Why carry guns in Alaska?

[MountainBear]

That photo and story have been making the rounds on the internet for a while. I cannot remember where I read it, so I cannot link to it, but there was apparently some discrepancies in his story and they weren't sure if it was a justifiable shooting or not. I'm not sure which way it has been determined. I was a fishing guide up in Alaska for three years. Most the time we got complacent and left our guns in the boat or cabin. Every once in a while something would happen that would snap us back into reality.

My last season up there I was chased from a hole by a very large black bear. I was not armed at the time, but there were a lot of guides and clients around. Thankfully the bear chose not to make a meal of me and moved along. As soon as it left, you could watch a dozen or so people start pulling shotguns and pistol belts out of their boats and strapping them on. Complacency kills. Thankfully sometimes we get lucky and it just scares us. Although honestly, I was more scared of the pissed off 1100 lb. cow moose with calves in tow than the bears...

 

[Blitzkrieg]

That photo and story have been making the rounds on the internet for a while. I cannot remember where I read it, so I cannot link to it, but there was apparently some discrepancies in his story and they weren't sure if it was a justifiable shooting or not. I'm not sure which way it has been determined. I was a fishing guide up in Alaska for three years. Most the time we got complacent and left our guns in the boat or cabin. Every once in a while something would happen that would snap us back into reality.

My last season up there I was chased from a hole by a very large black bear. I was not armed at the time, but there were a lot of guides and clients around. Thankfully the bear chose not to make a meal of me and moved along. As soon as it left, you could watch a dozen or so people start pulling shotguns and pistol belts out of their boats and strapping them on. Complacency kills. Thankfully sometimes we get lucky and it just scares us. Although honestly, I was more scared of the pissed off 1100 lb. cow moose with calves in tow than the bears...

The bear was obviously sick, old and starving. This is often when bears and cats intrude on more suburban areas in search of easy food. The trajectory of the bullets should tell all, IMO

 

[clearconscience]

Usually black bears will steer clear of people. Most bears in general will, However, as people approach more into their backyard and kill more of their prey through some means they get hungry/starving and/or sick and will eat or kill anything. This goes for most animals.
These stories circulate all over the net. But it is a reality. I would never go into a forest without carrying whether it be Alaska or Oregon.

I had a friend 4 wheeling in Bend. He was with a few other guys and he was in the back of the pack and just happened to look behind to see a cougar was stalking them. He fired a couples shots to scare it away and went on without incident.

You never know. Always be prepared whether in the forest of local coffee shop. Unfortunately we always need a hard lesson to bring that back to us.

 

[CanCanCase]

...I had a friend 4 wheeling in Bend. He was with a few other guys and he was in the back of the pack and just happened to look behind to see a cougar was stalking them. He fired a couples shots to scare it away and went on without incident...

Isn't it illegal to carry a firearm when riding a quad here in OR?

Back to the OP: I was born and raised in SE Alaska, and have been a hunt transporter, hunter, fisherman (sport, commercial, charter guide) and wilderness guide for longer than I care to remember. (I've been a bartender and held a few other jobs too, but they're irrelevant to this thread!) The "scare stories" are endless... rowing the dinghy ashore and walking the beach with your kids to come back and find a 1200 grizzly sow between me and my gun (left in the dinghy....) guiding 2 clients fishing for rainbows and looking up to realize you're surrounded by 17 bears all fishing the same stream... having a ranger's gun jam at a bear viewing sanctuary when a mother bear charged and being the only one in the crowd of tourists carrying anything...

A scoped .44 mag or .454 worn on the chest is an everyday carry piece (that's part of the reason I'm having trouble with this concealed carry thing here... I'm so used to bigger guns out in the open.) For family beachcombing I usually had my hunting rifle (.338 Win Mag) with us - family defense and all, and to guide a 12 ga. was standard fare.

Funny... only animal I ever shot in defense was a bull moose that I happened to be stalking on a hunt anyway... Of course I've had to chase blackies out of my backyard and driveway hundreds of times.

My choice for "bear medicine"? 12 ga. shotgun... first round is 00 buckshot (a facefull is an effective warning) followed by a half-dozen slugs with a big 3" load to push them. My choice for "tweeker medicine"? 9mm sub-compact - 17+1 ought to be enough.

-Case

 

[swoop]

Who's that?

Sorry phathom, didn't have my glasses on.

 

[phathom]

Isn't it illegal to carry a firearm when riding a quad here in OR?

Back to the OP: I was born and raised in SE Alaska, and have been a hunt transporter, hunter, fisherman (sport, commercial, charter guide) and wilderness guide for longer than I care to remember. (I've been a bartender and held a few other jobs too, but they're irrelevant to this thread!) The "scare stories" are endless... rowing the dinghy ashore and walking the beach with your kids to come back and find a 1200 grizzly sow between me and my gun (left in the dinghy....) guiding 2 clients fishing for rainbows and looking up to realize you're surrounded by 17 bears all fishing the same stream... having a ranger's gun jam at a bear viewing sanctuary when a mother bear charged and being the only one in the crowd of tourists carrying anything...

A scoped .44 mag or .454 worn on the chest is an everyday carry piece (that's part of the reason I'm having trouble with this concealed carry thing here... I'm so used to bigger guns out in the open.) For family beachcombing I usually had my hunting rifle (.338 Win Mag) with us - family defense and all, and to guide a 12 ga. was standard fare.

Funny... only animal I ever shot in defense was a bull moose that I happened to be stalking on a hunt anyway... Of course I've had to chase blackies out of my backyard and driveway hundreds of times.

My choice for "bear medicine"? 12 ga. shotgun... first round is 00 buckshot (a facefull is an effective warning) followed by a half-dozen slugs with a big 3" load to push them. My choice for "tweeker medicine"? 9mm sub-compact - 17+1 ought to be enough.

-Case

Yup, it is illegal to carry a loaded gun on an ATV or snowmobile.
Also what subcompact do you have that holds 17+1, sounds like a compact or full size to me.

 

[CanCanCase]

Yup, it is illegal to carry a loaded gun on an ATV or snowmobile.
Also what subcompact do you have that holds 17+1, sounds like a compact or full size to me.

SR9c... 10+1 flush or 17+1 with the grip extension...

- Case

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Yup, it is illegal to carry a loaded gun on an ATV or snowmobile.
Also what subcompact do you have that holds 17+1, sounds like a compact or full size to me.

Werd.. does that also include a dirtbike? I always open carry here in WA on my enduro, and have a loaded mini 14 on the handlebar mount..

 

[Kimber Custom]

Werd.. does that also include a dirtbike? I always open carry here in WA on my enduro, and have a loaded mini 14 on the handlebar mount..

Yes,

Here's a thread I started about it. Post 8 and 9 address dirt bikes in particular.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26658

BTW these are Oregon statues. I haven't investigated Washington.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Yes,

Here's a thread I started about it. Post 8 and 9 address dirt bikes in particular.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26658

BTW these are Oregon statues. I haven't investigated Washington.

Thanks.. and it is legal in WA State, unless you try it in the "liberal zones" where common sense goes out the window. In addition WA law on loaded long gun mags is the same, it's OK as long as the mag is not inserted into the long gun

 

[JC9995]

Is it legal to bait tweekers with Camaro Parts?

 

[phathom]

Sorry phathom, didn't have my glasses on.

It's all good

So if your motorcycle isn't offroad designed, it's legal. If it is offroad designed and weighs more the 600lbs your legal, but if it is offroad designed and under 600lbs it's illegal in Oregon.
If your ATV (quad, three wheeler, sand rail, etc) is over 50 inches wide it's legal, if it's under 50 inches wide, it's illegal.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

It's all good

So if your motorcycle isn't offroad designed, it's legal. If it is offroad designed and weighs more the 600lbs your legal, but if it is offroad designed and under 600lbs it's illegal in Oregon.
If your ATV (quad, three wheeler, sand rail, etc) is over 50 inches wide it's legal, if it's under 50 inches wide, it's illegal.

My wife and I have enduros that are street legal.. what about them? (This is getting really silly, BTW)

 

[phathom]

My wife and I have enduros that are street legal.. what about them? (This is getting really silly, BTW)

It's not about them being street legal, it's about what they're designed for. Obviously a dirtbike, street legal or not is made for more than just pavement. That being said, what's the weight of it without fluids or rider? If it's over 600lbs your good, if it's under your not.

It is getting a little silly, but the more we know the better right?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

It's not about them being street legal, it's about what they're designed for. Obviously a dirtbike, street legal or not is made for more than just pavement. That being said, what's the weight of it without fluids or rider? If it's over 600lbs your good, if it's under your not.

It is getting a little silly, but the more we know the better right?

It's 325 lbs and my wife's is far lighter (Suzuki DR650E) I guess I'll play it safe and conceal my pistol and keep the mag out of the mini in the future when on public land in OR

 

[Spitpatch]

This is an old story (at least for me), and I offer it here with license for anyone to use it the next time a buddy says, "Hey, check out my .490 Hand Howitzer! Just the ticket to have on my hip in case of bears."

A Montana guide was observing his dude loading and strapping on a handgun prior to the hunt. He asked to see the gun, admired it for a bit, and asked what the dude intended with it.

The dude replied, "Just in case I run into a Grizzly. Can't be too careful, ya know."

The guide handed the gun back, and advised, "Well if you're carrying that for Grizzlies, I'd recommend you file off the front sight."

The dude, recognizing the guide's experience in such matters, and having read a lot about western fast-draw, enthusiastically offered, " Oh, yeah. Good idea! So it comes out of the holster slicker and faster, right?"

The guide rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and replied, "No. So when the Grizzly takes it away from you and crams it up your (posterior), it doesn't hurt so much."

Now, before anyone goes serious here and believes my position to be that pistols are absolutely useless against bears, be it known that I actually borrowed a toy poodle once to go pheasant hunting (no other dog was available, and any dog is better than no dog for pheasant hunting). Little "Fifi" proved her worth that day.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have come to that conclusion and my gun for Alaska will be a short 12 ga with deep penetrating slugs, and the sincere hope I never need to get close to using it

 

[Spitpatch]

Best Alaska Bear Gun I Ever Saw:

At a gun show in Montana, I saw a 12 guage 3" Magnum side-by-side double- trigger hammerless Coach Gun on a table. Something unusual caught my eye, and I looked closer.

It had "express sights" mounted on the rib: Multiple rear blades of varying heights (like on an African double-rifle, that you could flip up or flip down as to range), and a nice ramped front sight with a big ivory-colored bead: again, just like an African stopping rifle.

I asked the table-owner about it, and he said he got it from an Alaskan that had come stateside to retire. It was his "fishing gun". Outfitted for slug delivery in a hurry, and both barrels if necessary.

Nothing better to have strapped on your shoulder on the Kenai.