28 replies to this topic

[JaSAn]

I’d buy on line.  You may never need it, but it’s good insurance.  Can help with two legged bears as well.

 

Not that it would stop me if Bear Spray was the only thing handy in a 'two legged bear' attack, but my bear spray says on the can:

"Not for use on humans"

 - and - 

"it is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner that is inconsistent with its labeling."

 

 

Bear spray does not lose potentecy . . .

 

My bad.  I just remembered that you should replace it every few years.

 

Since I spend a lot of time in places where bears like to spend time I replace mine before its expiration date.

I keep the recently replaced spray in the camper and use the old one for practice (you do practice with it, don't you?).

 

Since two of my three bear encounters have been with wind in my face (bear upwind) I have practiced in a head wind - not fun!

I have never had a bear charge me; they seem more afraid of me than I of them.

 

I also take a beagle 'early warning alarm' on my hikes.

 

jim

[Foy]

Yes, Taku, you know the trail. The attraction is of course the rainbow-filled lake at the end of the trail! But I did it without anything for protection in September 2018 and felt bad about it during and after. Not doing it again without some protection.

 

One additional attraction for a geologist geek like like me is the realization that that discontinuous canyon from the Centennial Valley northeast to the Madison River was the drainage of the Centennial Valley as recently as 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. A landslide plugged it up, creating glacial Lake Centennial, and tilting from the listric normal fault on the south side of the valley led to the drainage outlet shifting to today's path out the Red Rock River.  I didn't know that in 2018 and I really need to see it in the field.

 

I would never venture forth with the intent of having negative interactions with anybody, but if the bear spray can be reasonably employed on other personal protection missions, so be it.

 

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

 

Foy

[AWG_Pics]

Having ridden my dirt bike all over MT,ID and WY. [live NE OR]..my best advice to you is stop being afraid; have situational awareness but don't succumb to fear.

 

No buggie men in outdoor stores or Cyrus the Virus laying in wait for you nor is there a bear around every bush... bear spray is touted to stop attacks; wonder what went wrong in the incident you described...not wishing to start a bunch of arguments with my comments just my experience over several decades in the outback...on dirt bikes, on foot and in our Hawk.

 I agree with Wallowa on this point. I know there are bear, moose, snakes and other hazards in the rockies. In a lifetime of wandering the mountains and deserts I have never been attacked or even threatened by either a human or a wild animal. Once I had someone's dog make a charge at me and another time I avoided a worked up bull. And there was that time a billy goat came up and leaned into me head first while I was trying to get a level line shot. He was stubborn. However, if it makes a person feel safer, then they should carry pepper spray.

[Foy]

And the hits keep on coming. This just in from the Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF:  Hidden Lake campground closed.  Grizzly at campsite. 

 

We'll still get our bear spray, but steering clear of Hidden Lake. Maybe just a short drive to the landslide between Hidden and Elk.

 

C'es la vie.

 

Foy

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Seems like the wildlife aren't doing the shelter in place very well either.

Maybe with less human activity during the late winter/spring time they took advantage of their area being theirs again.

 

One just has to be careful and check out local info.

Stay safe.

Carry the needed safety items.

Frank

[smlobx]

Foy getting back to your original question this is what we ordered just prior to our trip to Alaska..

 

https://www.cabelas....70.uts?slotId=9

 

We had an older, perhaps 4 years old, can of this but didn’t want to take a chance on it not working so we got the latest can.

 

We did, however, decide to use the older can for training and I can tell you that even a little of it will bring you to your knees! It is very potent and if a 2 legged person became a serious problem  I feel this would incapacitate him in no time flat giving you and yours time to get out of the area...
 

Speaking of bears...while we were in Homer we took a short bush plane flight to “The Bear Garden” in Katmai NP. This, I found out, was the place where Timothy Tredwell spent his summers before his untimely demise in another area of the park. The Alaskan Brown bears were gathering in the ~1000 acre field for the salmon run to begin and were going through their spring courtship rituals....they were completely uninterested in us as long as we (5plus the pilot) stood together and talked quietly..

 

However there were a pair of what the pilot thought were 3 to 4 year old siblings that seemed to be interested in us and got to within about 10 feet before the guide shooed him away with a loud, abrupt noise...Interesting to note that we were forbidden from bringing any bear spray with us and the pilot only had a flare gun with him...

 

Here’s a picture of one of the “kids”..

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Edited by smlobx, 07 July 2020 - 12:11 AM.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have seen that brand of spray in the Yellowstone area.

 

Remember  "...you don't have to out run the bear just out run the person in front of you".

Stay BEAR AWARE out there.

Frank

[pvstoy]

As with fire extinguishers, Good idea to shake up the powder that settles to the bottom.

[Foy]

Lots of great info here, ladies and gentlemen, and it's all much appreciated!

 

Counting down the days........

 

Foy

[Taku]

Foy, thanks for the geology note. I think I may have read that in some distant past, but would not have remembered it. That is interesting country. Had a friend who taught geology field camp out of Dillon for years - lot's of cool rocks and stratigraphy around there. Have fun!