Bear repellant spray.

S

stevekt

Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
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Will bear spray work if you are attacked by other animals such as cougars, coyotes, snakes, boar, gators, deer, or moose? Will it stop a human attack? I'm not a gun person so bear repellant seems like a good self defense option when I go camping.
 
As always, Watchful speaks the truth. When you apply Pepper Spray as a preventive - on the ground, on your tent, etc - it tends to act more like a good seasoning than a predator repellent.
 
He he, I've heard that the most important thing when going into bear country is to never go alone.

Go with someone you can outrun....

Luis
 
A few years ago, in Yosemite, I spoke with the woman who invented bear repellent spray. It tends to work well, but nothing is certain.

By the way, do you know how to tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly? When you climb up a tree...

if the bear climbs up after you, it's a black bear;

if the bear knocks the tree down, instead, it's a grizzly. ;)

--Mike
 
The way *I* heard it is:

How do you know if the scat pile was left by a black bear or a grizzly?
Grizzly scat is full of hiker's bells and smells like pepper spray. :p

We spend a lot of time camping in (black) bear country, and on our second-to-last trip I got woofed at by a bear that had worked around downwind of me during my morning squat (I actually smelled him first, while he was *up*wind, if that tells you anything about how a black bear smells.) All involved comported themselves appropriately, and all lived to tell about it another day... but it did make me check the position and proximity of my pistol.

We bought a couple of cans of bear spray and keep them handy for the (inevitable?) possible confrontation. Basic plan involves three stages:
1) Bear sees us and leaves - all to the good.
2) Bear sees us and doesn't leave - shot of pepper spray to create or reinforce a negative association.
3) Pepper spray doesn't work - "where should we hang the rug?"

In grizzly country I'd make a strong point of keeping the spray handy. At contact distance I'd feel confident in my ability to kill one with my .44, but contact distance is closer than I'd like to have the critter in the first place.
 
Rainmaker870 said:
At contact distance I'd feel confident in my ability to kill one with my .44, but contact distance is closer than I'd like to have the critter in the first place.
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No offense, but there was a fellow up in Alaska a few years ago, got charged by a Grizzly and shot it once with a 30-06 and then while it was on him shot it 6 times in the chest with a .44 and it ran away. Wildlife people tried to track it and couldn't find it and determined that it had survived the shooting and escaped.

Surprisingly enough, research has shown that pepper spray actually has stopped more attacks that shooting.
 
No offense taken, LC.
My definition of contact distance with a grizzly: close enough to touch him in the nose with the muzzle, or damn near it. I believe that gives me winning odds when coupled with my 310gr Garrett Hammerhead.

Of course if I ever find out I'm wrong, they'll be telling jokes about grizzly scat being full of little Ruger .44's, eh? :)
 
Rainmaker870 said:
Of course if I ever find out I'm wrong, they'll be telling jokes about grizzly scat being full of little Ruger .44's, eh? :)
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At least you could have the final satifaction of knowing how much it's gonna hurt him to pass a revolver out his A**? yuk yuk

OOUUUCCHHHH!!!!!!!!!
 
Yup. :D

The political climate being what it is, I've pretty much decided against hunting the Big 5 in Africa. I'm still planning an Alaskan Brown Bear hunt, though, much to my wife's dismay. I keep telling her if she's right, and the bear gets me, at least she'll know I went with my knife in its neck, its ear in my teeth and a wild-ass grin on my face. :cool:
 
Rainmaker870 said:
Yup. :D

The political climate being what it is, I've pretty much decided against hunting the Big 5 in Africa. I'm still planning an Alaskan Brown Bear hunt, though, much to my wife's dismay. I keep telling her if she's right, and the bear gets me, at least she'll know I went with my knife in its neck, its ear in my teeth and a wild-ass grin on my face. :cool:
Click to expand...

She hasn't asked you to sign any new "insurance" forms lately has she?

;)
 
There's more than one maker of the 'bear' spray. When choosing be sure to read the labels as some go further while some make a larger 'cloud' of repellant. I would always keep a backup with you such as a pistol or a road flare to scare the bear off as well! Remember you don't have to shoot the bear if the pepper spray doesn't work you can shoot a warning first *unless its charging*. :D
 
This thread reminds me of an old joke I heard once.

Someone asked this old timer what kind of gun he carried in "bear country", he replied "a .22", stunned the interviewer said "you only carry a .22 in BEAR COUNTRY?"

The old timer replied "Yep, see the thing is, I never travel in bear country alone, so I figure if me and my buddy get charged by a bear, I'll shoot my buddy in the leg and run".

:D :D :D :D
 
The Last Confederate said:
shot it once with a 30-06 and then while it was on him shot it 6 times in the chest with a .44 and it ran away. .
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like the guy doesn't shoot too well.
 
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