Bear spray when hiking into bear country – yes, no, maybe?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Garrett: "A bear doesn't know how to handle more than one potential threat, and runs (often). "

I can no longer find it, but there was a video of three Great Pyrenees harassing a Grizzly until it ran away in frustration. One Pyr would bite him on the butt, then the bear would turn and the next Pyr did the same, another would bite his leg, on and on. The dogs were not hurt, the bear was okay.

That's the way Pyrs work together. I miss mine.

[goamules]

Exactly. For 300 years, people did three things right: Weren't alone, had dogs, carried a gun. And rode horses or mules.

Today, you have:

"At the time of the attack, the trail was closed, and the public was told to avoid it."
"...didn't return to her cabin following a solo fishing outing..."
"...had been feeding bears for a decade, and was repeatedly warned by wildlife officials...."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._North_America

Very interesting read of ALL the fatal bear attacks. Many were stupid mistakes, like being alone in Grizzly country. Some were obviously determined attacks though, like bears entering cabins, or climbing trees to get people (that again...were alone mostly).

[Old-N-Feeble]

For those who haven't seen this...

[Drew Wiley]

Hmmm ... I've hiked alone in the woods most of my life. Rattlesnakes, bears, cougars, no problem. The most dangerous species out there is armed with guns
and travels with companions, all drunken. I like to avoid ticks too. They kill more people than bears. Our ferocious Calif grizzlies were nearly extinct over a hundred years ago, with the last one dying around 1927. Our last neighborhood story was from around 1905, when one of our local mtn road crew foreman was
a little kid at the dinner table up on a cabin in the hill. The mom was getting impatient because the father was still out in the woods, allegedly chopping wood.
He finally staggered through the cabin door all bloody with ripped up clothes. He had been charged by a big grizzly, got one shot into him, but had to finish off the
beast with a buck knife. The bear died and he lived, with plenty of scars. And of course, he got thoroughly chewed out for showing up to dinner late!

[Heroique]

He had to finish off the beast with a buck knife. The bear died and he lived, with plenty of scars.

One naturally asks whether bear spray would have saved lives and prevented injuries. ;^)

Many were stupid mistakes, like being alone in Grizzly country.

I strenuously disagree.

This is tantamount to saying one is stupid for exploring Yellowstone alone. Or Glacier. Or North Cascades.

Henry Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Edward Abbey – all are rolling in their graves.

[Greg Miller]

One naturally asks whether bear spray would have saved lives and prevented injuries. ;^)

In 1905? Doubtful.

Today? Yes. In Grizzly country.

[TXFZ1]

I'm thinking the Bear Spray is getting kinda deep in this thread.

David

[Drew Wiley]

Just place all this in perspective, please. Humans are the ultimate predators, and we've been hunting bears for tens of thousands of years. They have a right to
defend themselves.

[Jerry Bodine]

Grizzly likes to have fun too, not always out to harass/attack folks.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/0...?intcmp=hphz17

[goamules]

My statement "Many were stupid mistakes, like being alone in Grizzly country."

...

I strenuously disagree.

This is tantamount to saying one is stupid for exploring Yellowstone alone. Or Glacier. Or North Cascades.

Henry Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Edward Abbey – all are rolling in their graves.

Um...none of those three were in areas with Grizzly bears. The last Grizzly was killed in the Gila in the early 1930s. None on Walden Pond, none at Arches.

However, I substantiate my claim by the numbers killed on the link I provided, and the books I've read. Your chances of being attacked by either type of bear greatly increase if you are alone. Since a grizzly can kill you in 500 miliseconds, I wouldn't go into their territory alone. You want to see stupid, solitary behavior, look at Timothy Treadwell.....