in this respect than our usual "random" camping sites (?). Never had a bear show up at any of those places in the night.
But I always put the food coolers inside a truck at bedtime, and don't allow any food tossing into the bush - bones and other detritus go into the fire. The squirrels and mice have always been far more trouble than any carnivores. A squirrel which gets into the bread bag (and they will, very inventively) will take "one bite" out of each piece, down the loaf, and cause great distress to those who can't live with bread slices that have a small chunk out of them (?). Or, if one leaves the can of nuts on the picnic table, they will chew through the plastic lid to get at them (actual experience). I have yet to challenge the local squirrels with a firearm - my boys find their antics quite entertaining in this regard.
Get some bearspray and/or some bells, as suggested, and it is very unlikely that we will be reading about your demise at the hands of some carnivores - more likely is the article about an enraged outdoorsman strangling some "cute squirrels" (?).
I carry some bear bangers and spray. Ive only had to use a banger once.
Both are quite effective its said ( i hope so) and beats packing a heavy gun which id probably never get time to use anyhow.
Read the fine print on the wording of the Bear Spray study. It was conducted in the U.S. where Bear Spray is manufactured with a 10% minimum of active ingredient. In fact, in some states, you can't even call it Bear Spray unless it is minimum of 10%.
Now look at your Canadian can of Bear Spray. The high end stuff is 1%. The cheaper stuff is .75%. Huge difference. Cops use 10%. Some humans who are enraged can fight back thru the spray.
Now factor in the wind. If it is against you, which it usually is, or else the bear would have scented you and vacated the area, the effective range is, 1.) Greatly reduced and 2.) You are about to Bear Spray yourself. Even with good wind, the spray still manages to vortex and some will find you, and may incapacitate you at a time when it is extremely inopportune.
The Bear Spray study throws out a skewed result and should be taken with a grain of salt.
If you are charged by a bear without warning, you cannot deploy your firearm fast enough and neither can you deploy your bear spray fast enough.
If a bear stalks you or challenges you, you have enough time for either defense. If you are calm and careful, the firearm works everytime. If you are calm and careful, the bear spray will likely work, as long as the wind co-operates. You choose.
An old park warden I knew from Jasper did not like the bear sprays. Too weak he said and he said that more times than enough it would just infuriate the bear. He was a veteran of the park bear wars and knew what he was talking about. His best defense that he favored over bear spray was a fire extinguisher. Said he thought it took away their air, you had way more capacity, and it didn't incapacitate the operator with blowback.
Bear Spray is better than nothing, but I can assure you, there is drawbacks.
I carry some bear bangers and spray. Ive only had to use a banger once.
Both are quite effective its said ( i hope so) and beats packing a heavy gun which id probably never get time to use anyhow.
Just make sure when using the bangers that it lands between you and the bear and not on the far side of the bear, as you will then drive the bear at you.
Fished in many remote areas with high predator numbers and have not need or felt that I needed to carry a shotgun. North western BC running into bears out fishing is a given the ? Is will they be black bear or grizz. Most want no part of you.
I have also run remote traplines checking baits with no real issue
If you want to carry a shotgun go for it in legal areas but I personally see no point. A loud whistle or bear bangers are easier to carry and scare the crap out of wildlife.
If predators really wanted to eat people we would be screwed. In reality animals like to conflict avoid with people.
Using your head will keep you safer than a shotgun. Educate your self about the predators out there will do you more good than anything you can carry
I carry bear spray, and have never had to use it... Have yet (knock on wood) had to encounter a bear. I do bring my dog with me 80% of the time, and I know he would sacrifice his life for me if I ever do run into a bear... Although that would suck royaly if it ever happened.... I have run into a couple bears hunting, one was coming up the tree line towards me in a ground blind and all I had was a muzzle loader (hunting in MB) once it got to within 50 yards and was starting to get concerned, so I stood up and yelled "hey, get outta here" bear instantly turned and took off!
Another quick story, I fell last year into a dried creek bed with bear spray on my hip, any one who says it isn't strong enough lol ya... Have a bath in it, it fricken burns man! It was an hour before I could get some where to wash it off my side, it burnt for hours ! I had to keep getting in and out of a cold shower for hours, it was brutal. Thank god I didn't get it in the face... Finally I soaked a Towel in milk and put that on my side, couple xtra strength advils and I was able to fall asleep... And it made me puke from inhaling.. That stuff is nasty!
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We take these risks in life, not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us. Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams. - No Fear
Never say never, my answer, don't stop shooting until the bear stops moving!:
Did not say it never happens but in reality it is very uncommon. Like I said moose are worse check the stats.
You could choke on your food as well but does that mean we should blend all our food before eating?
Like I said have at it carry your shotgun in areas you can legally carry. In my opinion I see no point and have spent a lot of time in heavily populated bear country beyond anything you will find in Alberta.
Educate your self on bear body language and you will know when to stay and fish or when to move on.
More people worried about them the better for me keeps my fishing spots peaceful
FYI: I am not an advocate of being petrified by bears nor to restrict your outdoor adventures because bears live in the areas you are frequenting.
I have been attacked by one black bear already, and I just prefer to be aware of the environment I am in and to carry a big stick when I feel it necessary.
Try cow elk chirping in Grizz country, you may be surprised what shows up!
FYI: I am not an advocate of being petrified by bears nor to restrict your outdoor adventures because bears live in the areas you are frequenting.
I have been attacked by one black bear already, and I just prefer to be aware on the environment I am in and to carry a big stick when I feel it necessary.
Try cow elk chirping in Grizz country, you may be surprised what shows up!
Attack do you mean charged or actually got a claw on you? If it got a hold of you I could see where your stance comes from. Charged been there and bluff charges will make your butt hole pucker.
I have actually bowhunted grizz in BC and many black bear. Spot and stalk or calling are my methods. Fully aware of how bears react to calls try a fawn/calf in distress during late spring like ringing a dinner bell.
My stance comes from a lot of exposure to both species of bear hunting them and being in the bush with them. Hold a lot of respect for them and will stand firm that education on bear encounters is far more valuable than anything you carry
Personally I will take bear bangers over a shotgun less likely to turn a tense situation into an injured bear wanting to chew on you. This comes from having to finish 2 injured bears do to scared Rambos.
Attack do you mean charged or actually got a claw on you? If it got a hold of you I could see where your stance comes from. Charged been there and bluff charges will make your butt hole pucker.
I have actually bowhunted grizz in BC and many black bear. Spot and stalk or calling are my methods. Fully aware of how bears react to calls try a fawn/calf in distress during late spring like ringing a dinner bell.
My stance comes from a lot of exposure to both species of bear hunting them and being in the bush with them. Hold a lot of respect for them and will stand firm that education on bear encounters is far more valuable than anything you carry
Personally I will take bear bangers over a shotgun less likely to turn a tense situation into an injured bear wanting to chew on you. This comes from having to finish 2 injured bears do to scared Rambos.
Well every situation is different for sure, the bear I killed, was about 12" away while I was in a tree stand. 12" goes way beyond bluffing, and I have seen a few bluff charges in my day, where I did not shoot.
I say anything thing closer then 50 Ft. based on my experiences is way too close for my liking. For the record, I have killed several bears with bows and I stopped killing bears years ago because I found it relatively easy, plus I do not eat bear meat and do not want to kill anything I do not eat.
Shotgun! Operation stay alive...
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