Grizzly

[300rum700]

Never once did I express an opinion that spray is "better than a gun". What I did say was that you have a better chance of not coming into contact with a bear when using spray compared to a gun. I just stated a "statistic" from a reliable bear expert. I also said that I personally would use a gun over spray if I had to choose. I think that having both on you is best case scenario. Hope I never have to find out which is better!!

Thats probably because people choose a gun over bear spray when there is a greater chance of an encounter.

[300rum700]

Warning shots? You should brush up on the Mozambique drill with your 45-70

Sometimes warning shots mean a fogged scope haha. 45/70 is gone, it was cute and all but really only good for pop cans.

[300rum700]

So I have to assume you contacted a CO about a dead or wounded grizzly left in the area? Other hunters or just locate the bear you probably left for dead! Read about false charges too! Not that I'm brave enough but you may have had options.

First line of the post says it wasn't him. Second hand info.

[aggiehunter]

my frying pan collection is riddled with 550 grain craters from the gg....haven't had to use it and hope not too...but grizz are everywhere in the EK and they love to follow you...curious little fellows that's all....

[Peter Pepper]

We all know bears clean up gut piles and then probably learn to associate hunters/gunshots with easy food. I wonder if we could hose the carcass with bear spray, of chilli flakes or something.
Maybe just in problem areas, or if u know a bear is already watching and waiting to take over your kill/gut pile. I'm sure they don't think we abandon those gut piles willingly, and probably think they pushed us off them.
It's good they clean up and all, but really, we are conditioning them when we let them have these easy meals.
Maybe cover your old spray can with blood and leave in the gut pile? I know peanut butter on bear spray or spray paint can works well for camp raiding bears. Teaches them to leave people alone.
Not doing something to a pushy/aggressive bear is sort off irresponsible. What if a family out hiking runs into it next time? Maybe SSS.

[drbb]

We all know bears clean up gut piles and then probably learn to associate hunters/gunshots with easy food. I wonder if we could hose the carcass with bear spray, of chilli flakes or something.
Maybe just in problem areas, or if u know a bear is already watching and waiting to take over your kill/gut pile. I'm sure they don't think we abandon those gut piles willingly, and probably think they pushed us off them.
It's good they clean up and all, but really, we are conditioning them when we let them have these easy meals.
Maybe cover your old spray can with blood and leave in the gut pile? I know peanut butter on bear spray or spray paint can works well for camp raiding bears. Teaches them to leave people alone.
Not doing something to a pushy/aggressive bear is sort off irresponsible. What if a family out hiking runs into it next time? Maybe SSS.

Do not use pepper spray to coat objects assuming that would stop a bear. It is pepper; if sprayed on food, it is a spice. If sprayed in the eyes it is a deterrent. In fact, I think there are rumors out there that bears in fact like the flavor of pepper spray.

[wideopenthrottle]

[QUOTE=mpotzold;1666291]

I hate to disagree with some of you guys, but I think there is just as much of a chance of a gun screw up than a bear spray screw up. I'm not just talking mechanical error, also talking human error as well given the circumstances. Plus, it's a lot harder to put in a kill shot at a grizzly charging you at 45kms/hrs then one thinks.
One of the leading experts on bear attacks, James Gary Shelton, has said that there is more of a chance of coming into contact with a charging bear when you are armed with a gun, than when you have bear spray. Meaning statistically speaking, bear spray works better than a gun. His information comes from years of documenting factual bear encounters and attacks from all over North America.
Lots of things to take into consideration, like never test your bear spray, then think it's going to work fine the next time, once it's used its done. Secondly, when it has expired, use it to practise then buy a new one.
When carrying a gun, is it loaded all the time, bolt action vs semi-auto, etc. If shotgun, Slug vs SSG. Then there is reaction time and adrenaline and fear. Lots going on in the seconds you have to react.
I personally carry both. When I hunt alone, I always have one in the pipe with the safety on. When I hunt with a friend, magazine is loaded, not the chamber. I would also shoot first and reach for the spray second if I had the

CRAPOLA!
Gleaned info from Gary Shelton’s (GS) 3 books.
-a person who is proficient with a large calibre rifle or a pump 12-gauge shotgun can reduce the risk of injury or death during a bear attack to about nil.
-I (GS)personally would always choose firearm over spray.
-Pepper spray does not come close to firearms as a defense system
-should be considered as a temporary deterrent(if it works)-so leave immediately
-its delivery is a function of the prevailing wind
-in most cases you would be better off using a spray against a grizzly rather than playing dead
-I(GS) have never sprayed a bear
-statistically speaking of potential success-firearms 95% and playing dead /fight back 45% , spray is right in the middle at 70%
-sprays are not equal to firearms for defence nor do they work in every situation

In a nutshell nothing wrong with carrying bear spray but expect a failure rate of 1 in 3.(not to encouraging is it?)
“Bear spray better than guns” are based on flawed, biased & unscientific studies. BOGUS for short!
http://www.examiner.com/article/bear...ray-or-firearm

thanks for responding to that...sometimes there are ways to use statistics that completely mislead ..this was one of them......it was like saying walking is better than bicycling cuz you have a higher chance of getting a flat tire on a bike....

[M.Dean]

Fill every pocket you got with 3 inch spiking nails when in Grizz country, No, there not going to save you if your attacked by a Grizz intent on eating you, but at least it'll choke to death well eating you alive! And, above all, wear a Helmet Cam! Leave instructions for your Wife, Kid's or who ever to post the Vid here of you being eaten alive, it'd be a great lesson to all of us "Not to Hunt in Grizzly Country"!!! Have a great trip!!!

[mattmckay]

Stats are easily manipulated to prove your point. While taking a old life course the instructor gave us some stats on bear kills vs deer kills. His number for bears was 3-4 and deer 345 or so. 3-4 was people killed by bears, on one there was debate on whether it was a scavenge or kill. I asked how many of the deer were vehicle accidents. Most of the deer killing human incidents were car accidents, closely followed by hunting accidents. I asked about the bear stats and was hunting and vehicles included. No. His point was bears aren't as dangerous as people think and he was touting bear spray use over lethal. I pack bear spray at work. When I go into the woods, often alone, I leave the bear spray in the truck. Excess weight, in my opinion, and I have a gun.

[Iron Glove]

Yes, having taken Statistics in University and working all my life in the Insurance Industry, stats are simply numbers, it's the inferences, right or wrong that one makes with those numbers that are interesting.
I never carry bear or deer spray in my automobiles and have never had an accident with a deer or bear in my auto.
Therefore my stats say that not carrying bear spray prevents such accidents.