Is panning in Grizzly country safe??

[GollyMrScience]

Dwayne - sword against a bear? Not even on a bet. 
Getting an effective stabbing attack would be next to impossible and their fur and hide would be pretty resistant to slashing. Slashing is also not gonna stop them much. Just annoy them. Maybe against a black bear but any charging bear would be on you and chewing you good before he even realized you had stuck something pointy in him.
As a casual sword slinger I would also point out that swords can be a pain to get back out and use again once shoved into something big and strong and meaty.
One weapon that has proven effective against attacks is a bat or club. Certainly not on my list of preferred bear deterents but it offers you the possiblity of doing damage to whatever you hit and thick skulls and fur are not as resistant to massive blunt trauma as they are from a sword.
Your sword or the bat for that matter would probably be more effective wounding your partner to slow him down some so you can take the lead in the getaway. 

[honeyman76]

 
IDK, maybe its time they created a light saber! lol. Light wieght and young Luke loved his lol. Saw it with my own two eyes as he slayed a beheamoth yeti lol

[GollyMrScience]

Jedi Prospectors - sounds like a plan to me. 

[juu907]

with a bat or club the nose is the best target. memory fails me a little here but i believe it was back in the thirties when judge james wickersham killed a large brownie with the nickname of old growler.. upon skinning they found over 20 gunshot wounds in his head. most wounds were old ranging from 22 cal. to large bores. and you still want to go it alone unarmed. myself i would wait till gold hits that $15.000 an oz. they have been talking.          good luck    jerry

[Guest]

Grizzlies, while they are big, powerful, are generally shy and timid unless in the rut or real hunger, about the only ones I've see give a person any problems, were ones that had cubs with them, or ones that had developed a taste for garbage left behind by humans.  When out in the bush I very rarely pack a gun, packing to much other stuff, I do pack bear spray, more for peace of mind I think than anything else, but then again when walking through the bush I'm not shy, I'm probably one of the noisiest, clumsiest, branch breaking critters out there, find it easier to smash the branches and shrubs out of my way than walk around it all.  Most wildlife will hear me coming from a mile away, and give me lots of room, now I know that a lot of people like to sort of sneak through the bush, thinking that they will hear the bears/cougars first and be ready or to get away from them.  Nothing could be farther from the truth, if you hear the attacking bear or other critters out there, it's generally too late, they are on top of you,  not a good position to be in.  Make lots of noise, announce your presents and dominance, this will give the other life forms time to move out and away, wildlife as a rule doesn't like confrontations, they don't have Medicare, and you will be too far from it to be of any use to yourself ..............Guest

Course there are exceptions to every rule, as Juu907 pointed out, some bears have been shot and just wounded, them ones, well how would you feel if someone shot you in the butt or bounced a couple off your skull, maybe a little {-censored-}towards the offending species..........Guest

[Chuxgold]

Well Dwayne. If its what you got that counts? Must have been old timers that had no choice.
I have always thought as there giving you a big hug. If you could get your shoulder up under his chin. It would have a hard time biting you. Then with the free arm pulling up to give a big hug back. The stab would come close to the one doing the stabbing. but would only take one. and it would be over. Not a twitch or even a last breath.
One big word!  Abdulalemgota. but for a bear and other critters with similar shaped sculls. there is almost always a descent sized channel between the ear and the spine. Were a major nerve channel runs out of the scull.
Hay I mite not always have a gun. But I always carry a big knife.
I guess in a jam some one could use a pointed stick.
also a big must, is if you can act on instinct alone. Many can't, and freeze up. Makes being a dead ball easier.
Me it would not work for. And would be a sure fire way to get eaten. it go's against all instincts to just play dead. So if you can't put your self some were ells easily with shock. Run!! Or stand and fight.
I mite have a story to tell!, if it was not for every close up encounter, except two, ran. After a few of these I learned how to chase them out of camp. And know exactly how afraid bears are of us.
But fear turns to rage fast. So it must be for the aggressor. Us. If we do not stand are ground we become not just prey but a enemy too, that needs to be killed. One of the two I shot I shot for that same reason. To close of quarters to not deal with it then. As I had a clean shot. later??
it came up on me when I was laid out beside the trail taking a nap. Sniffed me over and then just moved on. Most any other time I would have given it little notes other than being another good encounter with life. But I was going to be there a while. And it was just too friendly. So I killed it. Out there you have no friends that come from nature. There all animals that will eat you if given the chance. better to have a peace of them on the spit than you in there tummy. If there not going to play by the rules. You must be the game ender.
Witch was more apparent with the second bear. It wanted to put a hurt on me bad. I looked it over after I shot it and could not find a single thing wrong with it. It just did not like me I guess.
Oh there was a mentioning of how bears do not eat in the spring time after waking up. This is true. But not because they eat grass. They eat grass like we eat salad. No its because there gut is full of usually pine or spruce needles. that they fill there gut with so they do not get hungry when there hibernating. takes a while to pass if you could only imagine. So not until the snows fully gone will they get aggressively hungry. Nothing to eat that time of year anyway.  
Chuck.

[GPEX admin]

First off, you’re going to have pardon my crusty Paint program drawing, but it serves the purpose.

An ideal defense item for a bear attack is a multi-purpose walking stick/combat pole/lance, maybe 6’ to 7’ long, about the diameter of a shovel handle, and preferable out of hickory, so it’s good and solid, with some weight but not so heavy to tote around like oak.  But oak will do just fine.  Now, taper one end to a rather sharp point.  ‘Tis a great walking tool, when held with both hands a great combat weapon, and for a grizzly attack, a lance to pierce him through.  Most bears when attacking rise to their feet and lurch forward to pounce on you - - their way of gaining overpowering control.  If all comes to that stage, hold the shaft with both hands as shown in the sketch, with its butt firmly pressed to the ground, and direct the point shaft to take the bear in the heart area as it’s coming down on you, as you squat to the ground to give leeway for your weapon to do its job.  And hopefully you’ll have found your mark.... but either way, you’ll inflict some serious damage to old bruin and likely he will then retreat.  Remember this too, for maximized control, if right handed, use your left arm be the one holding the upper portion of the shaft (vice versa for left handed people).... much more accuracy control that way.  If short on long wood for a shaft, even a very long shovel handle of good material, will make a good stick.

http://gpex.ca/image-sharing/images/selfdefencestick.jpg[/img]]

One thing to remember, an attacking bear will generally do the pounce, to over-power its prey, so stand tall so it has to go to an upright position to become dominate over you.  And then very vulnerable to your pointed shaft.  Should he succeed, the head and neck will likely be its primary target... they know very well the best kill zone on living things.  Same with cats (pussy winkles right up to lions), they all know the most vulnerable locations.  So when hiking in with gear and a back pack, ensure one is high enough to protect the neck and back of your head.

For hand to hand combat, with the stick held in both hands where you can swing it either way, you can surely deliver some very rude blows… a virtually knock a man off his feet in seconds.  Though the bear is much more of a competitor, it’s far better than trying to reason with him why he shouldn’t really munch your head off. Got acquainted to these sticks when very young and in the Scouts.  For a hand-to-hand thing, even your shovel would make a good weapon.

And for weary old seniors like I, le’ shaft make one great walking stick.  And for the fearful, a good confidence booster.

As Tom pointed out, don’t send out “oh he’s going to kill me” vibs, look him fair in the eye with every bit of conviction you can muster and emanate an energy that tells him its game over for him, should he be so foolish to test you.  Let him see your eyes studying where on its body you’re going to inflict the fatal injury.  But remember, you’re out there playing in his back yard, and like most property occupants, he’s going to want to check out who or what it is that’s so bold to invade his territory.

[honeyman76]

I am thinking a 6 foot sword would work. Not much woudl make me fearful lol

[Five-Oh]

I am thinking a 6 foot sword would work. Not much woudl make me fearful lol

Oh hell Dwayne.. Let's just hang a couple of grenades off our belts... Three seconds and it's a problem solved..

Fairly lightweight and no fuss, no muss  

[juu907]

how about a little food for thought. chances are somewhat slim.  BUTTTTT jerry [ Invalid Attachment ]