Article on bear spray

[Etter]

They sure are wonderfully awesome crewtures but Im glad we dont have them in the places I hike and hunt. Just lots of blackies, which are so much more docile and luckily, more intelligent than the grizz.

[The Whittler]

If all you carry is bear spray and it doesn't work, it's kind of late to think of a gun.

 For me I would carry both, it's better to have it and not need it then.......

[eidsvolling]

Just so everyone is clear on a few points:

1. The author advocates carrying both a firearm and bear spray.
2. The author advocates carrying a shotgun over a pistol for the reason he cites: Trying to STOP a bear while the bear is coming full bore is a task beyond the capabilities of most pistol shooters.
3. The author advocates and provides instructions for bear spray for those who do not want to carry a firearm.

Personally, I carried both a short-barrelled pump shotgun with slugs and bear spray when I lived in Alaska. I was not a bowhunter in those days, being fully occupied with a job and responsibilities as a SAR dog handler. If I am lucky enough to get the chance to hunt there in the future, the shotgun will be in camp and two canisters of spray will be with me in the field, one of these being instantly accessible at all times.

[Preston Lay]

But is there a more honorable way to go out of this life, than by way of the bear, for a bowhunter!

[Orion]

Perhaps not, Preston, but I'd prefer to not make an early exit.  

I haven't hunted Alaska much.  When I did, bear spray wasn't available.  At least I wasn't aware of it.  The first time, I carried a pistol gripped sawed off 12 gauge in a sling over my shoulder as back up.  The second time, the shotgun stayed in camp, and I had a 44 on my hip, though in truth I didn't have a lot of confidence in it. Figured I'd only get to use it if the bear was already chewing on me.

If I go again, I'll have the same set up, plus a can of bear spray. I've hunted a few times in Montana where grizzlies were present and only carried the bear spray.  Much less likely to run into a bear where I was hunting there than in Alaska though.  

I hadn't really thought about those situations in which bear spray wasn't likely to work.  Some good points made above.  From now on, in grizzly bear country, I'll carry both.

[Steve H.]

I roll my eyes and laugh at the mental image of someone carrying a bow in one had and a long gun in the other while hunting Alaska. A ridiculous sight. I have done it while solo hunting coastal brown bears in flat terrain and that was borderline silly. You need at least one hand to maneuver over terrain and thru brush, many times two, even in the easy stuff. I have a system where I can have my 458 at my side if I were stalking a big bear solo. My buddy Bubba rigged in a tactical style when we filmed and hunted brownies last year and that worked well too. I'll have to see what photos we have and remind myself how to post them here.

[Mark Baker]

Like Walt, I live in some pretty serious bear country here just north of Yellowstone, and its only getting worse (or better, depending on your viewpoint).   I don't think anyone can really say how they will react to a grizzly charge.  It's fast, and it's scary.   Suffice to say, you try and stop it before it gets to you somehow, and then if that fails, you resign yourself to killing the bear or deterring it's aggression before it kills or seriously hurts you first.  

I carry both nowdays...a Glock 10mm on a chest holster and spray.  10 years ago, I was more inclined to carry just spray, but these days, less so.  I guess my thinking is like Walt and Kevin's...I like the deterent  of the first shot and the multiple follow ups if needed.

If you are going to hunt bear country, there is nothing like understanding why bears will attack or charge, and anticipating the situations you are getting yourself into before it happens.  As bowhunters, we study our quarry and it's environment, and this is no different.  I've spent my whole life hunting and recreating this area here, as well as one trip to Alaska...and haven't had a bad bear experience yet - knock on wood - but I know what to expect and I have no preconceived notions about what can happen.  Every year we have numerous bear/human encounters in the area, and it's always sobering, but it's also a testament to the health of the natural world around us, and part of why it's as special a place as it is.  Only Alaska and Canada can rival this area.  

After all the bear hysteria, I have to say, I still worry more about big cats than bears...something AK does not have!  And I have had experiences with them....and I know Walt has too!  Just ask him....

[Steve H.]

I also have a photo of Paul Ladner catching some back spray to the face when he did a trial release of his canister on the last afternoon of our 2015 Kodiak deer hunt.  He figured he couldn't take it with him so he might as well have a taste of how well it worked, or didn't work.  In hind sight it didn't need to work, I had on my 10mm with 3,300 grains of lead at the ready.

[Bert Frelink]

Picture was taken from my tree stand in my Whitetail spot, at the end of October , it was very cold and there was at least 12" of snow on the ground.
I didn't think I needed to pack the spray that morning      
 

[trubltrubl]

carry your spray in your hand with the safety tab on..not in your back pack when walking to your spot.
I practice pulling it out of the "holster" i have on my hip just like you would practice pulling a handgun out for a quick draw. Bert lives in Grizz country ..so do I now. If you see cubs..leave the area. if you have the luxury of a partner when you down an animal have him watch while you field dress your game and take your animal out as soon as possible.

[Kevin Dill]

This is BBG...the bear that caught me out in the wide open 2 hours into my hike:

 

I had this bear about 70 yards from me one day. He followed a group of caribou to a river crossing but opted not to cross. Good thing because I was sitting in the willows on the opposite side with my magnum trained on him. I estimated him at 700 lb easy.


 

This is the same big chocolate boar caught prowling at night not far from camp. A lot of guys have no idea what's waiting out there, as these big boys are very adept at being ghosts.

 

The reality is these big dudes aren't the troublemakers. But it is a wakeup call to see and know they are around. You could bump into one at tight range and be counting on whatever you're packing to dissuade them from rearranging your face.

[beendare]

I've never had a grizz or Brownie charge me....but I have had many hogs charge when cornered by the dogs [back when I used to do hog depredation] I can only think of a few times where I got off more than one shot...and those were usually due to the hog being stunned by the first.

The thing that really shocks the new guys that tagged along is how lightning fast those animals are when they come at you. Bears are no different.

 We had a black bear my buddy wounded through the hams  leap over a huge log at us in BC...lucky my buddy was a bird hunter..... he shot that bear like it was a flushing pheasant in mid air 10' away with one of the other hunters' plain 3006 bolt gun stoning him.

Point is; you won't have much time, plan and practice accordingly.

[Sam McMichael]

I have exactly zero experience with bears, but I have learned a valuable lesson. If in bear country there are no guarantees at all. If I go there, I want both spray and my .44 Mag. Possibly, a rabbit's foot also. This is interesting.

[trubltrubl]

the bottom line with bears..if you surprise one up close and he charges....if your spray is on your hip an in a holster ..or if you carry a gun in a holster..you will not get it out in time before the bear is on you...that is reality..but if you are fortunate enough to get a little warning and have time to unholter..then chances are better.....with a gun most people cannot hit the broadside of a barn under under stressful situations..

if you can use your spray from the holster(no flap covering the button) by carefully making sure the nozzle is forward and you can access the button quick it is a better option  because if the bear hits you and it is in your hand it will fly out of it..an elastic holster might keep the spray in your hip for redeployment.. studies have generally proven pepper spray the most effective defense in a truly close encounter with a bear.

I carry mine in my hand when moving in prime bear country at dark or if another situation dictates it..

[Kevin Dill]

With respect to trubltrubl's post above...

I agree there are generally two types of bear attacks: the ones you see coming and the ones you don't. Nobody with any type of weapon is fast enough to respond to a sudden rush from a close-range bear they didn't know was around. At that point they're down to survival after impact.

No matter what defense is carried, I suggest you consider creating some type of tether or retractable lanyard for it. That way you can retrieve it if dropped or knocked loose. My primary defense is a 6-shot revolver and it is attached to me by a length of paracord tether. The excess cord is coiled into the holster ahead of the gun, and it easily follows the gun when drawn. It's long enough for me to not be limited when shooting, but the gun...if dropped...would never be more than a few inches away from my reach. The same could be done with a can of spray.

[ChuckC]

That is a good idea Kevin.
ChuckC

[ozy clint]

Originally posted by Kevin Dill:
 The grizz visited my camp one morning in a storm...I was in the tipi. I had the hammer back and ready to blow a hard-cast slug through silnylon if the bear tried to get cute.
 

that sounds dangerous! i had visions of a bullet ricocheting around the inside of the tipi like in a cartoon. no way a bullet will get through kifaru's silnylon!. hahaha      

[Steve H.]

Other than that bulky revolver, KD has a pretty good fix on things, for a nonresident, lol.

[Kevin Dill]

There's just something macho about fanning a sixgun in a bear fight....

   

[ChuckC]

Yeah, if it is a 45/70 !