We take bear mace when we go up north here. We just have black bear though.....I've never seen a grizzly.
I'm not down to run into something in the woods that just gets more angry when you shoot it. Grizzlies are like the Micheal Myers of the woods lol
500 mag smokes the shit outta black bears. It might take 2 or 3 for a griz. You have to be proficient with it though.
You can kill a black bear with a regular hunting rifle....BUT you better be a good shot. Mostly if you miss they will run....but there is always a chance theyll attack.
My great uncle used to hunt bear(we only have black bear here). He hunted everything. He had a bunch of hunting dogs as well....it was legal to hunt bear with dogs then. It isnt legal today, and I agree with that.
My uncle once accidently shot a mother bear that had 2 cubs(most hunters...good ones at least) wont kill an animal that has young. But he did on accident. So he trapped the cubs, brought them home and KEPT them. Both females.
Eventually he had to get them placed somewhere so they went to some wild life place in another state that kept them. They grew very large and my uncle couldnt keep safely and responsibly....and it would have been cruel.
I would use mace against them because I dont want to go into the woods and kill something. Unless we are hunting it. We dont act like assholes out in the woods either, we make a point to not provoke any wild life out there.
I would absolutely kill something to protect myself and/or my family, but taking care to make sure you dont provoke an animal helps avoiding the need entirely. I wouldn't shoot a black bear.....just mace them and that gets them the fuck outta there(so they say, we have never had to test it). I've also been taught that raising your arms, jumping and screaming will scare them off(just black bear.....not Grizzlies). The whole "play dead" thing is really stupid. They will maul you while you lay there lol
