Bear spray: 90% of the time, it works – every time
April 3rd, 2008 | by Andy Published in Camping, Resources, Wildlife
Research findings of a Brigham Young University wildlife biologist show bear spray to be a far more effective deterrent to aggressive bears, than guns are. On average, it takes four shots from a gun to stop a bear, with your odds of success being about 66%. But based on the research, opening up a can on old Gentle Ben is as much as 90% effective. And, of course, you don’t end up with messy bear carcass that you have to pack out (remember, ‘leave no trace’).
Thankfully, the black bears inhabiting our region are rather docile, tending only to attack you if you’re dressed up as a cheapo food pack. But just in case, here’s a primer on how to get tha full effect out of your bear spray. Also works great on any gun-toting, good ol’ boy drunks that may roam into your campsite at 3am.