Hunting with a bayonet!

[Britsmoothy]

If you were hunting bear or lions would it make good sense to fix a bayonet if your musket catered for it?

How would it affect carry?

Any experience?

Would they make a good field tool?

Brits :hatsoff:

 

[cynthialee]

You are plumb mad!
:haha:

I know that way back in the way back when, men used to hunt boars with spears.

It does make some logical sense that if you are hunting bears and your rifle has a bayonete then fix the bayonete incase you had to last ditch go mortal combat with the bear. My money is on the bear. Sorry you seem like a nice guy, but I ain't betting dumb. :blah:

This post reminds me of the fella in Alaska many years ago who had to go at a moose with a hatchet and he won. The moose had gotten at the mans dogs while he was out with his sled and team. He didn't have a gun so he went at the moose with his hand axe. He actually came out of it not to bashed up and the moose died as a result. Wish I could remember the guys name. It was in all the local papers. I remeber thinking when I read the story and it was on the news 'dayum, now thats a mans man'. Kill a moose with an axe? Awesome! Kill a moose with a hatchet!?!? WOW!

 

[Supercracker]

You are plumb mad!
:haha:

I know that way back in the way back when, men used to hunt boars with spears.

What makes you think we stopped? lol

I've seen original Jaeger rifles with bayonet lugs fitted. Presumably for dispatching wounded and/or charging boar.

 

[dgold]

I remember seeing a show where adding a bayonet to a WW2 military arm (several were tested) changed the point of aim, so I would expect it a good idea to re-sight in the firearm.

 

[LRB]

You are plumb mad!
:haha:

I know that way back in the way back when, men used to hunt boars with spears.

It does make some logical sense that if you are hunting bears and your rifle has a bayonete then fix the bayonete incase you had to last ditch go mortal combat with the bear. My money is on the bear. Sorry you seem like a nice guy, but I ain't betting dumb. :blah:

This post reminds me of the fella in Alaska many years ago who had to go at a moose with a hatchet and he won. The moose had gotten at the mans dogs while he was out with his sled and team. He didn't have a gun so he went at the moose with his hand axe. He actually came out of it not to bashed up and the moose died as a result. Wish I could remember the guys name. It was in all the local papers. I remeber thinking when I read the story and it was on the news 'dayum, now thats a mans man'. Kill a moose with an axe? Awesome! Kill a moose with a hatchet!?!? WOW!

I don't recall the name, but in the late 19th c. there was a guy here in FL that hunted and killed many bears with an axe blow to the back of the bears head. The man baited them with honeycombs in the crotch of a tree.

 

[Britsmoothy]

So if you hunted bear from the ground with a military musket you would opt to leave the bayonet at home but carry a hatchet?:hmm:

B :thumbsup:

 

[Rev_William]

You are plumb mad!


I know that way back in the way back when, men used to hunt boars with spears.

I wouldn't use a bayonet but I've seen some nice boar spears I wouldn't mind trying out on boars or bears. Seen some clips of a guy using a spear on a black bear over bait in Cananda but wasn't to impressed.

 

[George T.]

Do You know that I really thought that I had heard it all! Guess Not!

 

[pargent]

Bayonet :hmm: could be seen as a bit silly by some but I wonder how hunting swords got to be called hunting swords ( 18th century ) :wink:

 

[pargent]

Back in the day if I were to be hunting lions with a flinter on foot my man who would be no more than arms reach away would be loaded down with loaded and primed guns not to mention the dozen or so helpers carrying loaded guns .

 

[Rat Trapper]

You are plumb mad!
:haha:

I know that way back in the way back when, men used to hunt boars with spears.

It does make some logical sense that if you are hunting bears and your rifle has a bayonete then fix the bayonete incase you had to last ditch go mortal combat with the bear. My money is on the bear. Sorry you seem like a nice guy, but I ain't betting dumb. :blah:

This post reminds me of the fella in Alaska many years ago who had to go at a moose with a hatchet and he won. The moose had gotten at the mans dogs while he was out with his sled and team. He didn't have a gun so he went at the moose with his hand axe. He actually came out of it not to bashed up and the moose died as a result. Wish I could remember the guys name. It was in all the local papers. I remeber thinking when I read the story and it was on the news 'dayum, now thats a mans man'. Kill a moose with an axe? Awesome! Kill a moose with a hatchet!?!? WOW!

I was in Alaska at the time that happened. Moose got tangled up in the dog teams harnesses and he had to fix the moose before he lost some dogs. If I remember right that was during the big dog sled race to Nome. May have happend more than once too.

 

[matt denison]

If you were hunting bear or lions would it make good sense to fix a bayonet if your musket catered for it? No. Carrying a .44 mag on your hip would make "good sense".

How would it affect carry? It would add 14-18" to the length, approx 1 pound and you'd have to deal with a long, sharp pointy thing stickingg out in front of you.

Any experience? I make muskets and bayonets to fit them. They are fun and empowering but unwieldly to handle.

Would they make a good field tool? Tent stake maybe or as a candle holder.

Brits :hatsoff:

:grin: :surrender:

 

[cynthialee]

I think he was training for the Yukon Quest.

 

[Britsmoothy]

If you were hunting bear or lions would it make good sense to fix a bayonet if your musket catered for it? No. Carrying a .44 mag on your hip would make "good sense".

How would it affect carry? It would add 14-18" to the length, approx 1 pound and you'd have to deal with a long, sharp pointy thing stickingg out in front of you.

Any experience? I make muskets and bayonets to fit them. They are fun and empowering but unwieldly to handle.

Would they make a good field tool? Tent stake maybe or as a candle holder.

Brits :hatsoff:

:grin: :surrender:

Yeah but, wha' if you were a purist?

B :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Until fairly recently (at least until the middle of the last century) some Alaska Native tribes actually hunted bears with stabbing spears and knives. They'd locate the bear in its den, then go in after it. Haven't heard of it being done in the 40 years I've lived up here, but there are still living participants and witnesses. Heuvos? Or leftovers from the days before guns? Your pick.

Only reason I bring it up, I see it as "contemporary" evidence for killing bears about the same way- thrusting spear versus musket and bayonet. The big difference would be that the denned bear is somewhat groggy and in confined spaces, rather than out in the open and spitting fury.

Could you kill a bear with the bayonet? Sure, it's possible. Would it make more sense than other alternatives? That's a personal choice. I live, work and play around the bears, and so far have never been tempted to carry a bayonet.

 

[Supercracker]

I believe that up until very recently or possibly still, bears were hunted with dogs and spears in rural Siberia by the natives.

 

[gearheart]

I believe a pair of pistols and a tomahawk would be the PC/HC backup. Gives you 2 more shots before having to get up close and personal with sharp and pointy things

 

[mccarthy.tf]

Just to be HC I would recommend a buckskin diaper and shortpants like Daniel Boone at age 3. :grin:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just to be HC I would recommend a buckskin diaper and shortpants like Daniel Boone at age 3. :grin:

:haha: :applause:

Thanks for the comments gents.

For me the fundamental advantage of a spear or bayonet is that it keeps you a safe distance from any blows.

Whilst it may amuse/fustrate some I for one would not judge anyone using one, in fact I may feel reasured pending the person could shoot the gun!

God bless.

B.

 

[pargent]

I was actualy serious , I wouldn't go with the bayonet but carry a hunting sword, but as laffindog said if you realy are going to hunt bear with a flinter modern back up is a must if not on you then with your guide A bayonet is just too unweilding and unco.