Protection on the water

[huntfish]

When fishing on small mountain brookie streams where you're the only person for miles, do any of you bring protection incase god forbid a bear with cubs comes along or something or you stumble upon some? Does bear mace actually work? Just like to see what other people do when fishing these desolated areas.

 

[Oregon_Owl]

I think it would be wise in grizzly country to pack pepper spray at the very least. In Eastern PA, I never felt concerned about bear attack, though I have run across a couple big bears in the Poconos. Respect.

 

[ryansheehan]

I carry bear spray with me on my wading belt whenever fishing remote areas. Never had to use it but I have seen quite a few bears in western Maryland. Midcurrent wrote an article on it and they seemed to have positive things to say.

 

[troutbert]

I think bear spray is a good idea in grizzly country, but totally unnecessary in black bear country.

 

[blueheron]

I'm beginning to think a handgun is the latest fishing accessory to gain widespread popularity, it's getting to be a running joke when I go out with my buddies. Except when I'm fishing small streams, I still won't carry anything that can't get wet , which includes firearms.

 

[pcray1231]

I have carried, but don't do so often. However,

1. I am not at all worried about black bears in PA. I've seen plenty and consider it no more dangerous than seeing a deer or turkey.

2. If I were concerned with bears, I'd venture that bear spray would be more effective than a handgun.

Nor am I concerned about snakes. Well, I'm concerned, I just don't think a handgun is gonna help me. If I can draw, aim, and shoot, I surely could have stepped away. It's the ones I don't see that scare me!

Rabid animals is about the only animal life that a handgun might be useful for. I suppose nasty humans as well, though the gun had better be your absolutely last resort in that situation. Still, I could see stumbling on a drug deal or people doing some other highly illegal thing, and a gun being the only way you're getting out of there.

Other than that, a handgun is in case you want to do a bit of plinking while out. That's really the main motivation. Also makes a heck of a locator if you break a leg or something way in there and people are looking for you.

 

[huntfish]

I have seen a bunch of black bears in the woods as well, but never witb cubs. I can just imagine if you come around a sharp bend and there they are. Momma would NOT be happy.

 

[foxfire]

I do carry on "wilderness" trips for the reasons pcay mentioned: Rabid Animals - seen a couple, Two-Legged animals - was robbed as a kid, S.O.S. locator.

I did have a bear on a "local" stream follow me for about 20 minutes. Stayed about 75 feet away but lazily followed my every move. I finally crossed the steam and lost him. Made me nervous as heck.

 

[PatrickC]

If you are going to carry protection, you should be experienced and prepared to use it. Bear spray does you no good in your pack. Bear spray is more likely to hurt you than deter the bear if you have never trained to use it.

A gun will do you no good in your pack. If you are not trained to shoot under duress, the gun probably will not do you much good regardless.

A bear/human negative interaction happens so quickly, you often have no time to be offensive. You are far better off being proactive by making noise and paying attention.

I'm actually trained in both and never carry either in the lower 48 (I haven't fished in the lower 48 where there are brown bears...or I would in that situation). I think you are more likely to head off trouble by being educated about how to act in bear country than having a weapon. In most bad human/bear interactions, a weapon or bear spray would not have made a difference (training or not).

Food for thought. Get educated on the bears and get trained if you are going to take a weapon or bear spray.

 

[PocketWater]

If I took a handgun out, which I currently don't, it would be more for the two legged animals you sometimes meet out in the middle of nowhere. I have seen some shady assed people out there in the woods.

 

[Fishidiot]

troutbert wrote:
I think bear spray is a good idea in grizzly country, but totally unnecessary in black bear country.

Agree.

Nor have I ever felt a need to carry a firearm in PA (if I were female and spent a lot of time outdoors by myself, especially on hiking trails, I might have a different attitude).

 

[greenghost]

Fishidiot wrote:

troutbert wrote:
I think bear spray is a good idea in grizzly country, but totally unnecessary in black bear country.

Agree.

Nor have I ever felt a need to carry a firearm in PA (if I were female and spent a lot of time outdoors by myself, especially on hiking trails, I might have a different attitude).

I don't know guys. I would've agreed two weeks ago. (Even though I did have one odd encounter many years ago in Armstrong county where a damned bear was eyeing me up, I swear.) Then I read this. And even though I stand a much better chance of getting hit by lightning while out, there is that tiny bit of concern now.

 

[huntfish]

I was hunting with my brother and dad last year in late october and we walked up on a bear and it was starring us down. We made noise and it didn't move an inch. Pretty scary.

 

[afishinado]

If you added up all the members on here, the time spent in the outdoors and fishing in PA would add up to millions of hours. I will go out on a limb and state that not one has ever been mauled by a bear while fishing....relax.

 

[phiendWMD]

If you are planning on shooting a bear you better have a big gun. I'm not sure your average 9mm will save your life if an angry bear is charging you. Something along the lines of a .45-70

I've shot a .45-70 from a pistol and one shot was enough for me. I think I'd rather just deal with a bear. I'd probably have a scar on my forehead if it wasn't for the brim of my hat.

 

[salmonoid]

greenghost wrote:

Fishidiot wrote:

troutbert wrote:
I think bear spray is a good idea in grizzly country, but totally unnecessary in black bear country.

Agree.

Nor have I ever felt a need to carry a firearm in PA (if I were female and spent a lot of time outdoors by myself, especially on hiking trails, I might have a different attitude).

I don't know guys. I would've agreed two weeks ago. (Even though I did have one odd encounter many years ago in Armstrong county where a damned bear was eyeing me up, I swear.) Then I read this. And even though I stand a much better chance of getting hit by lightning while out, there is that tiny bit of concern now.

Consider the location of that report. There are a few locations in PA that might be of concern, where black bears are conditioned to equate humans with food (e.g. concentrations of cabins, or maybe some campgrounds). But your average bear wandering around in the woods in the middle of nowhere is most likely not conditioned in such a manner.

Every bear I have ever encountered in the woods has high-tailed it the other direction when it becomes aware of me, and that includes a mother with three cubs and one I encountered, while I was carrying a ham and 12 cans of Labatts Blue.. Just like rattlers, I've probably been in close proximity to more bears than I know but they are long gone before I detect their presence (rattlers aren't long gone, they just remain hidden and quiet).

There will always be exceptions; I guess there's a bad bear in every population somewhere. But they are exceptions.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I would say black bears are becoming accustomed to people in PA, and the morons with camps who decide to bait bears, put trash where they KNOW bears will find it, all that crap ain't helping much. But that being said, I still don't worry about it. Tons of bear in the Kettle Creek region, and tons of the 2 legged morons I've just described, and I still haven't had a sitimation where I thought, "this bear is gonna charge".

Dude in the Smokies has to stop sleeping with beef jerky in his pockets.

 

[duckfoot]

The best way to use bear spray is to spray yourself so that the bear thinks you're seasoned properly before he eats you.

 

[hooker-of-men]

salmonoid wrote:

Every bear I have ever encountered in the woods has high-tailed it the other direction when it becomes aware of me, and that includes a mother with three cubs and one I encountered, while I was carrying a ham and 12 cans of Labatts Blue..

Man, bears are stupid. You would have had to spray me.

 

[fayettenamese]

I always carry a handgun while fishing in my home county. I've seen many people using drugs and people intimately engaged in backwoods settings.