Bino set up for bear country

[John J]

When it comes to Grizzly I prefer an all of the above approach; rifle, bear spray and pistol. I'm left to my own devices on public land. After messing with various spray bottle holders this season, and seeing the prices and the sizes of current offerings I came up with this idea. I have yet to go for a hike with this set up but I think it will work fine. Any modifications and adjustments can be made or a model 2.0 after a season or two. The leather is my hippo from Zimbabwe. The straps need trimmed but we left them long for now. I'm open to a critique or opinions on the set up. What say you? John

 

[Rell]

Where is your pistol?

 

[Rell]

I was born in Northern Alberta and spent a lot of time in the Yukon when I was in my 20s.

If hunting … binos over the right armpit and swung back under my left arm. Rifle with 1-4, 1-6 or 1-8 scope set at 1. Pepper sprey on the right hip.

if hiking … that looks like a great rig if you don’t carry a rifle, but I personally dislike anything potentially in the way of handling my 375hh.

Pistols are …. 4th best behind a 12g with slugs or 375+ with suitable bullets and pepper sprey on the hip.

Too much weight and repetition.

 

[John J]

Where is your pistol?

I keep it on right side hip in a Serpa

 

[Tundra Tiger]

As someone who lives in brown bear country... whatever works for you. The biggest things are practice with what you carry and always having it on you. If that works for you, roll with it. Carrying hippo with you sure has a cool factor to it, IMHO.

 

[John J]

I was born in Northern Alberta and spent a lot of time in the Yukon when I was in my 20s.

If hunting … binos over the right armpit and swung back under my left arm. Rifle with 1-4, 1-6 or 1-8 scope set at 1. Pepper sprey on the right hip.

if hiking … that looks like a great rig if you don’t carry a rifle, but I personally dislike anything potentially in the way of handling my 375hh.

Pistols are …. 4th best behind a 12g with slugs or 375+ with suitable bullets and pepper sprey on the hip.

Too much weight and repetition.

My first line of armed defense is a 458 Lott or 500 MDM. The set up will take alittle to get used to definitely. Quickly bringing a rifle up, the bottle sticks out some on my left side. The store bought brands protruded off the body more than this one. Keep em coming fellers. John

 

[Scott CWO]

As a brown bear guide (less aggressive/hungry than inland grizzly), I don’t mess with spray. To my way of thinking, spray is likely useless with a wounded bear. Spray would also be the last of the three options I would reach for if unexpectedly charged by an unwounded bear. My friend, Dan Schilling of Hope, AK was killed by a bear on a trail behind his home while doing trail work. He deployed his spray but was still killed. In SE Alaska, I carry my Lott and a sidearm. On the AK Peninsula where it’s more open, I carry just the Lott but I am not alone.

One of my best friends was mauled and nearly killed by a brown bear wounded by his client. The bear was hit at least three times before tackling and mauling him. I doubt bear spray would have made a difference with such an angry wounded bear already shot once by a .375 H&H and twice by a .416 Remington Mag. If you are carrying your Lott and a sidearm, when would you ever deploy spray?

 

[CBH Australia]

With a .458Lott sounds like you are hunting not hiking.
The Hippo has a cool factor but is it heavy?
I would like to hunt bear, happy hunting.

 

[Philip Glass]

Love the hippo leather from Zim. I have a pile of it and many articles made from it.
I think you are over thinking it a bit, but you are to be commended for your creativity here.

 

[John J]

@Scott CWO I'd rather have it than not need it is my thinking. Maybe a curious bear? Mind you I have never encountered a griz, just alot of tracks, and scat. We found some buried deer parts this past season. That was tense till we made some distance.

@CBH Australia, yes I am elk hunting the 458 is bear protection, my son carries a scoped 338 RUM for longer shots. The set up is not heavy at all.

@Philip Glass of course I am over thinking it. I had plenty of time this year to ponder. If it works it in limited applications so be it. Don't know till we try. I definitely was against the expensive made in China mystery ranch ect products.

 

[Philip Glass]

For me it is strictly Rick Young Bino harness No matter the hunt.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Making the spray pocket deeper or open ended to allow the handle to go in tighter. May protect the handle a bit more and prevent Discharge or being caught on bush etc.


The bear attack experts here, (read as the guys who investigate every attack here and get invited to assist in other jurisdictions) want the spray accessible and typically on your chest, slanted toward the dominant hand.

As has been noted already, practice, practice, … if you can’t draw and deploy quickly, you’re done.
The experts also suggest that you actually have it with you to be useful. If this rig gets you carrying it all the time, then it is good.

My friend who survived a Grizzly attack/mauling, had bear spray with him and a rifle. Both attached to his pack. They both stayed safely stowed on his pack while he was mauled.
In bear country, have the rig on you at all times, ready to go. You will not sit down for lunch with the rifle across your lap! If that rig keeps the tools on your body, you‘re far ahead of the unprepared.
Good luck with 2.0

Dragging a pee shooter along up here is illegal, so we have two options. Spray and your rifle. Spray is easier when surprised at close range. Try and carry a rifle in the ready carry position all day. Not happening.

Wounded bears, you are better off learning to shoot straight. It’s safer.
Spray is not for wounded bears.

 

[Scott CWO]

Making the spray pocket deeper or open ended to allow the handle to go in tighter. May protect the handle a bit more and prevent Discharge or being caught on bush etc.


The bear attack experts here, (read as the guys who investigate every attack here and get invited to assist in other jurisdictions) want the spray accessible and typically on your chest, slanted toward the dominant hand.

As has been noted already, practice, practice, … if you can’t draw and deploy quickly, you’re done.
The experts also suggest that you actually have it with you to be useful. If this rig gets you carrying it all the time, then it is good.

My friend who survived a Grizzly attack/mauling, had bear spray with him and a rifle. Both attached to his pack. They both stayed safely stowed on his pack while he was mauled.
In bear country, have the rig on you at all times, ready to go. You will not sit down for lunch with the rifle across your lap! If that rig keeps the tools on your body, you‘re far ahead of the unprepared.
Good luck with 2.0

Dragging a pee shooter along up here is illegal, so we have two options. Spray and your rifle. Spray is easier when surprised at close range. Try and carry a rifle in the ready carry position all day. Not happening.

Wounded bears, you are better off learning to shoot straight. It’s safer.
Spray is not for wounded bears.

I agree that spray is not for wounded bears.

I understand that spray can be faster to deploy than a rifle. In Canada where you cannot carry a pistol, it makes more sense.
Canadian expert opinions are limited by the lack of a sidearm being considered.

However, spray also has potential problems such as wind direction and winds can be quite strong in bear country. Spray is not lethal and it takes a direct dose of spray at a reasonable distance to be effective. Just as with firearms, it can be hard to deploy effectively during a chaotic attack. Additionally, if the bear gets you down on the ground, it’s too late for spray and you’ll end up spraying yourself as well. Down on the ground, a sidearm shot to the ear or between or slightly above the eyes could kill the bear but is still difficult to accomplish. I hope to never be in such a bad predicament but would want a sidearm, not a spray can.

 

[Velo Dog]

Fellow Hunters,

I have wondered if an enraged grizzly could continue his / her attack after being pepper sprayed.
My strong suspicion is that a determined grizzly very likely would continue, at least for a few seconds, but I cannot prove it.
One reason I think this is so is that, when I worked as a bear guard in the Proudhoe Bay oil field and sometimes with persons doing research, walking out on the sea ice, I was sent to a training segment regarding bear behavior.
They can be quite difficult to discourage, even when only curious and not really angry at us human types.

However, the main reason I think it is so, is from one time that I was riding my bicycle and was charged by a large, angry Rottweiler dog.
He suddenly came running after me from behind a parked truck.
He was all teeth and barking furiously as he ran after me.
By nothing more than pure luck, I was pedaling fairly fast as I went along.
So as the dog suddenly attacked, I was already slightly past the truck he had been lurking behind.
I kept pedaling like a looney on a bike and then soon laid down a trailing fog of pepper spray behind.

Lon Chaney Jr. got plenty of it.
Still chasing me with enthusiasm, he ran lengthways through the miserable spray.
He at first showed no symptoms until about
2 seconds after encountering the red fog.
He then quit chasing me and began to gag and cough loudly, spinning in a tight circle and flinging foamy saliva in pretty much every direction.

So, if a 100 pound dog can continue his attack, without showing the slightest discomfort for a couple of seconds, I have to presume that a several hundred pound grizzly could carry on for at least that long, if already upset enough to attack, before you sprayed him / her.

All this is not say that when in bear habitat, you shouldn’t bother with pepper spray.
Indeed I think carrying it in some circumstances is a good thing.
I have sprayed other mean dogs and 2 mean human beings with the horrid substance (I am a retired Police Officer).
It worked pretty much instantly in all but the above described bicycle / Rottweiler incident.
I just don’t believe pepper spray will be particularly reliable, if your bear is already in a full on temper tantrum charge.
For that scenario, my preferred tool would be the .375 H&H, with open sights (no scope at all) and loaded with 300 grain Swift A-Frame bullets.

Best Regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[freefall]

Doesn't matter what you carry if you cant deploy it quickly. If it isn't on you, you can't deploy it quickly. I carry a .475 Linebaugh fishing and a .44 mag or 10mm for general woodsknocking.
I carry a pocket bear spray for ugly dogs or humanoids in civilization.

 

[John J]

With animals I'm sure each one is its own case study. Speaking to an Alaska resident he said bear spray worked well on multiple occasions. However he knew the bears were there and had it in his hand ready. I read Mark of the Grizzly and some bears came back to attack again. Or in a hunting scenario they try to get the hunter off downed game. As I mentioned I'm an all of the above kind of person. Should one be injured, low on ammo or a lost firearm after an incident a spray can may be the saving grace? Again, I have no experience with griz personally but going as prepared as I can.

 

[JimP]

Fellow Hunters,

I have wondered if an enraged grizzly could continue his / her attack after being pepper sprayed.
My strong suspicion is that a determined grizzly very likely would continue, at least for a few seconds, but I cannot prove it.
One reason I think this is so is that, when I worked as a bear guard in the Proudhoe Bay oil field and sometimes with persons doing research, walking out on the sea ice, I was sent to a training segment regarding bear behavior.
They can be quite difficult to discourage, even when only curious and not really angry at us human types.

However, the main reason I think it is so, is from one time that I was riding my bicycle and was charged by a large, angry Rottweiler dog.
He suddenly came running after me from behind a parked truck.
He was all teeth and barking furiously as he ran after me.
By nothing more than pure luck, I was pedaling fairly fast as I went along.
So as the dog suddenly attacked, I was already slightly past the truck he had been lurking behind.
I kept pedaling like a looney on a bike and then soon laid down a trailing fog of pepper spray behind.

Lon Chaney Jr. got plenty of it.
Still chasing me with enthusiasm, he ran lengthways through the miserable spray.
He at first showed no symptoms until about
2 seconds after encountering the red fog.
He then quit chasing me and began to gag and cough loudly, spinning in a tight circle and flinging foamy saliva in pretty much every direction.

So, if a 100 pound dog can continue his attack, without showing the slightest discomfort for a couple of seconds, I have to presume that a several hundred pound grizzly could carry on for at least that long, if already upset enough to attack, before you sprayed him / her.

All this is not say that when in bear habitat, you shouldn’t bother with pepper spray.
Indeed I think carrying it in some circumstances is a good thing.
I have sprayed other mean dogs and 2 mean human beings with the horrid substance (I am a retired Police Officer).
It worked pretty much instantly in all but the above described bicycle / Rottweiler incident.
I just don’t believe pepper spray will be particularly reliable, if your bear is already in a full on temper tantrum charge.
For that scenario, my preferred tool would be the .375 H&H, with open sights (no scope at all) and loaded with 300 grain Swift A-Frame bullets.

Best Regards,
Velo Dog.

Sounds like that dog was just using you for practice or sport and would of quite likely stopped chasing you once he realized that he wasn't going to catch you.

Now a wounded bear with murder on his mind may have so much adrenaline built up after he was shot that he just may use that bear spray as a condiment as he chowed down on you.

I worked for a utility company and was handed all kinds of dog/animal repellents and they all had one thing in common. In their instructions that state that it might not work on a overly aggressive dog/animal in case you were attacked.

 

[Alaska Luke]

I like the setup. Not sure about wet weather though.

Regarding spray vs handguns. Either is suboptimal. Hiking I would hope to see the bear early and plan my reaction. In that case I'm humble enough to admit my chances of a solid pistol shot are probably less than my chances with spray (spray limitations notwithstanding).

Hunting I have a pistol. First it's colder then. Second if a bear gets past my rifle or surprises me, it will likely be on top of me before I deploy the pistol.

All that said I'm trying to lighten my load. I may just use a rifle backed up with spray this year.

 

[freefall]

When hunting I generally carry a .22 pistol, Bearcat. If I can't stop the bear with my rifle, I don't imagine I'll do it with a pistol. The .22 is for signaling people who can't find their way back to camp.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have bear spray to carry while bird hunting in Griz country. Have a .44 Mag S&W in a shoulder holster for fly fishing in Griz country. When I'm hunting, I'm carrying a rifle.

If a bear gets me down, I know I'm pretty F'd.