Originally Posted By: Basecamp
[quote=AKSAR]
So: ... When you use pepper spray, you have minutes to react ... and it's clear, dry and daylight conditions ... and you have unlimited visibility ... you have perfect vision and a clear shot ... you perfectly execute the safety, aim and fire sequence of the pepper spray deployment and have direct hits in the eye/nose/mouth area causing immediate incapacitation ... you have practiced with the pepper spray every month for years ... the ground is perfectly dry and level ... there is no one or nothing to get in your way or go wrong ... the bear is passive (why are you attacking it, anyway?) and stays 6' away from you and perfectly still so as to receive the full effect of the pepper spray ... and you still might be wishing you had a firearm?

Let me edit this for content ...

I think the point of the spray is that it's a LOT easier to aim a "fog" versus the "pencil beam" of a bullet when under stress, rushed, slipping in the mud while the bear tries to hump your leg or whatever.

I didn't read the article, but I would agree the idea of effectiveness of a pistol is a lot easier to agree w/ conceptually. No one carries a rifle up and ready when in the woods. Slung, or on your backpack typically. A pistol at least can be holstered and removed relatively quickly. So can bear spray. I have a feeling (not fact!) that the speed to deployment is one of the biggest factors bear spray has in it's favor.

Someone needs to invent a bear spray that starts popping off fire-crackers (or bullets) simultaneously.

As long as we're talking about anecdotal experiences, I've seen maybe 10 black bears over the years. Closest was sniffing our tent one night (thanks, tent-mate). Farthest was maybe 50 yards. Like some others here, I rank bear attack pretty low on my threat assessment. If I were to live where grizzlies do, I might raise it a couple of notches.


Edited by MDinana (03/11/12 02:59 PM)