On another entry on Page 115 of Bear Encounter Survival Guide, Shelton says that the bear is not driven off by the blinding- burning effect of the spray but because of the nerve-shock to the respiratory tracts and the immediate asphyxiation caused by aspirated capsicum.
Capsicum doesn't cause 'nerve shock'. It's only effect on the 'nerves' IS the burning effect.
The effect can make it hard to breathe due to pain in the chest and lungs, but it cannot 'asphyxiate' anything. It can cause swelling of the mucous membranes, which gives the 'red puffy eyes' and nose etc, and it can make breathing painful, but it will not cause loss of oxygen to the blood as was reported in that clinical test i posted for you.
The bear is in pain. It cannot see. It cannot use it's nose properly (definately a problem for a bear). And its chest may well be burning.
It cannot cause asphyxiation in the normal use of the word ( a lack of oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide in the body that results in unconsciousness and often death and is usually caused by interruption of breathing or inadequate oxygen supply)
But if there is a chemical aerosol that is suddenly breathed in, I am sure it has an effect on the subject regardless of what that effect might be called. Under such conditions the effects to mucus is a bonus but not the sole reason that it works.
If it were aspirated in very large amounts perhaps - even water could make breathing difficult if you breathed in enough in aerosol form. But there's just not that much taken in as a rule. It may create a cough reflex, but not much more. You have to remember that the pain is instant, and bears tend to turn away the moment they're sprayed - there is no guarantee they'll breathe in more than a tiny amount (they may not be inhaling at the right moment). The substance sticking to the fur tends to guarantee the eyes and nose will get a dose, but the amount they actually breathe in may be very small. (fortunately it takes very little to cause the pain).
The lung tissue will be inflamed and may swell, making it tender and painful, but it won't interfere with it's ability to absorb oxygen. It may make an animal reluctant to breathe deeply of course, so it may not feel like doing any heavy running or exercise
But it has been noted many times in humans that if someone is willing to struggle thru the pain they are not impeded by the effects. Pepper spray does not 'disable' a person in the sense that it 'blinds' them or 'chokes' them. It just puts them in a hellish amount of pain and makes their eyes tear like mad and makes their throats and nose and lungs burn.
For a bear - this means it's hurting and it doesn't know why - it has trouble seeing it's target, it has trouble smelling it's target, and it becomes seriously confused and disoriented. Breathing may be painful (depending on how much they actually breathed in). Faced with that, bears tend to break off to 'regroup'. That in essance is how it works - bears think they're in trouble, they don't know what's going on or where the 'enemy' is, and they back off.
Unfortunately, the worst of the effect wears off pretty quickly. 10, 15 minutes later the bear may still be in discomfort but it will be functional enough to re-attack if it wishes to.
After 20 years of having some exciting bear confrontations at close range, I'll stick with what works for me, and that does not include spray.
Makes perfect sense ... unless you happen to visit a national park sometime that does not allow firearms. At that point you'll have a choice between spray or pretty much nothing when it comes to close in anti-bear defense. My point would be that spray would give you an effective tool to use in a circumstance where your normal defense is unavailable.
Saying 'i would never use spray for defense' is not much smarter than saying 'i would never use a gun', like we hear from a lot of tree huggers. Hey - it may not be right for you in most of the cases you find yourself in, and that's fine. But it's not wise to ignore the tool when it's proven effective - be it gun OR spray. Use it where it makes sense, don't where it doesn't.
I can't carry a pistol - i like to have something on me at all times. So - i pack a gun, but i have spray on my belt most of the time. If the gun's handy, i use that. If it isn't, the spray makes a good back up.
What's a better choice for bear defense - a 45-70 lever gun or a 44mag pistol? Obviously the lever gun if it's in your hands. But i'd never suggest people shouldn't have a pistol.
What did you find out about the video?
Haven't had a chance to track it down yet, but i'll give it a shot shortly.
