Always carry bear spray. While cycling on my 21 speed road bike I was attacked by a pack of doberman's. The Frontier bear spray stopped them at 30 feet, a lot farther than Halt dog repellent.
I've been driving for 40 years and not needed my seat belt once. I still wear it. Black bear attacks do happen. Plus grizzlies are expanding their range into areas you might not expect. I think being smart with your food is the #1 thing you should never compromise on.
@@pimacanyon6208 where I first started elk hunting is about 30 minutes from Jackson, WY. The forest service mandate for food storage in camp was not inforce in that area but they did recommend it. We have never seen grizzlies but others claim to have. A friend of mine has had them under his black bear stand just over the mountain. So just because they aren't seen doesn't mean they aren't there
As an outdoor videographer for the past 23-years filming in the Alberta backcountry bear spray has always been a part of my kit. Can’t say I have ever heard anyone claim it was too heavy to carry. It can also be a useful deterrent to other potential aggressive wildlife encounters. For me peace of mind out weighs leaving spray at home.
Totally. These Californian hikers have no idea what its like in the actual backcountry. I have seen so many giving terrible advice, if not downright dangerous. The one dude Dan Becker recommended NOT to take a loaded first aid kit. I'm glad I didn't listen or we would have been hurting on my last hike when I had a nail go through my foot. Or on the hike before that when my partner slipped on rocks and took chunks out of her hands. Here in Northern Saskatchewan in 2020 we recently had a black bear attack a woman who HAD bear spray and used it on a black bear and got mauled to death anyway. Black bears are generally easier to scare off but that isn't always the case. I'd rather carry it and never use it than have the chance of being mauled to death. I would love to see some of these guys backcountry camp in Northern Sask. It would be an eye opener for them that's for sure.
@@grimrot I don't know if I will ever carry bear spray; it might not even fit in my empty pack (if I carry that 5l one), period, and a belt, I don't have one, never. But that's only when I'm trail running and I don't live in the USA either. I won't be planning to live there anytime soon and there are so many reasons to not like the USA or not go there for a multiday hike, which doesn't mean the USA is bad or anything. It's not my thing. I'd rather stay at home in Norway or Europe at least. That gives me peace of mind that is not achievable with bear spray. 0% chance of black or grizzly in Norway or any bear for that matter if I'm not in scandinavia, but we do have bears, although I cant name a single incident with our brown bears... No bears no danger. Our moose on the other hand are a way bigger thread, specifically for vehicles when you happen to encounter one like we with ourfamimy did (emergency brake needed) but honestly they won't eat me either because I'm not vegan🤣
fellow albertan here! this has to be about the dumbest video i've ever seen and i hope no one listens to his advice. my spray literally weighs nothing.
I'll share my experience on the PCT and the CDT: I have always carried bear spray and, over the years, have used it successfully twice on black bears and once on a bobcat who was stalking me during a night hike. I was never bothered by the weight. But, I had to wait until the critters were close enough to be effective. However, a few times, I used a small boat horn. I kept it in a small holster attached to my shoulder strap. I got the idea when I noticed that the bear was not impressed with my efforts at shouting, "Hey bear!" The horn is small but makes the devil's own racket! When I used it on a black bear, he turned and bolted right away. When I used it on a mountain lion, he jumped 10 feet straight up and raced back up the hill, pausing at the top of the hill to turn and give me a dirty look as if to say, "What the heck was that!!" The sound is quite startling. Now, I carry the horn on one shoulder strap, and the bear spray on the other.
I carry a personal alarm with 140DB . Kills your ears! Gives me protection against animals called humans. I am assuming it would work on wildlife. What do you think?
as a recently retired mailman with 29 yrs experience, i can say Halt rarely works on larger dogs that are aggressive, i would not EVER consider it for a black bear! i hike and camp in the mountains of colorado and always carry bear spray, but more for mountain lions than bears. and these days you never know who you will encounter on the trail or in camp, and bear spray is a VERY effective non lethal way to protect yourself in those situations.
Good to know about the Halt. Thanks. Tough part about mountain lions is you almost never see them coming. But, I'd rather have the bear spray, than not.
You are correct Michael. 6 people who deployed bear spray since 2016 have died tragically after the spray failed to stop the attacking bear. Some of these people were experienced guides and one was a wildlife biologist. Several more didn't die but were seriously injured when the spray failed. Bear spray was pushed based on a flawed study by Professor Tom Smith, who admitted recently that he intentionally left information out of his study that would show that bear spray was less effective than firearms. People are literally dying or becoming disabled over this bear spray push. Bear spray is only good for nuisance or defensive encounters. But on an aggressive or predatory bear, they often ignore it and keep attacking. There needs to be a serious public discussion about this in both Canada and in the US.
I have had the same negative experience with "Halt" dog spray. It had ZERO effect on an aggressive dog. Good thing I was able to quickly grab a nearby stick. And NO. The dog spray was not expired.
A problem I have is people always cite the number of fatal attacks by a species as if getting mauled or otherwise torn up isn’t important. The problem is no one really knows how many black bear, grizzly, mountain lion, wolf, coyote, etc… attacks there are each year. The other issue I have are when the numbers are cited in a dishonest manner, eg, you have a better chance of getting struck by lightening than killed by a great white… when a majority of the population will never be in the ocean in any given year. All this to make a reasonable concern by people who do recreate in an area around predators seem irrational in their concern and efforts to mitigate those concerns. I’d also be interested on historical trend analysis on attacks by species as sprawl continues to deplete habitat and push humans and animal predators closer into likely conflict. Telling me there have only been X number of Grizzly attacks in Montana in the past 100 years is of minimal value, but seeing the numbers over the past few decades is going to be more valuable. But again, we need better numbers on attacks, which I recognize is more difficult to collect.
Exactly. They say "rare." Getting killed by a domestic cat is rare, getting killed by a bear is NOT rare, it may not happen every day but it does happen so it's not 'rare.' Like you said they never include the millions of close calls and attacks. This is also true for mountain lion attacks. I learned this when I researched attacks and close calls, I found many, too many to even count.
As a lifelong surfer I took your point to heart about the shark attacks, and went to look for more accurate "at-risk population" figures. Turns out the lightning strike claim still holds up even if you adjust for risk. Struck by lightning, globally: 240,000 people/year Global population: 7.753 billion Statistic: 3.1 out 100k people struck by lightning every year Shark bites, USA 2012-2021 (ufl): 471 Shark bites, USA averaged: 47.1 Number of swimmers in oceans, lakes, and rivers yearly (CDC): 91 million Statistic: 0.052 per 100k american outdoor swimmers bitten by sharks per year That's 60 times more people getting struck by lightning than outdoor swimmers getting bit by sharks, probably fine to say the general implication of that stat is true for oceans specifically. About half of shark attacks (51%) are surfers though (ufl). Number of surfers yearly, USA (NOAA): 3.5 million Average number surfers attacked by sharks: 24.021 Statistic: 0.7 per 100k American surfers bitten by sharks every year. So 4.4 times more people are struck by lightning than the most at-risk population are bitten by sharks. Sorry, getting hit with a bunch of numbers is probably annoying, but since I was doing it anyway I feel like it'd be just as bad not to share.
I have lived and hiked in Black Bear country my entire life and have lived in Grizzly country for the last decade. Every bear encounter is different and I would not rely on stats to determine your level of preparedness. Bear spray is a great deterrent, but that is all it is. It will deter a bear but it may not stop an attack. Black bears are generally very docile but they have been known to contest humans for trash/food, especially when under environmental pressure. I wouldn't go without bear spray but I also wouldn't go without my pistol. Bonus being that the pistol works on snakes, feral dogs, coyotes, wolves and mountain lions. "you never need it until you do" I believe this to be correct. I also would not focus on fatal bear attacks, I'm focusing on getting away from the bear with out any injuries. Maybe this helps, either way be safe
I usually carry bear spray (I don’t live or hike in Grizzly country). When I think about what I might have to use it on I’m thinking about Cougars, humans, and moose.
I’ve sprayed a bull moose with bear spray and it had absolutely no effect. Works on people tho, don’t know about cougars, and don’t want to try to find out.
@Adrian T lol if @bob mueller sprayed it and it didn’t work it didn’t work. As far as I can tell he made no generalizations. You saying wrong won’t change what already happened lmao
It's a safe alternative to a gun for humans. Less hastles in the end. I live in grizzly country, I've heard people say it won't work for moose but I'll bet dollars to donuts it will.
I live in Southern California and I’ve had 3 black bear encounters in as many weeks while mountain bike riding in my local mountains. On the first occasion the bear was crossing the fire road 50 to 75 yards ahead of me. He stopped and stared me down for about 10 seconds before running off. The next encounter I was headed down the trail at about 15 mph and came around a bend and there 75 to 100 feet ahead walking straight at me was what appeared to be the same bear. I was down wind so I don’t think the bear could smell me. I have a bear bell and music playing as a deterrent but there was a creek running and breeze was blowing so I dint think it heard me. I wasn’t carrying bear spray so I decided to turn and pedal safely back up the trail to reduce the impact of the encounter. While riding yesterday I rode right passed a younger bear playing off the trail about 10 yards. I didn’t stop to see how the bear reacted but I always tell myself, “ if there’s a bear cub, there’s a bear mom near by. Regarding bear spray, I’m now of the mind set that it’s better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it…
Always be careful turning your back on any wild animal. They know the difference of you facing them versus away from them. You were far enough away so you were fine... But if you were much closer you want to back away even with your bike rather than turn and burn.
Over the years I’ve had several encounters with Black bears. The craziest one was when I was picking berries and had it stand up from the bush in front of the bush I was picking from. Scarred the crap out of me, yelled and backed off but like most other encounters the bear couldn’t figure out what I was and just looked at me with a clueless look on its face. Other encounters I've have had the bear either ignore me or just run away. However this year I was in Tweedsmuir - Grizzy & Black Country and stumbled across a brownish bear eating berries. It reared up when I yelled and at that point I took out my spray - the bear was up the hill from me, as we walked ourselves back it also walked with us. I was getting concerned because if this continued we would be crossing paths soon. My greatest trouble was that I couldn’t positively determine that I was dealing with either a Grizzly or a Brown Black - we were sort of face to face. Long story short we changed our direction of travel and the bear did not follow. Glad I had my spray but even after all the many years of being out in the backcountry I have never used it.
I thought bears were following me on more than one occassion. Once he was actually on the hiking trail right behind me. I didn't like it so I stopped made a lot of noise and scared him into the woods. Ran into him up ahead and he was drawing away from me,. I realized he was simply going the same direction as me and using the same trail but NOT following me. Another time I was filming and he started getting closer. I spoke softly. "OK Bear". He was startled. I realized he hadn't seen me at all. He looked at me made a wide circle around and continued on his way. Most people misinterpret Bear behavior. Don't assume they see you because if they are slowly heading your way they most likely don't. They want to avoid you. If bears don't see you speak softly don't scare them because you might induce a "Bluff Charge" which is the bear's attempt to scare YOU. It is not an attack.
@@josephshields2922 a grizzly bluff charging will keep its ears up. If its ears are folded down it is not a bluff. I'm not sure one would be capable of interpreting the difference while they are shitting their hiking shorts, but they should spray in the case of ANY charge, bluff or no bluff. It's aggressive behavior and the bear needs to be conditioned to know it's dangerous to be around humans. You're not being cruel to the animal since if it gets too cozy around people it could be euthanized or shot by another hiker.
@@josephshields2922 Maybe/probably true in most cases but I just watched a RUclips where the black bear was clearly persistently aggressive but thankfully the person had bear spray. He was forced to use it, and it worked perfectly.
I grew up in Petawawa, Ontario. Site of one of the worst bear attacks ever. 3 young boys killed and partially consumed by a Black Bear. Every bear I ever saw growing up, and I saw a lot, ran from my sight...and I was just a young boy. So typically they do run away and avoid you. However, it takes just one. An injured one, a diseased one, one that is habituated to human garbage...I'd rather not take the chance. I spend quite a bit of time hiking in Eastern Canada and I encounter bears and their scat often enough. So often I find scat without sighting a bear and that shows you how adept they are at human avoidance. So even though I know I'm likely safe I carry bear spray and keep it handy. No point having it tucked away in your pack. Also, a few have mentioned the human element and that is not to be dismissed either.
I think the best statement in this video is "You don't really need it until you do". In my personal opinion, it's better to bring it and never have to use it, than to need it and not have it with you. I understand that the chances of needing it are extremely low (especially when using best practices for bear safety), but there is always that chance you'll end up needing it and I'd much rather have it than not.
I keep a big pepper spray on deck and I also carry a concealed weapon where my license allows it....between sketchy people and wild animals I've got myself covered. I tend to live by the "you're the first responder to your emergency" motto so I also pack satellite gear and a big med response kit. I'd rather have the extra weight if it means peace of mind.
If (and only if) I'm alone I sometimes carry a snubby .38 with Buffalo Bore hard cast +P. However there's no way you'd shoot a fast moving animal at any range with a pistol. To me the pistol is when the spray fails and it's basically on top of you, hopefully you can get the gun out as a desperate measure. I don't worry about people much, nobody gets mugged in the forest. And bear spray would probably work fine against a drunk aggressive camper.
Great video! Maybe this was covered in the comments, but I'm going to cover it in mine. I'm in the Infantry and spend lots of time in the field. In 2020 through 2021 I came face to face with well over a dozen Black Bears, with and without cubs. I never had a problem with hostile action from them. That being said, I always carry bear spray. Why? Well these encounters were always with visibly healthy bears. Myself and colleagues have all been in situations where you run into an unhealthy animal. As an example; tick infested, visibly hundreds of ticks covering its face with puss coming from eyes, mouth and nose. This bear was very unwell, and unloading a full can of bear spray is the only thing that stoped it from a successful attack, and the attack was made. There are many other situations that I could go into for example but won't. I hope this helps with broadening your opinion on carrying. Thx.
Great info, I had never thought of that scenario. I’ve had several black bear encounters and a mountain lion encounter, none of which showed any sign of aggression toward myself and those around me at the time.
If an animal is desperate, it is extremely unpredictable. In North Sask in 2020 a woman was mauled to death by a desperate black bear near a fly in camp. They HAD bear spray and used it but the bear was undeterred. Still, Id rather have bear spray and not need it or have it be ineffective than not carry it at all.
I worked for over 34 years as a fish and wildlife biologist in the Canadian North and had plenty of run-ins with both black bears and grizzlies. Over the years quite a few of my friends and acquaintances have been either mauled or even lost their lives through bears. The average bear just wants to be left alone but as with people there are individuals that are very aggressive and in all the years I had to shoot only two charging black bears. Both attacks happened within seconds, without warning, in dense brush and the bears were killed at a distance of only 5 yards. I had grizzly bears running bluff charges during salmon counts, stopping usually within about 10 m. Luckily I never had to kill one of these majestic animals. Since bears have incredible olfactory senses, they can smell nervousness and fear in people better than any dog. Many bears especially black bears pretend not to be interested in people but if they sense the slightest insecurity in people they can become very pushy and aggressive especially when the person is alone. Carrying bear spray is one of the best ways to feel more confident and therefore not provoke an attack, even if you never have to use the pepper can. Carrying a gun is not a good option for many people since they lack practice. I shot wild boars on drives in Europe since I was 17 years old and feel confident to nail even a fast charging pit bull terrier before it reaches me but most people have problems hitting clay pigeons and are therefore better off carrying pepper spray.
I live where there are bears. I see several every year, often with cubs. When I walk in the woods I make noise and I turn and leave when I see bears. I don't carry bear spray, but I do think it is a good idea, even if bear attacks are extremely rare. From wiseaboutbears : Black bears have killed 67 people across North America since 1900. This no longer worries me. My chances of being killed by a domestic dog, bees, or lightning are vastly greater. My chances of being murdered are 60,000 times greater. One of the safest places a person can be is in the woods.
You’ve had “quite a few” friends mauled or killed by bears? That seems really unlikely given the known stats on attacks and especially attacks leading to death.
@@CM-dp5mw Yes I had in fact. One guy was from Heidelberg Germany. He used to fish the Dease River almost annually and we met him first in 1993 on a canoe trip down that river and later on again in 1997, the year he was actually killed and half eaten by a black bear. We had tea with the guy just before he got killed in September. The news were full of the incidence. A really good friend from Memmingen also Germany got mauled by a Grizzly on a Banff campground, taken out of his tent at midnight. His sister made it into the truck but he almost did not survive. He was flown to a hospital in Edmonton and required 1300 stitches. According to the doctors a smaller person would have not survived the injuries. My now neighbor a young conservation officer here in Smithers got his left hand chewed up by a relatively small grizzly in the bush whilst on duty and had to empty 10 shots into the bears head before it succumbed. A young couple that we met in Hyder at Fish Creek, camped against my advice and that of an Alaskan ranger on the gravel estuary of the Salmon River. There was an earmarked grizzly which we observed for more than 4 years, since he was an already very aggressive cub. The bear was killed by authorities after he killed the young couple. During my extensive field work and travel through western Canada an Alaska, I also ran into Timothy Treadwell and Michio Hoshino in the early 90th. Both got killed by grizzlies. Sure the stats are low if you include all the New Yorkers and people that are never really exposed to bears in the sample size. I used to believe the media myself too when I was a young biologist in the 80th, but my experiences with bears, wolves and cougars have taught me to view things differently. You can believe whatever you want, but today's media tell people too that white sharks and crocodiles don't eat people. The Disney mentality is growing and undesired incidents get very small attention.
@@ohsweetmystery You are incorrect. The flaw in how you're thinking is that the sample size, presumably, is everyone in the U.S. many people in the U.S do not recreate in national parks or true wilderness areas regularly, if at all. If you adjust your sample size to just the people that actually do hike, camp or recreate in the parks/wilderness, and compare that to the number of missing persons, deaths and injuries, the picture changes dramatically. This isn't to say people shouldn't recreate in the outdoors; but you do need to be prepared, and you do need to be knowledgeable in what you're doing.
The part about the number of deaths by black bear triggered my pet peeve. Unless people discussing black bears are going to include attacks, many of which result in permanent disfigurement and disability, they really shouldn't be discussing whether or not black bears are dangerous. Does anyone really want to go out unprotected because they'll only have their eyes ripped out and eaten and their face torn off before the bear is shot by a good Samaritan? I doubt it. You see, most people don't want to be mauled nearly to death, and these kinds of attacks are never mentioned in discussions of how dangerous black bears are. Whether or not an attack results in immediate death is really beside the point.
I lived up in the High Sierras for a couple of years up around 7,000’. Unfortunately it was a community of cabins owned mostly by city folks and they were only around in the summer time. They’d feed the bears, specifically one big male who they thought of as a mascot. In the wintertime, spring and fall it was too cold for city blood and it was almost always just me up there. I had dozens and dozens of run-ins with that bear when he would come up onto my deck in the middle of the night and try and break into my shed where I kept trash until I had enough for a dump run. I’d get up, slam my fist into the big oak door to rouse him, grab the Remington and walk out. He never so much as even growled at me, he’d almost always just run away and sulk in the bushes up the hill, I could see the reflection from his eyes when shining the mounted flashlight at him. When he didn’t stop to sulk he’d just haul ass and disappear. I never pulled the trigger. I’d have to hike out in the early mornings to get to my car and I’d just carry a Glock, but it was cougars that worried me. Figured I’d share that, I say carry the bear spray in case you run into a starving bear that will chase you down for survival. Good video!
I live in Easter Oregon Cougar & Black Bear Country and carry Bear spray and a hand gun and a big knife capable of dispatching either if necessary when out hiking or fishing. Bears you may see and scare off; on the other hand Cougars are there watching you when you don't see them until pounce.
I have been hiking in grizzly country forever and used bear spray ever since it was invented. But the interesting fact is I have never had to use it. Your yelling at the bear in the video is exactly the reaction I have had with grizzly bears. I don’t ever yell at grizzlies any more. But I still carry bear spray. Thanks.
For sure! I wouldn’t be caught dead without bear spray in grizzly county. (Unless the bear took it from me. 😆) I just watch your grizzly video. If this one would have gone up on his hind legs like that my anxiety would have shot through the roof. Thanks again.
@@MyLifeOutdoors Bears going up on hide legs can mean they are just getting a better look at you. Also Black Bears do this in encounters with other BB's to make themselves look bigger and scare off the agressor.
I was mountain biking at a bike park in near Duluth, MN and ran into a black bear and her three cubs. You can see the city from the park and homes are in the surrounding hills. It was far from remote so I left the spray in the car. Safe to say whenever I'm doing any nature activity in bear country, I will carry bear spray. You just never know...
Thank you for taking the time to differentiate between the significance of different locations. When hiking the Canadian Rockies... always take bear spray. When in Newfoundland... you will probably be fine.
I once did a hike in Glacier Montana. I saw 8 grizzlies over 4 days. All at some distance but still a lot. I will always carry in grizzly country! Thanks for watching!
Another thing to think about is even Black Bears can be more dangerous in places where they rarely see people. More chance of a curious yearling "getting too close" . a majority of truly predator bear attacks are in remote areas. NY has 25k bears, 16 million people and 250k encounters reported in the Adorandack Park alone each year alone, yet there have only been 2 fatalities in 100 years. Some rural states with far less people have much higher numbers.
@@matthewb3640 what? Last time I drove to Canada they only allowed bear spray and not pepper spray. They even made me dig it out so they could check the label.
I live, hike, and hunt in western Washington. I carry bear spray and a Glock 20 (10mm). I am a former wildlife biologist and haven’t needed either but better to be prepared.
On Sept 21, 2014 a Rutgers college student was killing hiking in New Jersey by a Black Bear. His last picture on his cell phone was of the bear casing him. If you have the bear spray, I would take it with you.
I have gone hiking in black bear country in Japan without spray with locals. Apart from a period where bears were under environmental pressure, noise making was more than sufficient. When they were starving (typhoon damage had made their habitat unviable for a while), different deal: they would actively hunt people, and bear areas had to be completely avoided.
It is definitely necessary. I live in remote grizzly country. I have pepper sprayed three black bears in my front yard. When I'm bow hunting and cutting weight in my pack, i leave my .44 mag home. I never go anywhere without a can of Counter Assault tho. If you're thinking that its too bulky, bear country probably isnt for you. Its like having a force field if you use it right. Dan
I always carry it while hiking in the Pacific northwest. Most of the focus seems to be on bears but cats and humans are a definite concern, especially on solo trips. While I think the hiking community is usually incredibly friendly, humans likely pose much greater danger than animals.
I carry a Byrna pistol, bear spray, and a 10 inch blade for humans first, dogs second, cougar third, and bears last. I believe in three layers for combat or the wilderness like the AR, then the sidearm, then the blade (a grenade doesn't hurt either)
I live in a very small town in The Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada. And there are plenty of strong opinions, on both sides of the bear spray debate. The area has black bears and to a lesser degree grizzlies. In addition, there are a surprising number of cougars. So, with those possible concerns, I will take either bear bangers or bear spray. My large dog and I hike the backroads and in the bush, multiple times per week and I always carry at least bear bangers. But when it gets warmer and bears are no longer hibernating, I will take bear spray, depending on the area. (If there is a noticeable amount of bushes with ripening berries and other bear treats, it will be spray). When someone comments about either bear spray or bangers I too think of “The Revenant” and just smile and nod. At the very least I am responsible for my dog’s safety and that is vitally important to me. Just a note, when bears an not hibernating I hike with him on a long leash, just in case. Love your channel. Very informative.
I’ve solo backpacked in parts of Yellowstone where they recommend you travel in groups of four or more. (Because of grizzlies). Last time I carried two cans. Because what do you do after you’ve used one can and the effects on the bear start to wear off? Or it could be the rare predatory bear who is more determined. But I hate the extra weight. Next time I want to take someone who can’t run as fast as I can, hah.
Solo Back packing is not advised. Beside the rare bear attack the more likely possibility of falling, and other injury should deter this. Falls account for the most deaths in Federal Parks.
@@josephshields2922 Solo backpacking ,as I have done for the last 40 yrs,is "dangerous" but so is group hiking ..as you note it is just as possible if not more so to fall off or in the river . However solo is far,far more rewarding to me. You actually become part of the wilderness and society (of animals) in a way that never happened with others. In the last few years personal beacons have helped a bit with the fear, but I have never needed it though-and with the inReach I can get text weather reports..fantastic.For myself I am very happy to assume the risk because it just a much more intense experience. I would never recommend it to someone without a strong experience level however..
I live in the east Tennessee mountains in a remote cabin. My property borders the National Park. I have had numerous black bear encounters. In all of them, the encounter ends with the bear running away. But I am not stupid. When hiking the woods I always carry a can of bear spray AND a .45 caliber handgun. I've never had to use either, but I still carry them, and will continue to do so.
Appreciate you confronting tradeoffs, and not ducking the issue of probability versus consequence. (By the way engineers define risk as probability times consequence). We mountaineers deal with this every outing: low probability but high consequence risks. In the end, the "x factor" is always personal risk tolerance.
I live in South-Central Alaska, which is bear country. We have black and brown (coastal grizzlies) all around us. I always hike with bear spray. Your best bet is to hike with others and make some noise, especially in dense vegetation. I have a friend whose daughter was killed by a predatory black bear and then a week later another person was killed by a black bear about 25 miles from where I live. That same summer a guy was killed by a brown bear while out jogging about five miles from where I live. I love hiking and backpacking and I consider myself lucky when I see a bear in the wild, but I believe in doing what I can to stay safe. That said, my husband and I were on a gravel bar near home throwing sticks for our dogs. There was a sign at the trailhead warning of a brown bear sow with cubs (the most dangerous kind of bear!) so we were on alert. While we were facing the river we heard a crashing sound behind us and turned around to see a brown blur running right at us! Turns out it was a bull moose running like crazy. He saw us and veered off and swam the river. My husband had a pistol holster on his chest and I had bear spray on my belt. Neither one of us had time to deploy either. If it had been a bear with murderous intent, we would have been in trouble. Something spooked that moose. Let's just say we made a lot of noise on the trail back to our car.
Like your clear, logical presentation. I live in the northern Rockies. I always carry spray. Hiking, mtb, ski touring, snow biking. The encounters with wildlife change with the seasons. I've almost hit bears while biking - black ones fortunately. I stumbled perilously close to a Moose and her calf cresting a hill last month. I begged their forgiveness as I shuffled by about 20 yards from them. Not a comfortable situation. Just yesterday, there was a fresh 5 inch lion print running a few hundred yards in the ski track. I know lions will attack silently but seeing that it was close beforehand makes having the spray at the ready more than worth it's weight. In the 10 years we've lived here, I've un-safed the spray 2 or 3 times but never had to deploy it. Maybe the worst thing about owning bear spray are the stories of accidental discharge. Walk into any ranger station and you'll hear why many of them hate the stuff.... So be careful with it!
We carry at least pepper spray on every walk or hike. Not only for wildlife, but hikers so often bring their dogs off-leash, and from time to time you might encounter one that isn't so friendly. And then there's the fact that not all people are sweet and cuddly either. That being said, you should never spray anyone unless it's an extreme emergency. This is a great video. Thanks so much!
Re: Black Bear sow's. I was working for Parks Canada at their horse ranch in the frontal ranges of CDN Rockies. We had a sow come into our compound (big compound near our living quarters) with her cubs. Our full time permanent ranch hand got out his 303 and planted a couple of shots behind her, she was 100m away, and she bolted abandoning her cubs. Mind you this is Parks Canada, and the wildlife know that they are never in danger. That may have had something to do with it. But still, she bolted leaving her cubs, who eventually waddled off to join her. It's disturbing because if she had been 10km east, she would have been outside park boundaries. Always enjoy your blogs.
While jogging on an unmarked trail, I was mauled by a small, black bear with cub, two days ago. I fought her off to get away. I understand this behavior is rare, but I have bites and claw marks to show for not having bear spray. Sadly, she was killed by fish and wildlife police.
I was a letter carrier for 16 years, and Halt spray is what I was issued to deter dogs from attacking. On some canines, it worked well, but others would come back for more. I would imagine a bear wouldn't be bothered by Halt.
Thank you so much for this breakdown. I really appreciate how you explained the research, and we're open about you past experiences and own opinions, I don't trust people who try to conceal their implicit bias, but you wore yours on your sleeve, and I have a lot of respect for that. I also love how you were open to changing your mind, after considering feedback on you previous videos. I don't usually comment much, but since you're curious what my thoughts are, and I believe you might actually listen, here we go. So you understand where I'm coming from, and can register my own implicit bias. I'm an Eagle Scout. I've been hiking in virtually every climate in the US, and most regions. I'm also a firearms instructor. No, I'm not gonna tell people to leave the bear spray at home and bring a gun instead, but there are several parallels I want to use to illustrate my concern. Inb4 all the internet trolls take this off the rails, my suggestion is to carry both, cause they each have their own pros and cons, and one's pros covers the gaps left by the other's cons. We should always try to use the bear spray first, and then the firearm only if the spray is ineffective. We don't want to kill or even injure the bear, if it is at all possible to avoid that. Now that that's out the way, here's my concern. What you're basically discussing here is the long debated issue of "stopping power." Now we have to be careful using that term here, cause there's a lot of misconceptions around it. Almost all pistols have virtually the same amount of "stopping power." Often people use the term to mean a firearm can knock someone out of the fight, even if it's not a lethal or incapacitating hit. Most pistol simply don't have the muzzle velocities and bullet weights to do that, cause you need to cause hydrostatic shock in the body, which usually requires rifle calibers. For this same reason, pistols really aren't great against bears, especially grizzlies. A better way to talk about the same issue, imo, it to ask, "How much gun (or spray in this case) is to much gun? Basically to sum this entire argument up in one statement. The .22 snub nose revolver you carry in a pocket holster, if better than the Desert Eagle you leave in your desk cause it's too heavy. This is exactly the approach you took when you opted for the dog spray. Carrying the dog spray is a placebo effect (carrying any defensive weapon is, 99% of the time). Though that word often carries a negative connotation, it's not a bad thing in this context. Placebos are great ways to treat mental health issues, and studies have shown they can even have just as much of an effect on athletes as restricted performance enhancing drugs. You left the bear spray at home, because it was too much spray. As these things usually go, the one time you didn't bring it, is the one time you came closest to needing it. That somewhat robbed you of your peace of mind, so to recover that, you went out and got a spray to carry that wasn't "too much" spray. But is it enough spray? Sure, a .22 you have is better than a .50 you don't, but is a plastic bb gun better than nothing? Using any weapon, even when you are on the defense is almost always an escalation. In general, unless escalations are immediately incapacitating , or generate enough shock to cause fear, they only load to the aggressor escalating again as well. Consider it like this; you're at a bar. Some belligerent drunk who is clearly too deep his cup, and might never come out of it, gets up in your face and start harassing you. He breath REEKS, his saliva is flying all over you face and the whole bar turns to watch. It's can be hard enough for anyone too keep their cool in that situation, but it becomes much more difficult if you've had a few yourself. However, if you react to him, things end badly. This dude is clearly looking for a fight, he probably does it every weekend. Even if you're squarely capable of beating him to a pulp, fighting drunk in bars never ends well for anyone, so it's probably best to try and resolve the situation another way. If you push him out of your face, or maybe even just squeeze past him, shoving him a little incidentally, that's the invitation he was waiting for. Trivia Night just turned into Pummel Party. I kinda glossed over this, but I suppose I should mention that swinging at him first is probably one of the worst things you can do, for so many reasons. You can turn and walk away, but you shouldn't ever turn you back on a possible combatant, or he might just punch you in the back of the head, and that could be lights out. Really the best option here seems to be deescalation. This could be achieved either by having the bar owners or cops intervene, though that can get messy in a whole other way. It's my experience that you if just start at guys like this silently, or shake your head and get REALLY interested in your drink, generally these guys give up and go away. My biggest concern here is that the Dog spray wont have a significant enough effect to deter the black bear, especially if it's already charging. The bear charging is like that dude getting up in your face. Now, the best option when you encounter a bear is to deescalate, if possible, exactly as you did in your clip. You couldn't have handled that any better. Bears usually charge cause they got spooked or feel threatened; it's often a bluff in response to our perceived aggression. By making sure the bear saw you from a relatively safe distance, you reduced the risk of spooking it. The bear didn't see any reason to escalate, and therefore decided to go about his day. You then did the same. However, let's assume it does charge, cause the real question is: Will the dog spray work? We'll get there in a moment, lets try deescalating before we escalate. Trying to just simply walk or even run would likely result in serous bodily harm in both the bar and bear scenario, so how to we get out of this situation? Intimidation seems to be the best tactic left at the moment. Shout really loud, getting really big, and banging stuff together, is basically the same as starting the belligerent drunk down cold in the eye; you want both of their internal monologues to say "this guy isn't worth it." But what if you hit it with the dog spray instead? We'll it's possible you might just piss it off. Generally black bears leave humans alone, and the charge may often only a bluff, but a sudden shock of lasting pain might anger that bear enough to make it commit to the attack. One of the primary reason we tell people not to try and use most handguns against a Grizzly, because they just piss it off. One study showed that 50% of people who fried to shoot the Grizzly, just died anyways, because the gun wasn't strong enough. I'm worried that the spray won't be strong enough. You can get bear spray that come with holsters that attach to a belt or something, and that should really help to you to bear the weight of the bear spray. If you are REALLY attached to the idea of a small can, I'd probably feel more trusting of human OC spray. It gets a lot hotter than bear spray. The downside is that it's not designed to spray as much distance, nor can it spray as long, or spread as large an area, but neither can the dog spray. My suggestion is to ditch the dog spray and go back to the bear, or at least upgrade it to OC pepper spray. Yes, the bear spray is significantly more expensive, but I believe it's worth the price. This is another question that come up when people are getting their first pistol, and see the prices that even something as simple as Glock comes in at. The question I ask them, is the same question I'm asking you now: "How much money is your life worth to you?" The only difference is, it's usually about a $400-500 question for Firearms, but it's only a $40-50 question here.
I bring my Mace spray on every hiking trip, even to regions with little to none wild predator presence, because bear & wolf are not the only thing i worry about. There's also people out there.
We came to the same conclusions. I have bear spray, but it's bulky. I have a side arm I specifically picked it up as a trail gun when I retired and started spending dozens of days solo hiking and camping. I had never owned a pistol in my life. I was in the USMC, grew up in a family that hunted and I hunt, mostly for birds, but also deer. I was in a shooting team in Jr. HS. So I'm familiar with fire arms. However for most of my life I never worried when in the woods without a fire arm, be it in Northern MN, WI or Wyoming. 5 decades and never needed a gun to protect myself in the woods or city. However recently my luck changed and so did my point of view. I always carry spray now, Yes the same one, Halt dog spray. Spray works on more than just bears. One of the flaws with the debate over spray vs firearm is that most fail by limiting the conversation, it's either one vs the other instead of carry both. It's also very focused in just bears. Why just bears? When alone in the woods I have encounter far more people and dogs than bears. Even aggressive dogs with no person around. The little can of pepper spray is very easy to carry and well worth the peace of mind. It got me out of two situations with aggressive dogs, one on the SHT hiking trail and one while running in my neighborhood.
Great video! You embraced the ultralight philosophy of asking "do I really need this"?. During that bear encounter, you were probably cursing that commenter who told you not to bring bear spray anymore haha!
Haha! No I was a little too anxious to be thinking about much less cursing the commenter! The sad part is that comment somehow disappeared even though I did not delete it.. I think it got lost in the spam filter because of the links. But it really got me thinking as this video testifies. Thanks for the help!
You don't need it until you do... That's true with many other things too, like seatbelts and firearms. I was attacked by an adolescent bull shark in Charleston, SC back in 2007. I was one of hundreds on the beach and in shallow water but it still attacked me. 5 surgeries and 350+ stitches later I survived, but now I know all those statistics we here about are not just numbers, they are real people. I normally hike in black bear country in the south east and always carry a firearm. I have mixed feelings about bear spray and pepper spray. They aren't always effective and can easily be accidentally used on yourself or people around you. The lesson is to always be prepared and don't think it won't happen to you. Whether you carry spray, a firearm, a bell, or a combination... plan for the worst and hope for the best.
The logic didn't gel for me. The stats he quoted for the purpose of explaining away the "necessity" of carrying spray, I found quite convincing for having it. 🤔
Halt is better than nothing but Halt compared to bear spray is like comparing a 22 pistol to a 44 magnum pistol. As you mentioned, there are more potential threats than bears (i.e. cougars, coyotes, wolves, criminals, Moose and Elk.). When I am in the wilderness, I want to know that I have at least one tool for self protection. For me this tool has ranged from a hatchet, a machete, a pistol and yes, bear spray. I have used Halt when bicycling in the city and it does work on dogs unless the propellant has gone. I would recommend bear spray over Halt because of the greater volume of propellant as well as the greater potency. Over 50 years of exploring, I have needed protection only once when charged by a cougar and I was glad I had the pistol that time.
I just watched a RUclips of a clearly aggressive black bear stopped in it’s tracks by bear spray. When I lived in Bozeman MT, I always hiked with bear spray. I am back on our large backwoods property in upstate NY and we have a resident black bear who worries me because it has no fear of me or of loud noises. Guess what? Bear spray isn’t legal in NY! These politicians are morons and probably don’t know the difference between bears and red squirrels!
Yes it is legal. You can legally have bear spray in all of NY. You can legally have human pepper spray BUT the law is it cannot be larger than .75 g and not more than .7% OC (and ONLY OC)...which is nothing. Like pepper for your eggs or that Halt! garbage. You cannot get any pepper sprays, foams, gels, balls, SHIPPED to NY. If you want bear spray go to an REI or hunting store. REI in SoHo even has bear spray for sale.
I'm just coming across this vlog. Thank you for this content. I backpack mostly on the east coast & it seems like the bear population is growing & becoming more bold with people encroachment into their habitat. I cary bear sometimes get comments on why. Well, black bears are large wild animals. At times unpredictable. I've seen a video where a small to mid sized black bear take down 350 lb. wild boar in Tennessee. It proceeded to cary the fighting boar up a pretty steep hill. Unreal the power of this animal! I don't like carrying spray but as you said feel better having something other than scrambling for a rock & hoping for the best. I follow the rules with food carry & storage. Still, when out in the wild you have to respect the power of these & other large animals. Until better protection comes along. I'm just not taking a chance. True, there haven't been many fatal attacks but enough to concern me. It could happen. Anyway, thanks for the excellent content & discussion. Best to you & all. Happy & safe hiking!!!
You’re gonna feel awfully silly if you’re ever in a situation where you need bear spray, but chose not to carry it because of money, weight, or some delusion that bears are friendly.
This guy just wants you to buy other things, so he can make profit from it. In this video, he's encouraging a decision from having an item that will save your life when you need it to one that will not save your life.
@mylifeoutdoors One thing that wasn't mentioned is that, per several reports, the chances of a bear encounter increase if you are hiking with a dog. This is often the fault of the dog, to be fair, but it is a reality and concern among many of us who hike with our pooches in off-leash zones (mine has treed a large black bear). And on that note, bears are not the only threat in zones with lots of dogs - just based on our experience (and plenty of anecdotes), if you hike with a dog you are FAR more likely to encounter an aggressive off-leash dog than a bear. And although that may not pose a risk of death to humans it sure can pose a risk of death or serious injury to dogs and is generally just a really really bad scenario. So for us, carrying bear spray serves three purposes: 1. To deter a curious or aggressive bear on the rare chance that this was needed; 2. To deter any aggressive dogs and/or to EFFECTIVELY breakup a dog fight without causing lasting injury to dogs or to humans; 3. For small piece of mind for my wife when she's hiking alone - although human assaults in are probably about as rare as bear attacks, it does offer her some level of defense should she need it, which is better than nothing.
I have run into black bear multiple times in PA and they usually just walked away. In TN I ran into a large black near that was not the least bit deterred by yelling and it followed us to the side and kept pace until just before we reached our campsite and disappeared.. I wished I had it that time! There are always those bears that don't act in the usual manner (rarely, but still). I usually carry a small device that makes quite a racket devised for women's protection & mace. I would rather have & not need than not have it the one time I need it.
I live in Missouri in a small town about 60 miles west of St.Louis. Black bears are making a comeback in Missouri. And we have had a few spotted on the outskirts of town. But last summer one was captured on a couple ring door bells. In Missouri we do not have a population of Mountain Lions. Only because a female has not been spotted. But a couple of years ago one was hit by a car about 3 miles from my house. And numerous numbers have been filmed with in the St. Louis county limits on camera. So even though an animal isn't suppose to be there, it certainly could. So even here when exploring the woods and national parks I would bring bear spray. A pack of coyotes could take your life just as easily. Better safe than sorry !
My wife & I are flying to Tennessee this next week. We’re going to hike Clingmans dome some Appalachian trail portions and a handful of waterfall hikes. I will be using the halt dog spray because of the size of the aerosol can. Other than that I use lead bear spray, either a 40 shield or Mathews Bow. My brother uses a 44 mag, it’s like the seatbelt, we’ve luckily never needed it
I live in Gatlinburg Tennessee and have had many many blackbear encounters over the decades of my hiking. The great majority of my bear encounters have been uneventful. However we have had two predatory, fatal bear attacks in our region since the year 2000 and a couple of others that were possibly predatory. So it’s playing the odds when you go without bear spray. More times than not I have not carried mine and I have had a few encounters with big dominant males during the mating season and it can be a little bit intimidating. So it’s a personal decision when evaluating the risk. Especially when hiking alone. Which I do more often than not. Most importantly, educate yourself about their behavior and how to look for and interpret their vocalizations, postures, even the look in their eye. These are all clues that tell you about the Bears possible intentions and it is worth your while to invest the time in learning the basics about bear ethology. Hit the trail, have fun, and learn all you can about black bears. It’s worth the time.
I went on a hike up in Manistee in 2020, never even crossed my mind to carry Bear spray, of some unknown reason. Wasn't until my plans to do the hike again came up that someone asked me if I had it. Honestly, I forgot that black bears were even a thing in that area, lol. Needless to say, I will take it along, better to have and not need than need and not have, as they say (and you said). Keeping Trekkin.
I'm hiking in black bear country this coming week and I'll be bringing spray with me, as I always do. I haven't needed it in my decade or so of backpacking, but it's one of those rather have and not need than need and not have type of things. I'm not willing to sacrifice some safety in the name of smaller pack weight, even if I never encounter the need to use it.
In Brown Bear country, always travel in groups, 4 is good. Have everyone one equipped with approved bear spray, designate two as sprayers, and one person.carry 10mm hand gun. A designated shooter, also two with air horns, one as a designated air horn blower.
aggressive and/or charging bears are the only bears you'd need any sort of spray for at all, so if you decide to carry spray at all, it needs to be bear (not dog) spray.
Dude! That intro!! Might be my favorite 30 seconds of YT ever! More likely to be killed by mosquitos! 🤣🤣🤣 That's hilarious, mostly because it is true. I HIGHLY recommend reading the book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance by Stephen Herrero. I honestly think anyone who may ever spend time in black bear or grizzly country should read this book. I picked it up expecting tips for how to handle "bear attacks" but what I found was information on how unlikely attacks are, how to be prepared for them with knowledge and equipment, but most importantly how to avoid them. I am more confident in black bear country with or without bear spray now. I do take bear spray if it's grizzly country or an area where black bears have become accustomed to people food. But otherwise typically leave it at home. Great video, man, as always!
You should tell this to Ray Kitchen, the truck driver who was mauled by a black bear while trying to save a family that were also being mauled by a black bear.
I was field soil scientist and wetland specialist for 30 years in Upper Michigan. Over my career I routinely spent thousands of days in remote black bear country by myself. You would think I saw bears regularly, but I probably only saw a dozen in in 30 years. However, 2 of those encounters were a sow with cubs and it was sketchy. I sure would have appreciated some bear spray. I was charged several times by one and stalked by another. Now that I'm retired I still spend time outdoors canoe tripping and backpacking. I definitely carry bear spray now. Once you get charged and have them clacking there jaws just feet away from you you NEVER forget it. As far as dog halt goes. I use that when bike riding for dog encounters. I'd never trust it with bears. It would be like trying fight a raging forest fire with a garden hose. Good luck with that.
I live on the south coast of England and the most we have to worry about here is agitated squirrels but I’m a nervous hiker so I bring 2 cans of bear spray anyway. One for squirrel attacks and one for when the wife sees me checking out the girls on the beach and charges me….terrifying stuff!
This summer, in Lillooet BC. I came on a young sow black bear. At 8 feet, and with 2 small cubs, I was shocked but reacted by saying,”Hello Bear”, very casually. Nothing happened except mum sent her cubs up a tree, making them actually closer to me (sloped away from me) while she grazed. For that night all I heard was humorous comments like, “hello Aussie”. An experienced hunter told me I did the right thing. Bear spray stayed in it’s holster.
This guy is too nice. When I hike, in upstate New York at that, I carry bear spray, a glock, a knife, extra rounds for my glock, and my two protective dobies tag along with me and party. If I'm going to end up dead by a bear or someone I'm not going to let it be easy.
Living in the bush in the middle of Canada, we've grown up with bears around. Often you can tell where a bear is in the neighbourhood because of a high pitched scream, followed by pots and pans clanging. Over crests and around rocks I've come face to face with more bears than I can count, it's kind of expected around here, and I always feel bad that I've scared them more than they've scared me. I feel better coming face to face with a bear, than I do with too many people downtown. We carry bear spray when we hike, more to keep people who don't hike happy when we head out. Very much appreciate the work you do with your videos, Steve. Thanks for them.
I have a friend who's niece got attacked by a black bear while she was running her usual route training for school track. He ran and knocked her over then turned around and came back and started biting her ! At which point she started punching him in the face. He left. But I hear you talking, you haven't mentioned that many black bears that attack plan to EAT YOU ! The rest will usually run away.
Lol I got false charged by a Black Bear and followed by a cub before in White Oak Canyon. I am buying Bear Spray but also conceal carry when in the woods. My concern with bear spray would be wind direction. Black Bears rarely kill but it still won't be pretty if they get their paws on you. Your video was very informative though, you got yourself a new sub here.
Aside from habituated bears, research I am familiar with will point to the black bear, likely a younger male, as having the highest odds to be the predatorial bear and see us as potential food. A very rare circumstance, but documented accounts exist, including a couple videos which be found (most recently one from Saskatchewan, Canada) suggesting it is wise and responsible to carry in "only" black bear country as well.
It's better to be safe than sorry and wishing that you had your Bear spray in the event of an attack. You do you but I would never leave without my Bear Spray when hiking in the outdoors! I appreciate having an actual Face to talk out of everyday!
I'm like you I just feel safer with my bear spray. I'm still carrying it even though I've never encountered a bear 🐻 i have seen scat on trail but no bear.
Yeah I’ve seen lots of scat. It took leaving the spray at home to actually see a bear! Maybe that’s the secret 😆. It was a neat experience, one I’m glad I have and survived!
A wise decision .. and hopefully you will never encounter one in an OMG WHAT NOW situation. Seeing a Bear up close (with Bear Spray on hand for 'just in case') would be enough of an Adrenaline Rush for me. Not having Bear Spray and the thought of what could perhaps have gone wrong .. that 'Rush' .. Naah .. I'm not that deprived.
I live in PA, where there’s a lot of black bears. Some very big. They’ve been encountered within the city of Pittsburgh. Suffice it to say, in this state, they’re everywhere. Also, although I’ve never had any trouble with them, two of friends have. In both cases, it involved a sow with cubs. No injuries, but harrowing. There was a woman dragged off 75 yards by a bear. Our Game Commission figured it was a sow with cubs. It was night, so it was hard to tell. I think I’ll keep my bear spray.
I live in Western Arkansas and have had 3 bear encounters in 13 years. The bear retreated in all 3 cases on its own. However , while serving as a campground host in the Smokemont campground in Smokey Mountain National park a 62 lb black bear attacked a father and son hiker pair. They did successfully fight off the bear.
@@caseysweat9449 yes, in fact, it can. the most common reason SAR has to be called is ankle injury, which wouldn't happen with proper boots. and if you're out there alone, break an ankle, and can't reach SAR? definitely could lead to death. footwear is a personal choice, sure, but should be made with experience and knowledge of the terrain you'll be in. all these youtubers touting trail runners must be just hiking well established trails in low flat country.
As they say, you pack your fears. I've been backpacking almost 50 years and have had many black bear encounters and one close grizzly encounter (I have seen grizzlies at a distance as well). I am not giving advice to others, only my experience. The bears had little or no interest in me. I have clapped and shouted to get them to leave my camp, but they sometimes only retreat just out of site. Sometimes they don't even do that. Often they run away when they see you. It just all depends, I guess. But they still show little interest. They are just doing their bear thing. The close encounter with a grizzly was a mother and cub. I was bikepacking and was with two other people, so that should probably be taken into account. The mom and cub were just up the hill when we saw them, maybe 40 feet away. She looked down on us, even stood up on her hind legs to get a better look. But she didn't show any real signs of aggression. I do carry bear spray in grizzly country. I live in Colorado and don't carry bear spray here. I see comments here about mountain lions. I've never been fortunate enough to see a mountain lion. Mountain lion attacks happen extremely rarely. Almost all of the attacks I've read about in Colorado were on women or teenagers running on trail. The person's size and the fact that they are running seems to excite the cat's hunting instinct. But, lets put those attacks into perspective. In the 40 years I've been backpacking in Colorado, there have been maybe a half dozen attacks I can recall reading about. That is out of millions of people hiking in the mountains every year.
A little reassurance goes along way. Coming to the states at the end of april for the first time this year to visit your national parks. Arizona up into Utah, Yellowstone obviously. Aswell as many more. Onyl me and my girlfriend, i got to say the last few weeks all i have been watching and reading is peopls accounts with bears. I love in the UK, so the worst can happen here is a dog attack. Little freaky knowing may see one in the flesh.
We live in bear and lion country. I try to really survey my surroundings, especially around corners. Anytime I turn a blind corner I'll stop, scan the horizon, listen. I keep a few rocks on me. I also whistle a little bird call or bang on my canteen pretty often. Never seen a single bear. The only animal that's really freaked me out was a fox that just would not stop following me. There is something unnerving about an animal pacing after you for a half mile or more, if not for any reason than rabies.
As a Bell South outside repairman, I carried Halt for 37 years. It works on the meanest of all dogs. I once popped a very vicious Pit Bull trying to get at me thru a ragged ole fence about 3 ft from the crossbox I was working in. When it hit him, he went down like being shot and then tried to plow a trench with his head ….. going the opposite direction. Never saw that old dog again🤷🏼♂️
There are a few concerns about dog repellants: 1. They're weeker than regular self defence peppersprays to deter a human attacker 2. Lack of range and stream instead of cone/mist spray 3. Like you said: you never need it, until you do.. 4. Regarding bulk and weight, today we have options of ultacondensed sprays of 60 ml or so 5. Halt was not tested on charging bear - which means, it just wasn't tested on bears. Therefore, your strategy is just an assumption, and optimistic one at best. A gamble even This approach might perhaps work for american black bears. But our, european brown bears are far more aggresive than your blackies. So, whenever in the mountains, I carry a bear mace.
After a trip to Grand Tetons and Glacier a few years ago... I will always carry bear spray... after years of hiking, this trip we saw/encountered 10 bear... including 2 grizzlies and a 2 black bear sows with cubs... carry it... its not that much weight...
Last fall, I avoided a head-on attack by a rutting bull moose by spraying him in the face with pepper spray. He didn't care about the loud report from my handgun that I fired to his right. He didn't care about my shouting and waving my arms, but a burst of pepper spray sent him packing as if he had been assaulted by a skunk. I think the bear spray saved my life or at least serious injury. I won't go in the woods without my bear spray.
I used to work at Sequoia national park and they trained us to throw rocks at black bears and it mostly worked to chase them off. The largest bears required bigger rocks. But all this was to keep them away from visitor areas. Eventually I learned to hike alongside bears where I'm not trying to interrupt their grazing. However, now that I live in Montana, my girlfriend and I each carry bear spray and even still, I'm acutely aware of my surroundings when we hike. There's scenarios where I worry about being downwind and not having good visibility up trail. Then I've heard stories about grizzlies pretending to walk away and then flanking hikers from around a ridge, so you definitely begin to think of yourself as not at the top of the food chain here. As an ultralight backpacker, the notion of carrying spray AND a 20oz titanium 44 Magnum is a topic I think about a lot. Most hunters here carry both, although they aren't as obsessed with weight and probably would opt for the 10mm options for accuracy and the number of rounds you can spray at the target while you crap your pants. That said, I wonder if a pepper ball gun would be more effective at range or in wind, and if there are lighter options than the self-defense versions out there. Pepper balls hurt more than rocks and they can deliver strong irritant, but I am not sure if there's been any testing on bears. From what I understand bear spray is less potent than self-defense spray, but would a pepper ball work fast enough for a grizzly charging at 35 mph? Or do they need to run through pepper mist before turning around?
I agree with many of the comments. Here’s my two cents worth: 1. A life saving tool is always worth the weight. 2. If time permitted would do whatever I could to scare the bear, cougar etc. away by yelling or with items such as bear spray, horn or whistle. But I would never venture into the backcountry without an appropriate firearm such as a 10mm, 44 mag etc. and know how to use it. My biggest concern about bear spray is that the animal has to be very close for it to be affective and in a moment of panic, you may not notice the wind is blowing back toward you, thus causing the spray to hit you in the face. That could be a fatal mistake. The bottom line is being in the backcountry is something to always take seriously and you need to be prepared.
Very interesting. Thanks for linking to the research articles. I'm still carrying my bear spray regardless but that's more because of humans than bears.
Been hiking in the Rockies 25 years and didn't carry it. Very rare to even encounter a bear. I started though. Considering I'm in Boulder i might encounter a wild Karen at any moment.
Great video, I live in Northern Canada and I spend a lot of time in the woods out here and I can tell you most have said already if you encounter a healthy bear in the woods your most likey fine with " hey bear " but if it's a close to a city bear and is used to people ( most likely ) or an unhealthy bear good luck . Roll the dice if you wish up to you but personally I carry bear spray when I can't carry a rifle . It works on all animals aswell ( moose , cougars, wolves , coyotes ) up here anyway 😉
A complicated topic. I worked in North East British Columbia (Fort Nelson), and an elderly tourist was mauled by a black bear a mile from my office. Likewise, a couple of tourists were killed at the Liard hot springs a couple of hours drive away. Black bears are more “predatory” when they don’t have access to salmon runs. I always carried a rifle in those parts. Down on the coast, where bears have access to salmon runs, they’re way more mellow and usually run away (unless they have cubs!!!). On Vancouver Island, I carry bear spray, especially in the spring when bears first emerge from hibernation, and need some quick calories, or when recreating in parks where people might have been sloppy with attractants, or worse, feeding wildlife before you got there. Quick guide, take a “Bear Awareness” course, understand how bears react where you live or recreate, and just avoid bears when you see them. This keeps you and the bears safe and healthy.
I work in a sub-alpine area with grimsleys and blackies. My choice of bear spray is 8mm 170gr SSTs. The guys I work with have been stalked by black bears. I am somewhat doubtful of your dismissal of blackies as a threat. It only takes one...
New subscriber! Good video. My 2c! Carry the bear spray. I didn't hear you say that you carried any other form of protection. And I did hear you say your wife was with you. It's easier to protect her if you carry the tools, right? Two legged predators are worse than the bears! Some of the bear sprays come with nice holsters, clip it on somewhere accessable and keep your peace of mind. Get a 2 pack and both of you carry one. jmho
Hey to My Outdoors Life, The Pros n Con debate continues as Always But I Did enjoy your Segment, & The Donald Sutherland, aka "ODDBALL" thing in the Beginning? Was Great Man.
In northern New Mexico (Sangre de Cristo Mountains), black bears are common. A side note, grizzlies were here in the Pecos Wilderness as recent as the early 1900's (see Beatty's Cabin book), and were hunted to local extinction -- sad from a big picture perspective. At my house in Santa Fe a black bear visited a couple weeks ago one night -- I have it on wildlife camera video. When backpacking/camping I have and often carry a small can of bear spray -- more recently, bear gel spray -- but have never had to use it, nor have I had any direct bear encounters, though that doesn't mean there was never a bear near me. For the record, I carry a .38 special pistol... but not for bears. I wouldn't shoot a bear unless an angry one was right on top of me. And before that, I would fire in the air to make a loud noise while making myself big and fearless. Of course, a surprise attack is another situation. But, the main reason I carry bear spray and/or a pistola is for *mountain lions*, which are equally common here. A mountain lion is a much more significant predator and threat when it comes to human contact, though they too fear us more than we fear them, but when surprised, a mountain lion can win a staring contest. So just in case, I carry spray and a small pistol.... :)
The most common way people have encounters with an aggressive bear is by sneaking up on and surprising them in noisy areas, like near a creek or river. When it’s windy or raining the sound of your footsteps can also be covered up. If you carry a bell on you and use it while in those noisy sections of trail it will make unnatural and more noticeable sounds that can alert bears to your presence before you get too close to them. Justin Outdoors got charged by a grizz while on the GDT. He was hiking near a noisy creek when it happened. The bear probably didn’t hear him until he was really close and it felt threatened. He usually yells “hey bear” but said he hadn’t been at that moment. If you have a bell you can save your breath while it does the work. I hiked all last summer and all of this summer in bear territory with a bell and havent seen a single one on trail yet. I’m sure the bell was pretty instrumental in making that happen.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Halt Dog Repellent Spray: geni.us/4NeO
black bears maul many people..
Hi! Did you find a lightest option for actual grizzly Bear spray? Cheers. Heading to hike the GDT 🇨🇦 in July
Always carry bear spray.
While cycling on my 21 speed road bike I was attacked by a pack of doberman's.
The Frontier bear spray stopped them at 30 feet, a lot farther than Halt dog repellent.
I've been driving for 40 years and not needed my seat belt once. I still wear it. Black bear attacks do happen. Plus grizzlies are expanding their range into areas you might not expect. I think being smart with your food is the #1 thing you should never compromise on.
I think we will stay in the SUV with our seat belts on till we get to the Hotel.
Yup!
Black bears are more apt to eat you if they attack !
North Cascades is one such area where it's thought there are some grizzers, but no official sightings
@@pimacanyon6208 where I first started elk hunting is about 30 minutes from Jackson, WY. The forest service mandate for food storage in camp was not inforce in that area but they did recommend it. We have never seen grizzlies but others claim to have. A friend of mine has had them under his black bear stand just over the mountain. So just because they aren't seen doesn't mean they aren't there
As an outdoor videographer for the past 23-years filming in the Alberta backcountry bear spray has always been a part of my kit. Can’t say I have ever heard anyone claim it was too heavy to carry. It can also be a useful deterrent to other potential aggressive wildlife encounters. For me peace of mind out weighs leaving spray at home.
Totally. These Californian hikers have no idea what its like in the actual backcountry. I have seen so many giving terrible advice, if not downright dangerous. The one dude Dan Becker recommended NOT to take a loaded first aid kit. I'm glad I didn't listen or we would have been hurting on my last hike when I had a nail go through my foot. Or on the hike before that when my partner slipped on rocks and took chunks out of her hands.
Here in Northern Saskatchewan in 2020 we recently had a black bear attack a woman who HAD bear spray and used it on a black bear and got mauled to death anyway. Black bears are generally easier to scare off but that isn't always the case. I'd rather carry it and never use it than have the chance of being mauled to death.
I would love to see some of these guys backcountry camp in Northern Sask. It would be an eye opener for them that's for sure.
@@grimrot Carry a Gun !!! or die free country.
@@grimrot I don't know if I will ever carry bear spray; it might not even fit in my empty pack (if I carry that 5l one), period, and a belt, I don't have one, never. But that's only when I'm trail running and I don't live in the USA either. I won't be planning to live there anytime soon and there are so many reasons to not like the USA or not go there for a multiday hike, which doesn't mean the USA is bad or anything. It's not my thing.
I'd rather stay at home in Norway or Europe at least. That gives me peace of mind that is not achievable with bear spray. 0% chance of black or grizzly in Norway or any bear for that matter if I'm not in scandinavia, but we do have bears, although I cant name a single incident with our brown bears...
No bears no danger.
Our moose on the other hand are a way bigger thread, specifically for vehicles when you happen to encounter one like we with ourfamimy did (emergency brake needed) but honestly they won't eat me either because I'm not vegan🤣
I used to live in Alberta, and would always bring it, even trail running. Now in Quebec (black bear only) don't bother at all.
fellow albertan here! this has to be about the dumbest video i've ever seen and i hope no one listens to his advice. my spray literally weighs nothing.
I'll share my experience on the PCT and the CDT: I have always carried bear spray and, over the years, have used it successfully twice on black bears and once on a bobcat who was stalking me during a night hike. I was never bothered by the weight. But, I had to wait until the critters were close enough to be effective.
However, a few times, I used a small boat horn. I kept it in a small holster attached to my shoulder strap. I got the idea when I noticed that the bear was not impressed with my efforts at shouting, "Hey bear!" The horn is small but makes the devil's own racket! When I used it on a black bear, he turned and bolted right away. When I used it on a mountain lion, he jumped 10 feet straight up and raced back up the hill, pausing at the top of the hill to turn and give me a dirty look as if to say, "What the heck was that!!"
The sound is quite startling. Now, I carry the horn on one shoulder strap, and the bear spray on the other.
I carry a personal alarm with 140DB . Kills your ears! Gives me protection against animals called humans. I am assuming it would work on wildlife. What do you think?
that is a great idea.
thanks for sharing 🙂
Excellent idea on the boat horn.
I had the same results with a bear in the Porkies from blasting an Acme Thunderer referee's whistle.
as a recently retired mailman with 29 yrs experience, i can say Halt rarely works on larger dogs that are aggressive, i would not EVER consider it for a black bear! i hike and camp in the mountains of colorado and always carry bear spray, but more for mountain lions than bears. and these days you never know who you will encounter on the trail or in camp, and bear spray is a VERY effective non lethal way to protect yourself in those situations.
Good to know about the Halt. Thanks. Tough part about mountain lions is you almost never see them coming. But, I'd rather have the bear spray, than not.
You are correct Michael. 6 people who deployed bear spray since 2016 have died tragically after the spray failed to stop the attacking bear. Some of these people were experienced guides and one was a wildlife biologist. Several more didn't die but were seriously injured when the spray failed. Bear spray was pushed based on a flawed study by Professor Tom Smith, who admitted recently that he intentionally left information out of his study that would show that bear spray was less effective than firearms. People are literally dying or becoming disabled over this bear spray push. Bear spray is only good for nuisance or defensive encounters. But on an aggressive or predatory bear, they often ignore it and keep attacking. There needs to be a serious public discussion about this in both Canada and in the US.
I have had the same negative experience with "Halt" dog spray. It had ZERO effect on an aggressive dog. Good thing I was able to quickly grab a nearby stick.
And NO. The dog spray was not expired.
The most effective bear deterrent would be green tag shoes.
mountain lion may come to you from your back, one lady get killed in BC, Canada，just like that， directly go for your neck from back.
A problem I have is people always cite the number of fatal attacks by a species as if getting mauled or otherwise torn up isn’t important. The problem is no one really knows how many black bear, grizzly, mountain lion, wolf, coyote, etc… attacks there are each year. The other issue I have are when the numbers are cited in a dishonest manner, eg, you have a better chance of getting struck by lightening than killed by a great white… when a majority of the population will never be in the ocean in any given year. All this to make a reasonable concern by people who do recreate in an area around predators seem irrational in their concern and efforts to mitigate those concerns.
I’d also be interested on historical trend analysis on attacks by species as sprawl continues to deplete habitat and push humans and animal predators closer into likely conflict. Telling me there have only been X number of Grizzly attacks in Montana in the past 100 years is of minimal value, but seeing the numbers over the past few decades is going to be more valuable. But again, we need better numbers on attacks, which I recognize is more difficult to collect.
Exactly. They say "rare." Getting killed by a domestic cat is rare, getting killed by a bear is NOT rare, it may not happen every day but it does happen so it's not 'rare.' Like you said they never include the millions of close calls and attacks. This is also true for mountain lion attacks. I learned this when I researched attacks and close calls, I found many, too many to even count.
@@moniquemonicat Yes, better safe than sorry.
Bear spray is carried for general animal defense--including human evil doers.
As a lifelong surfer I took your point to heart about the shark attacks, and went to look for more accurate "at-risk population" figures. Turns out the lightning strike claim still holds up even if you adjust for risk.
Struck by lightning, globally: 240,000 people/year
Global population: 7.753 billion
Statistic: 3.1 out 100k people struck by lightning every year
Shark bites, USA 2012-2021 (ufl): 471
Shark bites, USA averaged: 47.1
Number of swimmers in oceans, lakes, and rivers yearly (CDC): 91 million
Statistic: 0.052 per 100k american outdoor swimmers bitten by sharks per year
That's 60 times more people getting struck by lightning than outdoor swimmers getting bit by sharks, probably fine to say the general implication of that stat is true for oceans specifically.
About half of shark attacks (51%) are surfers though (ufl).
Number of surfers yearly, USA (NOAA): 3.5 million
Average number surfers attacked by sharks: 24.021
Statistic: 0.7 per 100k American surfers bitten by sharks every year.
So 4.4 times more people are struck by lightning than the most at-risk population are bitten by sharks. Sorry, getting hit with a bunch of numbers is probably annoying, but since I was doing it anyway I feel like it'd be just as bad not to share.
Exactly
I have lived and hiked in Black Bear country my entire life and have lived in Grizzly country for the last decade. Every bear encounter is different and I would not rely on stats to determine your level of preparedness.
Bear spray is a great deterrent, but that is all it is. It will deter a bear but it may not stop an attack. Black bears are generally very docile but they have been known to contest humans for trash/food, especially when under environmental pressure. I wouldn't go without bear spray but I also wouldn't go without my pistol. Bonus being that the pistol works on snakes, feral dogs, coyotes, wolves and mountain lions.
"you never need it until you do" I believe this to be correct. I also would not focus on fatal bear attacks, I'm focusing on getting away from the bear with out any injuries. Maybe this helps, either way be safe
I usually carry bear spray (I don’t live or hike in Grizzly country). When I think about what I might have to use it on I’m thinking about Cougars, humans, and moose.
I’ve sprayed a bull moose with bear spray and it had absolutely no effect. Works on people tho, don’t know about cougars, and don’t want to try to find out.
@Adrian T lol if @bob mueller sprayed it and it didn’t work it didn’t work. As far as I can tell he made no generalizations. You saying wrong won’t change what already happened lmao
Good enough
@@bobmueller8192 Could have been expired.
It's a safe alternative to a gun for humans. Less hastles in the end. I live in grizzly country, I've heard people say it won't work for moose but I'll bet dollars to donuts it will.
I live in Southern California and I’ve had 3 black bear encounters in as many weeks while mountain bike riding in my local mountains. On the first occasion the bear was crossing the fire road 50 to 75 yards ahead of me. He stopped and stared me down for about 10 seconds before running off. The next encounter I was headed down the trail at about 15 mph and came around a bend and there 75 to 100 feet ahead walking straight at me was what appeared to be the same bear. I was down wind so I don’t think the bear could smell me. I have a bear bell and music playing as a deterrent but there was a creek running and breeze was blowing so I dint think it heard me. I wasn’t carrying bear spray so I decided to turn and pedal safely back up the trail to reduce the impact of the encounter. While riding yesterday I rode right passed a younger bear playing off the trail about 10 yards. I didn’t stop to see how the bear reacted but I always tell myself, “ if there’s a bear cub, there’s a bear mom near by. Regarding bear spray, I’m now of the mind set that it’s better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it…
Always be careful turning your back on any wild animal. They know the difference of you facing them versus away from them. You were far enough away so you were fine... But if you were much closer you want to back away even with your bike rather than turn and burn.
Correct
Over the years I’ve had several encounters with Black bears. The craziest one was when I was picking berries and had it stand up from the bush in front of the bush I was picking from. Scarred the crap out of me, yelled and backed off but like most other encounters the bear couldn’t figure out what I was and just looked at me with a clueless look on its face. Other encounters I've have had the bear either ignore me or just run away. However this year I was in Tweedsmuir - Grizzy & Black Country and stumbled across a brownish bear eating berries. It reared up when I yelled and at that point I took out my spray - the bear was up the hill from me, as we walked ourselves back it also walked with us. I was getting concerned because if this continued we would be crossing paths soon. My greatest trouble was that I couldn’t positively determine that I was dealing with either a Grizzly or a Brown Black - we were sort of face to face. Long story short we changed our direction of travel and the bear did not follow. Glad I had my spray but even after all the many years of being out in the backcountry I have never used it.
I most certainly will have it any time grizzlies are around. That’s a crazy story. I would be glad I had it too! Thanks for watching!
I thought bears were following me on more than one occassion. Once he was actually on the hiking trail right behind me. I didn't like it so I stopped made a lot of noise and scared him into the woods. Ran into him up ahead and he was drawing away from me,. I realized he was simply going the same direction as me and using the same trail but NOT following me. Another time I was filming and he started getting closer. I spoke softly. "OK Bear". He was startled. I realized he hadn't seen me at all. He looked at me made a wide circle around and continued on his way. Most people misinterpret Bear behavior. Don't assume they see you because if they are slowly heading your way they most likely don't. They want to avoid you.
If bears don't see you speak softly don't scare them because you might induce a "Bluff Charge" which is the bear's attempt to scare YOU. It is not an attack.
@@josephshields2922 a grizzly bluff charging will keep its ears up. If its ears are folded down it is not a bluff. I'm not sure one would be capable of interpreting the difference while they are shitting their hiking shorts, but they should spray in the case of ANY charge, bluff or no bluff. It's aggressive behavior and the bear needs to be conditioned to know it's dangerous to be around humans. You're not being cruel to the animal since if it gets too cozy around people it could be euthanized or shot by another hiker.
It definitely could have been a color phase black bear. I have encountered them many times in the Bella Coola valley.
@@josephshields2922 Maybe/probably true in most cases but I just watched a RUclips where the black bear was clearly persistently aggressive but thankfully the person had bear spray. He was forced to use it, and it worked perfectly.
@4:51 priceless (guy trying to exterminate ants in his backyard with gasoline)
Kerosene works better 😂😂
I grew up in Petawawa, Ontario. Site of one of the worst bear attacks ever. 3 young boys killed and partially consumed by a Black Bear. Every bear I ever saw growing up, and I saw a lot, ran from my sight...and I was just a young boy. So typically they do run away and avoid you. However, it takes just one. An injured one, a diseased one, one that is habituated to human garbage...I'd rather not take the chance. I spend quite a bit of time hiking in Eastern Canada and I encounter bears and their scat often enough. So often I find scat without sighting a bear and that shows you how adept they are at human avoidance. So even though I know I'm likely safe I carry bear spray and keep it handy. No point having it tucked away in your pack. Also, a few have mentioned the human element and that is not to be dismissed either.
I carry it in my hands
I think the best statement in this video is "You don't really need it until you do". In my personal opinion, it's better to bring it and never have to use it, than to need it and not have it with you. I understand that the chances of needing it are extremely low (especially when using best practices for bear safety), but there is always that chance you'll end up needing it and I'd much rather have it than not.
I keep a big pepper spray on deck and I also carry a concealed weapon where my license allows it....between sketchy people and wild animals I've got myself covered. I tend to live by the "you're the first responder to your emergency" motto so I also pack satellite gear and a big med response kit. I'd rather have the extra weight if it means peace of mind.
After watching the show " I shouldn't be alive". You are smart.
I highly agree and do the same.
Well said !!
Lives in France has none of these issues lol. Well except odd boar getting drunk.
If (and only if) I'm alone I sometimes carry a snubby .38 with Buffalo Bore hard cast +P. However there's no way you'd shoot a fast moving animal at any range with a pistol. To me the pistol is when the spray fails and it's basically on top of you, hopefully you can get the gun out as a desperate measure. I don't worry about people much, nobody gets mugged in the forest. And bear spray would probably work fine against a drunk aggressive camper.
It’s the snuffling noises at night. That give me the willies. When you’re in your tent. Miles away from any one else.
Great video! Maybe this was covered in the comments, but I'm going to cover it in mine. I'm in the Infantry and spend lots of time in the field. In 2020 through 2021 I came face to face with well over a dozen Black Bears, with and without cubs. I never had a problem with hostile action from them. That being said, I always carry bear spray. Why? Well these encounters were always with visibly healthy bears. Myself and colleagues have all been in situations where you run into an unhealthy animal. As an example; tick infested, visibly hundreds of ticks covering its face with puss coming from eyes, mouth and nose. This bear was very unwell, and unloading a full can of bear spray is the only thing that stoped it from a successful attack, and the attack was made.
There are many other situations that I could go into for example but won't. I hope this helps with broadening your opinion on carrying. Thx.
We should wipe out ticks. No need 4 them.
I don’t yet know what the possible negative consequences are for doing that, but I fully support wiping out ticks.
Great info, I had never thought of that scenario. I’ve had several black bear encounters and a mountain lion encounter, none of which showed any sign of aggression toward myself and those around me at the time.
If an animal is desperate, it is extremely unpredictable. In North Sask in 2020 a woman was mauled to death by a desperate black bear near a fly in camp. They HAD bear spray and used it but the bear was undeterred. Still, Id rather have bear spray and not need it or have it be ineffective than not carry it at all.
Yep, I've also notice bears get more audacious during dry summer when grass is hard to find.
I've been unexpectedly confronted by a very aggressive deranged 'person' while out hiking... 'bear spray' ... NOT JUST FOR BEARS!
After hearing about some of the horrific incidents on the Appalachian Trail, I've got to agree.
Usually bear spray is way weaker than spray made for humans. Just due to how sensitive bears are to the spray it doesn’t need to be as strong.
Pretty much made exclusively for people. The 'bear' marketing is for legal reasons.
Do you understand that bear spray is MUCH MUCH MILDER than sprays made for humans? Try Sabre.
"person"?
As the old saying goes, "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".
I worked for over 34 years as a fish and wildlife biologist in the Canadian North and had plenty of run-ins with both black bears and grizzlies. Over the years quite a few of my friends and acquaintances have been either mauled or even lost their lives through bears. The average bear just wants to be left alone but as with people there are individuals that are very aggressive and in all the years I had to shoot only two charging black bears. Both attacks happened within seconds, without warning, in dense brush and the bears were killed at a distance of only 5 yards. I had grizzly bears running bluff charges during salmon counts, stopping usually within about 10 m. Luckily I never had to kill one of these majestic animals. Since bears have incredible olfactory senses, they can smell nervousness and fear in people better than any dog. Many bears especially black bears pretend not to be interested in people but if they sense the slightest insecurity in people they can become very pushy and aggressive especially when the person is alone. Carrying bear spray is one of the best ways to feel more confident and therefore not provoke an attack, even if you never have to use the pepper can. Carrying a gun is not a good option for many people since they lack practice. I shot wild boars on drives in Europe since I was 17 years old and feel confident to nail even a fast charging pit bull terrier before it reaches me but most people have problems hitting clay pigeons and are therefore better off carrying pepper spray.
I live where there are bears. I see several every year, often with cubs. When I walk in the woods I make noise and I turn and leave when I see bears. I don't carry bear spray, but I do think it is a good idea, even if bear attacks are extremely rare.
From wiseaboutbears :
Black bears have killed 67 people across North America since 1900. This no longer worries me. My chances of being killed by a domestic dog, bees, or lightning are vastly greater. My chances of being murdered are 60,000 times greater. One of the safest places a person can be is in the woods.
You’ve had “quite a few” friends mauled or killed by bears? That seems really unlikely given the known stats on attacks and especially attacks leading to death.
@@CM-dp5mw Yes I had in fact. One guy was from Heidelberg Germany. He used to fish the Dease River almost annually and we met him first in 1993 on a canoe trip down that river and later on again in 1997, the year he was actually killed and half eaten by a black bear. We had tea with the guy just before he got killed in September. The news were full of the incidence. A really good friend from Memmingen also Germany got mauled by a Grizzly on a Banff campground, taken out of his tent at midnight. His sister made it into the truck but he almost did not survive. He was flown to a hospital in Edmonton and required 1300 stitches. According to the doctors a smaller person would have not survived the injuries. My now neighbor a young conservation officer here in Smithers got his left hand chewed up by a relatively small grizzly in the bush whilst on duty and had to empty 10 shots into the bears head before it succumbed. A young couple that we met in Hyder at Fish Creek, camped against my advice and that of an Alaskan ranger on the gravel estuary of the Salmon River. There was an earmarked grizzly which we observed for more than 4 years, since he was an already very aggressive cub. The bear was killed by authorities after he killed the young couple. During my extensive field work and travel through western Canada an Alaska, I also ran into Timothy Treadwell and Michio Hoshino in the early 90th. Both got killed by grizzlies.
Sure the stats are low if you include all the New Yorkers and people that are never really exposed to bears in the sample size. I used to believe the media myself too when I was a young biologist in the 80th, but my experiences with bears, wolves and cougars have taught me to view things differently. You can believe whatever you want, but today's media tell people too that white sharks and crocodiles don't eat people. The Disney mentality is growing and undesired incidents get very small attention.
@@ohsweetmystery You are incorrect. The flaw in how you're thinking is that the sample size, presumably, is everyone in the U.S. many people in the U.S do not recreate in national parks or true wilderness areas regularly, if at all.
If you adjust your sample size to just the people that actually do hike, camp or recreate in the parks/wilderness, and compare that to the number of missing persons, deaths and injuries, the picture changes dramatically. This isn't to say people shouldn't recreate in the outdoors; but you do need to be prepared, and you do need to be knowledgeable in what you're doing.
You should start a youtube channel giving the PROPER advice. I would listen to you over this guy and Dan Becker any day.
Dude! That intro was GOLD! Great video man! Bear encounters are always great but so unnerving!
I enjoyed making this one! Thanks as always!
The part about the number of deaths by black bear triggered my pet peeve. Unless people discussing black bears are going to include attacks, many of which result in permanent disfigurement and disability, they really shouldn't be discussing whether or not black bears are dangerous. Does anyone really want to go out unprotected because they'll only have their eyes ripped out and eaten and their face torn off before the bear is shot by a good Samaritan? I doubt it. You see, most people don't want to be mauled nearly to death, and these kinds of attacks are never mentioned in discussions of how dangerous black bears are. Whether or not an attack results in immediate death is really beside the point.
So true.
I lived up in the High Sierras for a couple of years up around 7,000’. Unfortunately it was a community of cabins owned mostly by city folks and they were only around in the summer time. They’d feed the bears, specifically one big male who they thought of as a mascot. In the wintertime, spring and fall it was too cold for city blood and it was almost always just me up there. I had dozens and dozens of run-ins with that bear when he would come up onto my deck in the middle of the night and try and break into my shed where I kept trash until I had enough for a dump run. I’d get up, slam my fist into the big oak door to rouse him, grab the Remington and walk out. He never so much as even growled at me, he’d almost always just run away and sulk in the bushes up the hill, I could see the reflection from his eyes when shining the mounted flashlight at him. When he didn’t stop to sulk he’d just haul ass and disappear. I never pulled the trigger. I’d have to hike out in the early mornings to get to my car and I’d just carry a Glock, but it was cougars that worried me. Figured I’d share that, I say carry the bear spray in case you run into a starving bear that will chase you down for survival. Good video!
I live in Easter Oregon Cougar & Black Bear Country and carry Bear spray and a hand gun and a big knife capable of dispatching either if necessary when out hiking or fishing. Bears you may see and scare off; on the other hand Cougars are there watching you when you don't see them until pounce.
I have been hiking in grizzly country forever and used bear spray ever since it was invented. But the interesting fact is I have never had to use it. Your yelling at the bear in the video is exactly the reaction I have had with grizzly bears. I don’t ever yell at grizzlies any more. But I still carry bear spray. Thanks.
For sure! I wouldn’t be caught dead without bear spray in grizzly county. (Unless the bear took it from me. 😆) I just watch your grizzly video. If this one would have gone up on his hind legs like that my anxiety would have shot through the roof. Thanks again.
Stan your legend dude. After going to Yellowstone many years ago I've watched maybe everyone of your videos.
@@MyLifeOutdoors Bears going up on hide legs can mean they are just getting a better look at you. Also Black Bears do this in encounters with other BB's to make themselves look bigger and scare off the agressor.
@@josephshields2922 and to get a better whiff of scent.
So, you havent used it. It was a security blanket in a can. Gotcha.
I was mountain biking at a bike park in near Duluth, MN and ran into a black bear and her three cubs. You can see the city from the park and homes are in the surrounding hills. It was far from remote so I left the spray in the car. Safe to say whenever I'm doing any nature activity in bear country, I will carry bear spray. You just never know...
Thank you for taking the time to differentiate between the significance of different locations.
When hiking the Canadian Rockies... always take bear spray. When in Newfoundland... you will probably be fine.
I once did a hike in Glacier Montana. I saw 8 grizzlies over 4 days. All at some distance but still a lot. I will always carry in grizzly country! Thanks for watching!
There's moose everywhere in Newfoundland, arguably more dangerous than bears
Another thing to think about is even Black Bears can be more dangerous in places where they rarely see people. More chance of a curious yearling "getting too close" . a majority of truly predator bear attacks are in remote areas. NY has 25k bears, 16 million people and 250k encounters reported in the Adorandack Park alone each year alone, yet there have only been 2 fatalities in 100 years. Some rural states with far less people have much higher numbers.
Can't carry bear spray in Canada, it's classified as an offensive weapon
@@matthewb3640 what? Last time I drove to Canada they only allowed bear spray and not pepper spray. They even made me dig it out so they could check the label.
My personal philosophy is "Go with what you know." And I know for a fact that pepper spray works. I carry two cannisters when in the woods.
I live, hike, and hunt in western Washington. I carry bear spray and a Glock 20 (10mm). I am a former wildlife biologist and haven’t needed either but better to be prepared.
On Sept 21, 2014 a Rutgers college student was killing hiking in New Jersey by a Black Bear. His last picture on his cell phone was of the bear casing him. If you have the bear spray, I would take it with you.
I have gone hiking in black bear country in Japan without spray with locals. Apart from a period where bears were under environmental pressure, noise making was more than sufficient. When they were starving (typhoon damage had made their habitat unviable for a while), different deal: they would actively hunt people, and bear areas had to be completely avoided.
It is definitely necessary. I live in remote grizzly country. I have pepper sprayed three black bears in my front yard. When I'm bow hunting and cutting weight in my pack, i leave my .44 mag home. I never go anywhere without a can of Counter Assault tho. If you're thinking that its too bulky, bear country probably isnt for you. Its like having a force field if you use it right. Dan
I always carry it while hiking in the Pacific northwest. Most of the focus seems to be on bears but cats and humans are a definite concern, especially on solo trips. While I think the hiking community is usually incredibly friendly, humans likely pose much greater danger than animals.
I carry a Byrna pistol, bear spray, and a 10 inch blade for humans first, dogs second, cougar third, and bears last. I believe in three layers for combat or the wilderness like the AR, then the sidearm, then the blade (a grenade doesn't hurt either)
One reason why I hesitate to go hiking. I don't want to get kidnapped by a rural farmer who has a soundproof basement..
@@HumbIee lols
I've been running into illegal alien types while out hiking.
I live in a very small town in The Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada. And there are plenty of strong opinions, on both sides of the bear spray debate. The area has black bears and to a lesser degree grizzlies. In addition, there are a surprising number of cougars. So, with those possible concerns, I will take either bear bangers or bear spray. My large dog and I hike the backroads and in the bush, multiple times per week and I always carry at least bear bangers. But when it gets warmer and bears are no longer hibernating, I will take bear spray, depending on the area. (If there is a noticeable amount of bushes with ripening berries and other bear treats, it will be spray). When someone comments about either bear spray or bangers I too think of “The Revenant” and just smile and nod. At the very least I am responsible for my dog’s safety and that is vitally important to me. Just a note, when bears an not hibernating I hike with him on a long leash, just in case. Love your channel. Very informative.
I’ve solo backpacked in parts of Yellowstone where they recommend you travel in groups of four or more. (Because of grizzlies). Last time I carried two cans. Because what do you do after you’ve used one can and the effects on the bear start to wear off? Or it could be the rare predatory bear who is more determined. But I hate the extra weight. Next time I want to take someone who can’t run as fast as I can, hah.
Haha! A slow person certainly keeps weight off your back. Just make sure they always hike in front. 🤣
Ughhh...is two even enough? Maybe take a few other cans just to be on the safe side.
Solo Back packing is not advised. Beside the rare bear attack the more likely possibility of falling, and other injury should deter this. Falls account for the most deaths in Federal Parks.
@@josephshields2922 Solo backpacking ,as I have done for the last 40 yrs,is "dangerous" but so is group hiking ..as you note it is just as possible if not more so to fall off or in the river . However solo is far,far more rewarding to me. You actually become part of the wilderness and society (of animals) in a way that never happened with others. In the last few years personal beacons have helped a bit with the fear, but I have never needed it though-and with the inReach I can get text weather reports..fantastic.For myself I am very happy to assume the risk because it just a much more intense experience. I would never recommend it to someone without a strong experience level however..
Just carry a gun.....
I live in the east Tennessee mountains in a remote cabin. My property borders the National Park. I have had numerous black bear encounters. In all of them, the encounter ends with the bear running away. But I am not stupid. When hiking the woods I always carry a can of bear spray AND a .45 caliber handgun. I've never had to use either, but I still carry them, and will continue to do so.
Appreciate you confronting tradeoffs, and not ducking the issue of probability versus consequence. (By the way engineers define risk as probability times consequence). We mountaineers deal with this every outing: low probability but high consequence risks. In the end, the "x factor" is always personal risk tolerance.
Excellent comment. 👍
I live in South-Central Alaska, which is bear country. We have black and brown (coastal grizzlies) all around us. I always hike with bear spray. Your best bet is to hike with others and make some noise, especially in dense vegetation. I have a friend whose daughter was killed by a predatory black bear and then a week later another person was killed by a black bear about 25 miles from where I live. That same summer a guy was killed by a brown bear while out jogging about five miles from where I live. I love hiking and backpacking and I consider myself lucky when I see a bear in the wild, but I believe in doing what I can to stay safe. That said, my husband and I were on a gravel bar near home throwing sticks for our dogs. There was a sign at the trailhead warning of a brown bear sow with cubs (the most dangerous kind of bear!) so we were on alert. While we were facing the river we heard a crashing sound behind us and turned around to see a brown blur running right at us! Turns out it was a bull moose running like crazy. He saw us and veered off and swam the river. My husband had a pistol holster on his chest and I had bear spray on my belt. Neither one of us had time to deploy either. If it had been a bear with murderous intent, we would have been in trouble. Something spooked that moose. Let's just say we made a lot of noise on the trail back to our car.
Like your clear, logical presentation. I live in the northern Rockies. I always carry spray. Hiking, mtb, ski touring, snow biking. The encounters with wildlife change with the seasons. I've almost hit bears while biking - black ones fortunately. I stumbled perilously close to a Moose and her calf cresting a hill last month. I begged their forgiveness as I shuffled by about 20 yards from them. Not a comfortable situation.
Just yesterday, there was a fresh 5 inch lion print running a few hundred yards in the ski track. I know lions will attack silently but seeing that it was close beforehand makes having the spray at the ready more than worth it's weight. In the 10 years we've lived here, I've un-safed the spray 2 or 3 times but never had to deploy it. Maybe the worst thing about owning bear spray are the stories of accidental discharge. Walk into any ranger station and you'll hear why many of them hate the stuff.... So be careful with it!
We carry at least pepper spray on every walk or hike. Not only for wildlife, but hikers so often bring their dogs off-leash, and from time to time you might encounter one that isn't so friendly. And then there's the fact that not all people are sweet and cuddly either. That being said, you should never spray anyone unless it's an extreme emergency. This is a great video. Thanks so much!
Thank you! I hike in South Carolina. Which has black bear, wild hogs and now cougar. I carry bear spray and a miniature boat air horn
@David Dubay: Great decision better safe than sorry.
me on razor svooter .. girl lost leash.. dog started for me canister horn stopped him...
Re: Black Bear sow's. I was working for Parks Canada at their horse ranch in the frontal ranges of CDN Rockies. We had a sow come into our compound (big compound near our living quarters) with her cubs. Our full time permanent ranch hand got out his 303 and planted a couple of shots behind her, she was 100m away, and she bolted abandoning her cubs. Mind you this is Parks Canada, and the wildlife know that they are never in danger. That may have had something to do with it. But still, she bolted leaving her cubs, who eventually waddled off to join her. It's disturbing because if she had been 10km east, she would have been outside park boundaries. Always enjoy your blogs.
quite possibly the best opening to a backpacking video
While jogging on an unmarked trail, I was mauled by a small, black bear with cub, two days ago. I fought her off to get away. I understand this behavior is rare, but I have bites and claw marks to show for not having bear spray. Sadly, she was killed by fish and wildlife police.
I was a letter carrier for 16 years, and Halt spray is what I was issued to deter dogs from attacking. On some canines, it worked well, but others would come back for more. I would imagine a bear wouldn't be bothered by Halt.
Thank you so much for this breakdown. I really appreciate how you explained the research, and we're open about you past experiences and own opinions, I don't trust people who try to conceal their implicit bias, but you wore yours on your sleeve, and I have a lot of respect for that. I also love how you were open to changing your mind, after considering feedback on you previous videos.
I don't usually comment much, but since you're curious what my thoughts are, and I believe you might actually listen, here we go. So you understand where I'm coming from, and can register my own implicit bias. I'm an Eagle Scout. I've been hiking in virtually every climate in the US, and most regions. I'm also a firearms instructor. No, I'm not gonna tell people to leave the bear spray at home and bring a gun instead, but there are several parallels I want to use to illustrate my concern. Inb4 all the internet trolls take this off the rails, my suggestion is to carry both, cause they each have their own pros and cons, and one's pros covers the gaps left by the other's cons. We should always try to use the bear spray first, and then the firearm only if the spray is ineffective. We don't want to kill or even injure the bear, if it is at all possible to avoid that.
Now that that's out the way, here's my concern. What you're basically discussing here is the long debated issue of "stopping power." Now we have to be careful using that term here, cause there's a lot of misconceptions around it. Almost all pistols have virtually the same amount of "stopping power." Often people use the term to mean a firearm can knock someone out of the fight, even if it's not a lethal or incapacitating hit. Most pistol simply don't have the muzzle velocities and bullet weights to do that, cause you need to cause hydrostatic shock in the body, which usually requires rifle calibers. For this same reason, pistols really aren't great against bears, especially grizzlies. A better way to talk about the same issue, imo, it to ask, "How much gun (or spray in this case) is to much gun? Basically to sum this entire argument up in one statement. The .22 snub nose revolver you carry in a pocket holster, if better than the Desert Eagle you leave in your desk cause it's too heavy.
This is exactly the approach you took when you opted for the dog spray. Carrying the dog spray is a placebo effect (carrying any defensive weapon is, 99% of the time). Though that word often carries a negative connotation, it's not a bad thing in this context. Placebos are great ways to treat mental health issues, and studies have shown they can even have just as much of an effect on athletes as restricted performance enhancing drugs. You left the bear spray at home, because it was too much spray. As these things usually go, the one time you didn't bring it, is the one time you came closest to needing it. That somewhat robbed you of your peace of mind, so to recover that, you went out and got a spray to carry that wasn't "too much" spray. But is it enough spray? Sure, a .22 you have is better than a .50 you don't, but is a plastic bb gun better than nothing?
Using any weapon, even when you are on the defense is almost always an escalation. In general, unless escalations are immediately incapacitating , or generate enough shock to cause fear, they only load to the aggressor escalating again as well. Consider it like this; you're at a bar. Some belligerent drunk who is clearly too deep his cup, and might never come out of it, gets up in your face and start harassing you. He breath REEKS, his saliva is flying all over you face and the whole bar turns to watch. It's can be hard enough for anyone too keep their cool in that situation, but it becomes much more difficult if you've had a few yourself. However, if you react to him, things end badly. This dude is clearly looking for a fight, he probably does it every weekend. Even if you're squarely capable of beating him to a pulp, fighting drunk in bars never ends well for anyone, so it's probably best to try and resolve the situation another way. If you push him out of your face, or maybe even just squeeze past him, shoving him a little incidentally, that's the invitation he was waiting for. Trivia Night just turned into Pummel Party. I kinda glossed over this, but I suppose I should mention that swinging at him first is probably one of the worst things you can do, for so many reasons. You can turn and walk away, but you shouldn't ever turn you back on a possible combatant, or he might just punch you in the back of the head, and that could be lights out. Really the best option here seems to be deescalation. This could be achieved either by having the bar owners or cops intervene, though that can get messy in a whole other way. It's my experience that you if just start at guys like this silently, or shake your head and get REALLY interested in your drink, generally these guys give up and go away.
My biggest concern here is that the Dog spray wont have a significant enough effect to deter the black bear, especially if it's already charging. The bear charging is like that dude getting up in your face. Now, the best option when you encounter a bear is to deescalate, if possible, exactly as you did in your clip. You couldn't have handled that any better. Bears usually charge cause they got spooked or feel threatened; it's often a bluff in response to our perceived aggression. By making sure the bear saw you from a relatively safe distance, you reduced the risk of spooking it. The bear didn't see any reason to escalate, and therefore decided to go about his day. You then did the same. However, let's assume it does charge, cause the real question is: Will the dog spray work? We'll get there in a moment, lets try deescalating before we escalate. Trying to just simply walk or even run would likely result in serous bodily harm in both the bar and bear scenario, so how to we get out of this situation? Intimidation seems to be the best tactic left at the moment. Shout really loud, getting really big, and banging stuff together, is basically the same as starting the belligerent drunk down cold in the eye; you want both of their internal monologues to say "this guy isn't worth it."
But what if you hit it with the dog spray instead? We'll it's possible you might just piss it off. Generally black bears leave humans alone, and the charge may often only a bluff, but a sudden shock of lasting pain might anger that bear enough to make it commit to the attack. One of the primary reason we tell people not to try and use most handguns against a Grizzly, because they just piss it off. One study showed that 50% of people who fried to shoot the Grizzly, just died anyways, because the gun wasn't strong enough. I'm worried that the spray won't be strong enough. You can get bear spray that come with holsters that attach to a belt or something, and that should really help to you to bear the weight of the bear spray. If you are REALLY attached to the idea of a small can, I'd probably feel more trusting of human OC spray. It gets a lot hotter than bear spray. The downside is that it's not designed to spray as much distance, nor can it spray as long, or spread as large an area, but neither can the dog spray.
My suggestion is to ditch the dog spray and go back to the bear, or at least upgrade it to OC pepper spray. Yes, the bear spray is significantly more expensive, but I believe it's worth the price. This is another question that come up when people are getting their first pistol, and see the prices that even something as simple as Glock comes in at. The question I ask them, is the same question I'm asking you now: "How much money is your life worth to you?" The only difference is, it's usually about a $400-500 question for Firearms, but it's only a $40-50 question here.
Interesting analogy and good points brought up. Thanks.
I bring my Mace spray on every hiking trip, even to regions with little to none wild predator presence, because bear & wolf are not the only thing i worry about.
There's also people out there.
Always be prepared, you never know and it only takes one meet to be your last.
You’ve outdone yourself with that intro!!!
We came to the same conclusions. I have bear spray, but it's bulky. I have a side arm I specifically picked it up as a trail gun when I retired and started spending dozens of days solo hiking and camping. I had never owned a pistol in my life. I was in the USMC, grew up in a family that hunted and I hunt, mostly for birds, but also deer. I was in a shooting team in Jr. HS. So I'm familiar with fire arms. However for most of my life I never worried when in the woods without a fire arm, be it in Northern MN, WI or Wyoming. 5 decades and never needed a gun to protect myself in the woods or city. However recently my luck changed and so did my point of view. I always carry spray now, Yes the same one, Halt dog spray. Spray works on more than just bears. One of the flaws with the debate over spray vs firearm is that most fail by limiting the conversation, it's either one vs the other instead of carry both. It's also very focused in just bears. Why just bears? When alone in the woods I have encounter far more people and dogs than bears. Even aggressive dogs with no person around. The little can of pepper spray is very easy to carry and well worth the peace of mind. It got me out of two situations with aggressive dogs, one on the SHT hiking trail and one while running in my neighborhood.
Great video! You embraced the ultralight philosophy of asking "do I really need this"?. During that bear encounter, you were probably cursing that commenter who told you not to bring bear spray anymore haha!
Haha! No I was a little too anxious to be thinking about much less cursing the commenter! The sad part is that comment somehow disappeared even though I did not delete it.. I think it got lost in the spam filter because of the links. But it really got me thinking as this video testifies. Thanks for the help!
Actually the comment is still on that video. I’m not sure why I thought it disappeared.
You don't need it until you do... That's true with many other things too, like seatbelts and firearms.
I was attacked by an adolescent bull shark in Charleston, SC back in 2007. I was one of hundreds on the beach and in shallow water but it still attacked me. 5 surgeries and 350+ stitches later I survived, but now I know all those statistics we here about are not just numbers, they are real people.
I normally hike in black bear country in the south east and always carry a firearm. I have mixed feelings about bear spray and pepper spray. They aren't always effective and can easily be accidentally used on yourself or people around you.
The lesson is to always be prepared and don't think it won't happen to you. Whether you carry spray, a firearm, a bell, or a combination... plan for the worst and hope for the best.
The logic didn't gel for me. The stats he quoted for the purpose of explaining away the "necessity" of carrying spray, I found quite convincing for having it. 🤔
Me too.
Halt is better than nothing but Halt compared to bear spray is like comparing a 22 pistol to a 44 magnum pistol. As you mentioned, there are more potential threats than bears (i.e. cougars, coyotes, wolves, criminals, Moose and Elk.). When I am in the wilderness, I want to know that I have at least one tool for self protection. For me this tool has ranged from a hatchet, a machete, a pistol and yes, bear spray. I have used Halt when bicycling in the city and it does work on dogs unless the propellant has gone. I would recommend bear spray over Halt because of the greater volume of propellant as well as the greater potency. Over 50 years of exploring, I have needed protection only once when charged by a cougar and I was glad I had the pistol that time.
I just watched a RUclips of a clearly aggressive black bear stopped in it’s tracks by bear spray. When I lived in Bozeman MT, I always hiked with bear spray. I am back on our large backwoods property in upstate NY and we have a resident black bear who worries me because it has no fear of me or of loud noises. Guess what? Bear spray isn’t legal in NY! These politicians are morons and probably don’t know the difference between bears and red squirrels!
Yes it is legal. You can legally have bear spray in all of NY. You can legally have human pepper spray BUT the law is it cannot be larger than .75 g and not more than .7% OC (and ONLY OC)...which is nothing. Like pepper for your eggs or that Halt! garbage.
You cannot get any pepper sprays, foams, gels, balls, SHIPPED to NY. If you want bear spray go to an REI or hunting store. REI in SoHo even has bear spray for sale.
I'm just coming across this vlog. Thank you for this content. I backpack mostly on the east coast & it seems like the bear population is growing & becoming more bold with people encroachment into their habitat. I cary bear sometimes get comments on why. Well, black bears are large wild animals. At times unpredictable. I've seen a video where a small to mid sized black bear take down 350 lb. wild boar in Tennessee. It proceeded to cary the fighting boar up a pretty steep hill. Unreal the power of this animal! I don't like carrying spray but as you said feel better having something other than scrambling for a rock & hoping for the best. I follow the rules with food carry & storage. Still, when out in the wild you have to respect the power of these & other large animals. Until better protection comes along. I'm just not taking a chance. True, there haven't been many fatal attacks but enough to concern me. It could happen. Anyway, thanks for the excellent content & discussion. Best to you & all. Happy & safe hiking!!!
You’re gonna feel awfully silly if you’re ever in a situation where you need bear spray, but chose not to carry it because of money, weight, or some delusion that bears are friendly.
This guy just wants you to buy other things, so he can make profit from it. In this video, he's encouraging a decision from having an item that will save your life when you need it to one that will not save your life.
@mylifeoutdoors One thing that wasn't mentioned is that, per several reports, the chances of a bear encounter increase if you are hiking with a dog. This is often the fault of the dog, to be fair, but it is a reality and concern among many of us who hike with our pooches in off-leash zones (mine has treed a large black bear). And on that note, bears are not the only threat in zones with lots of dogs - just based on our experience (and plenty of anecdotes), if you hike with a dog you are FAR more likely to encounter an aggressive off-leash dog than a bear. And although that may not pose a risk of death to humans it sure can pose a risk of death or serious injury to dogs and is generally just a really really bad scenario. So for us, carrying bear spray serves three purposes: 1. To deter a curious or aggressive bear on the rare chance that this was needed; 2. To deter any aggressive dogs and/or to EFFECTIVELY breakup a dog fight without causing lasting injury to dogs or to humans; 3. For small piece of mind for my wife when she's hiking alone - although human assaults in are probably about as rare as bear attacks, it does offer her some level of defense should she need it, which is better than nothing.
I have run into black bear multiple times in PA and they usually just walked away. In TN I ran into a large black near that was not the least bit deterred by yelling and it followed us to the side and kept pace until just before we reached our campsite and disappeared.. I wished I had it that time!
There are always those bears that don't act in the usual manner (rarely, but still). I usually carry a small device that makes quite a racket devised for women's protection & mace. I would rather have & not need than not have it the one time I need it.
What’s the device??
Where in PA did you run into Black Bear ? Starting to do some hiking and biking as of late .
@@jcam783 Allegheny Forest.
if nothing else this video has sparked some great conversations in the comments so thank you for that.
I live in Missouri in a small town about 60 miles west of St.Louis. Black bears are making a comeback in Missouri. And we have had a few spotted on the outskirts of town. But last summer one was captured on a couple ring door bells. In Missouri we do not have a population of Mountain Lions. Only because a female has not been spotted. But a couple of years ago one was hit by a car about 3 miles from my house. And numerous numbers have been filmed with in the St. Louis county limits on camera. So even though an animal isn't suppose to be there, it certainly could. So even here when exploring the woods and national parks I would bring bear spray. A pack of coyotes could take your life just as easily. Better safe than sorry !
My wife & I are flying to Tennessee this next week. We’re going to hike Clingmans dome some Appalachian trail portions and a handful of waterfall hikes. I will be using the halt dog spray because of the size of the aerosol can. Other than that I use lead bear spray, either a 40 shield or Mathews Bow. My brother uses a 44 mag, it’s like the seatbelt, we’ve luckily never needed it
I live in Gatlinburg Tennessee and have had many many blackbear encounters over the decades of my hiking. The great majority of my bear encounters have been uneventful. However we have had two predatory, fatal bear attacks in our region since the year 2000 and a couple of others that were possibly predatory. So it’s playing the odds when you go without bear spray. More times than not I have not carried mine and I have had a few encounters with big dominant males during the mating season and it can be a little bit intimidating. So it’s a personal decision when evaluating the risk. Especially when hiking alone. Which I do more often than not. Most importantly, educate yourself about their behavior and how to look for and interpret their vocalizations, postures, even the look in their eye. These are all clues that tell you about the Bears possible intentions and it is worth your while to invest the time in learning the basics about bear ethology. Hit the trail, have fun, and learn all you can about black bears. It’s worth the time.
I went on a hike up in Manistee in 2020, never even crossed my mind to carry Bear spray, of some unknown reason. Wasn't until my plans to do the hike again came up that someone asked me if I had it. Honestly, I forgot that black bears were even a thing in that area, lol. Needless to say, I will take it along, better to have and not need than need and not have, as they say (and you said). Keeping Trekkin.
I'm hiking in black bear country this coming week and I'll be bringing spray with me, as I always do. I haven't needed it in my decade or so of backpacking, but it's one of those rather have and not need than need and not have type of things. I'm not willing to sacrifice some safety in the name of smaller pack weight, even if I never encounter the need to use it.
In Brown Bear country, always travel in groups, 4 is good. Have everyone one equipped with approved bear spray, designate two as sprayers, and one person.carry 10mm hand gun. A designated shooter, also two with air horns, one as a designated air horn blower.
aggressive and/or charging bears are the only bears you'd need any sort of spray for at all, so if you decide to carry spray at all, it needs to be bear (not dog) spray.
Dude! That intro!! Might be my favorite 30 seconds of YT ever!
More likely to be killed by mosquitos! 🤣🤣🤣 That's hilarious, mostly because it is true.
I HIGHLY recommend reading the book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance by Stephen Herrero. I honestly think anyone who may ever spend time in black bear or grizzly country should read this book.
I picked it up expecting tips for how to handle "bear attacks" but what I found was information on how unlikely attacks are, how to be prepared for them with knowledge and equipment, but most importantly how to avoid them. I am more confident in black bear country with or without bear spray now.
I do take bear spray if it's grizzly country or an area where black bears have become accustomed to people food. But otherwise typically leave it at home.
Great video, man, as always!
It was a fun intro to film! Thanks as always. I’ll check out that book.
You should tell this to Ray Kitchen, the truck driver who was mauled by a black bear while trying to save a family that were also being mauled by a black bear.
I was field soil scientist and wetland specialist for 30 years in Upper Michigan. Over my career I routinely spent thousands of days in remote black bear country by myself. You would think I saw bears regularly, but I probably only saw a dozen in in 30 years. However, 2 of those encounters were a sow with cubs and it was sketchy. I sure would have appreciated some bear spray. I was charged several times by one and stalked by another. Now that I'm retired I still spend time outdoors canoe tripping and backpacking. I definitely carry bear spray now. Once you get charged and have them clacking there jaws just feet away from you you NEVER forget it. As far as dog halt goes. I use that when bike riding for dog encounters. I'd never trust it with bears. It would be like trying fight a raging forest fire with a garden hose. Good luck with that.
I live on the south coast of England and the most we have to worry about here is agitated squirrels but I’m a nervous hiker so I bring 2 cans of bear spray anyway. One for squirrel attacks and one for when the wife sees me checking out the girls on the beach and charges me….terrifying stuff!
This summer, in Lillooet BC. I came on a young sow black bear. At 8 feet, and with 2 small cubs, I was shocked but reacted by saying,”Hello Bear”, very casually. Nothing happened except mum sent her cubs up a tree, making them actually closer to me (sloped away from me) while she grazed. For that night all I heard was humorous comments like, “hello Aussie”. An experienced hunter told me I did the right thing. Bear spray stayed in it’s holster.
This guy is too nice. When I hike, in upstate New York at that, I carry bear spray, a glock, a knife, extra rounds for my glock, and my two protective dobies tag along with me and party. If I'm going to end up dead by a bear or someone I'm not going to let it be easy.
Living in the bush in the middle of Canada, we've grown up with bears around. Often you can tell where a bear is in the neighbourhood because of a high pitched scream, followed by pots and pans clanging. Over crests and around rocks I've come face to face with more bears than I can count, it's kind of expected around here, and I always feel bad that I've scared them more than they've scared me. I feel better coming face to face with a bear, than I do with too many people downtown. We carry bear spray when we hike, more to keep people who don't hike happy when we head out. Very much appreciate the work you do with your videos, Steve. Thanks for them.
I have a friend who's niece got attacked by a black bear while she was running her usual route training for school track. He ran and knocked her over then turned around and came back and started biting her ! At which point she started punching him in the face. He left. But I hear you talking, you haven't mentioned that many black bears that attack plan to EAT YOU ! The rest will usually run away.
Lol I got false charged by a Black Bear and followed by a cub before in White Oak Canyon. I am buying Bear Spray but also conceal carry when in the woods. My concern with bear spray would be wind direction. Black Bears rarely kill but it still won't be pretty if they get their paws on you. Your video was very informative though, you got yourself a new sub here.
Aside from habituated bears, research I am familiar with will point to the black bear, likely a younger male, as having the highest odds to be the predatorial bear and see us as potential food. A very rare circumstance, but documented accounts exist, including a couple videos which be found (most recently one from Saskatchewan, Canada) suggesting it is wise and responsible to carry in "only" black bear country as well.
It's better to be safe than sorry and wishing that you had your Bear spray in the event of an attack. You do you but I would never leave without my Bear Spray when hiking in the outdoors! I appreciate having an actual Face to talk out of everyday!
I'm like you I just feel safer with my bear spray. I'm still carrying it even though I've never encountered a bear 🐻 i have seen scat on trail but no bear.
Yeah I’ve seen lots of scat. It took leaving the spray at home to actually see a bear! Maybe that’s the secret 😆. It was a neat experience, one I’m glad I have and survived!
A wise decision .. and hopefully you will never encounter one in an OMG WHAT NOW situation.
Seeing a Bear up close (with Bear Spray on hand for 'just in case') would be enough of an Adrenaline Rush for me.
Not having Bear Spray and the thought of what could perhaps have gone wrong .. that 'Rush' .. Naah .. I'm not that deprived.
I live in PA, where there’s a lot of black bears. Some very big. They’ve been encountered within the city of Pittsburgh. Suffice it to say, in this state, they’re everywhere. Also, although I’ve never had any trouble with them, two of friends have. In both cases, it involved a sow with cubs. No injuries, but harrowing. There was a woman dragged off 75 yards by a bear. Our Game Commission figured it was a sow with cubs. It was night, so it was hard to tell. I think I’ll keep my bear spray.
Never tried it, but when I lived in AK, people would sometimes substitute wasp spray, cheaper than bear spray.
And it has a longer reach than dog spray.
I live in Western Arkansas and have had 3 bear encounters in 13 years. The bear retreated in all 3 cases on its own. However , while serving as a campground host in the Smokemont campground in Smokey Mountain National park a 62 lb black bear attacked a father and son hiker pair. They did successfully fight off the bear.
Bear spray, or no bear spray, trail runners, or hiking boots. Definitely an individual decision. Interesting discussion.
I'm team bear spray and team hiking boots!
@@AF-tv6uf we don't have bears here, but if we did, I'm with you...scat piles are not my idea of a good fashion look.
How about a category for barefoot and armed with a song? Major Tom works well.
except your choice in footwear wont mean the difference between life and death
@@caseysweat9449 yes, in fact, it can. the most common reason SAR has to be called is ankle injury, which wouldn't happen with proper boots. and if you're out there alone, break an ankle, and can't reach SAR? definitely could lead to death. footwear is a personal choice, sure, but should be made with experience and knowledge of the terrain you'll be in. all these youtubers touting trail runners must be just hiking well established trails in low flat country.
As they say, you pack your fears. I've been backpacking almost 50 years and have had many black bear encounters and one close grizzly encounter (I have seen grizzlies at a distance as well). I am not giving advice to others, only my experience.
The bears had little or no interest in me. I have clapped and shouted to get them to leave my camp, but they sometimes only retreat just out of site. Sometimes they don't even do that. Often they run away when they see you. It just all depends, I guess. But they still show little interest. They are just doing their bear thing.
The close encounter with a grizzly was a mother and cub. I was bikepacking and was with two other people, so that should probably be taken into account. The mom and cub were just up the hill when we saw them, maybe 40 feet away. She looked down on us, even stood up on her hind legs to get a better look. But she didn't show any real signs of aggression.
I do carry bear spray in grizzly country. I live in Colorado and don't carry bear spray here.
I see comments here about mountain lions. I've never been fortunate enough to see a mountain lion. Mountain lion attacks happen extremely rarely. Almost all of the attacks I've read about in Colorado were on women or teenagers running on trail. The person's size and the fact that they are running seems to excite the cat's hunting instinct. But, lets put those attacks into perspective. In the 40 years I've been backpacking in Colorado, there have been maybe a half dozen attacks I can recall reading about. That is out of millions of people hiking in the mountains every year.
A little reassurance goes along way. Coming to the states at the end of april for the first time this year to visit your national parks. Arizona up into Utah, Yellowstone obviously. Aswell as many more. Onyl me and my girlfriend, i got to say the last few weeks all i have been watching and reading is peopls accounts with bears. I love in the UK, so the worst can happen here is a dog attack. Little freaky knowing may see one in the flesh.
@@adzt83 As I said, unlikely the bear will show any interest in you. It is cool to get to see them. Just be smart and keep your distance.
We live in bear and lion country. I try to really survey my surroundings, especially around corners. Anytime I turn a blind corner I'll stop, scan the horizon, listen. I keep a few rocks on me. I also whistle a little bird call or bang on my canteen pretty often. Never seen a single bear.
The only animal that's really freaked me out was a fox that just would not stop following me. There is something unnerving about an animal pacing after you for a half mile or more, if not for any reason than rabies.
As a Bell South outside repairman, I carried Halt for 37 years. It works on the meanest of all dogs. I once popped a very vicious Pit Bull trying to get at me thru a ragged ole fence about 3 ft from the crossbox I was working in. When it hit him, he went down like being shot and then tried to plow a trench with his head ….. going the opposite direction. Never saw that old dog again🤷🏼♂️
Thanks for your opinion but I’ll continue to carry bear spray, a soldier was just killed by a mamma black bear here in Anchorage last month.
There are a few concerns about dog repellants:
1. They're weeker than regular self defence peppersprays to deter a human attacker
2. Lack of range and stream instead of cone/mist spray
3. Like you said: you never need it, until you do..
4. Regarding bulk and weight, today we have options of ultacondensed sprays of 60 ml or so
5. Halt was not tested on charging bear - which means, it just wasn't tested on bears. Therefore, your strategy is just an assumption, and optimistic one at best. A gamble even
This approach might perhaps work for american black bears. But our, european brown bears are far more aggresive than your blackies. So, whenever in the mountains, I carry a bear mace.
After a trip to Grand Tetons and Glacier a few years ago... I will always carry bear spray... after years of hiking, this trip we saw/encountered 10 bear... including 2 grizzlies and a 2 black bear sows with cubs... carry it... its not that much weight...
Last fall, I avoided a head-on attack by a rutting bull moose by spraying him in the face with pepper spray. He didn't care about the loud report from my handgun that I fired to his right. He didn't care about my shouting and waving my arms, but a burst of pepper spray sent him packing as if he had been assaulted by a skunk. I think the bear spray saved my life or at least serious injury. I won't go in the woods without my bear spray.
I used to work at Sequoia national park and they trained us to throw rocks at black bears and it mostly worked to chase them off. The largest bears required bigger rocks. But all this was to keep them away from visitor areas. Eventually I learned to hike alongside bears where I'm not trying to interrupt their grazing. However, now that I live in Montana, my girlfriend and I each carry bear spray and even still, I'm acutely aware of my surroundings when we hike. There's scenarios where I worry about being downwind and not having good visibility up trail. Then I've heard stories about grizzlies pretending to walk away and then flanking hikers from around a ridge, so you definitely begin to think of yourself as not at the top of the food chain here. As an ultralight backpacker, the notion of carrying spray AND a 20oz titanium 44 Magnum is a topic I think about a lot. Most hunters here carry both, although they aren't as obsessed with weight and probably would opt for the 10mm options for accuracy and the number of rounds you can spray at the target while you crap your pants. That said, I wonder if a pepper ball gun would be more effective at range or in wind, and if there are lighter options than the self-defense versions out there. Pepper balls hurt more than rocks and they can deliver strong irritant, but I am not sure if there's been any testing on bears. From what I understand bear spray is less potent than self-defense spray, but would a pepper ball work fast enough for a grizzly charging at 35 mph? Or do they need to run through pepper mist before turning around?
some pro trail runners grudgingly carry bear bangers, but they're basically firecrackers. those make me nervous just from a wildfire perspective.
@@lh3540 interesting. Party poppers might shave some grams lol
I agree with many of the comments. Here’s my two cents worth:
1. A life saving tool is always worth the weight.
2. If time permitted would do whatever I could to scare the bear, cougar etc. away by yelling or with items such as bear spray, horn or whistle. But I would never venture into the backcountry without an appropriate firearm such as a 10mm, 44 mag etc. and know how to use it.
My biggest concern about bear spray is that the animal has to be very close for it to be affective and in a moment of panic, you may not notice the wind is blowing back toward you, thus causing the spray to hit you in the face. That could be a fatal mistake.
The bottom line is being in the backcountry is something to always take seriously and you need to be prepared.
Very interesting. Thanks for linking to the research articles. I'm still carrying my bear spray regardless but that's more because of humans than bears.
Been hiking in the Rockies 25 years and didn't carry it. Very rare to even encounter a bear. I started though.
Considering I'm in Boulder i might encounter a wild Karen at any moment.
Great video, I live in Northern Canada and I spend a lot of time in the woods out here and I can tell you most have said already if you encounter a healthy bear in the woods your most likey fine with " hey bear " but if it's a close to a city bear and is used to people ( most likely ) or an unhealthy bear good luck . Roll the dice if you wish up to you but personally I carry bear spray when I can't carry a rifle . It works on all animals aswell ( moose , cougars, wolves , coyotes ) up here anyway 😉
A complicated topic.
I worked in North East British Columbia (Fort Nelson), and an elderly tourist was mauled by a black bear a mile from my office. Likewise, a couple of tourists were killed at the Liard hot springs a couple of hours drive away.
Black bears are more “predatory” when they don’t have access to salmon runs. I always carried a rifle in those parts.
Down on the coast, where bears have access to salmon runs, they’re way more mellow and usually run away (unless they have cubs!!!).
On Vancouver Island, I carry bear spray, especially in the spring when bears first emerge from hibernation, and need some quick calories, or when recreating in parks where people might have been sloppy with attractants, or worse, feeding wildlife before you got there.
Quick guide, take a “Bear Awareness” course, understand how bears react where you live or recreate, and just avoid bears when you see them. This keeps you and the bears safe and healthy.
I work in a sub-alpine area with grimsleys and blackies. My choice of bear spray is 8mm 170gr SSTs. The guys I work with have been stalked by black bears. I am somewhat doubtful of your dismissal of blackies as a threat. It only takes one...
New subscriber! Good video. My 2c!
Carry the bear spray.
I didn't hear you say that you carried any other form of protection. And I did hear you say your wife was with you. It's easier to protect her if you carry the tools, right?
Two legged predators are worse than the bears! Some of the bear sprays come with nice holsters, clip it on somewhere accessable and keep your peace of mind. Get a 2 pack and both of you carry one. jmho
One thing nkt mentioned:
Non-Fatel Black Bear Attacks and severity of these non fatal attacks
Hey to My Outdoors Life, The Pros n Con debate continues as Always
But I Did enjoy your Segment, & The Donald Sutherland, aka "ODDBALL" thing in the Beginning? Was Great Man.
In northern New Mexico (Sangre de Cristo Mountains), black bears are common. A side note, grizzlies were here in the Pecos Wilderness as recent as the early 1900's (see Beatty's Cabin book), and were hunted to local extinction -- sad from a big picture perspective. At my house in Santa Fe a black bear visited a couple weeks ago one night -- I have it on wildlife camera video.
When backpacking/camping I have and often carry a small can of bear spray -- more recently, bear gel spray -- but have never had to use it, nor have I had any direct bear encounters, though that doesn't mean there was never a bear near me.
For the record, I carry a .38 special pistol... but not for bears. I wouldn't shoot a bear unless an angry one was right on top of me. And before that, I would fire in the air to make a loud noise while making myself big and fearless. Of course, a surprise attack is another situation. But, the main reason I carry bear spray and/or a pistola is for *mountain lions*, which are equally common here. A mountain lion is a much more significant predator and threat when it comes to human contact, though they too fear us more than we fear them, but when surprised, a mountain lion can win a staring contest. So just in case, I carry spray and a small pistol.... :)
The most common way people have encounters with an aggressive bear is by sneaking up on and surprising them in noisy areas, like near a creek or river. When it’s windy or raining the sound of your footsteps can also be covered up. If you carry a bell on you and use it while in those noisy sections of trail it will make unnatural and more noticeable sounds that can alert bears to your presence before you get too close to them. Justin Outdoors got charged by a grizz while on the GDT. He was hiking near a noisy creek when it happened. The bear probably didn’t hear him until he was really close and it felt threatened. He usually yells “hey bear” but said he hadn’t been at that moment. If you have a bell you can save your breath while it does the work. I hiked all last summer and all of this summer in bear territory with a bell and havent seen a single one on trail yet. I’m sure the bell was pretty instrumental in making that happen.