Bear spray? What ya think?

[boneaddict]

many attacks are not reported!   I for one was attacked by a black bear and felt no need to report it to the WDFW. 
My brother was attacked by a cougar and did not report it.   All tags legally notched.

[carpsniperg2]

Wow I knew you had the skuff with the bear doug, but your brother getting into it with a lion! I had not heard that before. Glad he was able to come out on top.

On a joking note. What the hell did you guys do to piss the wildlife off so much You would think by the sounds of it, that they are after you guys!

I am glad that last year " I think it was last year"  you did not have to get into a fist fight with the wolves in the dark. You are a big guy and can probably throw some shot! That being said I would take a 1 on 1 with a cat or bear anyday over a pack of wolves!!!

[Bob33]

Anyone read Bugle magazine? There is an article in the current (Sep/Oct 2012) issue that suggests fairly conclusively that on average bear spray is a better option than firearms for deterring bear attacks.

Here are a few excerpts:

“The researchers collected every incident they could find of bear encounters in Alaska where people had used bear spray to defend themselves – 72 cases in all, from 1985 to 2006, including black bear, brown bears/grizzlies and polar bears. In short, bear spray packs a punch: it stopped undesirable behavior more than 90 percent of the time (66 of 72 cases), and in only three cases were humans injured when bear spray was used – all relatively minor injuries.

Smith and Herrero followed up with a study of firearms in bear encounters. They collected 269 cases in Alaska that occurred between 1883 and 2009, across all three bear species. The bottom line: discharging a firearm usually stopped encounters – 84 percent of incidents (31 of 37) for handgun users and 76 percent (134 of 176) for long gun users.

But another finding was sobering: bears inflicted injuries on human in 56 percent of the incidents using firearms.

Further, once a bear charged, the odds of successfully deterring an attack dropped seven-fold. Try to aim at a bounding, lurching bruin hurtling towards you at 44 feet per second and hit it with a projectile a half-inch of less in diameter, shooting accurately at high speed as your body floods with adrenaline and your brain clangs in alarm.

And yet, there is no record of a human fatality in an encounter where bear spray was used. However, Smith and Herrero recorded 17 human fatalities in cases where firearms were used as a defense.’

[boneaddict]

I think it just boils down to being out there A LOT!  and in the mix of it.  From bouncing a rock off a wolf's forehead to trying to pick up a baby cougar, to stepping over a log and landing on a sleeping bear to having a cub sniff my lens to calling a cat within arms length to having an elk rub a tree I was leaning against....I have all sorts of adventures.  Sometimes trying to get close results into close getting closer than you want.  The bear attack I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  You never know.   I walked right into a sow and cubs this weekend.  It could have easily gone south.  I also camped smack dab in the middle of a huckleberry patch a grizzly bear had been in the day before.    You just never know. 

[boneaddict]

by the way, to answer the question of the op i think....I don't carry bearspray.   I did in Yellowstone where I couldn't carry a gun.    I also don't normally carry a sidearm.   I tend to have too much camera gear or am going to the limits and just can't afford the weight.   If I can't kill it with my bow, I am screwed.  If I do carry a gun, I often forget the damn thing in my truck in the heat of the moment.  WHICH is what I almost did when I got attacked.   I decided to turn around and go back and get it.   It most certainly saved my life.

[Curly]

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the outdoors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him is case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur.

Grizzly bear *censored* has bells in it and smells like pepper.

[CamoDup]

      

[JimmyHoffa]

Smith and Herrero followed up with a study of firearms in bear encounters. They collected 269 cases in Alaska that occurred between 1883 and 2009, across all three bear species. The bottom line: discharging a firearm usually stopped encounters – 84 percent of incidents (31 of 37) for handgun users and 76 percent (134 of 176) for long gun users.

I would think we need more info about the guns used to really start claiming whether or not bear spray is more effective than a firearm.  I think the survey probably considered 'bear spray' as the pepper spray designed for bears, or did they also consider the stuff ladies carry while jogging?  Of the guys I knew in coastal AK, many would carry a .243 (but some even .223 or .22-250) during deer season, bear attacks were hardly on their minds.  I don't think those calibers (especially in a bolt gun) would be my first choice for a grizzly (wouldn't be first choice for a pissed off black bear either).  For sidearms  (for those that even carried) they were favoring .45 ACP, but one of the bunch had a .44 Mag, which I've read is basically where to start for grizzly.  So I guess I wish the effectiveness survey had a further breakdown of the guns used.

[Mudman]

Good job Bob33!  Thanks for sharing.  It really is a interesting article.  Regardless I know I have alittle piece of mind having bearspray.  I assume wolves cats and tweakers are vulnerable as well!!   There is a breakdown of sidearms and rifle as well.  And no bearspray is much stronger than regular pepperspray.  Blindness is a possible effect of it, temporary I think?  Most of this is in Alaska so I would think they are not carrying .22 pistols.

[MikeWalking]

Smith and Herrero followed up with a study of firearms in bear encounters. They collected 269 cases in Alaska that occurred between 1883 and 2009, across all three bear species. The bottom line: discharging a firearm usually stopped encounters – 84 percent of incidents (31 of 37) for handgun users and 76 percent (134 of 176) for long gun users.

I would think we need more info about the guns used to really start claiming whether or not bear spray is more effective than a firearm.  I think the survey probably considered 'bear spray' as the pepper spray designed for bears, or did they also consider the stuff ladies carry while jogging?  Of the guys I knew in coastal AK, many would carry a .243 (but some even .223 or .22-250) during deer season, bear attacks were hardly on their minds.  I don't think those calibers (especially in a bolt gun) would be my first choice for a grizzly (wouldn't be first choice for a pissed off black bear either).  For sidearms  (for those that even carried) they were favoring .45 ACP, but one of the bunch had a .44 Mag, which I've read is basically where to start for grizzly.  So I guess I wish the effectiveness survey had a further breakdown of the guns used.

Dedicated Bear Spray is 8x stronger than the stuff sold for defense against muggers etc  200,000 vs 25,000 Scovil Heat Units.  The stuff sold for joggers doesn't come in the sizes or give the distance to even be considered in a study like this.   Most of these studies are really just looking at what happen to either crowd, after the fact.