Debate: Gun Vs Bear Spray

FLHTCUI said:
Because you asked for an opinion.
Just cause you don’t like doesn’t mean yours doesn’t stink either.
Best Regards.
Rob
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There is a magnitude of threads that is posted on a daily basis or weekly basis that is the exact same subject. If you don't like that, then don't click on the damn thread. You're wasting your own time by clicking on it, reading it, and posting. I have never seen you display this kind of attitude before so why be moody now? Too many planes flying over you I guess.
 
Dogleg said:
I'd get rid of those FMJs as fast as you can. Through a practice target is about as good a way as any. There's a reason why solids are illegal for hunting in practically every civilized nation in the world. The only thing they are good for is animals that require so much penetration that they are willing to trade everything else a bullet can do to get it. That pretty much leaves you with elephant. An cow elephant could use a bear for a tampon.
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Dear lord. What a mental picture...

Honestly I think the simple answer is Both. Spray certainly has a use. And so does a gun. They don't have to be mutually exclusive.


Here is my personal experience with bear spray. First, I've been sprayed. Got jumped by some kids in Surrey when I was 19. Definitely one of the worst experiences of my life... And yet, after experiencing it first hand, I don't have a whole lot of confidence in it. If a bear is intent on attacking you I highly doubt this will deter it. However, if a bear hasn't completely made up its mind, its just bluff charging you or anything like that I think bear spray will certainly give you the chance to GTFO (which IMO is what bear spray is for. It distracts the bear so you can GTFO, its not going to completely incapacitate a bear).

And yet, I've been in a few situations where having a gun isn't an option. Field work with school, for instance. Having bear spray and/or bear bangers makes you feel a bit more at ease as you work if they are the best things you've got.

This is of course considering dealing with black bears, where their natural instinct is to run and hide. Grizzlies and Polar bears, who are used to open spaces and having to stand their ground are a whole different ball game.
 
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I doubt that a bear would care about the bear spray at all. For anyone who have shot hundreds of round with his rifle, it is easier and faster to pint a gun at the bear than removing the spray and squeeze the trigger.
in the thick bush, you carry your rifle with two hands, not on your shoulder with a sling.
 
In a perfect world when not hunting it would be nice to carry both bear spray and a pistol, but we don't live in a perfect world.
 
elker said:
I doubt that a bear would care about the bear spray at all. For anyone who have shot hundreds of round with his rifle, it is easier and faster to pint a gun at the bear than removing the spray and squeeze the trigger.
in the thick bush, you carry your rifle with two hands, not on your shoulder with a sling.
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I agree. I carry my rifle in my hands most of the time. Like many carry their smart phones. Maybe it’s an infantry thing.
 
It's not either or. The answer is take both. Just like OC spray isn't a substitute for a police officer's sidearm, it's another tool for the appropriate circumstances. You don't shoot a bear when you can spray it, and you don't spray a bear when you have to shoot it.
 
I've used bear spray on a coyote once. A few decades worth of them had followed rigs around and never had to earn an honest living, since they got fed by the guys. Basically welfare 'yotes. One in particular had taken to biting people on the ankles. One day he made the mistake of biting me and I plotted my revenge. There was a supplied bear kit sitting on the boot tray since the summer before; and no clear indication of who belonged to it. On pure speculation that he would try the same trick the next day I took the bear spray out of of the kit and took it with me when leaving the command center. Sure enough the little bugger scooted in and bit my calve. He had the gall to stand there while I took it out of the pouch, took the sealing strap and block off the can and gave him half of it. He didn't do much at first other than back off to the edge of the trees and paw at his face a few times. What happened next was he came straight back and laid on his back with a leg raised like I should sniff his nuts or something. Screw that, I gave him the second half of the can. That was so disappointing; I was hoping that it would turn him inside out or something. That stuff is junk.


You know who likes bear spray? Bear lovers, Parks and COs, employers who don't want you to have guns at work, people haters, those that make it and the stupid bears. Gimmie the gun.
 
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I spend almost all of bear season in the bush without a gun on foot and somehow by the glory of god I am still alive.

I do carry bear spray.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
I read an article on bear spray vs guns on bear encounters. The study claims defense with a gun is more likely to end in fatality than bear spray. They base this information on reported events. After reading this article, a couple of questions came to mind questioning the legitimacy of the study.

1 - How many unreported encounters are their with the use of a firearm? I'm sure their is many who shoot and get the hell out of dodge out of fear they might get in trouble for killing a bear.

2 - The encounters involving a firearm, did they count those that had any firearm on them? Like people who had a .22 for hunting small game.

So what do you guys think? I don't buy what the study is selling. I'll be carrying my .375H&H with my .300gr FMJ for bears way before carrying any bear spray.

h ttp://www.backcountrychronicles.com/bear-spray-pepper-spray-vs-gun/

h ttp://www.themeateater.com/2016/the-cold-hard-facts-of-bear-deterrents-bear-spray-vs-firearms/
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I read several similar articles. I believe it simply because its a qiestion of readiness. Bear spray is usually kept on the buddy. Long guns are often kept strapped to a pack or constantly put down and walked away fro. Several studies suggested, counter intuitively that handguns have higher success rates, which again I think speaks to accessability and readiness.

Personally Id carry both.
 
PSE said:
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It's easier and quicker for most people to draw a can from its holster and lay down a wall of mist directly in front of the advancing predator. It may not work, but a wall of spray is far better than a shot that never gets off in time. ...

You might find that the can is quite a bit handier to get at and faster, particularly in a chest rig.

... .
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Bears have been known to knock down sturdier "walls." And one that "may not work" is not even a little bit more effective than a gunshot that may miss. If you are going to carry your gun strapped to the pack, an accurate comparison would be to a can of bear spray strapped to the pack, similarly out of reach.

I don't know you and I don't know how much you practice. But I know me, and I don't think I'm going to be immune to fear if I don't practice with a can of bear spray and the effects of adrenaline won't be any different.
 
Uh carry both if you can?

Buddy of mine has a keeper. It's a broken rifle he bought off a local. It came with the new clipping about the previous owner's demise - apparently he went bear hunting, and was told by locals his caliber would be insufficient to stop a bear at close range. He was found days later dead with the broken gun nearby, and a dead bear with a few bullets in it. Turns out he got the bear, but the bear was able to do him in before it died.

Most bear charges are bluffs, deaths or injury by bear are pretty rare. We have a ton of bears here and very very very few bear incidents, even with grizzlies.

If I was to pick one though, it would be a gun, or better yet me plus a few friends all with guns.
 
conor_90 said:
I spend almost all of bear season in the bush without a gun on foot and somehow by the glory of god I am still alive.

I do carry bear spray.
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Bears can be quite stealthy. Perhaps they observe you without you realising, and seeing that you carry bear spray, they leave you alone.
 
It must be a sign of respect when they do that thing where they sit and stare at you and don't #### off.


They never do that when I'm hunting so you might be on to something here.
 
Ya use the spray on your food or salad .....
What about all the untold stories by police ...local ..RCMP or where ever you live ...don’t believe everything you read and are told
Guns are used for protection.....shotgun with buck or slugs
Spray is used to spice up your food
Or carry a really big flipping knife ...8..9” blade hey if the bear jumps on you ya you will get mauled ...but you will live....but an 8”..9”...blade thrusted in to a bear .....it’s going to get off you and run and die
 
Ive been sprayed twice. But times i could easily keep fighting. It sucked and burned for awhile.
Ive sprayed a bear directly in the face that was on a trailer. It sure pissed him off but he didnt get off the trailer. It was a dump bear about 150lbs. To be honest the 350-400lb dump bear i hit in the ass with a shovel handle didnt move either. I felt pretty small when it didnt go my way.
The bear that did charge me in thick bush after smacking his teeth together and growling for 30 mins or so met the copper jacketed lead chunk from fired from my left barrel of my 4570. At 12' it took the fight and life out of him. Ill take a gun anyday or spray. Id take a spear over spray to. At least id have something for when the bear keeps coming
 
Just looked at BC Outdoors mag from Spring 2015 the article on Bear attack reaction times..
you are dealing with seconds and fractions of seconds
You have time for one kill shot... maybe a second if you have a semi auto and the focus to hold your position and that 2nd will be in its mouth shot
So once again never a warning shot..shoot to kill
bear spray will maybe get the mauling to stop??? before you bleed out??
Back in 1995 both hunters Shane Fumerton and Bill Caspell were killed at the same time over a downed elk
Both young and fit expierenced hunters
Sad story
 
I remember stories in the news of people who shot brown bears many times and couldn’t stop an attack. To add to that, unless you walk in the woods with your gun at low ready you’ll be lucky to get one shot at a charging bear, and you’ll also be lucky if that one shot disables it.
Compare that to videos of pitbull attacks (hello Pitbull Internet Defence Force) where the dog holds onto its ''prey'' while people beat it with sticks to no avail, until someone comes with a bottle of water to splash it in the dogs face. This method has been recommended to me by vets because just hitting the dog (without killing it) will contribute to its rage whereas pepper spray or even water will confuse it and cause it to cease the attack. So if you shoot a bear without killing it, it’s unlikely to stop the attack, meanwhile if you spray it’s face and snout (4000 times more sensitive than the human nose) this will make it stop reliably.
 
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