I've posted this before but
I think it needs posting again...
Bear spray protects the bear as well. The purpose of bear spray is to stop aggressive actions by the bear. When the aggressive action is stopped...when there is no injury to the hiker/backpacker...that bear is likely to 'live another day.' It won't be removed or euthanized. This is a win-win result given that the overwhelming majority of bear encounters are 'surprise' or 'accidental' encounters and are not intentional or predatory actions by the bears.
While there are some very experienced and very well trained people out there, I would strongly contend that firearms are
not the most accurate way to deal with bear encounters. Again, given the surprise and often close-up nature of these encounters, it's very difficult to draw a weapon, aim, and fire accurately and
stop the animal (not to mention the effort involved in carrying a weapon of sufficient size). If it is not stopped and is only wounded I believe the situation has been made worse. I also believe that there is more risk to the hiker/backpacker and his/her trailmates from carrying the weapon then there is from bears (certain areas, particularly in Canada, excluded). Just as bear encounters are 'accidental' so too are there accidents with firearms...and there are many more accidents with firearms than encounters with bears...
My other, rather hard-over opinion, is that if one cannot recreate in bears' habitat without the intent of using lethal force against the bear then one should stay out of the bears' habitat. There is a wide range of U.S. recreational land that has no bear threat...if one cannot tolerate their presence without the thought of killing them then that someone should go somewhere else.
There's barely 1000 grizzly left in the lower 48...just 2% of the estimated population when first explored/settled by the 'white man.' There is no good reason to cause the death of a bear for the sake of our recreation...be smart, be safe. Practice clean camps and bear avoidance...and carry bear spray.
FB
Bookmarks