Are guns legal in national parks

My brother is going hiking in glacier national park, Montana with around a half dozen friends. Since there's bears there I want him to take my shotgun with slugs. He is worried about what some of his liberal friends would think, and my mom was worried about legality and my brother says bears don't attack people.

Why is it pretty much required to carry a gun in Alaska for bears but in the lower 48 it's frowned upon? Is it legal to carry a gun in national park for defense he will only have slugs. If I was going I'd take the shotgun or not go at all. Is he going to run into any trouble driving with a shotgun in the car from Texas to montana?

I fear for his safety he has been camping but not hiking and nowhere with bears I want to go with him I don't believe that greenie ****. I read an article that said bears bluff charge and people who have shot bears charging them that are over a 1000 lbs are charged and crucified because they probably would have been ok.

 

Concealed handguns (licensed) are, long guns are not, since hunting is not legal in National Parks.

 

Part of it has to do with the different species of bears in Montana versus Alaska, part of it has to do with gun laws. Hunting is frowned upon in national parks. Occasionally people hunt with shotguns.

If your brother is going hiking with "a half dozen friends", it is likely they will make enough noise that the bears will hear them coming and do a fade.

Most **not all** but most bear attacks occur when bears suddenly and unexpectedly meet people. If the bear has lots of advance warning that a large, noisy group of humans is enroute, they typically will avoid confrontations unless there are other circumstances going on.

There are lots of other things your brother could do that might be of more benefit than lugging a shotgun. These include using bear bags at night, reducing any trash or other bear attractions in and around the campsite, not keeping food in tents at all, and exhibiting smart anti-bear behavior while in the park. Some people also swear by the large pepper spray options available on the market.

Check gun laws, it may also be legal for your brother to hike with a large revolver if he is so inclined. But avoiding the problem is always preferable to having to deal with the problem. That many guys should be able to avoid the problem simply by not coming upon a bear unexpectedly.

 

in Canada some national parks allow hunting i was shocked to learn, so just look into (do research) the one you're visiting and see if its legal to bring a shotgun.

cheers

 

Some do most don't. It's provincal parks that are open even more to hunting national parks there is only 1. In some parks its a crime to even have a gun in the car unless it's in a locked case. It's to stop poachers. The park ranger explained it to me this way. If people with guns get to close to the bear ect they tend to end up shooting it. If people don't have guns they will stay far away from the bear.

In Canada you can have a short barrel shotgun legally. If its pump, lever, bolt, break action it only has to be 26 inchs long. If its smaller it's resticted like a handgun. Semi is 18.5 inch barrel and over 26 inchs to be non restricted. So you can have a stock on a short shotgun and it's legal or a pistol grip if you want.

Best video on bears

h ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJAVe57yH-o

 

There might be more favorable guns I only have a shotgun and 22 right now my next purchase is a 30-06 bolt gun I'm 17 can't get a revolver not do I have the funds

 

Jamesconn,

This is a useful site for checking out handgun laws in the US --

http://www.handgunlaw.us/

I'm aware of what you've posted above.

The facts are that your brother should obey the gun laws that are in effect in the national park he's visiting, and should also make every effort to read up on hiking in bear country online. Lots of guys do it. Very few are ever attacked. It can be done safely, with some basic precautions.

Hang in there,

G.

 

I've lived around Yellowstone. Here's my experience from that time. Bears do indeed stalk and attack people. Firearms are illegal in national parks. That means three things if you're traveling in the parks...

1. Bear bells - buy them and wear them.
2. Bear spray - better than nothing but only marginally.
3. Pray - That's just as effective as the other two.

 

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) ammended the Credit Card Holder's Bill of Rights to include a measure permitting the carry of concealed firearms in National Parks D, and it was one of the first pieces of legislation signed into law after Obama took office. The law went into effect Feb.22, 2010. :thumb:

However, it is subject to restrictions by each state's firearms laws. Meaning the same circumstances as the state's laws on state land are applicable. So in national parks with borders that encompass more than one state, there are different sets of restrictions if the states laws aren't the same.

 

Well that's good to know. Montana is an open carry state.

 

Call the park and ask. I am not aware of any national park that lets you carry a long gun. They changed the rules a few years back to allow concealed carry, depending on state laws and the parks own rules. However, I do not know of any change that would allow you to carry a loaded long gun in an area where hunting is not allowed. But again, just call and ask.

 

When I'm in Glacier I usually carry a S&W J frame .357 in a pocket holster. Doesn't draw unwanted attention or freak out all the foriegners hiking on the trails but still within easy reach.

 

Handguns are allowed in National Parks BUT YOU MUST FOLLOW STATE LAWS !!

So if the state laws say no Concealed carry, then no concealed carry. If state says no 10 round mags, then no 10 round mags. You have to look up each state that the National Park is in. Florida Everglades would be different than Redwood national park.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/2009/05/20/credit-card-bill-allows-guns-in-national-parks.htm

 

and bear Spray really works. We (my wife and I)both carry the large industrila size while hiking in the western national parks. I am a retired cop so I have a 50 state carry license and i always have a Glock 20 concealed but our first defense will be the bear spray.

We have only had to use it once and that was outside Houston TX where a couple of really aggressive young men decided they wanted to mess with us and we were able to nail both of them from about 20 feet away.

Seemed to work real well too although they were unable to provide an after action review for us.

 

My wife carries pepper spray while walking and has used it three times on aggressive dogs. Each time, it was 100% effective. I was so impressed I carry it now when I walk.

 

You can open carry or CC in Glaicer without any kind of permit.
National parks go by state law.

 

I camped all over Montana, and other States that had bears, back in 2005, for a couple of months.
Followed the well sign posted procedure for bear encounters and food storage and sleeping in the tent at night.
Had a bear wandering around our campsites on two occassions.
Both times I slept through it, other campers and a ranger told us about it the next morning.
Every year a million tourists venture into Nat Parks which are inhabited by bears, most are lucky to see one.
If you did encounter a bear, and you shot at it because you thought it was attacking you, the noise of the shot might scare it off.
God forbid you actually manage to hit it, the likely result will be one very pizzed off bear and one very dead human.

Taking a firearm along to defend against a bear attack presents the mindset that if you get attacked you'll be okay because you've got the gun. So it's probable that you're not as careful as you should be in bear country.

Not taking a firearm along presents a different mindset...that you've got to be careful, follow the recommended bear avoidance instructions and pay attention to what you're doing.

Bear spray is widely carried though we didn't bother.
Common sense and caution is your best defense.

And most tourists who visit Alaska don't carry firearms to ward off bear attack.
The same for Canada.

I've riddden motorcycles and camped in wild country all over the world. Much of the time by myself.
The only wildlife I've ever encountered that gave me pause to consider carrying a firearm along were members of the human species.

 

****MOD EDIT****
The same OP was started in 2 different threads and have been merged.​

 

I've taken quite a few trips to Yellowstone and other parks where bears are common. I never carry a firearm in national parks, but if hiking in Grizzly territory, I carry Bear Spray. Attacks are still relatively rare but do happen. There have been a few recent near misses involving Grizzlies thwarted by Bear Spray and it does work. If you are to believe the newspaper articles posted in the ranger stations around Yellowstone, Bear Spray is much more effective in stopping a charge than firearms, at least than a handgun. If I remember correctly (I was in Yellowstone in March), Something like 12 of 14 known Grizzly charges were effectively stopped using Bear Spray, and the other two ended with the bear reaching the person and causing non fatal injuries but still causing the bear to run off. Its unlikely that 12 of 14 people would have been skilled enough with a handgun to stop a charge. For most dangerous animals, I'd rather have a gun. But for large bears, I'd rather surround his head and fill his lungs with a caustic chemical that's easy to aim than to use a pistol to try to hit a vital organ that's bouncing up and down at high speed, inside a thick layer of skull or meat, all with the stress of your life being at stake.

Here's another article I came across:
http://www.idahopress.com/news/stat...ps-guns-in-stopping-grizzlies/article_6f17f6d4-07ae-5328-8ec1-37e9ae693d7f.html

 

Believe it or not bear spray has a higher percentage effectiveness than any gun.

Stopping a bear with a firearm involves hitting a couple very small vital areas. Not like a human where a center of mass hit can usually be counted to drop you. Doesn't do you any good to have the bear die after five minutes of mauling you. A thousand pound bear can kill you just by falling over dead on you.

There is no such thing as a calm and steady defense against a bear charge. Even those of us who think we are a cross between Wild Bill Hickok and Annie Oakley can still miss the shot. You may not even see it until it is almost on top of you. Since bear spray is an area attack rather than a precision attack you are far more likely to hit somewhere around the face. Since the spray is a continual stream, you can adjust your aim in real time. Bear spray has proven to stop bears very effectively.

Bears do attack people. It is rare and it is usually because the people were acting stupid. Learn proper bear safety rules and follow them.

Yes, loaded guns are legal in National parks. Hunting and recreational use of firearms are still NOT allowed within Glacier National Park.

He is not going to run into any trouble driving with a shotgun in the car from Texas to Montana unless he manages to get himself arrested for something else. Keep it unloaded and in the trunk. If he doesn't have a trunk, keep it in a case with a lock of some sort and keep it out of sight. Keep any ammo separate in a locked box of its own. The real danger is someone stealing the gun or stealing the car and contents.

Never heard of anyone convicted of a crime who who shot a charging bear. Anything less than jail time is insignificant compared to a chance of being mauled. (Poaching a bear and claiming it was self defense is a different matter.)

Read this book: Bear Attacks - Their Causes and Avoidance.

 

Bear spray has been proven to be a far better bear deterrent than guns. Also, more people die from accidental gun shot than by being attacked from a bear. At least if you accidently spray someone they will live to tell the tale.

 

:

One thing about those statistics; once you take out alcohol, stupidity, and lies, there really aren't that many accidental shootings. It's like motorcycle accidents. Even though you're 200% more likely to die on a motorcyle than in a car, over 75% percent of those fatalities are related to alcohol, lack of experience, or just plain stupid. If you look at bear fatalities in the eastern USA for the last 100 years, there aren't many, and most of them involve people doing really stupid stuff. My favorite is the family that covered their kid in honey so they could get a picture of the bear and the kid together.

I'd love someone to put together statistics of this sort just from a sample base of reasonably intelligent, responsible adults. I'll bet it would say a lot.

That being said, a gunshot will almost always turn a bear that is not enraged. So if you aren't stupid, a shot in the direction of the bear will startle them, and they will change course. And if you're not stupid, a bear will never be in between you and your friends. The problem with bear spray is that it has a very short range. Like less than 10 feet. And bear can run 40mph in short sprints. He's covering 60 feet a second at full run. That gives you approximately 1/6th of a second to aim, fire, and stop the charge. Yeah, it ain't happening. The only way bear spray will work is if the bear is not charging and is very close. Usually pretty avoidable, and again, a gunshot also works.

Again, I'm not saying shoot the bear. Unless you have a powerful weapon, and/or have a great deal of time to set up the shot or are really good under pressure, you're only going to **** it off.

Grizzly charges boat

Here's a video of spray being used:

Bear being sprayed

Now, note the differences in bear behaviour and species in these two videos. The first is a grizzly in full charge. The worst possible situation to be in. They will rarely stop an enraged charge such as that one. Bear spray has been known to be too little, too late in these cases. Also note that the guy with the gun was ready, as he is experienced with bear.

The second video is a demonstration, and to be quite frank, it's the best possible bear attack to be involved in. It's a black bear, whose behaviour is best described as inquisitive. He's not charging, he's not enraged. He's just curious. I've dissuaded black bear from hanging around like that by hitting them on the butt with my walking stick. They're not very determined. Also note that this video is essentially staged. Let's go find a black bear and spray it. Likely a fairly tame bear that's used to humans in a state park or something. I point this out because these bear behave very differently around humans compared to wild bear. I've found it very hard to get anywhere that close to any wild bear in the bush. Usually, all I see are the big black butts getting smaller very fast.

I like Kurt's point about layers. Be alert, don't camp in trashed out places and don't trash out your campsite, and have some sort of last line defense ready to go. My personal opinion is that I'm already carrying a gun for other uses, it will be my deterrent. I'm not going to carry a big, heavy canister of something that will likely never get used.

Az

 

Bear Spray is the most effective thing to keep bears from getting you. Snag 1 or 2 of them and you are in excellent shape. Works to deter pretty much any animal too

 

Readers Digest ran a story last month of a group of young adults that went through survival training. Their last challenge was to survive alone with out the instructor.

Would have been fine, except for encountering a grizzly that attacked most of those in the group putting them in a desperate situation to live ...........

http://www.rd.com/true-stories/surv...ies/survival/bear-attack-the-story-of-seven-boys-and-one-grizzly/?trkid=channel







.

 

A couple of good videos relating to Bear Spray and protection.

Be Bear Aware- Proper Use of Bear Spray

UDAP Bear Spray and portable electric bear fence

Bear Shock Food Fence

 

Yes guns are legal to be carried in national parks as of February 2010, however:

* Only if you're legal to carry one
* Only can be concealed if you have a concealed handgun permit in that state
* Only can be open carried if that state allows open carry

Cannot be carried into a federal building though, this includes the ranger station, so keep that in mind. The shooting of guns, aka practice, is not legal.

 

As pointed out, the law has been changed regarding guns in National Parks and now make them the same as State law.

I carry in Alaska, but often will tie my jacket around my waist to conceal the gun (Alaska law allows both open and concealed carry with no permit) to make the anti-gun types more comfortable. I've found that in many cases the presence of a gun frightens people who aren't familiar with firearms or who don't believe in guns. Out of respect for that, I often will make an effort to somewhat conceal mine, while still having quick access to it if necessary.

 

alot of bear attacks come in the spring when bears come out of hibernation and are starveing and need food. the other high probable time for attacks is just before they go into hibernation and they havent built up enough body fat to hibernate so they need to eat as much as they can.or if a person gets close to a cub the moma will kill anything getting near the cub.

 

Carry the bear spray....its like Tabasco sauce for the culinary grizzly.

The worst thing you could do is send a gun with someone who isn't proficient with it.

I'm also not to sure of those advocating a shot in the air to scare off bears. If a bear is charging do you really want your one chance to stop them wasted up into the air? The worst possible situation I have been in with a bear was finding a mama bear and her cubs while out hiking. She made a very distinct clicking noise with her teeth warning me away and luckily she didn't charge as I didn't have a gun on me.....that will never happen again!

 

they only gun id feel safe with would be a browning M3 50bmg full auto mounted on a off-road vehicle and id still probably **** myself.