• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Why carry a big knife?

I always laugh when I'm in the woods and hear bear bells. When I was growing up, we called those "dinner bells". I really like that bear sticky idea. Hmmmm....

Below is what I use as bear protection right now. Never needed it, because we have black bear around here and they are pretty easy to spot and scare off, if needed. Use your head and you won't ever need to tangle with a black bear.

665828.jpg
 
Multiple neighboors claim to have seen a "black panther" near our farm. I haven't seen any sign of it yet. But the conservation department has finally admitted that there are mountain lions in the state.

Black bears haven't made it quite this far north yet, though there are now some in the very southern parts of Missouri.

I prefer a handy rifle for bear protection.

3368.jpg
 
I've hiked/camped/backpacked all over Colorado for years and have seen signs of bear (tracks, scat, claw marks, etc.), but have never seen one up close. It'll be the one time I don't go armed that I'll have problems...
 
SaturatedShadow said:
Multiple neighboors claim to have seen a "black panther" near our farm. I haven't seen any sign of it yet. But the conservation department has finally admitted that there are mountain lions in the state.

Black bears haven't made it quite this far north yet, though there are now some in the very southern parts of Missouri.

I prefer a handy rifle for bear protection.

3368.jpg
Click to expand...


Great rifle!

I live as far south as u can get in MO...and indeed we have a few very scarce black bears. I've seen tracks a couple times but have only seen 1 and that was a half-grown cub on the side of the road as I left for work one morning bout 5AM. Think it was in 2003 IIRC.

There aint enough bears in MO to have a legal season, but interestingly enuff I also live in north AR a lot of the time where it IS legal to bear hunt yet I have never seen a bear or bear sign in AR.
 
Out and about in Idaho I carry

454SS5M.jpg


Cats don't bother me and make nice rugs. We have big brown bears around here though and If you ever see a grizzly up close and personal you become highly aware of your own mortality. I hate bears I make it a point to shoot every one I see, one less to sneak up on you later.

I made camp one time after hiking and sat down and got busy stuffing my face with a meal in a bag, looked up after a couple minutes and a grizzly is just standing 10-12 feet away looking at me. Then he huffs at me. Scary? I know I turned every single shade of white known to man. Tossed the food over to him which he was quite pleased with then put 3 shots of hand cannon in his head.
Ruined my dinner and made me hike further up the big furry bastid.
 
I take it they penetrated the skull ok? I've heard of people using 45 ACP and just pissing off the bear, which is why I found a 44mag.
 
I've got a marlin 45-70 that I am pretty sure would do the trick, never have had the need to carry it but if I do I would be confident. Just the sound that comes out of that thing would be enough for the black bears round here. As for grizzly's, not so sure. But he would have to work for it that's for sure.
 
I personally have been playing in the woods of northern Pa my whole life and have never seen a black bear untill 7 years ago when I started archery hunting. He ran like hell when I stood up. But the playing dead is only true about grizzleys, black don't care dead or not they will keep munching. Just some food for thought. So walk softly and carry a Big stick is something I have always done be it hand cannon or rifle and now BK 9 at my side!
 
I never really thought about carrying a rifle in the woods, but I picked up a Ruger 77 MKII .308 last summer and it's the "sporter" model, so it's got a 16" barrel and you don't even really notice it after you sling it. It would probably strap to a hiking pack just fine. Maybe I'll have to consider using it for more than deer season and then I can carry my 22 on the side for more fun shooting.
 
From 1965 to 2003, I went bear hunting in Alaska every year. For most of those years, my primary rifle was a Winchester .375H&H. In the mid-90's, I switched to a Marlin 45/70 Gov't since it was lighter and easier to carry all day...getting old really sucks. Our backup was an 870 12ga loaded with slugs. Occasionally, I'd carry a S&W 29 in a belt holster, but I usually left it at home. I figured if a big rifle and a 12ga wouldn't kill it, I probably shouldn't have pissed it off to begin with. The thought of carrying a knife for anything other than camp duty never crossed our minds.
 
SpookyDriver said:
From 1965 to 2003, I went bear hunting in Alaska every year. For most of those years, my primary rifle was a Winchester .375H&H. In the mid-90's, I switched to a Marlin 45/70 Gov't since it was lighter and easier to carry all day...getting old really sucks. Our backup was an 870 12ga loaded with slugs. Occasionally, I'd carry a S&W 29 in a belt holster, but I usually left it at home. I figured if a big rifle and a 12ga wouldn't kill it, I probably shouldn't have pissed it off to begin with. The thought of carrying a knife for anything other than camp duty never crossed our minds.
Click to expand...
Nice to know the 45-70 works :D I love mine, I mainly bought it to be the loadest guy at the range. Even made one gal drop her pistol. How well does it work on big bear?
 
405gr hard cast blow a 1/2" hole all the way through. I've only killed four with the Marlin. Never needed more than two shots.

gg1.jpg


A pair of tumors took my hearing , otherwise I'd still be going up there. Too damn dangerous to wander in bear territory if you can't hear what's going on around you.
 
Last edited:
sounds like we need that Becker 3 bolt hold spear mount soon :) if i had to mess with a bear and i only had a knife, it had best be on a long stick :)

been reading forum accounts here and there of hog hunts, and how people with goodly calibers shoot them square on the head, and they go down, only to get back up again - perhaps a little to a lot messed up, but the one shot to the head one kill thing doesn't work with that much bone unless you got the righteous angle. apparently they're just made of made of meat else where. just like bear. furry pig :>

oh, was reading another post the other day on "one shot one kill" with regards to .45 acp. seems a cop got shot up bad by some, didn't die, nearly lost his foot/leg but managed to put the bad guy down anyway. good on him.
 
SpookyDriver said:
405gr hard cast blow a 1/2" hole all the way through. I've only killed four with the Marlin. Never needed more than two shots.

gg1.jpg


A pair of tumors took my hearing , otherwise I'd still be going up there. Too damn dangerous to wander in bear territory if you can't hear what's going on around you.
Click to expand...

Good to know, man I love that gun :D
 
Skystorm said:
Out and about in Idaho I carry

454SS5M.jpg


Cats don't bother me and make nice rugs. We have big brown bears around here though and If you ever see a grizzly up close and personal you become highly aware of your own mortality. I hate bears I make it a point to shoot every one I see, one less to sneak up on you later.

I made camp one time after hiking and sat down and got busy stuffing my face with a meal in a bag, looked up after a couple minutes and a grizzly is just standing 10-12 feet away looking at me. Then he huffs at me. Scary? I know I turned every single shade of white known to man. Tossed the food over to him which he was quite pleased with then put 3 shots of hand cannon in his head.
Ruined my dinner and made me hike further up the big furry bastid.
Click to expand...

Haha.

.454. I love some .454. It is a very nice round, and fun to shoot. Especially when your hand goes numb.

:D
MKK
 
I only shoot the thing as an absolute last resort. It's heavy and I hate packing it around. I just hate being made into bear poo more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top