[freefall]

You guys. I read your advice to some poor guy, you make it sound like you need a howitzer to step out of the Anchorage airport. I've lived here for 30 years, been there and done a lot of it. The T-shirt wore out in the armpits. The best Alaskan rifle I've owned was a Browning BLR .358 Win. Shot 3 bears and 2 moose with it and they all fell straight down. The worst Alaskan rifle I've ever owned was the same BLR. It didn't extract the case every time. I sent it back to Browning, they fixed it and it did the same damn thing. Now my rifle is a Ruger stainless Mk II .338. Killed 3 moose, 0 bears (lost my taste for 'em) all of them took 2 shots, but the rifle works EVERY time. My lovely wife has a .444 Marlin which I would trust with my life (and hers). We both have .44 Blackhawks for fishing trips, which we carry religiously. For walking about, if I have a serious rifle I carry a .22 revolver or my cherished wrist rocket. If I'm after small game I take my .22 rifle and my .44. I'm ready for a bear encounter but don't obsess about it. Only once in 30 years have I felt endangered by a bear, and just backed away while covering the huffing brush with my .358. Be lucky.

[matt g]

I worked on Admiralty Island for a while, they wouldn't even let us carry. You really don't need much more than a solid understanding of bear behavior.

For those unfamiliar with Admiralty Island, it has the largest population concentration of Grizzly, including Kodiak, in the world. You couldn't move 300 Yards on the island without seeing a bear.

[G21.45]

Oh yeah! Well, then, how come my sister-in-law, who lives 75 miles northeast of Fairbanks, just got chased out of her own backyard by a sow grizzly with a cub that's been hanging around her place for more than a week now?

She told me they keep coming back trying to eat the sled dogs! (The family placed in two separate divisions of the Iditarod this year!)

[cpttango30]

I would take a 12 ga with a 3 1/2" chamber and be packing some BRENNEKE “Black Magic” Slugs. 1 3/8 oz that puppy would be packing some serious whoopazz.

[freefall]

More likely the bear's after the sled dogs food. I killed one in my feed shed. Have shot 3 in my yard, the farthest about 20 yards. Yeah they're there and if they learn you provide chow you have a problem. We had a large grizzly that regularly patrolled the tree line 50 yards from our cabin but he never gave us a problem. I reiterate, only once have I felt endangered by a bear, and then I was between her and her cub. Two friends of mine were charged by grizzlies, if George hadn't had his rifle in his hand he'd have been dead, Larry made it to his truck and grabbed his pistol. Yes things happen, but not all that often. Walk loudly and carry a big gun, but you needn't obsess.

[hkusp45]

Here's what you need. It's made by wild west guns.

[matt g]

Originally Posted by G21.45

Oh yeah! Well, then, how come my sister-in-law, who lives 75 miles northeast of Fairbanks, just got chased out of her own backyard by a sow grizzly with a cub that's been hanging around her place for more than a week now?

She told me they keep coming back trying to eat the sled dogs! (The family placed in two separate divisions of the Iditarod this year!)

12 ga. bean bags scare the hell out of them. Get an air horn, like they use on boats, blow it for a second, then blast them in the ass with the bean bag. After a few shots, they learn that the air horn means pain. Once you've conditioned them to that, all you need is the air horn.

Either that, or she can eat a lot of chili and sausage.

Good job on the Iditarods! How far did they end up cutting them short this year? I remember there was quite a bit of talk about it.

[G21.45]

Originally Posted by matt g

Good job on the Iditarods! How far did they end up cutting them short this year? I remember there was quite a bit of talk about it.

Actually, while both families run dog teams together, it's my youngest niece's boyfriend and his father who race in the Iditarod. The father is a professional musher who trains all year long for the race. Must be doing something right, too, because he's already won several times!

The son - who was on his first (and probably) last big race - placed in the top 40 mushers this year. (Not too shabby!) He's studying to be a doctor; so dog sled racing isn't something he plans to continue doing.

We've got a coded password to get into the official, 'Iditarod Musher's Website' where I can look up the exact details of the race; but, my wife is asleep right now; and, I don't want to wake her to ask; but, as I remember, this year's race was short by about 100 miles.

[matt g]

Originally Posted by G21.45

Actually, while both families run dog teams together, it's my youngest niece's boyfriend and his father who race in the Iditarod. The father is a professional musher who trains all year long for the race. Must be doing something right, too, because he's already won several times!

The son - who was on his first (and probably) last big race - placed in the top 40 mushers this year. (Not too shabby!) He's studying to be a doctor; so dog sled racing isn't something he plans to continue doing.

We've got a coded password to get into the official, 'Iditarod Musher's Website' where I can look up the exact details of the race; but, my wife is asleep right now; and, I don't want to wake her to ask; but, as I remember, this year's race was short by about 100 miles.

Awesome. Very impressive track record. Sorry (happy) to hear about the shortened course.

[freefall]

They've been starting the Idiotrod in Willow for the last 6-7 years, and plan to forever more. Too much traffic at the Wasilla end. They still ask the city of Wasilla for money though....
ps. Last bears in my yard I ran off with my wrist rocket. Carried my shotgun along though.