Do you guys carry bear spray in Black Bear country?

[Glendon Mullins]

If i carried bear spray in "black bear country" I would have to walk around in my yard with it etc. as they have come to the apple trees quite often in my driveway

I occasionaly carry a pistol (more for snakes both non legged and legged kind) when out checking trail cams, or ginsenging, or mushroom hunting.

While hunting with bow or guns then no i dont carry it

 

[Ron.C]

yes, I do. I carry it in and out of hunting season. Been doing it for so long, don't even notice it on my pack belt. Been stalked by a couple black bears and cats here on Vancouver Island. Never had to spray a bear yet but I can tell you from experience, mountain lions don't appreaciate a face full of Counter Assault bear spray from 6-8 feet away

 

[CRJR45]

A friend of mine is guiding in Alaska and posted this on FB .

 

[Where's Bruce?]

A black is more likely to kill you than a brown...but I carry in many places w/o bears. Used it on steer once that was intent to skewer me.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Do what makes you feel comfortable.

Consider that these guys giving advice, one way or the other, are not going to be around should you need it and not have it.

 

[keystone112]

they run off, until you get the one that doesn't.

From what I have read, this is it. Black bears aren’t interested in you. Until one is, and then you have a large problem.

My black bear experience is seeing many while hunting deer in the lower 48 and hunting moose in Alaska.

We had a black bear raid our moose camp in Alaska. It ran our cook out and came back the next day to get shot.

I would have a firearm and/bear spray. That’s just me.

 

[Greyinggrayling]

When you shoot and kill a bear in Alaska, no matter the reason, you are expected to clean it and salvage the legal parts. If I have no time or space for a bear kill when I am out in the “wilderness” for another reason, like bird hunting or fishing, I’d rather not kill a bear. So in those instances I carry bear spray. And a firearm.

 

[Bloody]

When I am out in either grizz or black bear spots I do not carry spray. When I am still hunting or glassing I have my pistol strapped under my bino harness. When I am walking through extra "beary" brush I unclip the pistol and am holding it, 1 in the chamber, on safe. In case I get a bum rush. When I am sleeping at night I am not going to unload a can of spray in the tent and frag myself out as well if there is an attack. I just sleep with my pistol at the ready just to my right.

 

[Old-Cat]

……Black bears aren’t interested in you. Until one is, and then you have a large problem.

Yes !

About 7 years ago is was hiking into an area I’ve bear hunted for quite awhile( I’ve been black bear hunting for close to 30 years btw) with the intention of camping over tonight. On the main trail in, I ran into one parked in my way doing what bears do, just milling around. He didn’t see me right away. So I just stood there about 60 yards out enjoying watching it for a bit. I remember thinking to myself, “as soon as he sees me he is gonna split, better take it in.”

Well, this didn’t work out quite like every one of my other encounters. Inevitably he saw me, but instead of booking it out of there, he turn directly toward me and just stood there looking. At first I was amused, but as the time dragged on it made me uncomfortable. So started telling to him go. Eventually, I raised my arms over my head waving them and yelled. He, after quite a bit of coaxing, decided to walk off the RIGHT side of the trail. He looked back at me as he inched that direction, possible serious challenge averted.

I waited a min or two to let him clear off and decided to keep heading down the trail to the spur on which I was going to hang a LEFT. By the time I made it to the place where he went RIGHT into the woods, I was already thinking about setting up camp and just taking into the surroundings.

I walked about a 1/2 mile or so remaining to my hard LEFT and took it. I couldn’t have gotten down that trail more than couple tenths and I heard something snapping limbs off to my right. It was that friggen bear flanking me. He had circled and came back just below the trail I was on. That joker got as close as twenty yard a couple of times, it was not fun. I, for some reason, had brought no weapon other than a knife btw. I did about all one could do, which was secure a strong stick to create distance if need be, have my knife ready, keep yelling and pick up about anything I could and chuck it at him, all of which I did. He stay off to my right for almost 1/2 a mile more. He never charged , bluff or otherwise but that joker sure seemed like he was considering trying to make me a meal.

It was close to dark by the time I set my camp, around 2 miles down from where I last saw or heard him. I started a fire and settled in for about an hour and a half after it was completely dark. I had resolved to stay the night, that was my plan after all. This right up to the point I heard limbs snapping again. I couldn’t see it but that crazy a.. bear was back or more precisely had never left me. I was done.

So I jacked up the fire with a bunch of wood, sharpened my stick, and started gathering my crap. I headed back to the trail head soon as I was finished packing and quenching the fire. I made it to car with no sightings or issues, thankfully.

The bear I ran into was off for whatever reason, as compared to the countless others I’ve seen. I say this, it’s all fun and games until you run into one that ain’t scared and you aren’t armed. I don’t carry bear spray but you can bet I’m armed if I’m staying over night.

 

[EdP]

I hike, camp, and hunt in black bear country. I carry 9mm bear spray. I've never had a problem with a bear and hope to keep it that way, but if not, I am prepared to do whatever I need to in order to survive. Pepper spray just adds more weight for me to carry. I would rather have more ammo.

 

[Poser]

In CO, I’d be more concerned about getting bite by a black lab trail dog named “Aspen” than a black bear.

 

[TomJoad]

Never have, don’t intend to.

 

[Scarier]

Yeah. Cheap insurance.

 

[Kickernate]

We are heading into an area this year that is known for holding A LOT of black bears but no Grizzly. I know they are generally more afraid of you than you are of them. I really don't feel like carrying bear spray. Do you guys think its necessary to carry bear spray in black bear country??

Never felt the need for spray outside of grizz country. I normally always carry a pistol though. I feel kinda naked without a firearm in the woods.

 

[DawnPatrol]

Not something we did growing up in western Oregon. And now black bear hunting has cured me of any thoughts that black bears want anything to do with me. Just kidding mostly; might be a good idea when hiking with the fam, as I’m not a handgun guy.

 

[Old-Cat]

I’ve had them on my my porch, in my yard and my neighbors have too. I can’t recall anybody bringing up issues other than nuisance type stuff, easily dealt with by yelling or making your presence known, which is typical of 99 people out of a 100 encounters.

But all it takes is running into that One, to remind you that they are massively powerful, fast and pretty darn smart apex predators, not to be taken lightly.

Then again, every person gets to decide for themselves when traveling in area these animals inhabit.

 

[Charkan72]

No spray but always a handgun when I am hiking. Bears are only one of the reasons.

 

[justin davis]

Nope. But I carry a bear tag. That forsure keeps bears away

 

[TheGDog]

I used to until the safety clip came off once while backpacking and I had an accidental discharge. I've now been indirectly exposed to the particles from bear spray twice and just the smallest amount in the air wrecks me for the next several hours afterwards so I take my chances without. I live nowhere near Grizzly bears though.

This gentleman is NOT lying, that isht burns like the Sun! I'd done a test spray with a new canister I'd bought when the last one slipped-out of a poorly designed holster with no retention strap over the top of it.

I discharged the spray to test. Observed the impressive stream for a split second.

I perceived no breeze. So leisurely set about to collecting my TP and Wipees since I'd just finished my duties. Well apparently there was the slightest and gentle-ist of breezes that carried some uber tiny micro droplets back over to me.

Sprinted back the 10yds to truck, profusedly washed my eye and the places on body where they landed both with water and with scent-away wipees.

It was like a 2nd degree sunburn from about 7:45am til 1pm. When I began the hike-in , as long as I kept moving the air going ove3r your skin helps to keep the throbbing tolerable. When I'd stop to drink water on this hot day, it would quickly become intolerable and would make me begin moving again so the throbbing would calm back down.


I now just carry a pistol at all times. Either G29 10mm in Bear Country, and sometimes to shed weight .380acp Sig P238 in non Bear country. CA here, so loaded w/ lead-free copper Barnes XPB's OR LeHigh Penetrators OR Hornady Handgun Hunter.

And I carry it just because on my first ever Deer I took it just before end of light. So you're processing it in the dark. There were several coyotes nearby that were sounding off at various times. Not close enough to be frightening, but close enough to know they no doubt smelled it and where waiting. Made me nervy as hell for my first time at bat. Also the pistol ride under the bino harness so easy to keep it on while processing. I do NOT wanna risk not being able to reach for a rifle I've set down somewhere slightly out of reach when some curious critter smells the blood in the night time and gets the notion in his head to try to punk me off my kill.

Also from that incident of the spray, I'd really really hate to think about a person inside their tent trying to discharge the spray to defend themselves and some of it catch the lip of the tent door and swirl back around and get you! I don't EVEN wanna think about what that would be like in close-quarters like that! No Spank You!

 

[Kleos]

If a bear is charging me the only thing I will be spraying is some freedom seeds from my glock 20.