Bear Attack Victim: I wish I had a gun

[Alaska444]

Today, 11:39 PM #143
Double Naught Spy
Senior Member

Join Date: January 8, 2001
Location: Forestburg, Montague County, Texas
Posts: 8,975
But just having the weapon with you is not enough. Having the weapon and not having access to it, not using it, losing it, not getting it back, etc., you can't claim the lady would have done any better losing her gun than she did losing her pepper spray. Lots of people use guns or fail to use guns properly with poor results. As noted early in the thread, there are lots of folks injured and killed by bears shot or shot at just once just like the aunt's initial use of the pepper spray. As you claimed the studies were invalid saying pepperspray worked so well, you failed to cite the studies supporting your view that guns work better. Guns might work better, or not, but you failed to ever provide the data, so you can't say she would have been better off any more than you can say Steve Stevenson was better off.
__________________
"If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher."
-- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495664&page=6

Dear DNS,

That is not what I have been stating. I never said the pepper spray studies were "invalid," but I did state that they are limited in scope because of their methodology.

Lots of folks have criticized this woman with no direct knowledge of the event other than what the article stated. They have accused her of not using the pepper spray correctly, not spraying soon enough, etc, etc, etc.

I will take her at her word, I wished I had a gun. I suspect that she will always have a gun in the future and probably know how to use it as well.

Pepper spray according to the studies works best within 10-20 feet and the bears a large majority of the time don't turn away until they are within 3 feet of the person.

As far as evidence of the usefulness of guns, I did indeed provide you with a study where only 1/71 people in DLP situations was injured. That is actually better statistically than pepper spray. Once again, this study is subject to the same limitations as all of the pepper spray studies. It does make you question Tom Smith's gun study where he stated you are no better off with or without a gun. I don't believe that conclusion for a minute and this study speaks against that.

Steve Stevenson is a sad case where mistaken identity and a possible cavalier attitude approaching a wounded bear cost him his life because his partner killed him with his rifle trying to save him from the bear. The NOLS kids didn't do much better with their pepper spray protection device either.

This is an issue without a definitive answer and we will never have the proper type of study to answer that question beyond what we have today. Both guns and pepper spray have documented failures. Multiple measures including avoidance, guns and pepper spray with larger group numbers is the best way to approach a difficult subject without a perfect answer.

For anyone that is going to carry pepper spray, you need to understand how to use it, where it works best and its limitations. The same applies to guns.

 

[hardluk1]

Better have a good friend you can depend on with your live if on stumbling around in big bear country. If attacked you may very well get mauled reguardless if your skill level an a friend with both spray and firearm maybe the only thing from being dinner. Well placed shots of spray on bear and person being mauled then well place big bores in the bear,not the person after bear rolls back.

Now all this about a woman and a big ole 100 to 200 lb bear??

 

[Robert]

4 pages is enough for this round of what caliber, or spray, for bear. Also, THR is does not serve as a "posting area" for responses to or gripes about other forums.