....or camel toe
What are folks opinions on bear spray up in VT? I'll be hitting the trail soon but I was under the impression the black bear population in VT was like a quarter what it is in Georgia and Shenandoah. But then again, it has been some 10 years since I have hiked New England. Never saw a moose or bear back then even once.
We saw tons of bear and moose scat on the LT (literally), but only one bear. I would not carry spray.
I think the general idea is to just make noise (usually people make enough noise anyway) in the case of black bears, they usually seem more curious than hostile. Never dealt with any other kind of bear, I hear grizzlies are a different story.
Although in retrospect I've never dealt with a black bear on a trail, only the ones that maraud our birdfeeders. I would go with Josh D and bigcranky
A hiking stick a-sway keeps the doctor at bay.
This is one of those comfort questions. If you feel safer with spray being handy and would ease your mind a bit, then by all means. However, though bears in New England are at a fairly good population, its very rare to run across one. I am in those forests all the time and have not lugged around bear spray if thats worth anything.
Saw one on the south end near Lost Pond but it went it's way we went ours. I saw two in the Shenandoahs again they were more concerned about eating the treetops or running away. I saw 11 on the High Sierra Trail never once carried bear spray. I was responsible enough to keep my food in a bear canister out there. And I placed the canister away from camp.
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