Quote:
Originally Posted by Envitro
I always carry both, with bear spray on my belt or pack belt, and with my compact shotgun in a scabbard on my pack, easily reachable within <1 second. If a bear is charging or bluff charging me I know which one I'm pulling out first, just in case. I don't play around out there, especially when my kids are with me and their lives depend on me keeping them safe.
Have never had to use it, but I've had a few close run-ins with grizzlies in my teens and was lucky to get away with my life.
Anyway, I don't want this thread to be derailed.
It's a tragedy that this man, who by all accounts was a great guy, lost his life in this incident.
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You are going to pull a compact shotgun (pistol grip or folding stock) out in front of your kids? You are going to add a firearm to a chaotic situation with multiple people running around and an angry bear? If that gun has a pistol grip, you are looking at a 6 foot effective range - which is much much less than bear spray. Plus if you are firing a slug, you aren't guaranteed a critical hit. If you are firing buckshot, well, you aren't going to stop that bear. If you have a folding stock, it is going to take much longer to deploy than your bear spray.
Trust me when I say that the bear spray is your best option. You should learn a bit about bear behaviour (if a bear is bluff charging, it is most likely your fault), keep your bear spray, and leave the gun at home.