Figured you would just get out there and wrestle with it!
Black bears are often much more afraid of us than we are of them. The amount of construction over in this area though has probably stirred up any remaining population so they’re on the move making them a bit more agitated than usual.
Black bears are smaller than most other species, but I wouldn’t mess with one without a 10mm if using a pistol or preferably a rifle cartridge of some kind.
Can you use anything else? Sure, you could even throw a rock…. once.
I’d probably just call animal control though unless I’m exposed with no other options. Every few months I see reports of all sorts of things out this way, but I’ve never seen anything in person. There’s been alleged mountain cats, bears, even the legendary Oklahoma “wolf.” I really don’t know what to think, but better to have a plan just in case.
Black bears are smaller than most other species, but I wouldn’t mess with one without a 10mm if using a pistol or preferably a rifle cartridge of some kind.
Can you use anything else? Sure, you could even throw a rock…. once.
I’d probably just call animal control though unless I’m exposed with no other options. Every few months I see reports of all sorts of things out this way, but I’ve never seen anything in person. There’s been alleged mountain cats, bears, even the legendary Oklahoma “wolf.” I really don’t know what to think, but better to have a plan just in case.
Skunks are far more dangerous than black bears! We had a pro. trapper at Sun Refinery in Tulsa, comew in and live trap skunks that had gotten to be a problem, and danger, to employees in the tank farm. Of course an oil company can't swat a mosquito without making the national news! He said that a law required him to kill, off site, all the skunks he traps because 80% of skunks tested in Oklahoma, carried RABIES! I think that means they can spred it without coming down with the desease!
The sate of Arkansas stocked black bears in the Ozarks back in the 1960's I think. I'm not aware of Oklahoma doing that, but in that length of time, there range could easy spread this far. We have wild cougers in the N.E. part of Oklahoma, as well as the Ozarks. in N.W. Arkansas. I have seen several dating back to the 1950's. My adult son saw an adult cougar near Shell Creek Lake a couple of years ago, and one was captured in a residental area of Tulsa, a few years ago. This was an adult female that the wildlife people said was wormy, and covered with ticks, whitch led them to believe it was not someones pet!
It would have to be one heck of a 9mm rd! I REALLY enjoy the 10mm. I consider it to be almost a .41Mag in semi or wheel.
I was being sarcastic haha. In all seriousness, for small black bears like we have around here, I’d feel plenty confident with my gp100 .357 with hot/heavy hardcast loads. These ain’t grizzliesNot legal for carry...LIke the idea of being prepared for anything though. We are talking about bears not velociraptors though...
My thought.
If you know (Black) bears are where you are going to be a .357 Mag will do. For the 9mm guys that buy 15-20 round clips for their handguns, you should be safe. LOL! Black Bears can be dangerous if you run into one but the bad boys are Grizzlies so when in the mountains here in Idaho I carry my .41 Mag and/or my SDS Lynx 12 gauge Shotgun with Browning Copper Sabot Slugs. I also carry a extra 5 round mag loaded with the same sabots. Just to keep the jitters away.
It was only a matter of time, next will be Pythons lol
Dang that is one small full grown bear. Bears around here average around 350-400 lbs though I have seen smaller and some larger Blacks.
