Are you prepared for a bear charge? Do you have a holster for your favorite sidearm or bear spray? If so, have attached these systems to your belt or backcountry pack? Being bear ready is no joke. Here’s some excellent tips as well as an excellent product to keep you safe when roaming bear country.
by Mark Kayser
We had just exited a dense stand of pines, brush, and dead timber, but the small series of aspen draws ahead seemed even eerier.
I turned to my hunting partner, Darren Bahnson, and asked, “This looks like the perfect place to run into a grizzly, doesn’t it?”
Bahnson nodded as he led me through the maze of young aspens. I commented as we emerged from the roller coaster terrain a mile later. “You know, I kept thinking of how I would respond to a grizzly charge the entire time. Not that I would retreat, but do you run up and place the barrel of the handgun directly to the side of the bear? What about angles when the bear has a hold of you? I don’t want to shoot you accidentally.”
The topic kept our minds off the final miles of our 11-mile-plus hike, which included more than 3,000 feet of ascension. This distraction was appreciated. Our bodies started to feel the pain of a long elk season.
The odds of running into an aggravated grizzly or angered black bear may be low (never zero). Still, the news cycle includes numerous attack stories. These stories emerge more during the September and October hunting seasons before bears hibernate.
You should be prepared if you venture into grizzly territory. Although black bears pose a threat, their hunted status in most states equals a bear that fears man most of the time. My typical black bear encounter is a quick sighting as the bear runs off in my presence. I was still-hunting on a Montana mountainside a few days back and bumped into a sow with two tiny, late-born cubs. Forty yards separated us. I grabbed the handle of my sidearm in preparation for a possible charge. Smartly, the sow fled with two small bundles of black fur following.
Grizzlies flee as well, but less often. Grizzlies are not typically hunted in the lower 48 and still embrace their apex predator status and boldly display it at times. Bowhunters in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have already killed three grizzlies in cases of self-defense as of this writing. More run-ins have likely occurred. Read this last story as reported via Cowboy State Daily. Bowhunter Landen Clement, a Georgia resident but a dedicated Western bowhunter, was attacked at 10 yards by a sow grizzly with cubs. He managed to shoot and kill the bear as it bit into his thigh. That sounds remarkable enough. Stranger still is that this was his third encounter over several years with grizzlies and the second time he has had to shoot in self-preservation. Wow!
Now that you are thinking of canceling that deposit on your latest elk dream hunt, remember that the odds of never seeing a grizzly still work in your favor. I spent nearly three weeks in crossover and primary grizzly country in September. I saw lots of bear sign and ran into black bears on three occasions. But I never saw a grizzly. That time included hunting the Rocky Mountain Front Range just south of Glacier National Park. This area is a grizzly haven, and the location where bears now occupy real estate in the grasslands east of the front range.
During this hunt, I tested the new ALPS Talon Holster. This handgun holder works with a variety of carry applications. Before you get into the debate mood of whether a sidearm or bear spray offers the ideal protection from a bad-tempered bear, this article is not going there. Volumes of testing, opinion, and wildlife convictions back both options. The environment you’re hunting is often the deciding factor. I sometimes carry both. Still, I prefer a handgun more often due to its versatility in personal defense and survival applications.
Plus, it allows me to trim weight for backcountry hunts. One negative about bear spray: In high winds, the lightweight propellant could be blown in the opposite direction of a threat. Gusty winds are common in the mountains.
Over the years, I generally carried my sidearm on my belt in a tactical, grip-lock holster system constructed of indestructible polymer. A low ride allows the waist belt of my backpack to ride above, giving me good access to the sidearm. The new ALPS Talon ambidextrous holster expands locations where you can carry your sidearm with easy access. The two most prominent carrying options include the waist belt of your backpack or securing it under your binocular holder, or chest pack. I used the polymer MOLLE clip to attach the holster underneath my binocular harness/holder for most of my archery elk season. The attachment area is constructed of durable Hypalon for reinforcement in a secure attachment.
Some features include the availability to order it in either coyote brown or stone gray. It holds handguns approximately 6 inches long by 4 inches high. I used it to keep my full-size Glock model 22 and my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield compact. The Talon holds sidearms tightly with its form-fitting shell. Plus, an adjustable magnetic clasp offers a quick release for instant access to a firearm. A quick adjustment of this clasp system via dependable, aggressive Velcro took seconds to adjust for each sidearm change out. The system has an MSRP of $49.99. It’s affordable and rugged.
I’m still toying whether to continue carrying the Talon underneath my binoculars or attach it to the waist belt of my Elite backpack. I felt comfortable drawing the weapon quickly from underneath my binocular holder. However, I also appreciated the Old West style of quick drawing from my hip. I get plenty of time to try both options as I carry a sidearm almost everywhere. Carrying a firearm is as common to me as putting on my boots, and the Talon keeps me prepared.
If you want to be prepared for self-preservation and protect those you love (even your dog), consider the Talon from ALPS OutdoorZ. It passed my test.
If you do not wish to carry a sidearm or it is illegal in your hunting area, ALPS OutdoorZ offers a traditional bear spray holster. It’s called the Knockout X. This coyote brown canister holster includes an SR Buckle to attach in various ways to packs, belts, bino harnesses, or chest holders. Unbelievably secure elastic holds a 10.2-ounce canister of bear spray. I have never lost a canister. Even ascending the middle Teton in a snow-covered rock environment, it held my can tightly. It retails for $24.99.
