Is that Bear Spray going to work?

[Ohwildwon]

Excellent article here...

https://craigmedred.news/2017/06/29/bear-spray-yes-or-no/

[Steve W]

Here' another one with additional information. Scientific paper so a bit heady reading. The Discussion & Management Implication sections are the interesting parts. Higher % effectiveness than I would have anticipated. https://webmail.telus.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=2735&part=2.2

[Fish Nutz]

Bear spray is the only reason the forestry worker survived in rivers inlet this year. Took 2 canisters but it worked, and that bear was after a meal.

[ChronoShooter]

Am I too late for the bear spray debate? I brought popcorn!

[Surrey Boy]

I suggest a lead-based spray is most effective.

[Big Lew]

The part where the researcher mentioned the difference between a charging and hyped
bear with it's eyes, nose, and mouth open as opposed a stalking predatory bear coming
toward their potential prey more slowly with it's eyes, nose, and mouth either partly
closed or shut makes a lot of sense when we read of incidents where the spray seemed
to have little or no effect at stopping or distracting the bear from it's determination to kill.
Personally, although I've read many stories about spray working, I don't have full confidence
in it as I do with a gun loaded with heavy duty bullets.

[Pioneerman]

I do not doubt it will work in some if not many cases, and in parks you can only carry this as protection. But if it came down to it I would rather have any firearm than a spray. IF pissing down rain, bullets go through it well if windy bullets do not get blown off course in 10 feet, and wind is never strong enough to send bullet back into your face and eyes to make you totally helpless to attack.If there was absolutely no choice of spray or nothing I would take spray, but not if I could have a firearm. You not only get the bullet for defense, but the sound when fired also. Maybe they can make a air horn with pepper spray in it lol

[Busterpayton54]

I've said it a number of times. I used about 2/3 of one of he large cans of Counter assault on my own 50lb dog, directly in his face from a range of about 2 feet as he was tearing apart a dog that tried to attack me. All that happened with each of 3 separate bursts was he'd take a step back, shake his head and get back at it. I tackled him then threw him up on my shoulder, carried him to the truck on the third spray, otherwise I'd have emptied the can and he'd have killed the other dog. His was his first ever act of aggression. A dog that slept in my bed with me, lived in the house. Do I trust spray on an animal 10 times it's size that used violence as a daily survival tool, that lives a rough life? That's a big negative.

[mpotzold]

Bear spray is the only reason the forestry worker survived in rivers inlet this year. Took 2 canisters but it worked, and that bear was after a meal.

I'm not so sure! Still waiting for a detailed story.

Consider the following 2 -
1)Re: Campbell river man attacked by grizzly
So .. i have some details from a good friend of mine that packed the guy out.

A good friend of mine was operating the the grapple yarder the day the engineer was attacked. He said the radio call was horrendous, there was a lot of panic. We will call my friend "Mike" ... This story is first hand from Mike to me from about 3 days ago.


So Mike gives me a shout and i stop by for a beer ... he asks if i heard the story, i said yes... media ect ... He says " I packed the guy out, 4 hours " So, Mike gets the call on the radio .... Mike said the guys were up in a heli slash with no heli pads, the bush was really thick, no trail cut in at all. When Mike got to the engineer he said the guy was " in, or right beside a creek in the snow, not covered still conscious " the guy was apparently in a massive state of shock/hypothermia, Shaking like a leaf in a storm. His scalp was torn off from about 3 inches behind his hair line on top of his head ... all the way back, His skull was completely visible. His arm was described to me as "torn off" ... i believe it was still attached but very torn up. So Mike and the crew get the engineer loaded onto the stretcher and wrapped him up blanket's as tight as possible, then they buckled him in. He said the pack out was brutal. He did describe the engineer that was injured as "one of the toughest sons of bitches he ever met" He said in 4 hours the injured engineer barely winced twice and stayed conscious the whole time. He said the guy was a trooper.


They figure it was about a 500lb bear that was startled ... they believe the bear, at first didnt know the guy was there, and out of fear attacked ... as mentioned in earlier, it is true the bear came back after being scared off the first time. Engineers dumped massive amounts of bear spray on it , and it wouldnt leave. Apparently when the bear attacked, the engineer played dead, but the bear kept eating him, so the engineer fought the bear off by kicking the bear in the face with his caulked boots, which did scare the bear off initially.

They guy was about 30 years old, and is recovering ... Mike said he will have some major skin grafts and rehab to get over is injuries, but it sounds like he is getting better.


Hell of a situation ... they said the only reason he survived was he was lucky the bear didnt bite his head. Im assuming the scalp injury was from a claw
Last edited by Chopper; 03-31-2017 at 10:45 AM.

2) CVE-March 26, 2017

“While Ryan Arsenault’s co-workers were providing him with first aid after the initial attack, the bear came back for a second time.
Conservation officers say the crew did what they needed to, carrying pepper spray and yelling at the bear in an effort to chase him off.”

IMO-Yelling is what probably drove the bear away
(10 years ago + 3 days Eve & I were saved from an imminent grizzly attack by loud yelling. He took a 90 deg turn only feet away.)

[J-F]

I suggest a lead-based spray is most effective.

Pump-action lead-based bear spray, that is.

For me at least, David Zukini can choose whatver he likes.