Has anyone used their bear spray?

[DooleyVT]

I’ve spent the last two weeks on a hiking trip with my wife and daughter in Glacier, Yellowstone and The Tetons which has been fun and refreshing. We covered about 80 miles on some (fairly popular) trails and there are constant reminders to carry spray and to be aware of bears which we did. We did see 3 black bears and one was a sow with a cub but they moved off without any issues. I’m really curious of the people that spent lots of time in these places how often do you encounter bears? Do you always carry spray (or a sidearm) and have you ever had to use it? Is the hype mainly because of grizzlies?

 

[Maverick1]

I’ve spent time in the mountains hunting for about two weeks every year for the last 20 years and recreationally for vacation a couple of times as well. Never deployed the spray. Had it out of the holster a couple of times.

 

[Geewhiz]

Don't carry it and never wished I had it. Had close encounters with black bears many times but they never mean any harm most often times they are just following their noses.

One night I was packing out an elk in the middle of the night leap frogging quarters back to the pickup. On one trip back up the hill I came face to face with a good size black bear that was following the trail of fresh meat. As soon as he realized what I was he wasn't looking for trouble and took off. Another time I had killed a bull and had all of the meat hanging from low branches in a tree to cool as we packed our backpacks getting ready for the first load back to the pickup. Along came a yearling following his nose. When he saw us he just sat down at about 30 yds as if to wait patiently until we left. Knowing that we couldnt make a trip and leave any of the meat or he would eat it we did everything we could to get him to pack sand but he wasn't interested. Finally we were able to run him off in the direction of the carcass and he was satisfied with that. He didn't tear up any of the meat we had hanging while we were gone thankfully.

All that being said, I do believe the hype is mainly because of the grizzlies.

 

[mtnbiker208]

I was having an issue with a neighbors pet. I asked a fish and game office what i should do, he told me how he handled the same exact situation and his method works. I have never seen that animal at my place ever since.

 

[fmyth]

I think bear spray is like a motorcycle helmet. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Hiker Attacked by Grizzly Says He Only Survived Because the Sow Bit His Bear Spray Canister

A hiker who was attacked by a grizzly bear says he only survived because his bear spray canister exploded in the grizzly's mouth when it tried to bite his neck.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[brolo]

A buddy needed his spray this morning while fishing to deter a smallish brown bear which wandered up on them…buuuuut he had just lost it in the river wrestling a couple fish. The bear wasn’t too big and just seemed interested in the fish, so deterrent would have been good because they got pushed and pinned on the opposite riverbank for an hour.

3 days ago I unholstered my handgun on a sow and cub. They got startled by another group and were busting through the woods in a hurry. They ping-ponged off another group of hikers, started running up the trail towards us, then turned around in another direction. I’ve never been good about reading the female mind, much less a lady bear with cub, but she seemed agitated. I was skipping “deterrent” and planning on “stopping” when they turned around 30-40 yards from me.

 

[Mark.c]

If bears are in the area then I bring both spray and a suitable handgun/ammo. The only time I got close to using my bear spray was on an hiker’s unleashed dog. Better to have than not.

 

[USMC-40]

I used mine…to get a timber rattler out of a hole outside one of the barns at our farm in the bluffs of Missouri. Worked really well for that…

 

[displacedtexan]

I don't carry anything for black bears.

I'll carry spray/pistol in brown bear country.

Only time I've pulled spray out, I didn't use it.

 

[Bubblehide]

Yeah I did. It was awesome! The short story is that I accedently forgot to put some things in my pack. As such, when I filled my tag, I was short supplied. So when cooking up a couple fresh steaks that night, I needed to pull out my bear spray, as I left the spices at home. I hit the steaks heavy with the bear spray, both sides. Brothas, it was delious.

 

[go_deep]

My buddy bear spayed himself. Let me tell you, if it works as good on a bear as it does a person, it's effective!

 

[oldskool67]

Just on hippies

 

[Marble]

I've lived and hunted in one of, if not the most, bear populated areas in the lower 48 for almost 40 years. Never had to deploy a gun or spray or chase off a bear.

In CO we had a bear in "town" get into the meat cabin and ate some of a bull. We sprayed it several times over the course of an hour and eventually had to take baseball bats and rocks to get it to leave. I felt bad for it a little but. Owners of the property insisted on non-lethal bear solutions. We don't stay there anymore.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[jtevanMT]

I hunt and hike in areas with griz often and always cary bear spray or 10 mm Glock. When hiking in Glacier, Yellowstone or frequently used trails I usually have bear spray. When archery hunting I typically cary the Glock. I have pulled the bear spray and Glock each 1 time with Griz at 30-40 yards but did not use either since the bears had not interest in us.

I do not pack either in black bear areas, only for Griz.

 

[rickyw]

Just on the neighbors dog as it came over the fence at me. Excellent.

I carry a rifle and/or a handgun in the woods

 

[DawnPatrol]

I don’t take spray unless I’m in brown bear country, and for some reason aren’t carrying my pump shotgun.

I never worry about black bears…you hear stories, but I’ve never met a black bear that wanted anything to do with me.

 

[Johnny_Yemon11]

I have not, in fact the boss and I were just in Glacier and we remarked how it was probably time to trash the old cans and buy some new ones. They can “gel up” over time and not spray, especially if exposed to cold.

A few of my coworkers have had interactions in which they’ve deployed bear spray with good results.

 

[inkedspot]

I indirectly sprayed myself as a cedar tree caught my spray on my pack and activated it, It sprayed in front of me onto the ground but the breeze was blowing back to me. It took me a day to get over the little bit that I inhaled. It seems like it would have to be a pretty good deterrent as long as the bear wasn't in a protective mode.

 

[rclouse79]

One time my dad and I were doing a backpacking trip in Yellowstone and there were notes written on the sign in sheets at the trailhead about a sow grizzly and cubs being spotted that morning. We thought it would be a good idea to test the pepper spray since it was several years old. In hind sight we found out it was a bad idea for my dad to be standing downwind after I let off a burst. Hopefully that is the only time I use one.

 

[LostArra]