Your Very Best Defense from the Wild

IN Almost All situations, humans and bears coexist peacefully inside the wild, and tens of thousands of encounters occur without incident yearly. When bears do become aggressive, you need to react quickly to safeguard yourself. The ultimate way to make this happen is always to carry a can of bear-deterrent, which sprays concentrated capsaicinoids-the stuff makes hot peppers hot-to cause irritation within the bear's eyes, nose, and throat. As outlined by Jon Goodrich, founder of the Mace company plus an avid outdoor sportsman, the strong OC pepper formula in Bear Pepper Mace results in a massive shock into a bear's sensitive nose, making the spray an exceptionally effective deterrent.

In July 2010, famed zookeeper Jack Hanna effectively used bear pepper spray they are driving off a male grizzly that threatened Hanna and many others huddled on the narrow ledge in Glacier Park. That very same weekend, bear pepper spray was used by two other hiking parties, each student Conservation Corps worker, as well as a park ranger. In all cases, which involved both grizzlies and black bears, wartrol become 100% effective, with out one was injured.

I've always used pepper spray," Hanna told a reporter. "Its not necessary it for many years, but at any given time you really need it.In .

When most people think about defense against bears, they believe gun...big gun. But counting on a gun poses several problems, not the least of which is that it's very difficult to fire accurately at an animal that is charging you-particularly if the encounter happens quickly and unexpectedly, mainly because it usually does. Unless the user is incredibly proficient having a firearm, he risks wounding the bear, which could make it more aggressive. Plus, guns are heavy and unwieldy, which makes them unsuitable for many hiking trips.

But there's a much more compelling reason to use bear spray: it really works better. As outlined by a 2008 study co-developed by Dr. Stephen Herrero-whose Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (1985) is the definitive book on the subject-bear spray is significantly more effective than a gun in relation to deterring bear attacks. The researchers studied the application of bear spray in Alaska on the 20-year period and discovered the spray stopped "undesirable" behavior an extraordinary 94% of times with grizzlies and 100% with black bears.

Simply investing in a can of bear spray isn't enough to protect you, however. You have to figure out how to apply it and then wear it in a accessible holster in order to grab it quickly. All bear sprays are best when sprayed right into a bear's face, passing it on a real snoutful in the irritants, but not simply a whiff is sufficient send a curious bear packing. Know that the spray is not a bear repellent spraying it around camp is more prone to attract bears than you can keep them away. Here's using bear spray within the field:

If the bear approaches, tend not to run. This could trigger a predatory response, causing the bear to start chasing you. It is a race you do not win. Make an effort to remain calm.

Go ahead and take bear-spray canister from the holster and disable the security.

Focus on the bear and slightly downward, adjusting agency arms magwells for sale cross-wind if needed.

Spray a short burst if the animal is 50 feet away.

In the event the bear keeps coming, provide it with another burst at 25 feet, making certain to aim directly for your face.

At 10 feet away, hit it directly inside the eyes.

In most cases, you won't arrive at the final step, but rest assured that bear spray can stop even an aggressive grizzly which is practically in addition to you. Author and naturalist E. Donnall Thomas described one incident that happened in Southeast Alaska: "A hostile young brown bear had closed to within 10 or 12 feet, despite all of the usual yelling, and a friend a rifle trained on its snout," Thomas explained. "Once the spray hit the bear, your pet turned inside out and galloped off around the river."

Although bear spray is an efficient deterrent, Herrero says, "Don't bet your lifetime on it,Inches meaning, when you're in bear country, you should take every precaution to ensure that you won't need to use your spray. Educate yourself regarding the proper storage of food, the best place to set up camp, avoiding locations where you likely will surprise a bear, and the like. Although you can't guarantee you do not need an unsafe bear encounter, it is possible to surely increase the risk for situation not as likely.

Don't rely on a single canister of bear spray for an entire group everyone entering bear country needs to be designed with his or her own spray. You should also keep canisters easily available in the cooking, sleeping, and toilet areas of your camp. Make sure you look into the expiration dates on all canisters prior to you heading into the wild.