# What would you do if a cougar or bear??



## BigTubbs (Sep 22, 2008)

What would you do if a cougar or bear walked up on you and all you had was your bow? I had a cougar approach me within 10 yards during the archery hunt and almost had to shoot it. -)O(- What are the rules in defending yourself against these predators? Also is it true that you now can carry a concealed weapon while archery hunting?


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Thats too freaky!! I think it depennds on how the animal acts. Some times the animal doesnt know you are there but when an animal starts showing agression you family is more important that protecting wildlife. I can only imagine with a bow, I was on the muzzle loader and was scared with my one shot deal at certain times.


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## sliverflick (Sep 18, 2007)

You can carry a concealed weapon on the archery hunt *only* if you have a concealed carry permit.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Feed him your sandwich! :lol: 

S.S.S. the mulies will appreciate it. :mrgreen:


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## north slope (Sep 8, 2007)

What do you do when you don't have your bow and only a 357 snub nose and an bear is 15 yards away?? Shoot him!!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

north slope said:


> What do you do when you don't have your bow and only a 357 snub nose and an bear is 15 yards away?? Shoot him!!


You mean shoot "her"... Sow killer!

If a cougar or a bear were coming on up in my grill and didn't do anything but run away I'd nock an arrow and give them a snuffer enema. SSS. especially cats and wolves. :twisted:


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## Renegade (Sep 11, 2007)

I would kill the bear or cougar with my bow.
The alternative would suck. :shock:


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## north slope (Sep 8, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> [quote="north slope":b73d48if]What do you do when you don't have your bow and only a 357 snub nose and an bear is 15 yards away?? Shoot him!!


You mean shoot "her"... Sow killer!

If a cougar or a bear were coming on up in my grill and didn't do anything but run away I'd nock an arrow and give them a snuffer enema. SSS. especially cats and wolves. :twisted:[/quote:b73d48if]
You mean a Epek enema.......


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## TheMtnGuide (Aug 27, 2008)

One of the guys behind the gun counter at Sportsmen told me that it is now legal to carry a concealed firearm without a permit while hunting with a bow. I asked him several times because I didn't believe it but he was pretty positive. Something to look into?? I had a bear come at me twice several years back and wouldn't leave. Finally he got within 15 to 10 yards so I drew back on him and let it fly. I thought what have I just done, this bear is going to pounce on me. My arrow barely nicked the bear and hit a tree behind him and he took off. I got my concealed weapons permit because of that experience. I'd say if they get within 15 to 10 yards that's to close and you should have a right to take care of the threat.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

It is not legal to carry on the archery hunt unless you have a CCW, or protecting livestock. I wouldn't put much stock in what the "guy behind the gun counter" tells you.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

bwhntr said:


> It is not legal to carry on the archery hunt unless you have a CCW, or protecting livestock. I wouldn't put much stock in what the "guy behind the gun counter" tells you.


+1

I think it would be cool to see a bear here in utah or even a lion. He got to close my gun would be going off. five feet or ten feet is way to close for me.


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## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

From page 40 of the 2008 Big Game Proclamation, under Archery Equipment:



> If you obtain an archery permit, you may not possess or be in control of a firearm, or have a firearm in your camp or motor vehicle, during the archery hunt. The only exceptions to this rule are the following: .................if you're a licensed to carry a concealed weapon in accordance with Title 53, Chapter 5, Part 7 of the Utah Code. You may not use your concealed firearm to hunt or take protected wildlife.


Don't ever rely on someone else who tells you something that may cost you money or cause you to go to jail or get a ticket!! Go straight to source and find out. :wink:


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Actually there is more to it:

If you are licensed to hunt upland game or waterfowl...
If you have a license to hunt big game during archery or rifle hunts that coincide with the ML hunt...
If you are a livestock owner protecting livestock...
If you are licensed to carry a concealed weapon...

Go to the source:
http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2008_biggame/2008_biggame.pdf


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

There is a paragraph in the Utah Code that always gets misinterpreted by people:

From Utah Code Section 76-10-504:


> (4) Nothing in Subsection (1) shall prohibit a person engaged in the lawful taking of protected or unprotected wildlife as defined in Title 23, Wildlife Resources Code, from carrying a concealed weapon or a concealed firearm with a barrel length of four inches or greater as long as the taking of wildlife does not occur:
> (a) within the limits of a municipality in violation of that municipality's ordinances; or
> (b) upon the highways of the state as defined in Section 41-6a-102.


According to this law, you CAN carry a concealed handgun (barrel 4" or greater) without a permit while you are hunting, as long as there is no other law that prohibits it.
This refers ONLY to the section on penalties for carrying concealed without a permit. There are other laws that prohibit you from carrying a handgun while bowhunting, such as the proclamation.

So to summarize: 
Carry a concealed handgun while rifle hunting, without permit: Legal (barrel 4" or greater)
Carry a concealed handgun while bow or muzzleloader hunting without permit: ILLEGAL
Carry a shotgun with bird shot while bowhunting: Legal if there's an upland season open

If I had a bear coming for me, and all I had was a bow, I would probably shoot it. But it would have to be as a last resort, because making an angry bear even more angry is generally not a good practice.


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## TheMtnGuide (Aug 27, 2008)

It sounds like the guy at Sportsman doesn't really understand the laws himself. I know from my concealed weapons class that there are a lot of laws when it comes to firearms so you better understand them before you decide to push them. I have my concealed weapons permit so I'm caring mine as much as possible while hunting. It sure makes me feel better having it with me while hunting especially on my own. I think that it gives you more options to not have to shot a predator because you could just fire a shot into the ground to hopefully scare it off and if it didn't you could protect yourself. A bow just doesn't cut it for confidence when put up against a large predator confrontation.


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

The ability to carry (concealed with permit) during the archery hunt has been in place for at least 5 yrs. I remember in my younger days when a guy got the @#$% beat out of him by a couple of anti's so these days I won't head to the mountains without mine. As far as the predator thing goes, you can always fire a round into the ground prior to actually taking something down.


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## lucky goose (Sep 29, 2008)

every set of regs i have ever read says concealed carry permit is required if bowhunting, but i am with the others my family means more to me than any animal. if your arrow is your only defense then let it fly and hope to heck it flies straight. most of the guys behind the counter anywhere are full of hot air anyway


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## gunplay (Apr 28, 2008)

You can definately trust what everyone says on the internet though!


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Getting back to the topic at hand, I would do as the octopus and secrete urine all over myself so as to discourage them from eating me, I am unsure of what I would do next.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

Huge29 said:


> Getting back to the topic at hand, I would do as the octopus and secrete urine all over myself so as to discourage them from eating me, I am unsure of what I would do next.


Along these lines, it might work a try to shiat yourself while you are at it, hey what is it going to hurt. :lol: I have thought a lot about this and that is why I am going to get a concealed weapons permit, for just in case situations. You could always try to tickle them because everyone knows how ticklish bear and cougars are. -Ov- -/O_- -/|\-


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## blackbear (Oct 18, 2007)

what would I do if I saw a cougar or bear? Take some darn pictures. ****, for a bunch of tough hunters, some of us sure are scared of a couple critters. Iv said it before and Ill say it again, go look in a mirror- 
You are now looking at the critter that can hurt you most while hunting & the most dangerous species on the planet. 
Good day. 8)


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