Backpacking in Alaska: carry choice?

[dirtmcgirt76239]

Nothing less than a 10 MM with 200+ grain Hardcase for a sidearm. Most the guides carry a 12 ga. Slug gun, I know one that carries a 375 H +H. An adult can weight up to 1300 lbs. As far as chances of seeing them, if you are around spawning Salmon you WILL see them. In the National Parks they seem to be pretty educated, plus they have plenty of food (Salmon) so I'm not sure they see you as food. IF you wear bells, talk loudly, travel in groups of 4 or more, and don't cuddle with cubs your chances of being attacked are fairly slim.

I've done a few weeks of fishing around them in Katmai, they will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, and you will get closer (by accident) then you want too. I'm more fearful of grizz in Montana becuase they have to hunt for different meal every day and most flyfisherman or backpackers are easier to run down than a Bison or Elk. But AK residents or state hunters have to kill 500 nuscence bears a year.

Is there a total of deaths or attacks in montana ?

I found this, more black bears recently than I would guess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._North_America

I think there must be millions of encounters of people with in 200 ft of a black bear every year.

[SteveS]

What's all this brown bear and grizzly talk? When I was up in Denali, they told us black bears were the ones to worry about! Supposedly a lot more aggressive and prone to attack. Brown/Grizzly are usually easier to scare off.

I'd go the bear spray and semi auto 10mm route myself.

I have been told the same thing by more than a few guides and wildlife biologists. I’d worry a lot more about black bears.

[10x25mm]

Bears become a problem for humans, and intrude on human space, when their preferred foods are in short supply. Polars seem to have the most reliable food supplies and represent a fairly low threat to humans over most of their range. Blackies rely on highly variable food sources and, when these come up short, blackies disperse and migrate into the path of humans and become a real problem. Blackies are also more territorial than other bears and their populations tend to deplete local food sources quicker during periods of scarcity. Browns and grizzlies are somewhere in between the two extremes. Generally their food sources are adequate and they readily move good distances to compensate for local food depletion.

Pay attention to the prevalence of local food sources for bears - and don't get between bears and their food sources - and you will have a low probability of incurring a bear attack. The single exception here is human females. Something about them seems to draw attacks from blackies, browns, and grizzlies. Not certain about polars. Bear attacks on women are two or three times more likely than bear attacks on men or children. Considering the much lower presence of women in bear ranges, this is particularly significant.

[Pita]

Always have a friend with you.

[SADAacp]

Always have a friend with you.

...that can't run as fast?

[Pita]

...that can't run as fast?

the slower the better.

[10x25mm]

Actually, a dog is your best friend in bear country. Dogs hate bears and bears hate dogs. A dog will smell a bear and go hincky long before a bear can threaten you. Doesn't have to be a hunting dog breed, all dogs are genetically hard wired to detect bears. The common thread in all the bear attack stories is the victim being blindsided. A dog gives you enough warning to take defensive action or skedaddle.

[j-squared]

I remember taking a group of Boy Scouts to the Smokey Mountains for backpacking. One of the dads had a really small .22 in a cargo pocket that he could grab just to make a loud noise and hopefully scare anything off. He also had a larger pistol in his pack. However, when doing actual backpacking, up and down mountains, ounces matter. We were on the trail a few days, then back in the main area for a service project, and the dad with the two handguns left the larger one in his car after that, and only carried the small .22. He said removing just that weight made a big difference.

I'm not sure if the original poster has done a lot of backpacking, or trained for inclines. If not, carrying too much weight uphill might kill you just as bad as a bear.

Actually, a dog is your best friend in bear country. Dogs hate bears and bears hate dogs. A dog will smell a bear and go hincky long before a bear can threaten you. Doesn't have to be a hunting dog breed, all dogs are genetically hard wired to detect bears. The common thread in all the bear attack stories is the victim being blindsided. A dog gives you enough warning to take defensive action or skedaddle.

On this same trip in the Smokey's we got to one camp site and there were two dogs there. They had radio collars on but had obviously gotten away from their owner and had spent several days in the back country. We gave them some food, and of course they followed us out. They took up to sleeping just outside my tent. Once, in the middle of the night, they took off after something, barking and running. When we woke up they were back. I would not be surprised if they had scared away a bear for us.

[GreaseMonkeySRT]

Looks like I'm going to have to go rent a few different guns and see what's what. Thanks for the input everyone.

Well I was going to say a .25 or .32 then you just shoot your buddy in the leg and make your escape. I went back and reread that it was your wife your going with. Now I have no advice. Sorry.

I'm not sure my wife would approve! lol

[sparkman10mm]

329PD..Joy to carry...not fun to shoot much..But to quote Jeff
Cooper.....#1 Have a gun!..
A 454 is great....IF you will carry it everywhere.