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Bear Safety and the Use of Bear Pepper Spray
Bears are large, powerful animals that can be dangerous if they feel threatened. If you are planning on spending time in bear country, it is important to be aware of bear safety and to take precautions to avoid an encounter. If you are ever caught there without bear pepper spray, you may have made a tragic mistake.
One of the most important things you can do to stay safe around bears is to make noise. Bears are typically shy and will avoid humans if they know you are there. By making noise, you can let bears know that you are coming and give them a chance to get away.
Some good ways to make noise include talking, singing, clapping your hands, or banging on a pot or pan. You can also carry a bear bell or other noisemaker.
It is also important to be aware of your surroundings and to hike in groups. Bears are less likely to attack a group of people than they are a single person.
If you do encounter a bear, the most important thing is to stay calm. Do not run away, as this will only trigger the bear’s chase instinct. Instead, make yourself look as big and intimidating as possible by raising your arms and making loud noises. If the bear continues to approach, you can use bear pepper spray.
Bear pepper spray is a non-lethal weapon that can be used to deter and disable a bear. It is important to note that bear pepper spray is not 100% effective, and it should only be used as a last resort.
If you are attacked by a bear, fight back with everything you have. Bears are strong animals, but they can be injured or killed.
Here are some additional tips for staying safe around bears:
- Do not hike alone.
- Make noise while hiking.
- Carry bear spray.
- Do not approach bears.
- Do not feed bears.
- Do not leave food or garbage behind.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Do not camp in bear areas.
- If you see a bear, make yourself look big and make noise.
- Do not run away.
- Use bear spray if necessary.
- Fight back if attacked.
By following these tips, you can help to stay safe around bears and avoid an encounter.
Bear Pepper Spray
Guard Alaska Bear pepper spray is a non-lethal weapon that can be used to deter and disable a bear. It is made with a concentrated form of oleoresin capsicum (OC), the active ingredient in pepper spray. Bear pepper spray is more powerful than regular pepper spray, and it is designed to be effective against bears, which have a thicker layer of fur than humans.
Bear pepper spray is a safe and effective way to protect yourself from a bear attack. It is easy to use and can be carried easily in your pocket or purse.
Here are some tips for using bear pepper spray:
- Be aware of your surroundings. If you see a bear, try to avoid it. If you cannot avoid it, try to make yourself look as big and intimidating as possible.
- Do not run away. Running away will only make the bear more aggressive. Stand your ground and face the bear.
- Spray the bear in the face. Target the bear’s eyes and nose. Aim slightly lower and let the fogger rise.
- Get away from the bear as quickly as possible. When safe to do so, vacate the area and get to safety.
It is important to note that bear pepper spray may not be not 100% effective. Some bears may be unaffected by the spray at first and may require additional blasts. If you are attacked by a bear, it is important to use all of the means at your disposal to defend yourself.
Anecdotally, But an Example Nonetheless.
Very important point: If you are serious about safety in the woods, EVERYONE in your party should have a can of bear spray at minimum. 2-3 ideally, which may seem like overkill, but if you need it and run out, you will wish you had more of it.
There was a story about 10 or 15 years ago about Jack Hanna, a famous celebrity zookeeper and wildlife expert. Hanna was in the woods with a group of people and encountered a mother bear and two cubs coming up the path they were going down. The trail unfortunately had a sheer cliff on one side, and a steep drop-off on the other. Essentially trapped, the animal expert that he was, Hanna led his group slowly back up the path until there was a small clearing off to the side. They backed into the only escape area they had and hoped the bears would leave them alone and wander past.
This almost worked as the mother bear and the first cub ignored the people and lumbered past them. The second cub who was trailing behind decided to get a closer look at the humans. He headed into the dead-end clearing towards the scared hikers. Hanna had 2 canisters of bear spray in immediate reach, which he strategically emptied when the young cub charged within 30 feet of them. The first one missed, and the second one did not deter the curious and aggressive cub. Hanna was forced to quickly grab his third canister of bear spray out of his backpack.
Luckily for all of them, the last one did the trick, and the bear backed off and ran away to follow his mom and sibling up the path. More so, it was a good thing that the other sibling cub or mother bear did not circle back to see what was going on with the lagging cub.
If this story did not contain Jack Hanna triple-packing bear spray in the woods, it may have turned out tragically different. Even a 125-pound bear cub with razor claws and sharp teeth can be quite an adversary. Let alone 2 of them, plus a 400+ pound mother bear.
As always, be safe and be prepared.
