Firearms License

[Deny]

I am not judging... I am telling people about the probabilities of injury and death in the bush - guns have little to do with those probabilities- people chose to carry guns for whatever reason they chose?? I am simply saying not to justify that decisions on faulty information and also raise the unpopular statistic that gun accidents by licensed gun owners (not criminals) in the US kill way way more people than bears (680 /yr) .

Here are some probabilities of dying from by the US National Safety Council. The odds of dying from all possible cause is 1:1, cause we all die eventually. I would add spiders to Insect list..
Note also firearm discharge' is way up there (not the same as 'assault with firearm') .Does not look like 'bears' made the short list.

Those are facts, which may not sit well with common perception.

Heart Disease and Cancer 1:7
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 1:28
Intentional Self-harm 1:100
Unintentional Poisoning By and Exposure to Noxious Substances 1:112
Motor Vehicle Crash 1:109
Fall 1:144
Assault by Firearm 1:358
Pedestrian Incident 1:704
Motorcycle Rider Incident 1:911
Unintentional Drowning and Submersion 1:1,113
Exposure to Fire, Flames or Smoke 1:1,442
Choking from Inhalation and Ingestion of Food 1:3,375
Pedacyclist Incident 1:4,535
Firearms Discharge 1:6,699
Exposure to Excessive Natural Heat 1:6,745
Cataclysmic Storm 1:6,780
Air and Space Transport Incidents 1:8,015
Exposure to Electric Current, Radiation, Temperature and Pressure 1:12,220
Contact with Sharp Objects 1:37,351
Contact with Hornets, Wasps and Bees (spiders) 1:55,764
Contact with Heat and Hot Substances 1:59,093
Legal Execution 1:127,717
Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog 1:116,448
Lightning Strike 1:164,968

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001443.htm

You're not comparing apples to apples. Your stats you bring are from the US as a whole, I would say 80 percent of the US population has never seen a bear, or even farm animal for that fact (probably if they saw a big brown dog they would run yelling wolf!). We live in BC, he is choosing to go out doors where Bears live, not downtown Detroit, or in the desert of Arizona. I have a defender for field use in Northern BC. We see bears up here regularly. We have had guys working in the oil and gas industry attacked by bears, at least one or two a year. Not to mention the one or two hunters a year. Just saying.

 

[Enigma]

You're


-skillet

 

[ElectricDyck]

Almost 100% of bear conflicts involving an armed person end in the person surviving, especially if they are not solo...pepper spray does not maintain this rate of survival. If you rely on pepper spray you should buy one can to test, it doesn't spray far and you can easily spray yourself in even a slight breeze.

Gary Shelton has an awesome book where he interviews and studies cases involving bear attacks, defines the reasons for the attics and develops defense mechanisms. He's worked with different government agencies to teach employees bear safety. I probably shouldn't have read it I still have the image of the wife and kids coming to look for their fishing husband/father and seeing his legs sticking out of the river bank and a grizzly sleeping beside him...

BTW, Gary recommends a long stock shotgun (not a defender) that is easily shouldered shooting slugs or a large caliber pistol. He also recommends a 6" blade knife with rubber grip and large hilt and pepper spray.

http://www.bearattacksurvival.com/about-the-author.html

 

[Tmax]

Your not comparing apples to apples. Your stats you bring are from the US as a whole, I would say 80 percent of the US population has never seen a bear, or even farm animal for that fact (probably if they saw a big brown dog they would run yelling wolf!). We live in BC, he is choosing to go out doors where Bears live, not downtown Detroit, or in the desert of Arizona. I have a defender for field use in Northern BC. We see bears up here regularly. We have had guys working in the oil and gas industry attacked by bears, at least one or two a year. Not to mention the one or two hunters a year. Just saying.

please keep in mind that numbers, stats, or anything technical is not Glenns area of experties with his bacground in arts and litrature.

 

[Deny]

You're


-skillet

You're just being picky, you must be bored at you're job, there, your happy now! ?

 

[ElectricDyck]

If anybodys worried about saftey with guns they needn't be....it's the bullets you got to be careful with!

 

[wrongway around]

I think if a grizzly is going to charge you at any close distant , not much of a chance a discharged gun is going to stop him. But it might scare him off. Almost every bear bear I've seen killed (with a kill shot ) still can run up a tree till there is no more tree . Pretty hard to stop adrenaline and they have lots. Speaking of bears saw a big black bear 600 lbs ish hanging around my camp this weekend. A gun is more for personal protection that gives you a better ora scent . I think everyone should own one.

 

[Tmax]

I think if a grizzly is going to charge you at any close distant , not much of a chance a discharged gun is going to stop him. But it might scare him off. Almost every bear bear I've seen killed (with a kill shot ) still can run up a tree till there is no more tree . Pretty hard to stop adrenaline and they have lots. Speaking of bears saw a big black bear 600 lbs ish hanging around my camp this weekend. A gun is more for personal protection that gives you a better ora scent . I think everyone should own one.

one?????!!!!!!?????!!!!!????????????????????????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????


just one????????????????????

are you crazy????????


its like saying lets have just one beer.

 

[Enigma]

I only ever have 2 beers.



The first one, and the last one.

 

[Scalp]

Shooting a charging bear can be tricky. If you hit him on the skull, it may just glance off. The best way to kill a bear is to shoot him in the heart from his side, just behind the front shoulder. If you just injure him, it will make him madder. And yes, he will be full of adrenalin and keep coming, even if mortally injured. A rifle may give you a sense of safety but it may not save you after all. I just stick to pepper spray and a common sense to avoid these situations. I also sleep inside my Cruiser although large bears have been known to rip vehicle doors open.

~Bill

 

[LanceCruiser]

Planning to get mine too Greg, just so I can loose my hearing that much sooner! The only thing you got to worry about in the woods is Graham when he gets liquored up on Palm Bays.

 

[ElectricDyck]

Shooting a charging bear can be tricky. If you hit him on the skull, it may just glance off. The best way to kill a bear is to shoot him in the heart from his side, just behind the front shoulder. If you just injure him, it will make him madder. And yes, he will be full of adrenalin and keep coming, even if mortally injured. A rifle may give you a sense of safety but it may not save you after all. I just stick to pepper spray and a common sense to avoid these situations. I also sleep inside my Cruiser although large bears have been known to rip vehicle doors open.

~Bill

Bullets glancing off bear skulls is a fallacy...sure a small caliber will glance off as my buddys friend found when he tried to kill his cow at butcher time, he went back in the house got the 308 and dropped the cow in it's tracks. The skull had just a bruise where the 22 hit...It's more about the weight of the projectile than the speed, a 308 is on the small end for a hunting caliber but plenty to shoot any animal in the head. Shooting a charging bear is just like hitting it with pepper spray (you got to wait till about 20 feet max with pepper spray), by the time it's close enough to pull the trigger you have a pretty big target...

I'm not trying to argue sensible bear aware behavior, your brain is your best weapon but a firearm suitable for the job is your second. When we are up north hunting we cook 100 yards downwind of the tent, hang meat 100 yards down wind in a different direction but always keep a loaded rifle (saftey on) nearby when sitting around the fire or sleeping in the tent. Worst we ever had was a 3 year old black bear come into investigate breakfeast at 20 yards, he didn't want to leave but a shot in the dirt in front of him convinced him it wasn't worth it...

 

[Tmax]

pepper spray is just fine for me. the way i see it, its more of population control. i also like fresh pepper on my salad.

 

[Enigma]

 

[Deny]

Not to beat a dead horse, but be careful out in the bush people! :

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/have+been+killed+bear+northern/11045261/story.html

And to stay on topic, hope your PAL experience was good and you have a gun soon to defend yourself from these hungry little guys if you come north

 

[Vanny]

Was thinking the same thing.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...d-in-death-of-camper-near-mackenzie-1.3069202

 

[cruiserpilot]

RIP to the bear and the wolf. Sad story, why do people always take priority? I know my views won't
get much sympathy, so be it. Simple caution, preparations and awareness. J

 

[Tmax]

so vanny did you get it yet?

 

[Vanny]

No I haven't. I haven't even had time to get off of pavement (other than Triangle Road in Richmond).

Note to those with young children. If you plan to put them in sports make sure you start them late so they won't be good enough to want to try out or make the all-star or rep teams.

 

[Tmax]

No I haven't. I haven't even had time to get off of pavement (other than Triangle Road in Richmond).

Note to those with young children. If you plan to put them in sports make sure you start them late so they won't be good enough to want to try out or make the all-star or rep teams.

its a pain in the ass but once done its worth it. heck just had to renew mine and still had to fxxx around. its a matter of time before there will be more restrictions on everything so enjoy it while you can.