Using a Dog Spray as a self defense

[trailguru]

Has anyone ever carried a dog spray (like those carried by the mailman) as a deterrent for dogs? this would be for black bear country only. I figured just a knife and a dog spray might at least help me if worse comes worst and an attack does ever happen. Bear sprays are just too heavy to carry around

 

[Indeepship]

No

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[FLATHEAD]

I dont even consider the dog sprays good enough for dogs.

 

[kpk]

well, a bear isn't a dog so.......

 

[NB7]

Bear spray...about 11 oz
dog spray...about 5oz?

Hmmm, hope this "dog" spray is going to change this bear's mind.
Guess that's about a 5oz decision you've got there

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I don’t take any extra precautions if only bears around are black bears…. unless it’s areas where they have been habituated to humans/fed. In that case, I think you’d be regretting not packing the extra 6oz while getting mauled.

 

[Bubblehide]

... Bear sprays are just too heavy to carry around

So, your worried about a bear attacking you, yet you seem to be saying a few extra ounces isn't worth your life; wow.

 

[mtwarden]

the smaller OC sprays contain roughly the same ingredients as bear spray, just in a smaller package

the biggest disadvantage w/ smaller oc sprays is effective distance- about 10-12 feet vs closer to 30 feet for bear spray

 

[FLATHEAD]

I once pulled my dog spray out to use on an aggressive dog.
It went about as far as I could pee, for about 1.5 seconds.
All sprays are not the same.
Whatever you get,....... get a couple and try them out first.

 

[trailguru]

So, your worried about a bear attacking you, yet you seem to be saying a few extra ounces isn't worth your life; wow.

Well I've been hiking for over 15 years without any bear spray.. I always do carry a knife with me but the spray would just be another layer of protection....

 

[ledflight]

I picked a dual pack of bear spray at Costco recently. For someone without a gun, it seems worth it.

 

[Wyobohunter]

I don’t take any extra precautions if only bears around are black bears….

I believe black bears kill more people than grizzlies. Likely due to higher incidents of interaction. I’d carry Bear spray even if I were to hunt in Colorado. Just my opinion.

 

[Marbles]

I believe black bears kill more people than grizzlies. Likely due to higher incidents of interaction. I’d carry Bear spray even if I were to hunt in Colorado. Just my opinion.

I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but I think brown bears kill more than black bears. That said, almost all cases of bears preying on humans are black bears (excluding polar bears). I personally know one person who was stalked by black bears. There was a case last year around Anchorage were black bears stalked a lady for several hours on a trail dispite bear spray. In 2017 a black bear stalked and killed a 17 year old mountain runner near penguin ridge.

So, I agree with the over all point.

Last year a brown killed a guy in Hope, AK. It was a brown that killed a Soldier on JBER last weak. A brown killed a moose hunter about 2 years back.

 

[EdP]

Dog spray might discourage a LA coyote, but I would not expect it to be effective against a bear. There is a reason why there are two different products on the market. If bear spray was really "too heavy to carry around," nobody would be hunting in those areas where bear spray is mandated by law. Personally, I prefer a 9mm handgun in black bear country, and don't find it too heavy to carry when hiking, even at 67.

 

[Wyobohunter]

I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but I think brown bears kill more than black bears. That said, almost all cases of bears preying on humans are black bears (excluding polar bears). I personally know one person who was stalked by black bears. There was a case last year around Anchorage were black bears stalked a lady for several hours on a trail dispite bear spray. In 2017 a black bear stalked and killed a 17 year old mountain runner near penguin ridge.

So, I agree with the over all point.

Last year a brown killed a guy in Hope, AK. It was a brown that killed a Soldier on JBER last weak. A brown killed a moose hunter about 2 years back.

You might be right about the numbers. It was something I heard once upon a can’t remember when. Either way, looks like we agree that an unarmed human is no match for even the lowly black bear.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I believe black bears kill more people than grizzlies. Likely due to higher incidents of interaction. I’d carry Bear spray even if I were to hunt in Colorado. Just my opinion.

I said any extra precautions, I always have a sidearm, woods or in town, definitely understand all bears can be dangerous

 

[Wyobohunter]

I said any extra precautions, I always have a sidearm, woods or in town, definitely understand all bears can be dangerous

Gotcha. I read “extra precautions” as “no precautions”…

 

[mtwarden]

By far my worst experience with a bear was with a black bear; years later I found out it was a predatory black bear- not common, but well documented.

Almost always a large male; not aggressive, instead very calm and calculating. Basically sizing a person up for a meal; wee bit spooky!

 

[Will_m]

I like that he included a knife to accompany the dog spray. Fighting a bear with a knife. My man.

 

[Voyageur]

I once pulled my dog spray out to use on an aggressive dog.
It went about as far as I could pee, for about 1.5 seconds.
All sprays are not the same.
Whatever you get,....... get a couple and try them out first.

Excellent point made here. For years I vacillated back and forth on carrying the larger size bear spray...always wondered if the extra weight was worth it. In the end I would usually begrudgingly carry the larger size. Then, two years ago the only size available prior to my moose hunt was the smaller container. I purchased it and never thought much more about it. At the end of a 2 week moose hunt and knowing I couldn't take the bear spray back home with me, I decided to discharge it just prior to loading my gear into the super cub (otherwise it would have been loaded into the planes floats and left at the hanger). The brevity of the discharge was sobering as I imagined trusting that brief time of spray to turn an advancing bear. Even the pilot made a comment along the lines of "wow, that's not much is it?" For me that answered once and for all the question of is bigger better...
Hope this helps.