“bear country”

Considering that the .45 Colt has been with us for 143 years, it remains a completely relevant, powerful, and well-balanced handgun cartridge, that is equally at home at a Cowboy Action Shoot as it is in the hunting fields.

Buffalo Bore Ammunition offers a line of ammunition aimed at bear defense.

In hunting there are the rifles you choose to make sure you take an animal humanely; and then, there are the rifles you choose to make sure the animal doesn’t take you. A choice for a black bear rifle lends itself to the latter.

If you’re a bear hunter desperately searching for a way to up your odds, head west in spring, where regional traditions offer an unbeatable opportunity: spot-and-stalk.

Earlier this month, the USFWS announced that after 41 years of Endangered Species Act protection, the grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Area has recovered, prompting it to delist the iconic species and turn over its management to the states.

You don't have to go international to find dangerous game. Keith Wood takes a closer look at some of more imposing prey that can be found right here in the United States.

When game's wounded, though, we're aware that all bets are off. Such a scenario played out in Duxbury, Minn., earlier this fall, when an unarmed hunter was attacked by a wounded, 525-pound black bear that he and a few companions had been tracking. The twist ending? Not only did he survive the encounter; he won the fight.

Carry guns can take many forms, but choosing one to wield in the wilderness deserves special considerations.