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bongwizzard
May 19, 2005

Then one day I meet a man,
He came to me and said,
"Hard work good and hard work fine,
but first take care of head"
Grimey Drawer

Kazak_Hstan posted:

Shenandoah National Park has black bears. You do not need a gun to defend yourself against black bears. You don't even need bear spray. You need to assert yourself and not be a pussy, and they will back down. You also need to store your food and other attractants properly, which will remove the reason black bears mess with camp sites in the first place.

Assuming you can carry a gun in Virginia, which I assume you can, you can legally carry a loaded, operational firearm in Shenandoah National Park. You cannot, however, use your firearm for any purpose other than defending yourself. In the extremely unlikely event you were actually attacked by a black bear and shot it in defense of life or property, we would not criminally charge you. If, however, you negligently caused the situation, for instance by improperly storing your food, or shot a bear in a situation that did not actually pose a reasonable threat to you, you will be cited for multiple offenses.

If you choose to carry a firearm you do not need something especially stout to kill a black bear. Any larger handgun round is more than sufficient, as is more or less any thirty caliber rifle. A twelve gauge shotgun loaded with slugs is a very fine bear defense option. The short range of the platform is not an issue because you should not be defensively shooting a bear at long range. Given Shenandoah is a well-visited park with lots of people around, you should also consider that high velocity rifle rounds keep going for quite a while, and one of your basic responsibilities as a firearm user is that you are responsible for what is behind your target. When I expect to deal with a problem brown bear I carry a shotgun. It is more than sufficient for any black bear you would need to deal with.

However, I advise park visitors, in both brown and black bear country, against carrying firearms in favor of bear spray. This is for several reasons. First, the research literature (see especially Stephen Herrerro's work) shows it is more effective than firearms in deterring bear attacks. Second, it does not kill the animal. As you are visiting the park, you presumably value the resource, and should try to avoid harming it if you can. Third, and this is probably a causal factor in point one, you need to be very proficient with whatever firearm you carry. When the bear charges you is a very poor time to find out whether you can shoot a tight group on a dynamic target under stress. And finally, a lot of people let their guard down in bear country when carrying a gun, because they figure they can solve any bear problem by shooting the bear. This is a good way to get sloppy, which invites problems.

Leave your gun at home. You don't need one. Keep a clean camp and observe best practices in bear country. Take bear spray if you really are worried.

Don't bring drones to national parks. They are loud and annoying to both other visitors and wildlife. They currently require a permit under superintendent's compendium in all units of the national park system. You will not be issued a permit. Drones will remain banned under compendia until we go through the rule-making process and get it into the CFR.

If you are in a hot air balloon and do not land or do anything to the park, you are under the jurisdiction of the FAA, not the National Park Service. If you shoot from your hot air balloon into the park, you will be under the jurisdiction of the national park service, and given that you are airborne in a flying contraption and highly unlikely to be imminently threatened by a black bear, that jurisdiction will probably be asserted to your disadvantage.

Lol look at this obvious bear trying to trick you. Get off our forum you picnic basket stealing motherfucker.

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stayingalivetv
Oct 17, 2016

best bale posted:

I'm planning on backpacking in the SNP soon and they warned that bears are active. Normally I'd just create a fire big enough to offend God and man but camp fires aren't allowed.

My dog will be with me but I can't really throw him very far so I doubt I'll be able to throw him at a bear so what should I do? No jokes like a drone or something. Be serious. Like what kind of bazooka should I get? Should I bathe in honey to confuse the bear? Maybe build a moat? Help me out!

Sorry this is probably too late and you've probably already gone and gotten yourself eaten by a bear but just in case you haven't yet:

https://youtu.be/HXqowSgogj8?t=86

stayingalivetv fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Oct 18, 2016

Free Market Mambo
Jul 26, 2010

by Lowtax

stayingalivetv posted:

Sorry this is probably too late and you've probably already gone and gotten yourself eaten by a bear but just in case you haven't yet:

https://youtu.be/HXqowSgogj8?t=86

Shame on u

Shame on u shameful channel

I will be waiting in woods for u.

stayingalivetv
Oct 17, 2016

Free Market Mambo posted:

I will be waiting in woods for u.

:aaa: :tbear: :byobear: :aaaaa:

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur
If you're going to be dumb and carry a handgun on a hike, .357mag for smaller threats, .44mag for larger. Any appreciably powerful round is going to have interesting to handle recoil, so lots of range time beforehand is necessary.

Realistically, carrying a gun along is just dead weight. My .357mag is two pounds, with drop leg holster, loaded, and with six spare rounds, it's three pounds. In a hobby where every ounce of weight counts, just buy a small can of bear spray.


Don't be the douchebag walking around open carrying in large, busier public parks. I take my dog to the park every day, and because this is an open carry state, every pansy-rear end bitch with a clean background check is walking around with something on their hip. Nobody's going to rob you at a big rear end dog park in the middle of the day. People loving suck.

letgomyAgo
Aug 6, 2012
Get a bell and tie it to your shoe laces or something. Or strap chicken to your nipples whichever.

Three-Phase
Aug 5, 2006

by zen death robot
Desert Eagle with .50 Action Express.

Potato Salad
Oct 23, 2014

nobody cares


If you're actually going camping in Virginia, holy cow you are fine.

Don't shoot winnie the pooh. Black bears are scardy-car herpaderp things.

Potato Salad
Oct 23, 2014

nobody cares


I'm serious though. In my experience, east coast hikers who want to carry guns tend not to actually have that much backcountry outdoor exposure / experience.

The world isn't a tenth that scary.

George H.W. Cunt
Oct 6, 2010





Dance around and sound like a fag is probably the best deterrent until you meat a mean ol grumpy bear that eats you then welp

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

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Sjs00
Jun 29, 2013

Yeah Baby Yeah !
OP did you shoot a a bear

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