How are you carrying bear spray?

[Rasputin]

A friend of mine who been hunting deer in Montana, for over fifty years, told me, that he doesn't carry bear spray, instead he carries an air horn. He said that at a hundred yards an air-horn will scare a bear (including grizzlies) into running away, and not returning, and he's had some experience in doing so. I figure it would be safest to have both.

[Shredhead]

My young pup and I flushed a large black bear early this morning. We were moving pretty fast, on some curvy wooded single track.
My pup was about ten yards ahead and I saw him alert, a split second before I saw the bear.

Luckily, the bear just bolted into the woods.

The whole episode was 3-4 seconds.
If the bear came after me. I never would have had time to deploy the bear spray. If he’d gone after the dog, I might have, depending on how involved it got.

I don’t carry spray and don’t really plan on it at this point.


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[Shredhead]

I can see the horn. Does Bear Spray make a loud noise? Because Pffff is not going to do shit, if you miss their eyes.

If I lived in Grizz or Brown bear country, I’d be packing a firearm, on my body.


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[yeahman]

I can see the horn. Does Bear Spray make a loud noise? Because Pffff is not going to do shit, if you miss their eyes.

If I lived in Grizz or Brown bear country, I’d be packing a firearm, on my body.


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We get it, you're a dumbfuck. Move along now.

[weibo]

If a spray only holder os your thing the one I mentioned earlier is back on line.

https://www.thiefbikepacking.com/col...r-spray-holder

[sb]

I usually just apply it on before I head out.

WWCD

[Shredhead]

We get it, you're a dumbfuck. Move along now.

Why?

If it’s on your bike and you get knocked off, your fucked.

At least a gun makes a loud noise and you don’t have hit the bear in the eyes.


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[sb]

Anything gun related triggers the kewlaid krowd.

Pun intended.

[zion zig zag]

Anything gun related triggers the kewlaid krowd.

Pun intended.

Shred, ignore the village idiot.

Guns are effective against grizz but any gun big enough for that is likely to weigh 4-ish pounds. Secondly, you need to be very accurate and have practiced a lot. You mentioned hitting them in the eyes, that’s not far from the truth.

With spray, the idea is to aim at a charging bears feet and then they run through the cloud. Not a lot of accuracy needed for this technique. It’s been proven over the years.

[Bunion 2020]

^^^ All very accurate points as well as

Originally Posted by yeahman View Post
We get it, you're a dumbfuck. Move along now.

Yeah good thing you don't live in Bear country. Wait, what?

My young pup and I flushed a large black bear early this morning. We were moving pretty fast, on some curvy wooded single track.
My pup was about ten yards ahead and I saw him alert, a split second before I saw the bear.

Luckily, the bear just bolted into the woods.

The whole episode was 3-4 seconds.
If the bear came after me. I never would have had time to deploy the bear spray. If he’d gone after the dog, I might have, depending on how involved it got.

I don’t carry spray and don’t really plan on it at this point.

Were you just visiting?

Interesting idea about the air horn.

[t.odd]

I worked with a grizzly bear expert for a number of years, who spent a lot of time working in Canmore, Banff and the Kananaskis. She had Karelian bear dogs that she used for hazing problem bears, and said unequivocally that spray is the only really effective deterrent as it literally causes them to lose focus on you as a target, it complete scrambles their ability to continue attacking you because of what the spray does to their senses. Yeah you need to be aware of the wind and what not, but it'll definitely be more effective then blasting wildly with a gun under duress.

[mntlion]

https://www.bearcozy.com/ for biking.

[frorider]

I worked with a grizzly bear expert for a number of years, who spent a lot of time working in Canmore, Banff and the Kananaskis. She had Karelian bear dogs that she used for hazing problem bears, and said unequivocally that spray is the only really effective deterrent as it literally causes them to lose focus on you as a target, it complete scrambles their ability to continue attacking you because of what the spray does to their senses. Yeah you need to be aware of the wind and what not, but it'll definitely be more effective then blasting wildly with a gun under duress.

I thought everyone who gets outdoors much knew this ^^. Do we have to explain seat belts to shredhead next ? .

[Dee Hubbs]

I carry a good slicker brush….

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrYf4...RlODBiNWFlZA==

[Shredhead]

Sorry, I live in a bubble.


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[toast2266]

Spray for bears, guns for cats. At least that's what I've always heard (with the acknowledgment that if a cat's going for you, you're somewhat fucked regardless).

Of the people I know who bike with guns, I've never heard of them using them for their intended purpose. I've heard a few stories from them of things going wrong (like their gun fell out of their holster somewhere on the ride, so they had to retrace their steps to find their gun. That was at a popular trail system with roughly zero threat from animals and plenty of kids riding the trail).

[Eluder]

Very few people actually live in grizzly country. It seems there is a mauling every other year within 150 miles of here. It's pretty obvious who is new to town or visiting based on where they carry it.

I try to remember the Bear Spray while biking trails I know they are around. I do the H2o bottle thing.

While hunting in grizzly country, I carry a rifle, a pistol, and bear spray. Often it's too windy for bear spray to be effective in the high country. I have never thought that carrying my pistol while biking was a good idea.

[yeahman]

If it’s on your bike and you get knocked off, your fucked.

Why would I get knocked off my bike? You mean like actually colliding with a bear? If that happens I've already violated the number one rule of safe travel in bear country, which is always make your presence known. You should NEVER surprise a bear.

Put it this way, if you ever find yourself needing to deploy spray or a firearm, you've already majorly fucked up.

As far as an airhorn goes, if I see a bear at 100 yards, I am backing out of there and not blasting a horn to get its attention. At close range, I seriously doubt an airhorn is going to phase a startled griz protecting its young or guarding a carcass.

It's a hackneyed debate, spray vs. firearm, but as somebody noted, strapping on a heavy-ass gun to go grind up singletrack is not something most people want to do. Bear spray is a lightweight and equally (or more) effective alternative.

[AK47bp]

Just wear a really tight shirt and pedal around with your chest puffed out, be the ALPHA. No bear will fuck with an alpha male unless they love suicide

[raisingarizona13]

recreating in grizzly country sure sounds complicated. I'm not really a fan and I prefer to stick to places where they aren't.

Meanwhile here in Arizona last week- https://nypost.com/2023/06/22/bear-t...g-or-provoked/

[raisingarizona13]

Has @Goldmember posted in this thread yet? He's got one hell of a grizz encounter story. Like 100X better than my chaco taco story I shared yesterday, I promise.

[BCMtnHound]

Worked for 30yrs in griz and blackie country. Encountered several bruin of both species, some were alone and some in family units. Sometimes with a firearm, sometimes with bear spray, often with a large hound, often with nothing than my wits. Never had a bad encounter with a griz (but checked my shorts a few times); had a few negative encounters with blackies, ending up having to destroying a couple that had become habituated. Also have worked and shared beers with bear behaviour experts (doctorate level).

The studies are easy to get online. Unequivocally, if having to resort to using a firearm, one and often both participants in an encounter end up dead. Using bear spray, the vast majority of participants live. The greatest tool in the arsenal is situational awareness coupled with an imposing but unaggressive posture.

Then there are the blackies in the Peace district of north-eastern BC and Alberta. Fuck those predatory assholes.

I’ve never carried spray on a bike, but I would think some form of chest harness would be best. When I carry hiking, it’s on my utility belt, and I practice quick drawing it once or twice a year. Not a fan of carrying higher than my belt as I’ve had too many bad incidents with bad canisters, both from physical damage to the device, or a bad or worn canister. Getting even a minor whiff of that shit really puts a damper on the day.

[raisingarizona13]

Then there are the blackies in the Peace district of north-eastern BC and Alberta. Fuck those predatory assholes.

what's up with those assholes?

[stuckathuntermtn]

I hear bear spray is also good for assholes.
Also, there is a big difference between Montana grizzly bears and Alaska bown bears. 44 mag is standard up there. Or a shotgun. Rather have bear spray in MT. Or even AK (and a gun, in that case). You wanna take a shot when your fam/dog is downrange? If you bear spray them by accident, they'll be fine after a few hours. Not so much if you shoot them.

[waxman]

There's 1 that is basically a plastic adapter that holds the spray can, and then clicks securely into a water bottle holder. I think they sell for $20+, but my friend had a 3D printer and printed a few and gave me one. So the plans are online somewhere.
It's not letting me upload a picture.

we sell those too, they are super rattly, if I'm carrying on a bike I'm using the 3d printed one above or on my belt
the last few reported instances in my area the bike and rider got separated and the spray on the bike was obviously useless
I'm usually good for one bear sighting a week and most of the time it's them running away from me (that's just what bears do mostly) moose on the other hand are crazy unpredictable and I can foresee giving one of those kooks a dose of pepper sooner than any bear