How do you carry your gun with a pack on?

[flashman2]

Have you ever seen a dead bear attack anyone?

Have you ever seen a pepper sprayed bear attack anyone?

The trick with a gun though, is getting it dead in the first place. And you're much more likely to be injured trying to do that than spraying it. Multiple studies over long periods of time in multiple places have shown this beyond any doubt.

 

[hoytcanon]

Have you ever seen a pepper sprayed bear attack anyone?

The trick with a gun though, is getting it dead in the first place. And you're much more likely to be injured trying to do that than spraying it. Multiple studies over long periods of time in multiple places have shown this beyond any doubt.

I can't agree with you... I have never pepper sprayed a bear, but I work in a field requiring annual training with oleo resin units (pepper spray) and I can tell you from observing dozens of co-workers over the years, you are as likely to spray yourself as the bear in a highly charged, adrenaline spiking defensive situation... even under controlled training conditions with zero wind or nerves to deal with it often comes off badly.

In addition, I HAVE shot a dozen or so bears in defensive situations (or seemingly so at the time), usually already wounded by a client, and you do not have to kill the bear to turn it or cause it to break off the attack/charge... but most of the time the first shot did indeed ground the animal.

Long story short... I will stick with the firearm of my choice, on the rare occasions that I feel it necessary.

 

[flashman2]

I can't agree with you... I have never pepper sprayed a bear, but I work in a field requiring annual training with oleo resin units (pepper spray) and I can tell you from observing dozens of co-workers over the years, you are as likely to spray yourself as the bear in a highly charged, adrenaline spiking defensive situation... even under controlled training conditions with zero wind or nerves to deal with it often comes off badly.

In addition, I HAVE shot a dozen or so bears in defensive situations (or seemingly so at the time), usually already wounded by a client, and you do not have to kill the bear to turn it or cause it to break off the attack/charge... but most of the time the first shot did indeed ground the animal.

Long story short... I will stick with the firearm of my choice, on the rare occasions that I feel it necessary.

To be clear, these aren't my ideas, so it's not me you're disagreeing with. I'm simply relating what the studies on the subject say.

The study in the Journal of Wildlife Management found that only 14% of bear spray users reported any effects on themselves. 11% minor irritation and 3% near incapacatation. So actual field use shows that you're not at all as likely to spray yourself as spray the bear. 3% is also much better than the 50% injury rate using guns that the USFWS study found.

I would agree that bear spray isn't for following up a wounded animal, clearly. I don't believe any of the incidents studied fit that scenario. The big difference in following up is you're expecting contact and will already be alert with a weapon out and ready to shoot. You don't have that same advantage in a chance encounter with a slung rifle when a bear comes storming out of the bush at you.

My choice would be to take both. Rely on the spray for the bear coming out of nowhere, and a rifle as backup. Though the odds of needing it are infintesimally small, bear spray is something like 90-95% effective in stopping attacks.