Woods carry

[LumberZach]

The other thread about which holster to get got me thinking about woods carry, and I am curious about what you guys use in Minnesota. I don't have a 10mm, but where I go bears aren't real common. And when they are they are smaller black bears. I have been thinking I would just stick to my .45 1911, and buffalo bore has a 255 hard cast +P load that has me really interested. So let me know what you guys do.

[crbutler]

Brown bear = .330 Dakota (essentially a .340 weatherby) or .375 H&H rifle. I really don't want to mess with them with a measly pistol, although I did carry my 329 Sc with 300 grain hard casts as a back up. My guide was saying that all a 12 Ga slug did was really annoy a Brownie unless you hit the brain.

Black bear - I am not too worried about them, but a .357 has been sufficient to stop one.

Grizzly are in between. (yes I know a brown bear and a grizz are genetically the same, but the brownie is usually 3-400# bigger)

[LePetomane]

Smith & Wesson Governor with .45 Colt rounds. In Idaho and Wyoming I carry a .44 Magnum. It is a little heavy but necessary.

[xd ED]

In Minnesota, the biggest danger in the woods is likely a tree branch falling on you, poking your eye out with with brush, or possibly getting shot by a hunter. Watch where you're going, wear orange, stay out of the woods in Nov. Look up,especially before you pitch a tent.
Animal-wise I'd guess feral dog- 22mag or bigger should work well.

[jdege]

In Minnesota, the biggest danger in the woods is likely a tree branch falling on you, poking your eye out with with brush, or possibly getting shot by a hunter. Watch where you're going, wear orange, stay out of the woods in Nov. Look up,especially before you pitch a tent.
Animal-wise I'd guess feral dog- 22mag or bigger should work well.

Don't forget about the risk of falling into a cougar trap:

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2008/10/11/scripts/winter.shtml

GK: And now, if I could have your attention please, we'd like you to watch an important informational film about winter —- thank you. Could we dim the lights please?

(THEME, FILM RATCHETS UP)

TR (ANNC): WINTER AND YOU. Produced by your U.S.D.A. Home Extension Service.

It's fall now, and you're enjoying the beautiful leaves. The crisp, mild weather. The caramel apples, the hay rides (HORSES NICKERS). But winter is just around the corner. (DEATH CHORD)

Yes, winter. It's cold. (WIND) It's dark. (WOLF) Are you ready for winter? No, you're not. It starts with proper dress and carrying emergency equipment on you at all times. Even in bed. (SS: In bed?) Yes, in bed. People have been known to sleep ski —- get up in the middle of the night and go skiing (SFX) out across the frozen tundra and before you know it — (CRACK, FALLING) you've fallen into a deep pit — (TK AWAKENING) a pit that was dug by someone as a cougar trap — (LOW SNARL) and there's a cougar with you — (SNARL, TK ALARM) and do you have your cougar spray? No—-- so you're not ready. (HIS VOICE GOES DEEP AND SLOW AS PROJECTOR BREAKS DOWN) And now let's talk about starting your car…

[Bearcatrp]

Your 45 should be sufficient. I would carry my Ruger Alaskan in 44 mag or my Redhawk in 44 mag. Remember seeing an article last year about grizzlys migrating east. Not sure how far they are now but would scare the hell out of me if I would come across one.

[LumberZach]

Glad to hear you guys agree. In the middle of nowhere we still run into more 2 legged critters than 4. I still feel like I would like to woods carry.

[xd ED]

Next to dogs, in most of the areas I tromp around, the next likely beastly encounter of concern would be a feral pig, or wild boar. I do at times switch from a hi-cap 9mm to a .357 wheel gun for that reason.

For me, it's hard to imagine Grizzlies getting closer than the Black Hills, but I'm no expert on them.
Even though the majority of people hike grizzly territories unarmed, if I wanted to be protected it would have to be a long gun, even if there are stories about people dropping them with magnum snubbies.

[Eric Marleau]

Growing up in Ely most of the guys carried .357s. I carried my Browing High Power and mostly used it to shoot Northern Pike so we wouldn't get our nets slimy while fishing for walleye.
Once in a while it would come in handy to scare away the occasional bear that would wander into camp.


Eric

[Holland&Holland]

.357 has been my go to woods side arm for many years. Can't say I have ever had to use it for defense and the only MN black bears I have ever encountered where more scared of me than I was of them but it is handy to have.

[smurfman]

At the cabin black bears are common and even around home they are not unheard of. I don't worry much about them so figure my normal carry guns in 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, or 38 Spl/357 mag are just fine.when at the cabin. Occasionally I'll carry a Uberti 1873 in 45 Colt but that is not very often. During bear season I strap on a 454 Casull as I have had occasion to shoot a bear off the bait trailer while replenishing baits. I have not needed it at the bait site as I have not seen a bear there in the middle of the day.

My main concerns are in regards to 2 legged pests and wild canines. The first are a taken as a matter of everyday living but the latter are a concern when out with the dogs. The cabin has a wolf denning site quite near of which the wolves can be protective of. So far there haven't been any problems but I am vigilant.

At home wolves aren't much of a concern but coyotes are. From February until mid-summer I've had a few run ins with them and my dogs. A 22 pistol of one sort or another is most often carried at home and it has been effective so far. The 22 WMR is preferred but the 22 LR has been adequate as I can get pretty close in such situations.

What I carry a gun the most for are skunks and raccoons. The former are hunted down unmercifully while the latter are removed when found around the buildings. I don't have much patience for either of these creatures and only wish raccoons had less protection than they do. Dang things.

[cobb]

Not hunting with, but just in case.

For a black bear area I think my Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag revolver would work fine with a 300 grain bullet loaded over max H110.
For bigger bear that I hope not to meet, probably my Freedom Arms model 83 in .475 Linebaugh and any heavy factory load which are more than I care to shoot much.

[Rooster17]

I carry .500 s&w in case I run into big foot or one of those cougar-wolverine-bear hybrids.

Seriously though I wouldn't worry too much in minnesota. I saw a video on youtube of guy shooting a moose that charged him on his sled with a gun that had to be smaller than a .45ACP. For me it's more important to be able to shoot quickly. With my 1911 I can put a lot more lead downrange accurately than with my .44 Alaskan I used to own.

[ninjedi]

Up north in the woods I always carry my Ruger new model Blackhawk .357

[Eleanor08]

My holster came in yesterday, pretty good since I ordered Sunday night.

I will do a full review with pics in the next few days, initially I'm very happy.

For woods carry I have been using a Sig C3 1911 .45 with a custom horsehide OWB made by Kelley gun leather out of Arizona. But when I would be hiking with a pack I would use a Safe Packer holster, which fits over my pack straps nicely.

On the holster thread I will post pics of my current set up, and my new set up with the GP100.