Originally Posted By Samoset
Originally Posted By DieselTwitch
Originally Posted By OregonMouse
The rules are that if you can carry legally in that state (remember that a lot of states don't honor concealed carry permits from other states and issue permits only to state residents), you can carry a gun in a national park. It is, however, illegal to fire a gun in a national park! In other words, why bother--any weapon that will stop a bear is heavy! I haven't yet heard if the recent incident in Olympic National Park, in which a hiker broke a leg and was found only after he fired several shots to alert searchers, will result in the hiker's being prosecuted (I hope not!).

The literature states exactly the opposite of what you claim--bear spray is actually more effective than a firearm. Nothing, of course, is 100% effective against an angry bear. Here's one article. Here's another one. It takes an extremely well-aimed shot with an extra-heavy caliber weapon to down a charging bear. Few people can shoot that well! There have been a considerable number of fatalities of folks who shot and only wounded a bear. A wounded bear is an extremely angry bear!


I to have seen many articles written that say beer spay is better than a gun. and Its been countered in many articles that the guns used in most of those Incidents where undersized. I won't carry anything smaller than a 357 mag and even that thats to small in my mind.

I base my preferences on real world experience and experiences of those that I know.

So far I've had 5 friends that have been attacked by bears, All Grizzlies, and ALL in Alaska. 2 of them used beer spray... they are now both disfigured and handicap. the bear spray was totally ineffective and failed to stop the bear. in both chases it clamped down on their hand/arm and one of them is missing an ear....

The other 3 carried firearms. 45LC and a two 45mag.... All three of them dropped their attackers in 1 shot..... No injuries.

I will NEVER carry bear spray an no amount of articles written by gun controls nuts will convince me to carry bear spray.

I have no intention of carrying a gun into a NP just to shoot it off. If I shoot it its to kill an attacker no plink into a tree. I've been in combat and I don't pull my gun out unless I have a target and plan to drop it. It should also be noted that even if a bear is near I still wouldn't shoot it. I know that prevention is best way to prevent a bear attack. But having friends attacked I will always carry protection.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was going to use my gun to call for help....? I carry a HAM radio and a SPOT tracker for that.

The only states that do not honor my CC Permit are CA, NV, OR, WA, MN, OH, WV, VA, SC, NY, ME, NJ, CT, RI, MA, MD, NY and HI. None of which I plan on going to to expect maybe OR, and WA.

Now that that is out of the way I want to reiterate my original post... just look for the rules on open carry verse concealed


Ok by no means am I trying to make lite of your friends situations. And I sincerely feel for them. But where did you meet these people in a support group for grizzly victims.

Other wise you might just want to stay out of the woods because with statistics like that. the odds are not in your favor.

I'm just sayin I've met a whole whole lot of outdoors type people soldiers, hunters ,anglers, hammers, back packers the list goes on and on and a lot of the carried fire arms a lot didnt.

Luckily none attacked by bears of any sort.


Two of them are anglers from WY and the rest are just people that I lived with in AK. If you lived in AK you quickly learn that bear attacks are a lot more common then are reported. Thats why the articles about bear spray being more effective are so unbalanced. They don't account for all the attacks that are never reported because the bear is defeated. Only when a gun doesn't work is it reported.

I saw a article earlier this year that said there were 290 bear attacks a year in Alaska... we all laughed... We were willing to bet that there are 290 bear attacks a month!