I'm going hiking this Sunday, what should I do?

[R L Suehr]

Op I would get a friend to drop you off at the spot with your Pistol. Its a one way trip keep the ammo separate from the Pistol in the trunk or bed of the truck . No need to let your car sit and the trail head unattended. (IDK if the trail head would be considered an assembly point under the law) A shot gun would be a burden IMO. Bear can be aggressive and even more so if you get between a sow and her cubs. Get some bear spray too for you friend. IANAL

That exception has to do with target shooting. (4) Any persons engaged in target shooting with a
firearm, if such persons are at or are going to or from their
places of assembly or target practice and if, while going to
or from their places of assembly or target practice, the
firearm is not loaded.

Unless he's going to or from target shooting that doesn't work.

[Royinmontco]

Not the case. Non-hunters are welcome to use game lands in approved manners, though those activities are curtailed during the busy fall and winter hunting seasons.

Hmm, good to know. Thanks.

[Remington788]

Are you worried about 4 legged threats? Not much in the woods is like likely to bother you. I've bumped into a couple bears in the Delaware State Forest. Unless you get between them and their Cubs, they keep,their distance. If you do get in between, most handguns aren't going to be much help. Better to be not too quiet so you don't have a risk of sneaking up on one.

2 legged threats, bear spray perhaps.

[BallisticSheepDog76]

If you do get in between, most handguns aren't going to be much help.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. .357 magnum, 10mm, 41 magnum, 45 long colt, .44 magnum, 454 cassull, 460 rowland, .460 sw magnum, 480 ruger, .50 A/E, .500 wyoming express, .500 linebaugh, and .500 sw magnum are all suitable cartridges for bear defense in PA. Obviously some of those would be more effective than others but that's 13 different calibers alone. I think it would be reasonable to say "most popular semi-automatic handguns aren't going to help much" because with the exception of 10mm, 460 rowland, and .50AE the remaining 10 calibers are designed to be fired from a wheel gun. Last time I checked though, .357magnum and .44magnum were still pretty popular cartridges and I definitely know more than a few people with .45 long colt and 10mm handguns.

As far as the OP's situation. Bear Spray and a knife are the standard for those not carrying a firearm. If you're gravely concerned about encountering a predator (2 or 4 legged) and absolutely need a firearm without negotiation, you'll have to just walk to the trail head. If it were me, I'd leave the gun at home.

Also, just a general point of information here, the whole idea that black bears will attack if you get between them and their cubs is not exactly accurate. There are very few cases of black bear attacks where the cubs were even present and in the select few where the cubs were present, it was determined after the fact that the presence of the cubs was not a likely factor in causing the attack. However, grizzly bears can and do attack people when they feel their cubs are being threatened and there are numerous cases to back this up. In fact, it is estimated that about 70% of grizzly bear attacks are caused by an individual getting between a sow and her cubs or making the sow in some way feel her cubs are in danger. Again, not trying to start an argument here, just shedding some light on a very common misconception.

[R L Suehr]

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. .357 magnum, 10mm, 41 magnum, 45 long colt, .44 magnum, 454 cassull, 460 rowland, .460 sw magnum, 480 ruger, .50 A/E, .500 wyoming express, .500 linebaugh, and .500 sw magnum are all suitable cartridges for bear defense in PA. Obviously some of those would be more effective than others but that's 13 different calibers alone. I think it would be reasonable to say "most popular semi-automatic handguns aren't going to help much" because with the exception of 10mm, 460 rowland, and .50AE the remaining 10 calibers are designed to be fired from a wheel gun. Last time I checked though, .357magnum and .44magnum were still pretty popular cartridges and I definitely know more than a few people with .45 long colt and 10mm handguns.

As far as the OP's situation. Bear Spray and a knife are the standard for those not carrying a firearm. If you're gravely concerned about encountering a predator (2 or 4 legged) and absolutely need a firearm without negotiation, you'll have to just walk to the trail head. If it were me, I'd leave the gun at home.

Most handgun calibers are barely adequate for bear. Look at muzzle energy numbers and something like the .44 mag is in the 12-1500 ftlb range. Now look at something like 30-06 (which I consider popular for bear in PA) and your looking at 25-3000ftlb's. Now will a.44 kill a black bear, well sure. It takes a well placed shot to do so and even then it usually won't incapacitate the bear immediately. Now try and make that shot while a bear is charging down on you and you're drawing from a holster. Pretty tough and even if you do make a good shot, you still might get mauled while the bear dies from exenguination (that can take a while). The lighter the caliber the more precise your shot placement has to be to be fatal on something that size. 9mm could be lethal on a bear if you can drill it in the head, again pretty tough to do on a charging bear.

This is why I always recommend bear spray if someone is really worried about this scenario. It has been proven effective at close range and doesn't require the precision of a handgun to stop the attack. Really as was said above PA black bear are not very aggressive and will shy away from people unless you startle them. Make lots of noise going through the woods and have some SA and 99.9% of the time they are not a problem. Just my opinion.

[BallisticSheepDog76]

.500 S/W magnum was literally designed as a handgun to hunt brown bear with. We're talking about upwards of a 500 grain projectile here. A simple search on youtube reveals the effectiveness of that round on bears. Also it's a hell of a lot easier to carry a handgun than a rifle. Since we both agree spray is a must and that the chances of getting into a life threatening encounter with a black bear are <1% I think toting a 30-06 for casual hike in PA is overkill. If you're actually hunting bear - 30-06 is a fine choice. Anything short of that - I'm bringing a handgun and I'm doing it with the utmost confidence. Also, just because you're using a 30-06 doesn't mean by any stretch that you aren't going to have to make an extremely "well placed shot". All shots made with the intent of harvesting game MUST be well placed to ensure a quick and humane death for the animal in question.

[Daycrawler]

Unless he's going to or from target shooting that doesn't work.

(removed by staff)

[scruff]

Jeesh, according to this list, the one and only bear attack fatality in PA happened in 1883. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._North_America

If somebody can post any credible evidence of a bear problem in PA, I'm all ears. Otherwise, I'm going to continue to enjoy my bear encounters, without lugging around shotguns, large-bore revolvers, and huge cans of bear spray. The only provision I make for bears is calling out periodically when I'm running or backpacking solo in a remote area through a confined space on the trail, like a mountain laurel thicket or a rock city, so that I don't surprise them.

Statistically, you're much more likely to die from bee stings. You want to be all Mr. Macho, prepared for any threat? Here you go.
















Otherwise, leave the crap at home and enjoy yourself.

[streaker69]

What about mountain lions?

[Sandcut]

What about mountain lions?

It would be my guess that they'd be heavier to carry than the shotgun would be. Not to mention that their efficacy against a bear is questionable.