Going on a trip to Yellowstone this summer with a small group of teens and dads. The NPS page states that this is bear country, and bear spray is needed. I'm fine with that, and plan on buying this Sabre Frontiersman

I've read a few other things that I'm not sure about..

Bear bells to let the bear know you are in the area? Seems reasonable but not sure if it's effective. The group will sound like Santas sleigh while hiking. I have a 2" brass bell that I could connect to a pack with a carabiner.

The Colorado Parks Department states that bears dont like the smell of pinesol or bleach/ammonia. I'm thinking a rag soaked with pine sol dangling from the pack and outside the tent at night might be a cheap way to keep them from sniffing around. Depending on the way the wind flows, the smell should travel pretty far.

Unfortunately firearms aren't allowed with the group I'm traveling with.

Anyone have experience/input on this subject?

Firearms aren’t allowed with the group?

They may have a policy about it but I bet they would be happy you had it if it was needed.
Do you have a way to carry a handgun discretely that can still be accessed quickly? No one other than you needs to know.

Scouts?

In addition to the Bear  Spray, suggest consider one of the following hand cannons

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@Hater


Trail Life. Similar in regards to outdoor activities. I have a .357 I could load with hard cast, but the amount of red tape and hoops to jump through for insurance and liability purposes ....
I had to max my auto insurance and add umbrella coverage to use my 12 passenger van for trips like this. I'm sure any other youth group would be similar.

So back to the initial questions... any other tips and tricks for bear country outside of shooting them? I'd like to avoid an encounter at all.

Easy answer. DO NOT GO.

I live in bear country, Kodiak Alaska, you might’ve heard of it. Popular bear hang out. I walk my dogs three or 4 miles every day on trails outside of town. I run into bears pretty often, like weekly. I put bells on my dogs collars to alert the bears, so they aren’t startled. I put on a podcast and turn it up loud to alert the Bears myself. As for camping the go to method here is to use an electric fence. Very effective. I also carry a gun. A Glock model 20 for casual walking and if the bears are very plentiful,an M1A

Bear banger shotgun shells in a stubby

Attached File


Pretty sure there are similar shells available for flare guns, including some that also explode a cloud of pepper spray upon detonation.

We did a family trip to yellowstone last summer.

All adults carried bear spray plus I had my 10mm and my son had his 44 mag.

We talked back and forth while hiking to avoid sneaking up on anything.

Saw 2 black bears but never saw a grizzly.

No close calls.

@TexasSheepdog - maybe it's time to level with them and share the facts of life....or tell them that with the absence of firearms you're just going to kick one of the little Johnny's in the knee caps and that's the bear bait so the rest of you can high tail it out of there...I say that in jest...butt seriously....time to teach the kiddos firearm safety, responsibility, etc...butt hey, it's you, not me. Imagine a "tipping hat icon here." What I use: I've got a full size S&W 66-1 .357 Snub that conceals nicely...and then there's the 6" Cold Anaconda .44 Mag. Regarding bear spray - depends on the wind..."hey, mr. bear....wait just a sec, hey, shift over there, will yah? I don't want to blind myself....!"

Edited to add: in my last few trips to Montana / Glacier National Park area and Yellowstone - we did not encounter any bears, other wildlife, yes. Then again, we were not doing a lot of hiking either. A little bit.

In Glacier Park there was a old saying about bells in bear poop.

Been all over the East side of it.
Always saw blackies and griz even with being loud.

Here in Alaska we always keep guns with us.


Bear spray does have limitations in windy and wet situations.
Would fight to bring a handgun or a shotgun with slugs.

If you are truly concerned about a bear attack based on real on the ground experience and advice from non-.gov people who have actually hiked/camped there....   go heavy and don't rely solely on spray.  I packed a 7.5" 44Mag Ruger Super Blachawk into Denali in the side pocket of my daypack years before it was legal to do so.

Concealed means concealed.

If you have to travel via airline with other members of the controlling organization, ship it in advance and make an excuse to slip away when you get there so you can pick it up from the local FFL.  Otherwise, concealed means concealed.  Personally, I would rather add a couple pounds to my rig than feel naked in the moment.

I am a Florida boy who has spent a few weeks a couple times fishing creeks and riverbanks in Alaska.  On my first trip fishing the Kenai, i had some old farts tease me about filing down the front sight on my 44MagSBH so it wouldn't hurt so much when the bear shoved it up my butt.  On my second trip in Hoonah I thought that a stubby 454 Casull Super Redhawk was a good choice, but the Suburban that hauled me to the choice fishing holes had a live-in 308 bolt action and a 12 Guage pump loaded with slugs that I could either choose to sling on my shoulder while fishing or pay the dude's son in law $50 a day to sling the gun and watch for bears while I fished.   Guess which option I chose.  My buddy who lives in and grew up in the mountains of northern New Mexico only deals with blacks and cinnamons, but he never goes for a hike without his G20.

Bears can be quick in the day and sneaky at night.  Don't trust spray.

So I dug into the organization rules last night with one of our regional leaders. Open carry is actually permitted for the reasons listed here. Primarily if safety is a concern due to wildlife.
Concealed carry is not without written permission from the home office. Ok fair enough.

Then I started researching what is allowed in the park. What a cluster$%^#  You can open carry in the back country, but it is federal crime to discharge the gun, even in self defense. One news article discussed a guy who shot at a bear and now has a date with the feds in court. Thanks Obama...

As far as CCW, the park covers 3 states with their own rules. For the most part reciprocity covers this aspect and it sounds like none of the states care as long as you are licensed at home.

If I remember right the dude who shot the bear did not have to. That is why he is in trouble.

With food availability in Yellowstone getting tough the bears are hungry.

Yeah if I have to shoot with my SP101 it will definitely be last ditch.

You know how you can tell Black Bear scat from Grizzly Bear scat?  The Grizzly Bear scat has bells in it.

ETA: I don't know Yellowstone but have done a lot of hiking in the Adirondacks.  In my experience, if you spend the night in designated camping areas you are more likely to see a bear than if you pitch a tent off the trail in a random place.  Bears learn where the food is and I've never seen one on the top of a mountain.

Bear spray, certified bear bag/canister, and try to keep about a hundred yards of separation from food-storage/cooksite and your overnight campsite.  Hang food if terrain allows; canisters or securely lash bags to rocks if not.

Noise?  I don't know.  I've had pounds of climbing gear clanking coming down off the Grand, and still managed to walk into the broad side of a bull elk.  Fatigue.  Every adverse encounter I've had with elk/moose/grizzly bear had my own fatigue as a contributing factor.

The primitive sites all seem to have food lockers or hanging poles.

I decided to pack my 1911 with either Buffalo Bore or Underwood hard cast 230gr. Borrowing a HPG chest pack. No desire to become bear poop, or worse, have one of the boys hurt if the bear spray isn't persuasive enough. Going to forego the jingle bells but try out the pine sol idea.

Allowing the kids to converse is probably more effective than wearing dinner bells.

Yeah I thought that was interesting too. A boom box with talk radio on as a deterrent

Don't overestimate bear spray.

A gun is a good supplement, but bear spray is meant to empty quickly and with an abundant fog between you and the bear.

Even well versed shooters can easily miss a grizzly under stress and they run down on you so fast, bear spray is always a viable option, no matter how many guns you are carrying.

Bear spray is highly effective when put in the vicinity of a bear.

A firearm requires precise shots and anything but a large caliber to the head, is not necessarily going to stop the charge.

I'm not saying bear spray is foolproof, but, many elect a firearm over it and are not able to stop a charging bear with effective enough shots.

Black bear is only bear in Yosemite... Keep food, snacks away from sleeping, hiking...  Have fun...

Unarmed in griz country? No thanks. 10mm min

I hunt in grizzly country and your spot on.
Being in firearms training for years I often work with guides on their pistol work. Men who spend much of their time in the back country. And at the range Ive yet to see anyone yank a pistol out, turn and hit dead on a static target let alone one that will be moving AT you at a high rate of speed.
The gun is needed and I carry a 45 with BBHC but for me its the spray that I go to in a bad situation first.
Its proven time and time again in my neck of the woods to either let you get out, stop the charge, or at least have the ability to draw and aim a weapon.

I go on a hike every year with a group of teens on Resurrection Pass trail on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.  Usually the talking is enough to keep the bears away.  When I go backcountry I typically just pee around the camp site.  Generally I keep food near my tent but also keep a clean camp. On Kodiak I would definitely have a bear fence.

"No firearms allowed in group."  Lol.  I honestly hope the guy that made that rule watches a bear drag his kid out of his tent.

Bring your gun. Keep it concealed. Don't tell anyone. If you have to use it you'll be like Sgt. Powell at the end of "Die Hard" shooting the German terrorist and saving the day. If you don't use then no one will no.

All in all the group is pretty conservative.We even had one leader OC at a normal camp in AR, which I thought was strange as the primary threat there was mosquitoes.  I know the lawyers have to stick their nose in everything.  The 1911 will stay in the chest rig the entire time.
AMAZON accidentally shipped 3 cans of spray instead of two, so that's a plus. I updated the group packng list to indicate that everyone needs to have their own can.

I have spent a lot of time in bear country. Often out by myself in the back country. I know we all like guns and i do still carry on in the backcountry. But this post is spot on. Unless there is a good reason like very high winds i am grabbing the bear spray fist. All the grizzlies i have encounter i had very little time to react. But i was glad to have the firearm with me as well.