Terrain Navigator
CD ROM topographic map coverage for ALL of Alaska

Click for more information

Complete Catalogs

Alaska Hunting Books
Alaska Fishing Books
Alaska Travel Books

Plan Your
Alaska Trip
with The Milepost

Click here for more information or to
order your copy

[ Return to Contents | Post a Reply | Post a new message ]

You may have touched upon an important point. Most guys, even Alaskans, have little exposure to bears unless they're hunting or fishing. Some are exposed just by walking to the woodshed or outhouse in the morning. I'm somewhere in the middle. Overwhelmingly, most of my time spent outdoors is time spent unarmed. As I said before, I've had close bear encounters, and I've never needed a gun to terminate the encounter. Most of my encounters have occurred while I was unarmed. I firmly believe our most effective defense is common sense and situational awareness. When that fails, a 2x4 works pretty well, at least on black bears.

For the most part, guns diminish situational awareness and replace it with armed complacency. I believe that's why Tom Smith's statisitics don't favor firearms.

Pid

Message Thread:

• .44 big enough? AK375HH Jan 18 2006
  • My bear attack Ken R Jan 20 2006
    • reporting twodux Jan 21 2006
    • attack Mr. Pid Jan 20 2006
      • pepper spray Ken R Jan 21 2006
  • Stories Bigmnt Jan 20 2006
    • encounters Mr. Pid Jan 20 2006
  • bear protection walk-in Jan 20 2006
  • .44 and bears Kenaimike Jan 20 2006
  • Better than a knife martyv Jan 19 2006
    • 44 mag 4whlr Jan 19 2006
  • NOPE! Michael Strahan Jan 19 2006
    • Amen Bigmnt Jan 20 2006
    • difference twodux Jan 19 2006
    • handgun for bears groundpounder Jan 19 2006
    • Next to useless? Mr. Pid Jan 19 2006
      • Boy friend Bigmnt Jan 20 2006
      • Pssst vs BOOM Michael Strahan Jan 19 2006
        • in the field Mr. Pid Jan 19 2006
  • bullets buckmark Jan 19 2006
  • Handguns for Bears... Murphy Jan 18 2006
    • what Murphy said... AlbertJohnson Jan 25 2006
    • report on this stuff ursus1 Jan 19 2006
      • New math Bigmnt Jan 20 2006
        • english teacher too? ursus1 Jan 20 2006
    • Murphy & Archives Hutchinator Jan 18 2006
      • .44 Mag Jake_65_65 Jan 19 2006
        • 44 vs. 6ft black bear AlaskaCub Jan 20 2006
  • good info huntingmandan Jan 18 2006
    • handguns BrownBear Jan 18 2006
      • 44 mag Mr. Pid Jan 18 2006
        • BTW Mr. Pid Jan 18 2006
          • Is it enough? Snowwolfe Jan 18 2006
            • To Stop a Charge? Whogoose Jan 18 2006
              • deterrents Mr. Pid Jan 18 2006