Bear Spray

I don't know where to get it online (help Marty M.). Many gun stores are now caring it. Personal defense spray (Mace) is about 5% capsasin. Police use a 10% version. Bear spray is 12% to 15% capsasin. The bear defense versions come in larger cans for a good reason- so as to carry stronger propellant to give you a 15' to 20' spray range. You don't want to wait until a bear is close to use this stuff if it is charging you. Start early, especially for grizzlies. - I tried an interesting experiment on my B.C. trip last week that was stupid, but fun. A persistent black bear was bothering 3 of our crew on the bank several hundred feet below where I and another of the crew were anchored out in the river. They had a powerful shotgun in hand and after all yelling and throwing rocks at it from a little ways away it finally left. It reappeared right up by where we were anchored so we motored in closer to get some good pics (I'll post them later). I'm a fairly big guy and animals are very size conscience. In all the layers of clothes and rain gear and wide hat I probably looked like a Sasquatch to this bear (not a real big one, weighing about 350 lbs.- and alone with no cubs; probably about a 3 year old male?). I grabbed my bear spray and jumped out of the boat and went right after him and he took off running into the woods (I wouldn't have done this w/o the spray can and a boat to run and jump back into; and I was also stupid with cranky tiredness and gettin rained on most of the day). It's interesting because it undoubtedly was use to fishermen retreating all the time. When one came right at him it probably suprised him. If it had been a grizzly I wouldn't have even come close to shore for the better pics. - RT (stupid bear chaser no more)

[scales]

Any body know of where someone could get a small canister of bear grade pepper spray online? All I see is to large. Also what are the differences between bear pepper spray and regular personal defense type spray. Is it just cocentration and spray distance? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Osprey]

I'm changing you're moniker to ...Bear Food
ROTFLMFAO...you are my hero RT
weren't you concerned ,while you were chasing this Bear wearing that Emu cover scent
I guess those Bears have never seen an Emu...well untill you showed up
missed you while you were gone..could you tell
Hugs and Emu kisses
Welcome Back

------------------
Row quietly and fish a Cataraft !!-------<'))>><

[This message has been edited by Osprey (edited 09-13-2000).]

lmFao? Thought you lost some weight Os.

[dusty4]

Lived most of my life in northern BC, love the whole Skeena watershed. The best bear spray is still a short barrel 12 gauge with slugs. Crude, but effective. Griz are often cranky, but don't ignore the blacks, they have thier moments as well. When fishing, they will usually share river bank, but it's very distracting.

[scales]

I agree with you on the 12 guage bear spray. Unfortunatly they dont let us archery hunters pack that kind of bear spray in our packs.

[Osprey]

RT diffention as follows :rolling on the floor laughing my f*****G *ss off,not fat *ss
Got it Emu Boy

------------------
Row quietly and fish a Cataraft !!-------<'))>><

[GutZ]

Recently, due to the decreased hunting of bears in Washington, the WDFW warned that fisherman, golfers, hikers and the like be on extreme alert to bears.

It was suggested that you wear little bells on your clothing and carry something like the above mentioned sprays.

The warning went on to state that you should learn to recognize what kind of bears might be in your area. Black bear scat will generally include berries and occaisionally squirell fur wher as Brown bear scat usually has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray...



[This message has been edited by Fishguts (edited 09-14-2000).]

[Kerry]

On Vancover Island there are so many black bears it is not uncommon to see 3 a day. When I was fishing summer run steelhead I came face to face with one that I still think to this day it was going to have me for lunch! I had no choice but to jump in the river and swim down a chute! He chose not to follow but man he had me scarred! If I would have stood my ground I am sure he would have malled me !

Studies have demonstrated that running from bears draws more charges than standing your ground and slowly backing off. If you are going to run you better be sure you have an escape within reach, especially with griz! And they are quicker across short distances than a racing horse. Better to be noicy and have one of those kind of sprays mentioned if you're going to be in risky bush (no jokes about that phrase BH)!

[Gizmo Man]

For what it's worth: There was a pgm on TV that showed the guy who invented the ps bear strenth hiding in a dump frequented by black bears. This was at night when the bears came to look for scraps. The guy would lie in the middle of the pile and when the bear got close he would jump up and spray them proving that the spray repelled the bear. They showed him doing this about 6 different times with from 1 to several bears at a time.

Several months later, I saw where a second guy, also laying in a dump, would jump up when the bears got close and the bears ran off. He had no spray. He also did this a number of times with 1 to several bears at a time.

Conclusion: maybe the bears were startled and ran off and the spray had no effect.

A few months later I saw an article on the effectiveness of the spays and the article said that the bears that got close to the spay actually ate it, liked it and where not repelled by it.

I have been to Alaska camping in a tent for weeks at a time and fortunately, the brown bears at Katmi Nat'l park were at that time managed when they got close to people in the camp areas. A shotgun was fired over their heads and the loud noise usually chased them away.

We were taught that you should make noise when walking the trails to avoid startling the bears and to avoid carrying any food and to make sure your clothes were not food stained.

I saw bears running and after spending 5 weeks over a 2 year period, concluded that any time a bear wants you he has you. He can run through water and reach speeds of up to 30 mph over a short distance. Can you run through water 3-6' deep? and run 30 mph. I know I can't.

I have been within 10' of a big brown standing in a lake up to the top of my waders as the bear walked by me. He looked in my direction and I did not challenge him by looking back. Also, something you are taught.

I don't know how effective spray actually is, but one thing I know I will never do is charge a 300-1200 lb bear with a 20 oz can of pepper spray.

You may want to learn what the warning signs a bear gives and how to avoid confrontations and what to do in addition to the spay. You will always have that knowledge with you. You may not have the spay, then what???

Good luck...has anyone else seen the stories I referred to on TV?

Giz...or is it griz?

[This message has been edited by Gizmo Man (edited 09-14-2000).]

Hi Walt. You been hangin' off the mouth of the Cow in Margaritaville while I was away? How's that fishing holding up? And the silvers up the Cow? If it's slow post that here. If it's hot just e-mail me about it (jk). - As for the bears, I've done some study on them too (despite what my stupid tactic would have you think). The consensus of what I've read, watched on TV, and seen in person corraborates what you've posted except for the spray. [BTW, I didn't say I was going after one to spay it but spray it]. The first developement of powerful concentrated capsasin cannisters as bear repellant was done by Dr. Charles Jonkel of the University of Montana (in Missoula, where I was hatched - don't Os). I watched a film of his research team testing it on both caged and "dump" blackbears with good success. I have read of it in outdoor magazine articles having stopped griz attacks. I'm sure there are cases where it wasn't effective too, but I haven't read those. I can attest to how costic this stronger stuff is! When I went up the AK Hwy. back in '87 I brought along an extra big can of this stuff I had gotten from Dr. Jonkel. We stopped at a dump outside of an AK town (Tok?) and it had 3 very large blackbear boars rummaging; weighing about in the 500 lb. range. I wanted to test this stuff on them to gain confidince for myself. The breeze was gentle and heading right toward the bears from our Wagoneer position (they were about 50 ft. away) so I stuck the can in it's holster on my belt and stepped a few feet out of the rig. I wanted to impress my 2 buddies with my quick draw technique, and also put out a quick light spray of the repellant to see how adverse the bears were to it from that distance (I figured that wouldn't be too bad for the animals under those circumstances). So I proceeded to impress my partners by grabbing the can and simultaneously hitting the trigger and tilting the holster w/o the can coming out! It sprayed a big orange swath down my pantleg. Fortunately the breeze carried most of the mist away (missing the bears), but what was left on my pants had me gasping and blast coughing big time! And on the ground ripping my pants off as fast as I could! The bears took off, probably because they'd never seen anybody get out of their car and rip their pants off like that. I had to scrub off my leg before my cracked up buds let me back in the Jeep. I continued to cough hard for quite awhile even though I didn't get a direct hit to the face area. I'm confident it will stop most bears, especially black bears with no cubs to protect like the one I went toward last week in BC (or I wouldn't have done that!). Of course there is no guarantees, just like with a .44 handgun. I'll let someone else experiment next time. - Steve

[Crusty]

As long as I can still outrun my wife there's no reason to spend money for spray. (Unless there are two bears.)

Crusty

You are crusty!

[Osprey]

Rt why is it everytime you get around animals i.e. Emus and now Bears you feel the need to remove you're pants
Was Deliverence filmed somewhere in Oregon
Typical Duck fan

------------------
Row quietly and fish a Cataraft !!-------<'))>><

[dusty4]

When sharing river bank with bears up north, we usually tried to stand upwind of them. Not only does this let the bears know where you are, but you don't have to put up with thier smell, they can get ripe during the salmon runs! I became less brave after my brother ended up unemployed after his boss was eaten ( completely consumed) by a black bear.