Stop Trusting Your Lever Action in Bear Country

Stop Trusting Your Lever Action in Bear Country Until You Watch This video from Gunner Zone.

NOTE: This video caught my attention as we have bears in our area. Two were recently killed by vehicles on Interstate 40 near our community.

Summary:

When a 1,200-pound Alaskan bull moose charges at 35 MPH in -30°F weather, your sub-caliber AR-15 or frozen lever action will turn into an expensive liability. We run 10 popular big-game hunting setups through extreme glacial forensics to expose the dangers of intermediate rounds, hydraulic cushion freeze, and magnum flinch—and reveal the ultimate bolt-action workhorse for true backcountry survival.   

Can A .357 Magnum Really Stop A Bear?

Can a .357 Magnum Really Stop a Bear? Alaska's Shocking Truth video from GUNS360.

Summary:

Can a .357 Magnum really stop a bear—or does carrying one into grizzly country provide more confidence than protection?

In this video, we take a closer look at the .357 Magnum as a wilderness sidearm and separate raw muzzle-energy numbers from the factors that matter in a real emergency.

We cover the history of the .357 Magnum, recoil and controllability, heavy versus lightweight revolvers, ammunition availability, cold-weather considerations, portability, practice costs, and the differences between popular platforms such as the Ruger GP100 and Smith & Wesson Model 686.

We also examine why cartridge power alone doesn't determine the outcome of a dangerous wildlife encounter. Firearm accessibility, shooter proficiency, ammunition characteristics, reliability, and the ability to make accurate shots under extreme stress can all matter.

Finally, we put the .357 Magnum into context alongside larger options such as the .44 Magnum and 10mm to explain why the "bigger is automatically better" argument can oversimplify a complicated decision.

Bear encounters are unpredictable, and no handgun guarantees safety. Follow local wildlife-agency guidance and prioritize bear avoidance and appropriate non-firearm deterrents where recommended.

Would you carry a .357 Magnum in bear country, or would you choose something else?

I found this video of interest as we have bears in the area up in the Cibola National Forest. One bear was trying to cross Interstate 40 recently but was killed by a vehicle near our community. I have one .357 Magnum revolver.  

Baby Bear In The Hood

Above, a bear cub at Yellowstone Bear World in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday morning, we had a little bit of excitement in the neighborhood.

I had just gotten onto Interstate 40 to go to Gallup when my next-door neighbor called and said a baby bear was in a tree at a neighbor's down the street (about three doors away) from my home. He was concerned that the mother bear might be nearby.

Bears have been coming down from the mountains lately, probably looking for water. One was killed a month ago on I-40 and another was seen in the town of Milan (around 40 miles to the east) a couple of days ago. 

The Department of Fish and Game was called in on the baby bear and they darted her and took her away and is going to a rehabilitation center in Espinola, New Mexico. Apparently, the cub came out of Albuquerque with mom but she abandoned this one and another cub. She was already tagged.

Fish and Game was still at the neighbor's when I got back from Gallup. 

Navajo Nation Man Killed By Bear

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A bear attack in the Navajo Nation resulted in a fatality.

One may ask, "There are bears in the Navajo Nation?" Incredible as it may seem (not to those of us who live in New Mexico), not all of the Navajo Nation is in the desert. There are some mountainous areas with forests within the Navajo Nation.

We have bears in the Cibola National Forest near our community of Jamestown. One bear was hit recently by a vehicle when it tried to cross Interstate 40 near our community. Personally, I have not seen any bears while driving in Six Mile Canyon of the national forest.

The bear attack took place near the community of Crystal, which is in the Chuska Mountains.  

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported:

Black bears attacked two people in New Mexico this week, killing one, as drought conditions continue to drive the animals out of their habitat, increasing human-bear encounters.

The fatality occurred Thursday in Crystal on the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico, The Guardian reported Friday. The victim has not been identified.

It was only the second fatal bear attack reported in a century. The last was 25 years ago.

Navajo Nation police officers killed the bear, according to the report. Tribal officials did not respond to The New Mexican’s inquiry Friday about the incident.

To read more, go here. 

Camping With A Dog In Bear Country

Above, a mother bear and cub in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following doesn't apply to me (I have two cats), but I have relatives with RVs who camp with their dogs.

That is camping with the family dog in bear country. RV Travel posted an article on the fact that dogs can, and do, initiate conflicts with bears in campgrounds.

They begin with:

If you camp in bear country with a dog, you might figure Fido gives you an early-warning system. After all, he’ll probably smell or hear a bear long before you do.

A new study suggests you might not want to count on that.

Researchers examined 326 human-bear conflicts involving domestic dogs across North America. Dogs initiated 54% of those conflicts, according to the study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.

And don’t count on your dog to sound the alarm. Dogs warned their owners about a bear in only 9.2% of the conflicts studied.

This isn’t just a backcountry-hiking problem, either. While 45.1% of the conflicts occurred while people were hiking in wilderness areas, 35.3% happened in front-country settings.

For RVers traveling with dogs, that’s an important distinction.

To read more, go here. 

How Fast Can A Bear Run? Very Fast!

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have seen bears at a national park twice. The first was in Sequoia National Park and the second was in Yellowstone National Park.

If one encounters a bear, keep in mind that they may be many yards away, but they are fast runners.

That is the topic of an article in RV Travel, along with a video.

It begins with:

The video below from RVingWithJoe is only 30 seconds long, but it bears watching (pun definitely intended). Why? Because it answers the question, “How fast can a bear run?” Turns out bears can run pretty darn fast when they want to.

Joe happened upon this bear rapidly running across the road. Luckily, he was safely in his vehicle, but he did manage to get footage. We might think of bears as big, slow, lumbering creatures, but this video proves that it is not true.

To read more and see the video, go here. 

Hiking & Camping In Black Bear Country

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In view of my last post of a bear incident near Aspen, Colorado and that summer camping season is almost upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to post the following from the American Bear Association.

It is about hiking and camping while in bear country.

They begin with:

Hiking & Camping in Black Bear Country

Recreational use of parks and wilderness areas is increasing. Tolerance and an appreciation for the unpredictable nature of resident wildlife is increasingly important. Negative encounters are often a result of human carelessness rather than an aggressive act by the animal. This is especially true with bears. Most bear “attacks” are caused by surprising a bear and usually can be prevented. Understanding bear behavior and recognizing bear sign are important when hiking or camping in Bear Country. 

Before the Trip

Plan ahead – be prepared. Contact the local wildlife agency or park headquarters for information about the area wildlife, hiking/camping procedures and precautions as well as for any current bear activity areas.

• Familiarize yourself with bear behavior and signs.
• Avoid packing odorous food and nonfood (fragrant cosmetic, toiletries, etc.) items. Use bear-proof containers, doubled plastic bags or airtight canisters to seal in odors.
• Bring extra bags for leftovers and for packing out garbage, if necessary.
• Pack a flashlight and binoculars.
• Avoid taking a dog or keep it leashed.

 To read more (a lot more), go here.

 

Yellowstone Bear World

Above, a resident of Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My previous post on bears vs. recreational vehicles jogged a memory of ten years ago this month.

It was then that my daughter Amber and I took an RV trip to Yellowstone National Park. It was the first real trip in the RV (although we did go to Las Vegas in it a few weeks before). 

Above, here, visitors can feed bear cubs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along the way to Yellowstone National Park, we stopped at Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg, Idaho. It is a wildlife park in which visitors can drive in areas set aside for different species of animals including, of course, bears.

Above, outside of the gift shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From Yellowstone Bear World's website:

About Us

No vacation to the Yellowstone National Park or Grand Teton National Park region is complete without an adventure into the wild at Yellowstone Bear World, a drive-thru wildlife park. During your visit you will be surrounded by the free-roaming wildlife of North America as you drive your personal vehicle through the park.

Wildlife you will see includes Rocky Mountain Elk, Bison, White-tail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Goats, and of course American Black Bear and Grizzly Bear. Remember to visit our petting zoo, enjoy the amusement rides, dine at the Hungry Bear Cafe, and explore the animatronic dinosaurs in Jurassic Creek! Located 5 miles south of Rexburg, Idaho on US HWY 20 we are easily accessible from both Jackson Hole, Wyoming and West Yellowstone, Montana. (see map) When you visit this beautiful region don’t miss Idaho’s #1 wildlife attraction, Yellowstone Bear World.

Above, a moose relaxing in his section. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 It was a fun park to visit. to access their website, go here. 

Your RV Won't Stand A Chance Against a Bear! (Video)

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Are RVs impervious to bear attacks?

Apparently not! A northern California man's fifth wheel trailer was trashed by a California black bear. The bear tore a big hole in the trailer's roof to get inside to feast upon stored foods.

RVingWithJoe posted the following video:

Man Attacked By Grizzly in Grand Teton National Park Survives

Above, Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A man hiking in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming was attacked by a grizzly bear.

Fortunately, he survived the attack because the bear activated a can of bear spray on herself. The bear was protecting her cubs, by the way.

RV Travel begins their article on the attack with:

A hiker in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park was miraculously saved this past week when a grizzly bear used bear spray on itself!

Shayne Patrick Burke, a disabled Army Reserve veteran, described his encounter with a grizzly bear in Grand Teton National Park as “the most violent” experience of his life. On a hike to photograph owls, Burke spotted a grizzly cub and was soon attacked by its mother. 

To read the full story, go here. 

Wyoming Seeing Plenty of Grizzlies and Cubs

Above, a bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As the weather is getting warmer, grizzlies, black bears and their cubs are being seen by Teton County, Wyoming residents.

RV Travel has posted an article on keeping yourself and the bears safe and avoiding encounters. 

They begin with:

Grizzly bears with cubs have begun emerging from their dens in Teton County, Wyoming. As bears become active this spring, Bear Wise Wyoming reminds residents and visitors to secure attractants of any kind and be bear aware.

Seeing a bear in its natural habitat is an awe-inspiring experience. However, living and recreating in bear country requires awareness and actions on our part to keep both bears and humans safe. As the grizzly bear population expands within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, bears continue to disperse across their historical range but also into more populated areas. All of Teton County is now in occupied grizzly bear habitat.

Properly storing all attractants to ensure a bear does not obtain a food reward is crucial to keeping bears wild. Once a bear becomes conditioned to human foods, risks to the bear and humans increase and management options become limited. Whether you have lived in Teton County for decades or are visiting the area for a day, please do your part to help protect bears. 

Above, a mother black bear and cub in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article goes on to provide tips on what to do.

To read more, go here. 

How Park Rangers Are Dealing With Overrun National Parks

Above, a park ranger is directing traffic away from a mother bear and cub at Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is very hard to enjoy a national park when thousands of people are "getting away from it all" at the same time and overrunning them. That's why I prefer visiting them during the off-season.

This overrunning of the national parks are causing problems and The Manual has an article on how park rangers are dealing with the hordes.

They begin the article with:

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the only and safest ways to be around other people and have something to do was to venture to the great outdoors. Families and friends packed up their bags and headed off for their dream national park trip all while staying safe from spreading the virus. However, it would appear that the crowds that didn’t set off last summer planned trips for the summer of 2021, which added up quickly. The U.S. national parks have become so crowded in fact that park rangers have had to take measures to ensure public safety while protecting the parks at the same time.

To read more, go here. 

More Grand Teton Campgrounds Go On Reservation System

Above, a herd of elk gather for safety in a meadow as a bear was spotted nearby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming will be able to reserve campsites as the new reservation system is including concession-operated campgrounds in it.

National Parks Traveler reported:

Visitors to Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in Wyoming will soon be able to reserve campsites in advance at all concession-operated campgrounds. Reservations will go live on Recreation.gov beginning January 26 for the 2021 operating season. All park campgrounds that were first come, first served are moving to this advance reservation system.

The new system responds directly to public requests for a reservation system at park campgrounds, prompting a collaborative effort between the National Park Service, Grand Teton Lodge Company, Signal Mountain Lodge, and Recreation.gov.  Visitors will now have the ability to plan ahead with confidence and know they will have a place to stay and camp when they arrive, improving the visitor experience, and reducing wait times and associated traffic congestion at park campgrounds. The reservation system will streamline the camping process, allowing park visitors to check the availability of sites in real time and receive immediate confirmation.

Visitors wishing to reserve a campsite in the park for the 2021 season at Colter Bay, Gros Ventre, Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, and Lizard Creek campgrounds will be able to do so by visiting Recreation.gov beginning January 26 at 8 a.m. MST.  On that date, reservations will be available for applicable campgrounds for stays through July 26, 2021, and then on a rolling six-month basis thereafter. Campsite reservations are expected to fill quickly, and visitors are strongly encouraged to plan ahead.

 To read more, go here.