Bear Spray--The Facts

[DM~]

Here's why I carry a rifle instead of bear spray!



BTW, Montague Island is one of my all time favorite places to hunt!

DM

 

[OC-Trainer]

Here's why I carry a rifle instead of bear spray!



BTW, Montague Island is one of my all time favorite places to hunt!

DM

A total of 444 people and at least 367 bears were involved in these incidents. We found no significant difference in success rates (i.e., success being when the bear was stopped in its aggressive behavior) associated with long guns (76%) and handguns (84%). Moreover, firearm bearers suffered the same injury rates in close encounters with bears whether they used their firearms or not.

Once a bear charged, odds of firearm success decreased nearly 7-fold

Efficacy of Firearms for Bear Deterrence in Alaska
The most extensive study ever on the subject of bear human conflict.

Law enforcement agents for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have experience that supports this reality -- based on their investigations of human-bear encounters since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons defending themselves with pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries.

Bear Spray vs. Bullets

Food for thought: Why is it that the only bear spray "failures" occur after someone kills a federally protected animal? Hmmm...

As yet, there is no record of a human fatality in an encounter where bear spray was used. However, Smith and Herrero recorded 17 human fatalities in cases when rearms were used as defense, whether the victim was killed by the bear or by human partners trying to defend against the attack.

Survival Spray


Would bear spray have made a difference here?
Or here?

Last post...Thanks to everyone who participated.

 

[hso]

Due to the fact that bear spray is registered with the EPA, it is considered a pesticide. Therefore it carries the same federal law warnings as any other pesticide.

OC-Trainer,


"Bear-spray" as a generic term isn't "registered" with the EPA. Individual products are. From some quick review it appears that several bear spray companies have registered with the EPA under the pesticide category so they can market their product as "registered with the EPA". Please correct me if I'm wrong since the distinction is important in the discussion of legality of use.

Also, local law enforcement isn't likely to arrest you for violating an EPA regulation (they may arrest you for how you used a spray, though). That would be the state environmental or the federal environmental enforcement branches role. If you were arrested for using bear spray defensively it would have to be those state/federal organizations and they that might be supported by the local law enforcement for transport and holding. The exception would be where Park Service, Wildlife or Forest Service personnel arrested someone using bear spray to harass wildlife. What a user of bear spray might realistically face would be civil suite using the pesticide misapplication as an argument against you.

 

[Coltdriver]

I assumed it was bear spray based on the size of the fog cone. It literally fogged the air in a cone for a good 10 or 12 feet, not your typical jogger size cone. And the way the two lads in the car jumped out screaming and tearing their clothes off made me assume it was capsicum of some kind.

 

[OC-Trainer]

OC-Trainer,


"Bear-spray" as a generic term isn't "registered" with the EPA. Individual products are. From some quick review it appears that several bear spray companies have registered with the EPA under the pesticide category so they can market their product as "registered with the EPA". Please correct me if I'm wrong since the distinction is important in the discussion of legality of use.

hso,
If I'm understanding you correctly then, no, the actual term bear spray isn't a registered trademark. However, in the US, a company cannot sell, market, advertise, etc a product as a bear deterrent spray, aka bear spray without an EPA registration and establishment number. If they do, they will be hearing from federal regulators to halt production. Put another way, if you are calling your product bear spray, it better be registered and meet the EPA guidelines.

What companies are you referring to?

 

[Ranger Roberts]

Hypothetical situation regarding bear spray: I am going to take out my trash and I am confronted by a bear, I have to use my bear spray. A quick blast and the furry fellow takes off in the opposite direction. I didn't use the whole can, just a 2 second blast. Does the can slowly lose it's propellant? Can I continue to use that can until it is empty?

 

[OC-Trainer]

There are two schools of thought on this. Some manufacturers recommend testing out any form of OC spray occasionally, and some don't. Me personally, I never test fire any of my OC. Regarding the propellant: it begins leaking the second it is filled, albeit very, very, slowly. As long as you follow the storing instructions on the back, you'll get 3-4 year shelf life on those aerosols, and it is going to be blasting at 70 mph.

When it comes to bear spray and firing a 2 second burst, I personally would feel more comfortable getting another fresh can. I want the maximum amount of volume and power if/when I need to use it again. I wouldn't discard it, however. I would (and have) used it as either a practice canister or would simply carry it in conjunction with another fresh can. (I carry two cans in bear country).

I am so confident in modern day bear spray, both in terms of reliability and performance, that I would have zero problems using it against anything on land. If it breathes and doesn't have feathers, whatever you hit with it is going to be in a world of hurt.

 

[OC-Trainer]

Here's another recent story for the "bear spray only works on 'passive/curious bears' crowd." Or my favorite "bear spray only works on black bears."

A forestry worker suffered serious injuries in what a conservation officer characterized as a “major attack” by a grizzly bear in a remote logging camp north of Vancouver Island in Canada.

Ryan Arsenault, who works as an engineer for Capacity Forest Management, was savagely attacked Wednesday afternoon near Rivers Inlet at Draney Inlet about 250 miles northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, according to the Vancouver Sun and CBC News.

The circumstances surrounding the mauling are under investigation, but what is known is that a nearby coworker immediately came to Arsenault’s rescue, using bear spray to deter the grizzly.

“His quick actions certainly saved [Arsenault’s] life,” Fedorkie told the Vancouver Sun.

Grizzly bear savagely attacks forestry worker, who gets rescued by coworker

 

[OC-Trainer]

Just wanted to point out a new bear spray holster from UDAP. In my mind, it is now the best on the market. Not only can it be fired straight from the hip, it can be drawn, and it can also "break" from the side, if needed in a prone position. Most holsters require some sort of belt, this one does not. Very versatile.

(Skip ahead to 2:30 mark if you just want to see the holster)

 

[OC-Trainer]

Last year, Forest Service law enforcement officer Brad Treat was fatally mauled by a bear when he collided with a grizzly while mountain biking.
Bike collision with grizzly bear killed Forest Service cop

This isn't the only time this has occurred recently, either.
Why Do Mountain Bikers Keep Running into Bears on the Trail?
Mountain Biker describes grizzly attack (note the pic of the punctured can)

So in light of this recent phenomenon, I wanted to point out a bear spray carrier to those who may not be aware. This is one specifically designed for bike carry, and can even help prevent punctures.

 

[Airman Basic]

The Grizzly Truth

 

[OC-Trainer]

The Grizzly Truth
View attachment 233955

There, I fixed it for you...

THE Grizzly Truth

As yet, there is no record of a human fatality in an encounter where bear spray was used. However, Smith and Herrero recorded 17 human fatalities in cases when firearms were used as defense, whether the victim was killed by the bear or by human partners trying to defend against the attack.

Citation

 

[typhun]

Just wanted to point out a new bear spray holster from UDAP. In my mind, it is now the best on the market. Not only can it be fired straight from the hip, it can be drawn, and it can also "break" from the side, if needed in a prone position. Most holsters require some sort of belt, this one does not. Very versatile.

(Skip ahead to 2:30 mark if you just want to see the holster)

Whether you go with firearm, bear spray or both you best practice with whatever your bringing along until its second nature. Under stress you cant be trying to figure it out.

http://montanauntamed.com/hunting/article_e2f4c016-0532-583a-b209-676392ce167f.html

'Sommer said he grabbed his canister so quickly that he couldn't release the safety and he couldn't afford to look down as the bear closed in.'

http://cordilleramontana.worldnow.com/story/36294465/man-survives-grizzly-bear-attack-near-ennis