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As far as extra burden goes, I don't see a huge difference between carrying a handgun, or carrying a can or two of bear spray.

A typical can of bear spray with 10-12 oz of net content, must weight about 16 oz with the can and all. A lot of spray carriers carry two cans. That's roughly two pounds.

Depending on what type of handgun one might choose, he could come in about the same overall, or even lighter.

I call that a wash.

Pretty much....

I have lived and worked in Bear country my hole life and never once thought of Bear Spray and do not know one person who chooses it over a firearm.

I have been charged by a Black Bear after it got into our horses not knowing it was wounded previously and believe me,bear spray was not on my mind at all as a well placed shot from the .270 made him stop in his tracks/spin around swiping at his wound to fall deader than a door nail a few feet from me.

I also want a fighting chance if attacked not relying on someone else's opinion or studies knowing a bullet ends it all to 2 legged or 4 legged critters.....

I never want to see something like this........The Bear was coated with Bear spray and his paws were loaded with blood...Just happened in the Bob Marshal from a black bear.

Jayco

Really?

I'd appreciate you citing some sources for that.

Here's what I know: Herrero et al published a peer-reviewed paper last year that was the best and largest study to date looking at firearms vs spray, and their data suggested that pepper spray was only about 6% more effective than firearms (88% for firearms, 94% for spray, IIRC). The study was flawed in that it didn't differentiate types of firearms used, nor did it differentiate between shooters who were experienced/trained with them, and it didn't rule out bear attacks that were initially stopped by spray but then resumed when the bear had recovered from the initial shock of being sprayed. There were a lot of flaws in that study.

Gary Shelton, who is in many people's opinion the most experienced and knowledgeable bear defense expert in Canada quite pointedly does NOT endorse pepper spray over firearms. He does make the caveat that people who are going to carry firearms for bear defense really should take training in the use of same in order to fully utilize the advantage that a firearm can give you, but he doesn't recommend carrying spray rather than a gun. He DOES recommend that everyone in the party carry TWO cans of spray, and have training in their use, however.



I've had about 2 dozen more close encounters with bears than you've claimed, Brad, but I have no illusions that this makes me a bear behavior/defense "expert". I have used bear spray once and a firearm twice against aggressive bears in my lifetime, the remainder were handled by avoidance training. But I certainly don't claim that this limited experience grants me any expertise.

I carry bear spray in bear country, but I also carry firearm(s) whenever feasible. The circumstances under which either should be used are not easily defined. But I've reached a point in my life where the only time I do NOT carry a firearm in bear country is when it's prohibited by law. FWIW, I don't have much faith in handguns as bear medicine, I much prefer a rifle or slug shotgun. I do carry a magnum revolver in black bear country at times, but even then I've done a lot of fishing with a slug gun slung over my shoulder.

And yes, I've had the training in the use of firearms for bear defense from authorized trainers. It's not rocket science, and it's not firearms wizardry beyond the grasp of the average hunter/rifleman.

I appreciate traveling light as much as anyone.

My typical springtime day on the hill. Small pack, extra layer, some food, some water, and on that day a 45-70 stoked with 405gr cast.




(and the self-propelled bear detector....grin)

the only bears I worry about are those that walk upright. I don't like anyone enough nor am I agreeable enough to participate in some crap on a hiking trail.

DocRocket,

Thanks for that intelligent post, and sharing your personal experience, which is far more than some of the self-appointed experts that have contributed(?) to this thread.

Not referring to you Doc, but reading this whole thread, the thought also occurred to me that it seems that frequently the first sign of arrogance is when a poster labels anyone else that doesn't agree with him as "arrogant". I think I may be onto something here.

What I have read on bear spray is always shoot down wind. If it blows back in your face you are fcked up and the bear would have a tasty meal. I don't think a firearm is that wind sensitive at close range. JMHO

I could be guilty of arrogance now and then, but I honestly am not bothered if others agree with me or not.

Yep Doc...that was good...

Now just don't go arrogant on us because you are " The Most Interesting Man in the World"....

Stay thirsty my freind....

When I hike in griz country, I carry bear spray. When I camp in a campground in griz country, I take a 44 Mag to bed with me at night. Black bears don't worry me. If you spend most of your time on the AT and just hit towns to get food etc then people prolly won't be a prob. If I wanted to carry a piece on the AT, it would prolly be a .38 snubbie..small, light, adequately effective.

Do you suppose the bear will patiently wait until you move around to his upwind side so you can spray him?

I bagged a pair of peaks (just over 10 miles) today with a good portion of it on the AT (branched off at one point to go up the Flume Slide but looped back on).



There has big jump in "nuisance bear" issues at/around the Liberty Spring Tentsite. I guess my pard and I can both be labelled as idiots based on what we were carrying. I don't worry much about bears, though.....

George

this line got me good--a real good laugh !

i note he was online on the 8th, so he may have garnered a juicy tidbit or two out of all the informative posts.

i could reckon he'll be well armed with info when the ap hike is done though...

Doc, check out the current issue of "Sports Afield". There is an article that discusses a recent report that was co-authored by five experts in the field of Bear Defense. They studied 269 incidents involving bear/human conflicts in Alaska over a 26 year period.

I found the article very interesting, but I doubt if it will change the minds of many people here, most of which have never seen a grizzly bear in the wild.

When I'am on the AT I carry a keltec .380, Don't plan on getting in any firefights up there. As for the black bears I encountered, they don't hang around long enough to get sprayed. They don't like humans, they associate them with loud bangs.

The POINT TO REMEMBER about THIS THREAD is IT'S ABOUT SUMMER-[bleep]-TIME BAKCPACKING... not horsey packing, not dayhiking. It's about an already BURDENED person adding what many of us consider UNNECESSARY additional SUMMERTIME weight when one's trying to pare away ounces everywhere.

That many non-backpackers have chimed in here is arrogant and funny. You have no reason to have an opinion. OK, you can have your opinion like your azzhole, but not all opinions are created equal.

I've had a pile of pistols from a FA 4-3/4" 454 Casull to the S&W 63 22lr. I like pistols. I'm a decent handgun shot.

ON SUMMERTIME BACKPACK TRIPS I FIND AS PISTOL AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN WHEN SPRAY IS DOCUMENTED AS MORE EFFECTIVE AND IS LIGHTER.

In the fall when hunting things change. In a bear encounter I'll take a rifle over any pistol, and bear spray over any pistol. I pack a Ruger Security Six with hard-cast 180 LBT's when packing out dead elk... it's right there with spray but as a backup to the spray.

Were I bowhunting again I'd be packing a pistol and spray... a bowhunter is doing everything he shouldn't be doing in terms of having a bad bear encounter.

For [bleep] SAKE people, read the damn thread in context... this one is about summertime backpacking.

And the point about taking a human life stands as someone that's been there... you can blow your macho-[bleep] mouth all you want about taking a life, but it's a terrible thing.

And BTW Shane, even in a menopausal rage, I could hike your azz into the ground, and that's no guess.

Brad,

Heed you own advice there hero. Because you seem to be reading impaired I took the trouble to pare down the OP so you could figure out what the grownups are discussing.



A spray can of hot sauce is not the answer to this question no matter how much you want to justify your decision to let fate rule your outcome. Ease off the granola.

As I said to the OP dumbazz (speking of reading impaired), you'd better be thoroughly and properly trained if you're going to carry in terms of the two-legged variety. I'd be willing to bet most that have posted here AREN'T. If not, you're better off with Mace and a knife.

But you're one of the penis impaired macho azzholes that seem to dominate this forum as a rule.

and a handgun would have prevented them getting shot in their sleep? wow.

Is it really that hard???