Sudden Bear Encounter While Mountain Biking

[GJM]

Shawn looks to me like you have a lot of experience and have given a lot of thought to this. I had no idea of any of that when I made my post. My SIL, who is way more knowledgeable than I, got a Glock 10mm for exactly that contingency when he is out w/ his son or family. He carries it in a chest pack which seems to work really well. I will risk one more thought. I have read of people loading their mag w/ alternating ammo types. HST alternating w/ Penetrator.

Can you elaborate on why you think a 10mm Glock would be better on a black bear, and why would someone intermix JHP and penetrator loads in the same magazine (as opposed to in different mags that I do all the time around bears)?

[Ichiban]

Can you elaborate on why you think a 10mm Glock would be better on a black bear, and why would someone intermix JHP and penetrator loads in the same magazine (as opposed to in different mags that I do all the time around bears)?

I believe the underlying theory is you will have JHP for a humanoid threat and penetrators for bears. Suboptimal for either but it give you more flexibility without needing to try and swap magazines. Kinda like the folks that insist on loading the first couple of rounds in their home defense handgun as snake shot for an ability to de-escalate prior to lethal force. Can't say I agree with either one, but those are some of the theories I've heard over the years.

[Chomps]

Yeah, the bear bell was a suggestion from a friend, plus it would seem to let hikers know I'm approaching them from behind or I'm just around a blind curve. In the area where I encountered the bear I'm also going to use the referee whistle periodically as I pass through.

I'm hoping this was just a one in a million encounter and not a regular thing. If not, then hopefully the bear will become familiar with me just passing though when it hears my whistle. I don't know if it'll will hibernate or not, given the mild winters we have here in Western Washington on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Honestly, I consider ea. of those two items a prerequisite to stepping off pavement regardless of any potential for wildlife encounters.

I have a thumb bell on my MTB bars. I use it for EXACTLY that reason. I ring it before entering a blind curve and 97 times out of 100, any hikers are stopped standing off to the trail side. (…the other 3 times are not cuz, you know,.. a$$holes exist everywhere.) 🤣🤷*♂️

The whistles I use for emergencies. I have them on my pack straps. I have them on my hydration packs, etc. I use them hiking, MTB’ing, Snowboarding. Whatever,.. I figure If im down & injured,.. good chance I might not have the energy or even ability to yell for help. But If im still breathing? I can probably use a whistle to attract attention.

And even in my neighborhood & on paved tesils,.. my micro 9 is in my waistband. Just my 2¢ on your preparedness. 😉

Lucky break with the bear,..

[feudist]

A real argument for never being alone in bear country is that a .22 short is enough gun.

[SiriusBlunder]

(…the other 3 times are not cuz, you know,.. a$$holes exist everywhere.) 🤣🤷*♂️

Yep, they are usually the ones on bikes that don't know basic trail etiquette and expect everyone to get out of their way when that's not the case.

Hikers have the right away over bikers on a shared trail.

https://gearjunkie.com/biking/trail-...e-right-of-way

https://www.52trails.org/posts/trail...ogs-and-horses

and plenty more references.

Not to mention:

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...trail-hit-run/

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is now asking for help tracking that cyslist down. He is described as being a white man in his 20s or 30s, and he wasn't wearing a bike helmet. If caught he could face a felony assault charge.

Having said that, I get out of the way/yield to bikers when I know they are coming to avoid injury, but I have been passed, and almost hit, many times by bikers coming from behind with no announcement on narrow trails.

[CraigS]

Can you elaborate on why you think a 10mm Glock would be better on a black bear, and why would someone intermix JHP and penetrator loads in the same magazine (as opposed to in different mags that I do all the time around bears)?

Everything I have ever read says 10mm is more powerful than 9mm assuming similar make, model, bullet type. I have seen intermixing round types recommended for certain situations. My thought would be in the context of Shawn's bear encounter time is critical. With a mixed load mag a person would have something for a bear and also for other 4 and 2 legged creatures w/o a need to do a reload. I am not a woodsman, but I know in our local idpa matches I can do a standard reload reasonably quickly when I drop the mag out of the gun. My quickness drops way off if I need to retain the old mag. Maybe I didn't construct my sentences properly but I have no illusions that I am an expert on any of this. My intent was just to throw some thoughts into the discussion that might be worth considering.

[Suvorov]

Great story and thank you very much for sharing! Lots of pertinent information for the large number of mountain bikers on this forum.

I agree with others in keeping the gloves. They are just too important to keep your hands safe in the more likely even of a a spill. I wear the exact same gloves as you do and they have safe my fingers from branches more than once. That said your post will prompt me to spend some time on the range with them on!

[Shawn Dodson]

I am just south of you and I had this momma bear and her cub in the yard.

I was riding in the forest behind North Mason High School, off highway 302. The area is a great mix of terrain, ranging from level, park-like canopy covered trails to intermediate inclines and descents. There's one place I have to dismount and walk my bike up the path about 200 feet or so because it's an incline out of a ravine that's too steep to pedal up without popping a wheelie and flipping over no matter how far forward I lean.

I've lived in the general area, off and on, since 1983. This is the first bear I've seen. I've only seen deer and quail, but my neighbors along the edge of the forest are the ones who've seen and reported about the cougar, bobcat, and coyotes, sometimes posting photos on the neighborhood Facebook page.

Looks like you have lots of experience with bears in your neck of the woods.

The last time I had this much excitement (an "Oh, F**K!" moment) in the woods was when I discovered I'd walked into somebody's marijuana grow in a clearcut north of Quilcene when I was out scouting a couple weeks before deer season in 1986. This was back when marijuana grows were guarded by booby traps and armed guards.

[Cookie Monster]

I like having 16 rounds of 9mm that allows me to make quick and accurate follow-up shots. I've taken many courses and shot thousands of rounds through this gen 3 Glock 19; I'm very proficient and confident with it.

I wasn't apprehensive about the caliber I was carrying, I was apprehensive about my ability to land good hits if the sow charged at me. The only training I had that would be similar to this situation would be the Tueller Drill against a knife attack.

My pistol is loaded with Federal 147gr HST. Will it penetrate the cranium of a charging bear if I should happen to achieve such a hit? The only gauge I have is the FBI's windshield glass test.

If I make any change it might be to 9mm Underwood Extreme Penetrator for mountain biking.

When doing fieldwork in bear country I’d have a spare mag of underwood 9 or 380. I wouldn’t have to admin load and unload and if the carry ammo wasn’t working then I had something else. Maybe I would of never got there but it made things simple in my NPE work environment.

[Kanye Wyoming]

A little off topic, but I thought some of you might enjoy these photos taken recently in the Great Bear Rainforest in BC by a high school classmate of mine. He is a hobbyist/semipro wildlife photographer, but I think these put him in the big leagues.