Here is yet another instance of a hiker unable to deploy bear spray, but no details as to specifically how it was carried. If the griz gets the drop on you, your fate is in his/her hands:


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Glacier National Park
Hiker Injured In Bear Attack Treated And Released

The 50-year-old hiker who was attacked by a grizzly bear last Friday (click here for the original incident report) was treated and released later that day and continued with his travel itinerary. His injuries - bites to his left thigh and left forearm - were not life threatening. The hiker was hiking alone on the trail from Many Glacier to Piegan Pass when he was attacked by a grizzly bear. When he rounded a bend in the trail, he surprised a sow grizzly with one sub-adult. The bear attacked the hiker, biting his left thigh and left forearm, then grabbed his foot, shook him, released him and left the area. The hiker said he was carrying bear spray, but was unable to employ it before the bear attacked and that he was making noise as he hiked. According to rangers, the bear's response to the hiker was defensive in nature and consistent with a surprise encounter with a hiker. No action will be taken against the bear. The trail from Piegan Pass to Feather Plume Falls remains closed, but will likely open by the end of the week.