Bear Spray

[allthumbs]

Is this shit worth packin' around with me? Do any of you guys bother with spray, or is it unnecessary in the PNW. Reason I ask is cause I bought a big can of it this last summer when I hiked a couple weeks in Glacier Natl. Park, Montana. I kept the shit on my waistbelt all summer and fall and wonder why the hell bother with it in Washington. Is this even worth thinkin' about, or should I just roll another one and shut the hell up?

[erik]

you know trask you can use pepper spray on any other type of mammal repellent as a whippit...just make you use small doses and do not directly spray it in your face, cause that might hurt.....

put a lite mist into the air and walk through it and relish the high........

disclaimer: this should only be tried by experts or true spray masters.

[hikerwa]

I've never carried Bear spray. I've hiked throught the olympics many times and seen lots of bears. Not one ever even gave me a second glance, although in glacier, it's a good idea to have something, grizzlies are way more territorial and I've seen a few get agitated, but never been bothered, just kinda stood my ground until the bear got bored and sauntered off.

[panther]

You should carry "People Spray" it's alot more entertaining and you can use it unprovoked.

[freeclimb9]

Keep the can in your car for amusing road rage antics. It will put most over-heated, violence-tending rednecks on their knees.

[Thomas]

As a forester working on Vancouver Island, I have bear encounters on an almost daily basis. I carry bear spray, but not for the Black Bears, but for the Cougars. As long as you don't surprise a bear, or get between a mom and cubs, you're fine. I find that it's rare to even see bears when you are hiking on a trail in groups, talking etc.

If you are in Grizzly country, well that's another matter. Most Foresters working on the central coast of BC carry shot guns instead of Bear spray. Most for those of you in the USA, there ain't many Grizzlies down there to worry about.

BTW, have you ever tried firing off a can of bear spray? It has a range of 5 to 6 feet. Something to keep in mind

[Richard_Pumpington]

Let's look at the logic in this: a bear is charging

you, so with nerves of steel and an aim like Wild

Bill, you pull out your bear spray and utilize its

5-6 foot range; this is just going to put a bad

taste in its mouth before it rips your head off!

Oh, and that's if the bear isn't running down wind

AT you(ie. you spray at the bear, which is into the

wind and YOU get blinded, before the bear rips your

head off). This shit doesn't even look good on paper!

Bear Bells are much better(or something of the same

nature); let the bear know that you are around,

before you know the bear is around; they will avoid

you almost all the time then(unless you haven't

stored your food properly).

[To_The_Top]

Bear bells,I use them in Glacier NP and the Tetons..had an Uncle mauled by a Griz in GNP. I just see Blacks in WA, not a problem, except at night, and hang stuff with a counter weight up in a tree with a rap sling and cordlette.

[ 01-16-2002: Message edited by: To The Top ]

[jeffers]

First step in dealing with bears is homework. Different breeds have different habits, and your responses need to be adjusted accordingly. There's a boatload of information on the net, search bear attacks and settle back for all the reading you want to do.

If the time, place, and activity makes you feel at risk from bears, pepper spray isn't going to change the outcome. A Montana hunting guide told me that if I was to carry a handgun into bear country, that I should make it a small one, so it wouldn't be as difficult to remove after the bear shoved it up my ass.

Weapon of choice is a 12 gauge, deer slugs, the heavier the slug and the more powder the better. Many reports out there of 30-06 slugs not penetrating the skull. Shoulder, spine, or heart/lung if you have to, and once he's down, make *sure*.

Don't expect him to make it easy for you. If he's standing up sniffing the air, you have no business attacking him in his home. If he's decided you look tasty, he'll not give you time, or an easy shot. You can figure on him moving 35 to 45 feet per second, and by the time he lets you see him, he'll be at full speed, bounding, dodging, using cover.

If he gets the better of you, see what he does first. Many times if he thinks you're dead, he'll leave you be, just stand off and watch you for a bit. If he's going for the jugular, you have no choice. Many reports of thwarted bear attacks by just fighting back with fists, a rock or stick. Lots of noise.

A hunter in Seattle told me he'd seen grizz sign as far south as Seattle. SAR guy in Colorado swears they're still in the San Juans. True or not, when you look at how many people head out to the woods each year, and how many bear attacks there are, you're probably more likely to get hit by a de-orbiting piece of the Mir than killed by a bear. IF you pay attention to your habits, and know the bears'.

[jon]

Is it true if you are being chased by a bear that you want to run downhill because their front legs are shorter and they tumble down?

[mtngrrrl]

I carried a canister of the stuff while bike touring in Alaska. Though I saw grizzlies, I was never in a threatening situation. Later when I got back home, it was killing me to know if the bear spray would have helped me. It cost me $60 at a camping/fishing store in Anchorage, eating quite a portion of my budget for the trip. Anyway, one night there were a couple of raccoons going at it outside of my apartment window. Woke me out of a sound sleep (baaaad idea) and scared the cat. So I grabbed the spray, flung open the window, pulled the pin, aimed true like Annie Oakley and pressed the trigger. All my anticipation had built up over this spray, only to see it fizzle in front of me. (Hmmm, sounds rather metaphoric. )

Anyway, it was very disappointing. The raccoons laughed. I can't remember the brand name, but the can was white with an orange nozzle, and it looked like a small fire extinguisher. The label said the spray would go 30 feet. More like 1.5 feet in reality. I came to think of it as a mere condiment that a bear would use to spice up human meat. On the plus side, the can was the right size to double as a billy club which you could use with varying success to beat the bear as she wraps her jaws around your skull.

[Maurice]

This question has many answers, just as bears have many behaviors. They have been shown to be attracted and repelled by both spray and bells. One can never always predict their behaviour. Spray is at best a last hope and more importantly, for some, a reassurance of safety. Since a confrontation is improbable, it can be that little extra which makes a trip enjoyable to a worried person (a spouse perhaps?).

For the PNW? Fish and Wildlife reports the North Cascade brown bear population at 5-10 animals. Compared to the 400-600 in the Greater Yellowstone area, that is not many to worry about.

[allthumbs]

Okay, here's the deal. I been sittin' home tonite listinin' to a shit-load of Pink Floyd and smokin' the screan closed on my bong. The fucker's so packed I haf'ta clean it to suck right. Know what I mean? Anyways, I read all your shitz about spray an decided to use what I gots on the neighborhood cats, which as we all know, ain't worth shit to start with. (Don't tell the pussy I said that, or I might naught get laid for a tad bit, or sumpin'). Anyways, blow me you losers, especially panther and cavey, who have a taste for the primo butt munchies!

[Rodchester]

So how did the cats like it?