The point of the article is that the two studies that led to the widely held conclusion that bear spray is more effective were never meant to prove that and, in fact, don't. They were separate studies done to determine separate things.
The point of the article is that the two studies that led to the widely held conclusion that bear spray is more effective were never meant to prove that and, in fact, don't. They were separate studies done to determine separate things.
Time is but the stream I go afishin' in.
Thoreau
Check out the Interagency grizzly bear committee, igbconline.org.
Bear spray works. It’s the most effective deterrent. Ask anybody who lives in Montana.
If you carry a gun, you only need 1 bullet and it ain’t for the bear.
FWIW -
I had a can of bear spray that was near its expiry. A couple days ago, at the start of a dayhike, I decided to discharge it in the woods before throwing it away, and observing how far it sprayed. The can I bought was to spray at least 30 feet. This minimum distance was expected to be met until the expiration date; afterwards, the distance declines.
I paced off 30 feet, checked that any wind was at my back (about 3 mph tops), and it sprayed about 15 feet before diffusing to such an extent that it was not possible to consider the drift as a directed spray any longer.
While it was fairly cool out (42F), the can had just come from a climate-controlled car. I doubt it cooled significantly by the time I walked to the wooded area.
Needless to say, I'm questioning whether it is worth replacing this can or not. Not on the grounds of whether the 2.0% major capsaicinoids deter bears, but whether the spray distance can be relied upon - might this spray have been good for 30' year one, 25' year 2, 20' year 3, and 15' in this past year? Plus, consider drift. Obviously you can't control whether a bear that needs to be deterred is downwind or not. The fogging nature of the spray is nice from an aiming perspective, but it seems like a hindrance to getting good distance from the spray.
About half the time I hike in established (black) bear country. I know that the vast majority of black bear encounters are likely to be benign. But I'm willing to carry several extra ounces for insurance against those uncommon exceptions.