best carry caliber for hiking, wildlife protection

[whitewolf001]

if we are talking about revolvers how about a Judge loaded with shot and some good .45 LC defense loads?

 

I wouldn't trust any of the standard commercial defense loads, I'd go with Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, Double Tap, etc.

[Patton]

The effectiveness of shotgun shells in that short of a barrel is poor compared to the same in a longer barrel. Some 410 loads are only penetrating a few inches at 10yrds. Also Buffalo Bore is some of the worst ammo I have ever tested. I had a terrible experience on paper with BB 147 gr 9mm, and no it wasn't the excessive recoil. It was also very dirty.

[HvBikeWlTravel]

It occurs to me, as well it might to the Original Poster; ask 60 Gun Aficionados a question, get 60 different answers! 

[RobertNashville]

I think I've got the perfect answer...never leave your house and you'll be find. Then you can keep just about any size weapon you want within hand's reach and not have to worry about weight, carrying water, etc. ;)

[whitewolf001]

I think I've got the perfect answer...never leave your house and you'll be find. Then you can keep just about any size weapon you want within hand's reach and not have to worry about weight, carrying water, etc. ;)

 

Yep, be just like this interesting gent.

[Lumber_Jack]

Chances are, any projectile contact with an animal will deter its attack at least enough to buy you some escape time.

I'm just gonna havta go ahead and disagree with that notion. Many wounded predators wouldn't even slow down when in attack mode without heart, lung or brain being damaged.
Bear Spray is light and easy to carry. And effective on most critters I suspect. And a heck of a lot easier to hit a charging target! And less likely to get you in trouble with Wildlife Officials and the general public. I'd carry a Handgun in addition, but it wouldn't be the first thing I'd reach for if I saw a Bear.

Well we'll just have to disagree then. Cause I stand behind my statement. And you won't have any trouble out of wildlife officers if your being threatened. I know plenty of them. Have your permit, carry your gun, no issues.

[HvBikeWlTravel]

Well we'll just have to disagree then. Cause I stand behind my statement.

I can live with that!

 

"And you won't have any trouble out of wildlife officers if your being threatened."

 

I think that was George Zimmermans position.

[Ozzie Banicki]

I recently donated my Glock 20 to someone.  This is based on my premise that the said gun is insufficient to stop a charging bear In the out-back.

 

[RED333]

Yall aloud to have a semi in Oz?

Very old thread.

[chances R]

If Zimmerman had OC spray we would have never heard of him.

[DaveTN]

24 minutes ago, chances R said:

If Zimmerman had OC spray we would have never heard of him.

If Martin would have had a gun and shot his attacker; we wouldn’t have heard of either of them either.

[WFM]

After seeing so many bears on the trails in the last few years in the east Tenn. and western North Carolina mountains I carry bear spray. Never have needed it, but I have it. While hiking in Rocky Mountain National park a couple of years ago, I carried a Ruger LCR .357. It may or may not have helped me if I was attacked, but it made me feel a little better about having it on my belt. Carry whatever makes you feel a little more secure.

[JReedEsq]

I have seen lots of bears in the woods but I am probably more concerned about coywolves, coyotes, or boars.  

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coyote-attack-man-kills-bare-hands-attacked-toddler-child-exeter-kensington-new-hampshire/

[JReedEsq]

The Dad in the article above, smothered the coyote in the snow.  The chances are very slim that snow would be deep enough for that to work around here. 

[DaveTN]

47 minutes ago, JReedEsq said:

I have seen lots of bears in the woods but I am probably more concerned about coywolves, coyotes, or boars.  

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coyote-attack-man-kills-bare-hands-attacked-toddler-child-exeter-kensington-new-hampshire/

 

45 minutes ago, JReedEsq said:

The Dad in the article above, smothered the coyote in the snow.  The chances are very slim that snow would be deep enough for that to work around here. 

I don't think killing a Coyote with my hands would be hard, but I sure wouldn't want to fight a bear. 

That story said the victims were treated for rabies as a precaution. I always thought if you had the head of the animal; it could be checked for rabies??

[Tuffus]

5 hours ago, DaveTN said:

 

I don't think killing a Coyote with my hands would be hard, but I sure wouldn't want to fight a bear. 

That story said the victims were treated for rabies as a precaution. I always thought if you had the head of the animal; it could be checked for rabies??

The problem is that by the time they figured out if the coyote had rabies and you had not been treated it might be too late.

[dawgdoc]

8 hours ago, Tuffus said:

The problem is that by the time they figured out if the coyote had rabies and you had not been treated it might be too late.

In the case of the coyote killed by bare hands, they potentially could have tested it and waited for the results before starting treatment.  Rabies takes weeks to months before you become clinical, and the testing usually takes less than a week.

If the dead coyote's body got dragged off or the brain decayed,  they would not be able to test for rabies, and the victims would need full post-exposure treatment.

[E4 No More]

5 hours ago, dawgdoc said:

In the case of the coyote killed by bare hands, they potentially could have tested it and waited for the results before starting treatment.  Rabies takes weeks to months before you become clinical, and the testing usually takes less than a week.

If the dead coyote's body got dragged off or the brain decayed,  they would not be able to test for rabies, and the victims would need full post-exposure treatment.

I seem to recall that time is a factor with rabies treatment in humans. In other words, there's a narrow window in which that treatment is viable; therefore, the sooner they start the better. If that's indeed true then they can wait for symptoms to appear.

EDIT: https://www.who.int/rabies/Rabies_Clinicians_FAQs_21Sep2018.pdf "Rabies is almost always fatal once clinical signs occur." So waiting around can be deadly.

Edited January 27, 2020 by E4 No More

[Moped]

Well, I went hiking in the Smokies yesterday and I just carried my LCP. I've hiked quite a bit over the last 7 years and I go light, on everything, pistol included.  But I don't carry for Critters.  I carry for two legs.  I think the biggest pistol I've carried is a SA .45acp XDs.

[E4 No More]

53 minutes ago, Moped said:

Well, I went hiking in the Smokies yesterday and I just carried my LCP. I've hiked quite a bit over the last 7 years and I go light, on everything, pistol included.  But I don't carry for Critters.  I carry for two legs.  I think the biggest pistol I've carried is a SA .45acp XDs.

Yep, those two-legged critters are the most dangerous...at least around here. Now if I was around Grizzly, Kodiak, Brown, or Polar bears I might feel differently.

[DaveTN]

18 minutes ago, E4 No More said:

Yep, those two-legged critters are the most dangerous...at least around here. Now if I was around Grizzly, Kodiak, Brown, or Polar bears I might feel differently.

You are around Black Panthers. They will kill you and eat you when you are taking the trash to the curb at night.

[E4 No More]

31 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

You are around Black Panthers. They will kill you and eat you when you are taking the trash to the curb at night.

That's why I have my live-in grandsons take the trash out. 

[Grayfox54]

A couple of years ago, my then GF and I went to visit a friend of her's living  just outside of a small coastal town in northern Florida. We had taken the GF's dog along as well. About 10:00 pm I went to take the dog for a walk so he could take care of business before bedtime. As I was about to leave, the friend said "Be careful, the bears have been troublesome and raiding garbage cans of late".  

Oh swell! And all I had brought along was my little Colt Mustang .380.  Not my first choice against a black bear.   But then I realized the small, but extremely bright LED flashlight in my hand had a strobe feature. I decided that that would be the better weapon in the event of a bear encounter. Hopefully, the strobe would confuse and scare the critter into going away. Fortunately, I never had to find out. 

But I still like the idea and carry that flashlight whenever I go camping or hiking. I'd really like to test my theory. But I will be carrying a gun just in case. 

 

[DaveTN]

42 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

A couple of years ago, my then GF and I went to visit a friend of her's living  just outside of a small coastal town in northern Florida. We had taken the GF's dog along as well. About 10:00 pm I went to take the dog for a walk so he could take care of business before bedtime. As I was about to leave, the friend said "Be careful, the bears have been troublesome and raiding garbage cans of late".  

Oh swell! And all I had brought along was my little Colt Mustang .380.  Not my first choice against a black bear.   But then I realized the small, but extremely bright LED flashlight in my hand had a strobe feature. I decided that that would be the better weapon in the event of a bear encounter. Hopefully, the strobe would confuse and scare the critter into going away. Fortunately, I never had to find out. 

But I still like the idea and carry that flashlight whenever I go camping or hiking. I'd really like to test my theory. But I will be carrying a gun just in case. 

 

We had to warn people not to take their dogs in boats where there were Gators. Gators will come in a boat after a dog. They must really be scrumptious.

[E4 No More]

27 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

We had to warn people not to take their dogs in boats where there were Gators. Gators will come in a boat after a dog. They must really be scrumptious.

Vietnamese gators?