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Author Topic: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions  (Read 10339 times)

norm_2

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where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« on: October 01, 2006, 04:16:43 PM »

Sounds like there are more bears out there.  Where is a good place to buy some bear spray?  How big are the the cans?  Do they come in different sizes and if yes, what size is appropriate?  What is the cost?

What info should one know?  Shelf life?   Any special advice on use?  Do you have to take any precautions packing it around?  ????

For those who have one, which river do you carry it to?  Who has used it?

Thanks.
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Sam Salmon

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2006, 04:26:30 PM »

Sounds like there are more bears out there.
There are no more Bears now than there have ever been but we see more/less of them depending on the food supply.

Where is a good place to buy some bear spray?
http://www.3vets.com

How big are the the cans?  Do they come in different sizes
Roughly the size of a shaving cream can but a little taller/thinner.

and if yes, what size is appropriate?  What is the cost?
The bigger the better.I paid $30 some years ago.

What info should one know?
You need ID and must be of legal age to buy the Good Stuff.

Shelf life?
Don't worry   

Any special advice on use?
Wait until you can see the Bear's beady little yes and then hope the wind is blowing toward him not you.

Do you have to take any precautions packing it around?  ?
No horseplay/goofing around it's powerful stuff.

For those who have one, which river do you carry it to?
Bought some for a trip to the Skeena country-never used it.

Thanks
You're quite Welcome.
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allwaysfishin

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2006, 04:48:18 PM »

as a hunter and someone who spends a great deal of time in the back country, and from talking to many conservation officers, contrary to sam's comments, black bear populations across many areas of B.C. are on the rise. Our changing weather/climate from seasonally wet springs to the drying trends we have seen in the past 4 years have led to an increase in the recruitment of young bears. Often a sow will give birth to 2 or more cubs and with weather patterns in the spring being favorable, there has been an increase in forage for young bears to survive on, thus allowing more cubs to reach maturity. While this is not true in all areas of the province, it is definately true in our coastal forests.
Cans of bearspray are widely availlable at most outdoor shops, look for the kind that has a range of 40 feet and the highest level of capsicum (spelling) that you can find. I use "bear guard" brand and it has detered all but one that i have doused. I have a general rule with blackbears, never trust them to run away in fear, the decline of folks hunting bears has led them to become less afraid of humans. While hunting i allow a bear a 50 yard "safe distance", if it comes within that 50 yard zone, it gets a warning shot, maybe 2, after that....... I'll spare you the details. On the plus side, I am not a bear hunter and thankfully through 12 or so close encounters I have had to spray 5 bears and have only shot and killed one.  
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Xgolfman

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2006, 05:00:19 PM »

One's I've seen and I've been looking lately...are much bigger then your's Freak...I think they are 10% and around 34$$$....sorry, not jumping on the yours seems much smaller then ours again bandwagon... :D..but I think your can is a little on the small side.. ;)

GoldHammeredCroc

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2006, 05:22:12 PM »

Mountain equipment co-op carries them and yes you do have to sign a waiver form to purchase them.
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DionJL

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2006, 05:24:49 PM »

One's I've seen and I've been looking lately...are much bigger then your's Freak...I think they are 10% and around 34$$$....sorry, not jumping on the yours seems much smaller then ours again bandwagon... :D..but I think your can is a little on the small side.. ;)

10%?!!! I think the strongest you can get north of the boarder is 1%
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redside1

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2006, 05:49:02 PM »

you should do a little research on brands, not all are created equal. Some spray short, not enough pepper and the pepper can settle out of the propellent and become nothing more than a face wash for the bear. Cheapest is not always best when personal saftey is involoved. Look for a brand called "Counter Assualt". It ranks up there in all the testing that has been done on these products.
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DionJL

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2006, 05:54:56 PM »

Counter assualt is %1 and is around $40. Avalible at Riverside Fly & Tackle.
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Coho Cody

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2006, 08:31:51 PM »

i carry counter assault everywhere i go fishing.
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fishersak

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2006, 10:34:30 PM »

I too now carry bear spray each time I am in the bush....never have before, and hope to never need it...however, this summer I had a very unnerving encounter with a bear that kept advancing on a group of us (6 people) despite all our efforts to scare it off.  We were unable to use the trail out and ended up bushwacking to get out....needless to say, I now carry $40 worth of spray, and pray I'll never again be close enough to use it.
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MERC

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2006, 12:11:16 AM »

Prevention is still the best strategy.  Make lots of noise when walking through the bush.  It helps to let bears know you're coming and will help you and the bear avoid each other.  I know a VPD seargeant for the ERT.  When he was delivering my training on use of force, including use of OC spray (oleo capiscum or pepper spray) he pointed out that people can overcome immense amounts of pain when in total rage and that often, pain further fuels the rage. People have been known to be sprayed in the face, hit with a stun gun, shot with a conventional gun and still keep coming.   While bear spray is better than nothing, I don't know that it's ever been tested on bears charging you, and intent on making you into tomorrow's news headlines.  A peaceful bear coming towards you might be put off by the spray, or it could also totally enrage it causing the above mentioned to happen.  Don't rely on it unless you have a big boom stick to back it up.
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Geff_t

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2006, 09:22:18 AM »

Bear spray is not always the answer. If you spray it too soon it just will not work. And when a bear is coming charging at you that bear will keep coming. My best advice carry a whistle. I have run into alot of bears here in Maple Ridge and noise has always worked. If you give them the space that they need you will be fine. As long as you do not get between a mom and her cub black bears will leave you alone. Bears eye sight is not the greatest and they rely on their sence of smell. For the most part the bears that you run into in the bush are as much afraid of you as you are of them unless you surprise them in the dark. It is the ones that come into the populated areas that you should worry about as they are there for one reason only and that is for food. So my advice carry a whistle or bear bangers and make noise with them if you go into the bush and always be careful with bear spray because if not carried properly it can go off. You make think that the safty is in but accidents can happen and the last thing you want is for your bear spray to go off and you spend your first couple hours of fishing cleaning your self off.
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allwaysfishin

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2006, 11:07:57 AM »

Not sure how many of you folks are hunters but it seems many guys here with advice about black bears are not fully understanding the nature of these beasts. A mature adult , healthy, well fed black bear will steer clear of you in most cases providing you don't surprise it, however, 2 to 3 year old male bears are extremely unpredictable for many reasons and will become predatious towards humans. Never assume ANY bear will run away because it is afraid of humans. In the past, hunting has taught bears to fear humans and each momma bear will pass this on to thier young, however, with hunting bears becoming "socially taboo" many hunters have stopped bear hunting, thus the fear of humans is not instilled upon the young bears. In areas where human/bear contact is very low, you will be viewed as prey by a bear and it is your behavior that will tell the bear you are not food. There are several books about bear encounters that teach us that. I am no expert in bear behavior but I have encountered enough to tell you this, I have met a few bears that i was convinced thought i was food, and they took thier time assessing and sizing me up. If a bear sees you at a distance and stealthily makes it's way to you, which they will do by circling into the wind, they are seeing you as possible prey. Close encounters where bears and humans "happen" upon each other in sudden circumstances cause the bear to suddenly have the "fight or flight" behavior. This is where quality bear spray is the most effective. I have been charged by a 2 year old male bear and when he got to about 30 feet i emptied the can of spray on him. He had been feeding on a gut pile left from a hunter and was not going to have his dinner taken or interupted by anything or anyone. You just never know what circumstances you will find yourself in when encountering bears. Take the precautions, it may save you from a desperate situation. It is FOOLISH to assume that you are only in real danger if you encounter a momma and her cubs, the times when i thought i was in REAL danger have been from adolescent male bears.
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Xgolfman

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2006, 11:12:53 AM »

I watched a show recently on black bears, they attack humans much more the grizzlies..If you lay down and play dead it WON'T work with black bears!!! They showed that they can and do stake humans..and they are doing it so they can eat you...It was a fascinating show, when the bears ears are back and head low and shoulders up, they are getting ready to charge...the only thing that stopped them was standing your ground and making lots of noise...AND if you have to use bear spray...you have to hit them dead in the face and mouth...the cloud in front of you does nothing to deter them.....

Posted this at the same time as above..the adolescent bears...and older bears that are hurt are the problem ones too....
« Last Edit: October 02, 2006, 11:16:16 AM by Xgolfman »
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Fish Assassin

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Re: where to buy bear spray? Other bear spray questions
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2006, 03:07:39 PM »

Bob's Sporting in Burnaby currently has them on sale $36.98 for 290 grams and $29.98 for 230 grams.
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