Bear fighting tactics needed

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Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,149
57
91
Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
What's your 40 time?

You can't outrun a bear.

You can if you have a head start. Bears are faster, but can't go for long. If one comes at you from a decent distance, I'd run the opposite way and hope he got tired trying to catch you.

Now if he's right in front of you, then you are correct.
 

chusteczka

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2006
3,400
1
71
Make noise while walking. The bears will hear you coming and will avoid you by leaving the area. It would be bad to startle a bear and you will not get far by fighting it.

Carry two sticks and bang them together. Sing, shout every 20 feet or so. You will not see any animals by making noise but then you will not surprise a bear either.
 

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
In all seriousness, in mating season you won't be in nearly as much danger as after they have their cubs. Momma bears are far more deadly than ho bears.
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
0
Originally posted by: mizzou
I'm hiking in the backcountry of smokey mountains where there is reportedly 1 bear every 1 square mile.

Will be mating season, so I need to know how to fight black bears w/out a gun.

I currently just have a small tactical style buck-knife with a 3 inch x 2 inch blade, pretty sturdy and sharp for stabbing, but I would have to be real damn close.

I was thinking maybe just pick up a stick along the way and use it as a pike against a bear? Like stick it in it's mouth or something.

Apparently you can't play dead w/ aggressive black bears

Idiot thread of the week.... get a .357 magnum or similar pistol. :roll:
 

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
46,127
9,010
136
Originally posted by: uberman
You could also dress like a female bear so the male bears won't be mean to you. Dress conservativly as a bear, don't wear suggestive bear outfits.

It's a common noob mistake! :p

 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,953
137
106
Originally posted by: uberman
I used to live in Kodiak, AK. The government would give the Young Adult Conservation Corp .270 rifles for bears. You should make lots of noise in the woods to scare the bear rather than startle it. We never thought handguns were good for bears.

You could also dress like a female bear so the male bears won't be mean to you. Dress conservativly as a bear, don't wear suggestive bear outfits.

A guy was being chased by a grizzly at Mt. McKinley Park in Alaska. While running he threw down his pack with the food in it. The bear went after the pack. The guy ran away.


..the noise is the best advice. experienced hikers will wear a small bell or some other noise maker. I put small bells on my dogs. I see lots of bear scat but not the bears.
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,540
16
0
Originally posted by: IGBT

..the noise is the best advice. experienced hikers will wear a small bell or some other noise maker. I put small bells on my dogs. I see lots of bear scat but not the bears.

Does the scat have bells in it?
 

Rebasxer

Golden Member
Apr 10, 2005
1,270
2
0
This is one of the stupidest posts I have read in a long time. The OP is trying to fight off a bear with a three inch blade tied to a stick and a hatchet. Get a large caliber handgun or a rifle. Jesus
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,953
137
106
Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Originally posted by: IGBT

..the noise is the best advice. experienced hikers will wear a small bell or some other noise maker. I put small bells on my dogs. I see lots of bear scat but not the bears.

Does the scat have bells in it?

..no. lots of hair. some of it blonde.

 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
Originally posted by: Rebasxer
This is one of the stupidest posts I have read in a long time. The OP is trying to fight off a bear with a three inch blade tied to a stick and a hatchet. Get a large caliber handgun or a rifle. Jesus

OH jeez,
I am doing what thousands of people do every year, hike in the Smokey Mountains, where there will likely be dozens more people per square mile vs. the population of bears.

So would a gun be safe in that situation? Do I even own a $500-$1000 gun?

No, I just own a nice hatchet and a pocket knife, and I need some survival tactics in case a bear decides to make me his lunch.

I.E., where are it's weak spots, should I jab or slash? Go for the nose or the eyes? Axe or Knife?


 

Sumguy

Golden Member
Jun 2, 2007
1,409
0
0
Originally posted by: mizzou
Originally posted by: Rebasxer
This is one of the stupidest posts I have read in a long time. The OP is trying to fight off a bear with a three inch blade tied to a stick and a hatchet. Get a large caliber handgun or a rifle. Jesus

OH jeez,
I am doing what thousands of people do every year, hike in the Smokey Mountains, where there will likely be dozens more people per square mile vs. the population of bears.

So would a gun be safe in that situation? Do I even own a $500-$1000 gun?

No, I just own a nice hatchet and a pocket knife, and I need some survival tactics in case a bear decides to make me his lunch.

I.E., where are it's weak spots, should I jab or slash? Go for the nose or the eyes? Axe or Knife?

Well, honestly, considering how large a bear is I would say the only reasonable "weak point" is anything on the face. But then again, you would probably get owned if you are close enough with a hatchet/knife. You also have to consider that you are shitting yourself from fear because a bear is attacking you.

Buy a bear bell o_O
 

buck

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
12,273
4
81
Stop being such a nancy, my 60 year old dad hikes on the appalachian trail by himself a few times a year (not all, just parts of it).
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
Originally posted by: buck
Stop being such a nancy, my 60 year old dad hikes on the appalachian trail by himself a few times a year (not all, just parts of it).

I hear it's really nice which is why I am going. I just was very surprised when I heard there are roughly 1-2 bears per 2 square miles of federal and state owned land.

I tend to always think of worst case scenarios all the time so I'm just mentally preparing myself should I be the one to get struck by lightning =)
 

rubix

Golden Member
Oct 16, 1999
1,302
2
0
you need to learn russian wrestling and how to do a super piledriver after a short kick.
 
Jun 8, 2008
43
0
0
I don't know what you guys are talking about. Any male that weighs at least 150 pounds can easily take a black bear, or any bear for that matter, in one on one combat. All you need to do is get wrist control then punch it in the nose and it's head will pop off and candies will come out. I'm surprised no one knew this.
 

ConstipatedVigilante

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2006
7,671
1
0
Originally posted by: S h o o B i E x
I don't know what you guys are talking about. Any male that weighs at least 150 pounds can easily take a black bear, or any bear for that matter, in one on one combat. All you need to do is get wrist control then punch it in the nose and it's head will pop off and candies will come out. I'm surprised no one knew this.

Wrist control is the key...but do bears have wrists per se?
 
Jun 8, 2008
43
0
0
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Originally posted by: S h o o B i E x
I don't know what you guys are talking about. Any male that weighs at least 150 pounds can easily take a black bear, or any bear for that matter, in one on one combat. All you need to do is get wrist control then punch it in the nose and it's head will pop off and candies will come out. I'm surprised no one knew this.

Wrist control is the key...but do bears have wrists per se?

Yeah for sure their there. They are just wearing magic bracelets that add +10 meat to there bones. I can understand why you didn't know. I only bear experts, like myself, know such details.
 

Cogman

Lifer
Sep 19, 2000
10,277
125
106
Originally posted by: mizzou
OH jeez,
I am doing what thousands of people do every year, hike in the Smokey Mountains, where there will likely be dozens more people per square mile vs. the population of bears.

So would a gun be safe in that situation? Do I even own a $500-$1000 gun?

No, I just own a nice hatchet and a pocket knife, and I need some survival tactics in case a bear decides to make me his lunch.

I.E., where are it's weak spots, should I jab or slash? Go for the nose or the eyes? Axe or Knife?

There isn't likely going to be more people per sqaure mile then bears. If that where the case, then there wouldn't be such a high bear density in the first place.

Contrary to popular opinion, bears are actually scared of people. If you make a fair amount of noise while hiking (IE, go in a small group and carry on conversations) they will leave you alone.

A gun would be perfectly safe in this situation provide you don't act like a moron and shoot at every moving bush. Heck, a shot straight up into the air will do wonders to scare away any creature.

As for attacking the bear, that is a mistake, especially with close ranged weapons. Considering some bears can survive several bullets before going down, you would be lucky to even slow him down. You best bet is to scare them away by being loud, not sneak around and look for their weak spots.