# Carrying firearms for defense against an aggressive bear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420 "2024-04-17T18:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/21 "2024-04-18T03:51:00Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > If you’re doing it for a living (nature/wilderness guide) in an area with bears, or other large critters, take a rifle. Something rugged, ideally easily portable, and with enough punch to deal with the target as quickly as possible. That’s what I was thinking. Ideally, were I ever to encounter a hostile bear, I’d spot it from a distance and I would prefer having a rifle to deal with the situation. While a rifle wouldn’t likely be of much use if I were surprised, I rather suspect I’d be in the same boat if I were armed with a pistol as I’m not exactly Quickdraw McGraw over here. But then I don’t feel as though I’d be able to make much use of bear spray if I were surprised either. Usually people carry a pistol when it’s not practical to carry a rifle. They’ve got to figure out the benefits and risks associated with whatever activity they’re engaged in. I live in Arkansas and have never felt the need to carry a firearm while outdoors unless I was hunting deer. If I lived in Alaska I might opt for a pistol instead of a rifle if it were more convenient. I’d like to go to Alaksa one of these days and I’ll probably get some bear spray if I do. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/22 "2024-04-18T04:22:25Z")
Bear spray and free expression of one’s feelings [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B3qhEIZBlX8/hqdefault.jpg "Bear Attacks Girl’s Kayak (Full Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3qhEIZBlX8) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/23 "2024-04-18T04:25:33Z")
Get to that study on carrying out in the woods. I’ve heard the bear population is on the rise in Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/24 "2024-04-18T08:12:09Z")
I get the impression people are thinking that my little camping group’s first impulse upon seeing a bear would be to attempt to shoot it. No. At a distance we’d probably just watch but do nothing. If it started to approach we’d fire a round to make noise. Locals have told us that that almost always discourages further approach. Only if we were being charged or otherwise directly and immediately threatened would we shoot the actual bear. And yes, we are aware that guns are not magic wands and merely wounding a bear can further provoke it. There is other wildlife there that could potentially pose a risk. I want to make it clear that none of us were carrying or considering pistols. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/25 "2024-04-18T12:10:15Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I get the impression people are thinking that my little camping group’s first impulse upon seeing a bear would be to attempt to shoot it… I certainly didn’t get that impression, @Broomstick. The whole reason I started this thread, though, was to pass on the finding that bear spray is considered more effective in deterring aggressive bears than firearms. This is because lots of people seem to be under the mistaken impression that a firearm is an easy way to deal with an aggressive bear. It’s not. At close range, it’s very much a last resort and is quite likely to fail, whereas bear spray is quite likely to succeed. So were I in your situation, I would consider the use of bear spray in the step _after_ firing a round to hopefully scare it off and _before_ the step of shooting a charging bear. Of course you have to consider the possible effects of bear spray on any asthmatics in the group. It appears that you have done that and decided the potential risk to them is too high. That is a judgement call that I am not in a position to make. Personally, I am [mildly] asthmatic and have decided that I would rather take that chance rather than trying to deal with an aggressive bear with a firearm. Again, this is a judgment call. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/26 "2024-04-18T12:25:42Z")
Black bears live here. They are quite the menace to bird feeders especially the suet ones. Otherwise, not really any kind of a threat. If a small pet or small livestock is taken, that’s usually a coyote or fox. They have been known to eat chickens, but what doesn’t? They lumber away if they see a person. Not a threat. People seem to be extremely anxious to use guns for everything, when brains are what’s needed. When I lived in the West where rattlesnakes are common, I just kept an eye out for them. They rattle, you know. Just go around them. Killing animals just because they scare you is cowardly machismo at its worst. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/27 "2024-04-18T12:33:01Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Bear spray, on the other hand, is reportedly far more effective. It produces a cloud of irritating spray that is far more likely to repel a bear and stop an attack. Hah! Proof yet again that, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/28 "2024-04-18T13:15:23Z")
You don’t need firearms if you work for John West. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QYn1chaCqp8/hqdefault.jpg "Man Fighting Bear for Tastiest most tender Salmon TV Commercial John West | 2000's UK TV ADVERT") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYn1chaCqp8) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/29 "2024-04-18T13:41:14Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > When I lived in the West where rattlesnakes are common, I just kept an eye out for them. They rattle, you know. Just go around them. I’m pretty sure the best defense against rattlesnakes is to watch where you step, and avoid stepping on one. We have venomous snakes here in the east, too, but I’ve never taken any special precautions for them. But i bet that firing a gun (not at the bear, just to make noise) near a black bear that lives in bear-hunting territory is reasonably effective. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/30 "2024-04-18T18:07:19Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But i bet that firing a gun (not at the bear, just to make noise) near a black bear that lives in bear-hunting territory is reasonably effective. So is yelling shoo! and banging a pot with a spoon. But if that murder-penis does it for you, fine. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/31 "2024-04-18T18:26:15Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > But if that murder-penis does it for you, fine. Undeniably, for some individuals lacking in self-awareness, firearms are an unconscious avatar for their sexual potency, or lack thereof; a dangerous conflation of the organ of regeneration with an instrument of death. But I really get a misandrist vibe from your particular usage. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/32 "2024-04-18T19:00:20Z")
Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/33 "2024-04-18T19:13:33Z")
I have seen amusing videos of people shooing black bears away from barbeques and patios. I’d stay farther away, personally, but i totally believe that banging a pot and saying “shoo” is an effective strategy. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/34 "2024-04-18T19:18:45Z")
Moderating > [@Ulfreida](#): > > But if that murder-penis does it for you, fine. As others have said, that’s rather aggressive language for this forum, and somewhat misandrous. Please tone it down. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/35 "2024-04-18T19:39:27Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > So is yelling shoo! and banging a pot with a spoon. Air horns are the go to method for scaring away black bears here in the wilds of northern NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/36 "2024-04-18T19:40:39Z")
> [@robby](#): > > So were I in your situation, I would consider the use of bear spray in the step _after_ firing a round to hopefully scare it off and _before_ the step of shooting a charging bear. > > Of course you have to consider the possible effects of bear spray on any asthmatics in the group. It appears that you have done that and decided the potential risk to them is too high. That is a judgement call that I am not in a position to make. I think your recommendation about bear spray is a good one. As is your observation about asthmatics. I might be willing to risk exposure, but my asthma is relatively mild and under control. The other one of the group is in a different situation and since it’s not my health I can’t really share, but we let it be his call since he’s the one who might need to be med-evac’ed. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/37 "2024-04-18T20:13:00Z")
I’m sure I’ve posted this before, but unless you are calm and cool in a situation of extreme duress, pulling a firearm, aiming accurately and hitting a charging bear going 30mph is unlikely. Hell, it’s unlikely even if you are the coolest cucumber in the refrigerator. As for bear spray, you have to be upwind, and the bear has to be close enough for you to hit it in the face whilst shitting yourself. When we lived in Alaska, I talked with a woman who gave hiking tours in bear country and asked her what her methods were. Other than keeping your eyes open and avoiding stepping anywhere near a gut pile, her recommendation was a $10 personal alarm. Bears really don’t like strange noises, especially one that shrieks like a demented thing. In the 20 years she’d been doing her work, she never had a bear stand its ground when she activated the alarm. Now, I carried a .12 ga shotgun loaded with slugs when we went berry picking, but the first line of defense was to set off the alarm periodically to let bears know that we were in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/38 "2024-04-18T20:32:19Z")
I’ve heard that. But good grief I gotta carry that on a leisurely walk. I already have a butt load of jiggly bits hanging off me out there. I look like an odd crazy woods woman now. The sight of me should scare them off. Next, it will be recommended carrying a French horn and a certain piercing note played. Or a bull horn. I got a carabiner for that.🤭 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/39 "2024-04-18T20:38:45Z")
There’s a great line in some comedian’s routine about the usefulness of an accordion on a hunting trip. You could bring one of those :). Who knows? Maybe bears can dance a polka. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/40 "2024-04-18T20:49:04Z")
I was just thinking. If you had a bull-horn or screamed what words would you say? “Bear, go away” “Boo” “Arghhhh!” “Four score and seven years ago…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420.md?page=3)