Another major tip (not mentioned in the video), some sprays may not spray well when cold. Thus, on colder days, it would be very wise to store the can close to your body/inside a jacket, to help keep the can at an optimum temperature!
in that case, look away, cover your eyes, spray towards the bear regardless of the wind and then run out of the way of the cloud... the cloud doesn't need to touch the bear for it to be effective they just have to smell it
Encountered a black bear couple days ago and made eye contact by accident I nearly shit myself but walked out slowly with the wife.. Last thing u want to do is run. They can run faster and may see you as a threat with fast movements.
Depends on the situation. Last summer I was charged by a big brown. I eliminated the threat and was amazingly calm within seconds. I can draw a firearm faster than deploying spray as anyone can. In that situation if I'd have tried to deploy spray I would not be here right now. If the bear had not charged I would have slowly backed out of the park. Yes, a public park!
Bear spray purchased in Canada has proven to be effective in a number of cases and is a standard piece of safety equipment we recommend for travelling in bear country. The most important thing to try and do is avoid an encounter in the first place. See our description for a link to more information.
Thank you for this very informative video. Not only will save the life of a person, but the bear as well. More videos like this one should be available and posted on all places where people travel that may encounter wildlife.
+Cap'n Mo Yea, because you have time for that during a bear attack. "Bear, please wait while I check the wind direction. Oh yea. It's coming from over there. Well, bear, looks like we need to switch places so you're the one facing against the wind instead of me. Would you kindly comply before attacking me?"
The expiry date is from the manufacture, they will not guarantee the product after that point. If cared for properly and not exposed to extreme temps, especially cold, it could be viable after that date - but no guarantees! As both pressure and potency are required to be viable, the date relates to both. At the start of each season, it's worth while to at least check the pressure with a quick spray - in an outside location, away from people and buildings and not into the wind!
Expired cans are best dealt with in a "Toxic Round-up". Both the pressure and the contents are a significant safety issue. Check with the local municipal recycling authorities for how/where they would like to deal with such items.
I was at a surplus store in Quebec buying one of those cans. One of the employees tried to talk me out of it saying I did not need anything to defend myself against bears while hiking, saying I would be just fine. Moron.
@david messi black bears may be smaller than a grizzly, but they are not small. There's no way you can win a fight with a bear if it were to attack, so to say they are not life threatening is just plain wrong.
Finally picked one up today, mushroom picking season, some how a pocket knife just doesn’t cut it for me for feeling safe lol. One picked was surrounded by a bear or bears and his bear spray was very effective in deterring the bear, I haven’t heard of a bear attack with a mushroom picker but close calls, bear attacks seem to happen near the roads here. Going for a hike soon.
Well, as they say in Pinedale, Wy. ,,,, the diff. betw. black and grizz scat is that black bear scat has rodent bones and berry seeds,,, grizz scat has pepper spray cans and bells.
Ok glad I watched this, someone told me you’re supposed to make a circle around yourself and the bear wont enter the circle. I couldn’t tell if they were joking and I was paranoid that I wasnt going to use it properly if I actually did have a bear encounter 😂
no, their messing with you. Your supposed to spray yourself with it. Wherever you spray yourself the bear wont bite so if you spray your leg, it won't bite your leg and if you spray your forehead or neck it won't go for your head, that's why they usually say repellant because it works the same way mosquito spray works.
@@ililxaphanlili2600 I hope people realize you're joking. You didn't even mention spraying it in your eyes. If you can't see the bear, the bear can't see you.
All this stuff is pretty important for me to learn I live in Louisiana on the gulf coast looking for a change of scenery... Bozeman Mt... Seattle...and other places around there are looking interesting to me...there's enough ice skating/surfing out on the northern Pacific ocean for me to stay up there for months/years
Banff National Park personnel who work in close proximity to bears day-to-day use non-lethal deterrents. They are effective. They are also safer for both bears and people. These include paint ball guns equipped with chalk balls, noise makers, and bear spray. Wildlife personnel do have access to shotguns and rifles for emergency purposes but they are rarely, if ever, used. Why? Bears do not generally behave aggressively unless they feel that they or their young are threatened. So in the majority of circumstances a negative encounter can be avoided in the first place by giving bears space, recognizing bear habitat, scat and tracks, safely storing food, and making noise especially near streams and meadows. If all else fails and an encounter with a grizzly or black bear happens, studies show that bear spray is effective and safer than a firearm - even when used at close proximity (as required). Bear spray is also inexpensive, lightweight, easy to use, and less likely to cause serious unintended injury to the user and the bear. It may also deter the bear from approaching people in the future. We should note too that carrying unencased firearms in a national park is prohibited under the Canada National Parks Act. It is also illegal in Canada to carry restricted firearms, other than transportation to and from a pistol range. The bottom line? Firearms are not essential for safety in bear country. Bear spray and bear awareness skills produce the best outcomes with grizzly and black bears. For this reason, they are the recommended tools for bear safety on the trail in the mountain national parks. More details about that on these pages: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/bears-and-people
Clearly you are referring to the Herrero and Smith studies but you obviously didn't ready the studies you are referring too and just skipped to their conclusion or just accepted what someone else told you. As an economist and statistician who does studies and read these studies in detail, I can tell you they are not scientific at best, and at worst, fraudulent. There are two different studies done by Herrero and Smith. One for guns and one for bear spray but the same criteria was not used. For example, if you had a gun but decided not to use it or didn't have time to deploy it, that counted as a failure of the gun to protect you in the gun study, however the study with bear spray only counted times people actually sprayed the bear. This alone invalidated any comparison of the studies but there are many more discrepancies between the methodology of the two studies and this violates the core principles of scientific study. The only reasonable conclusion is that these studies are not science, they are politics and anyone who follows their advice does so at their own peril.
@@moose9906 There is enough evidence to suggest that using preventative measures is sufficient to prevent danger to most people. It is rare, in the first place, that a human will have an encounter directly with a bear. If it does happen, there is sufficient evidence to suggest bear spray is sufficient in most cases. In those cases it isn't, Parks Canada has advice to deal with the attack. Only in the very rare case of a predatory attack would you need to fight with the bear, and in those cases perhaps your advice of 'using a firearm' would be appropriate. What is more likely, however, is that people are going to overuse firearms in encounters with bears that could've been prevented if they were less ignorant and arrogant. They are entering bear territory and harming bears in their own territory trying to go about their own business. If you can't follow simple safety advice and respect their territory, for both your and their sake, just stay away from it and stick to your cities. Show some respect for the wildlife whose land you're wanting to explore. Most cases do not require fighting the bear, so there's absolutely no reason to be quick with some trigger finger.
@@themadman300113 There is not sufficient evidence to suggest peeper pray is effective against bears, especially brown bears. The often quoted studies by a professor at Calgary university and an American professor are fraudulent. It is clear you never read them, never read past the conclusions, or didn't understand them because they are not even remotely scientific. The two separate studies that are quoted as if they were one study used vastly different criteria in evaluating the effectiveness of firearms and pepper spray. They are works of fiction done for political reasons and have no relevance to reality and anything resembling science. Now while it is true that most people will not encounter a hostile bear, that isn't an argument that bear spray is an effective deterrent to a bear attack. By that standard you should go into the forest with nothing at all. The real question is what is the best protection you can carry in the case you are unlucky enough to encounter and aggressive bear. The answer is an high caliber long rifle if you are trained to use it. If you are wandering in bear country you should be trained to use it but not everyone is. For those who don't have access to or are untrained with firearms them bear spray is your best option but that is far different that saying it is the best option.
@@moose9906 Of all the people that have encounters with bears, most of them are resolved by basic deterrents. Of those that are attacked by a bear, the bear is usually behaving defensively in most cases. Hence, only a **VERY** small minority of cases result in aggressive bear encounters. If you start arming every trigger happy ass to go into the area, people are going to start shooting bears for attacks that aren't even aggressive because they **CANNOT DIFFER BETWEEN THEM** (if they could, they almost certainly would've been able to prevent an aggressive encounter in the first place). Even if guns are the most effective means of protection, people are simply not trained to know when it's *really* necessary to use a weapon. All that would result in is excessive deaths to the bear population which is already relatively endangered in the area. Before you try to optimise your safety with guns, perhaps learn more about bear behaviour. I can almost guarantee with completely certainty if every traveller went into the area armed with that knowledge, pretty much no travellers would experience fatalities in encounters with bears. But since people can't follow instructions and do stupid things like feed the bears, they're creating a more hostile environment for themselves and for others. The issue isn't lack of guns, it's lazy and ignorant people visiting the area. This advice is sufficient for almost everyone.
Great post except if you consider a 9 ounce canister inexpensive, think again. It can average near $50 for a 7 second can (9 oz). Walmart when on sale at $35. I never assume most bears won't attack. I remind myself ANY bear can attack and prepared.
I am in the UK flying to Canada to become a ski instructor in 1 month. Since I will spend around 6 months in Banff every year I decided it's probably good to familiarise myself with local wildlife. I have 3 questions; can a tourist buy bear spray? How close it too close since I've seen some people have a bear walk right past them and finally do you find bears in very cold regions.
Hi there! Thanks for watching. Bear spray is widely available from commercial vendors throughout Canada, including the Town of Banff. A bear is never too close to use bear spray on. But use at close range, on a calm bear, that may be just wanting to pass by, could elicit a defensive attack. All wildlife behavior, in response to humans, is very contextual and dependent in large part on the behaviour of the human. To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html
Ya, I was going to say the same thing. Familiarize yourself with good bear protocols and behaviors - it's all context. You're in their house, so follow their rules.
From what I've read, "effective in 90% of cases" applies only to those cases where the bear is just being nosy. If a bear is charging, again - from what I've read, that effective percentage drops to about 30%. Imagine the nose-guard for the Chicago Bears (pun intended) coming at you because he thinks you're a celebrity vs him being cranked-up on PCP and coming at you because he just recognized that you're the guy that slept with his wife. Spray is definitely better than nothing, in some cases. In others, it will probably just make it angrier. Apparently, a more consistent deterrent is to be in a group of people.
Noise and not smell are the first thing, bears love some smell but do not like others. Go into the wild mean know your surroundings, deal with it and enjoy the absolutely better part to be into the wild ; be part of it
Hi Steph, Thanks for your question! There could be many reasons why bear spray is not effective in 8-10% of cases when it is used. This paper talks about the efficacy of bear spray and describes why it may not have deterred a attack; bearwise.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/efficacy-of-bear-spray-smith-et-al.-2010.pdf It could be related to wind, distance to bear when sprayed, bear unable to flee, bear spray gets knocked out of individuals hand etc. Its also worth noting that 98% of people using spray were uninjured after a close encounter. Hope this helps :)
I would carry bear spray on my belt or a chest type holster, not my backpack even if it has an open side net pouch as shown in this video. Having to pull it out of any part of your backpack may not give you enough time to use it. Nor would I carry it on my bicycle. If you somehow are separated from your bike you won't have your spray.
hey, thanks for the tutorial. you are the only one that show the bear repellent spray that has that safety clip on it. I figured you'd you just pull off the pin and push the red trigger. Every time I would look at the directions. id second guess myself. the directions on here suck.
Can these be safely stored like in a freezer? I'd like to know if either cold storage or non-frozen cold storage could help store them safely. The reason I ask this is that people I know who have used these have had them leak and get stuff in their cars and trunks from the cannisters minute discharge rate over time. It also seems that you have a higher chance of the cannister leaking in higher heat, so this adds to the idea maybe cold storage would work better? (But is it OK to freeze them or just keep them below 50 degrees?) Thanks.
Hi there! Thanks for your question. Below is a link to an interesting study on the effect of cold on bear spray. polarbearsinternational.org/news-media/articles/bear-spray-effectiveness-cold-wind-polar-bears The main effect of cold is that it decreases the pressure of the canister, there is little if any effect on the potency of the contents. We would not recommend storing it in a freezer, because of the potential effects on the rubber seals. When using it in cold environments we do recommend keeping it as warm as possible, like inside a jacket, to maintain the most effective internal pressure. It should still be easily accessible, at a moment’s notice however. We would add that high temps increase the internal pressure, which could lead to the contents leaking past the seals of the canister. Users should follow the manufacturer’s directions for storage and use.
2 questions: - what about the remaining 10% chance if the bear repellent does not work? Any other tools recommended? - does the bear spray work against wild boar the same way?
@@JohnDoe-mp1zk What I don't understand is how to convince the bear to move downwind so you can spray it. Do they mean you should circle the bear? Or do they mean you should just wait as long as you can and hope some of it hits the bear?
This knowledge is so important! We’re talking LIFE or DEATH. I was chased by a grizzly and by some insane luck of fate managed to hide from it under a log. However, I did have my bear spray and was prepared to use it.
Well done video on using bear spray. Although I wouldn't suggest you test your own can of spray, it would be helpful for folks who carry spray know what the effects are going to be like when they themselves get contaminated... Many people have slightly different reactions. Also be certain to carry fresh water with you in case you get some blow back into your eyes and on your hands.
I use my expires cans for spray testing... although never tried to get any in my face. And I won't:-) I always have water and will deal with that if need be in the field. I used to carry a gun all the time as well, not so much anymore.
today i spayed that stuff in my face..at work mind you by accident of course..the lil clip came off ..i had to walk off the job .. and douse myself for at least an hour,, having asthma made it worse for me...the burning lasted up to 4 hours..
To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html”.
In Tennessee my state there's a lot of black bears which are the most none aggressive bears and honestly if u don't panic they don't panic that's kinda a rule here
I was just reading a book that discussed bear attacks, but the interesting part was the investigations after the bodies were found. They mention this park, but make it sound so commercial rather than about the wildlife with apartment buildings, shopping malls, etc. One person even referred to it as the disney of the north. Very disappointing to hear your national parks are that bad.
The town of Banff and certain attractions, yes. Kinda like Old Faithful in Yellowstone, West Yellowstone, Jackson, WY, etc. I saw 4 bears this year in Kootenay NP, adjoining Banff NP. as in Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier, etc, when you get on trails away from the masses, be careful.
And put a portable electric bear fence around your campsite. There’s one out there weighing only 2.4 lbs and it’s really capable. Passive deterrence for a good night’s sleep.
1:30 SPray diretly into the face of the baear. It's over 90% effecive, in all the cases..." >.....however, 10% of the cases yourself find you being supper at bear family dinner.
against animals only. it is always illegal against people even if you are getting raped you will be charged with assault with deathly prohibited weapon. be careful, even if you have one for dogs or bears. its illegal to carry where you coudnt encounter those animals normally. like in a bar, school or a protest.
Bear spray works on Black bears who are mostly curious. Browns are not going to stop a change because of bear spray. You might as well just spray yourself as flavoring for the brown.
That's only if you use it offensively. I know a woman in Calgary who used it on an attacker and there was no mention by anyone of her getting fined for using it. The police congratulated her.
classicjetsims in Ontario we have some knuckleheads who couldn’t get guns use it for mugging people so now it’s banned in our province. It’s Not like we have tons of black bears or even polar bears 🙄
Yeah reminds me of the ranger joke spray the black bear he ran off sprayed a brown grizzly just thought I was offering hot sauce for his afternoon meal 🐺
To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html”.
Hi there! Thanks for your question. Assuming you are referring to the\attack in the Red Deer Valley, the team in Banff did go in with bear spray as an option, along with several other tools, besides a firearm. However, the context of responding to an incident where an attack has likely already occurred, staff may be dealing with injured victims and a closure is in place due to aggressive bear behaviour is far more complex than typical bear encounters the public may find themselves in. Such responses require access to more comprehensive tools and tactics. Training for such responses is grounded both in research into animal behaviour as well as responses by a variety of agencies in North America to numerous, similar incidents. Hope this helps answer your question, thanks for watching!
It's only effective on curious bear not one who wants to attack the couple themself had used bear spray two empty cans found at scene and it had no effect
Just so people are aware you do take a chance with using bear spray people have died in the past while using it its effective but not 100% of the time you're taking a risk regardless when you have bear spray.
this is solid advice but also get proper bear spray and learn to use it and have it at the ready. were I live there is a 100 miles between my back yard and the next paved Road. we only have black bear in the area for the most part along with cougars but I wouldn't trust bear spray to protect me my the people with me on 10 Mile hikes Into the Woods. I have ran into cougars 4 times in the wild and bears several times most likely they're not interested in attacking and all you need to do is slowly walk away butt bear spray can save your life better than a handgun. having a AK-47 at the ready at all times on a long hike is kind of silly.lol thanks for posting this video
This piece looks very nice but in my country this is very costly around 100 dollars a big amount in india, i want to know can i refill it again for reuse with little amount of investment? how many times i can use this lethal weapon....? how many sprays and how to refill it. Must answer. Note : I didnt like the pepper spary its not strong and also covers less distance, 5 meters is too close, chances of death very high.
Yeah right, always control the wind. Bear spray is not likely to be very effective if there is any wind unless the bear charges from precisely downwind of you. If there is any wind, the fogger sprays will deflect at about 3 feet.
It's unfortunate that we live in a society so far removed from common sense that you would have to suggest NOT spraying it on your clothing or getting it in your eyes.
I was raised in bear country, and got very frustrated watching this “how-to”. 🤬🤬🤬 The method of triggering the spray can is Spot On, but usefulness of the video ends there. Showing a horizontal spray method might get you mauled…. It just pisses them off. When repelling ANY bear (black OR Brown/Griz), ALWAYS begin your spray extremely low (6’ in front of their chin), and sweep upward towards the face. This method is proven to be the best defense! Make Damned SURE, their nose goes thru the mist, or your odds of a 2nd chance, diminishes exponentially. Spraying too high allows their face to travel “below the cloud”, and they “WON’T EVEN GIVE A DAMN.” If you spray LOW(!!), and insure they have to pass “THRU THE SPRAY”, you’ve just gotten your money’s worth, out of your spray can. Doubt this old man’s experience, and I wish you well….
Another major tip (not mentioned in the video), some sprays may not spray well when cold. Thus, on colder days, it would be very wise to store the can close to your body/inside a jacket, to help keep the can at an optimum temperature!
imagine the ball drop when u spray on a cold day and it dont work
Thank you
That is seriously a great tip. Would have never came to mind
Ask bear to stand downwind and spray.
Jajaja
in that case, look away, cover your eyes, spray towards the bear regardless of the wind and then run out of the way of the cloud... the cloud doesn't need to touch the bear for it to be effective they just have to smell it
I find that it works for me as well!! 🤪🤪
@@nonames000 yeah run away, thats smart... any sudden movement, and it'll charge at you.
At point blank range it doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing. The bear will break the attack 90-98% of the time.
'After a bear encounter, leave the area as calmly as possible.'
That is just not gonna happen.
Actually, it is possible. I speak from experience.
Encountered a black bear couple days ago and made eye contact by accident I nearly shit myself but walked out slowly with the wife.. Last thing u want to do is run. They can run faster and may see you as a threat with fast movements.
Deeson Jame Just change your shorts first...
Depends on the situation. Last summer I was charged by a big brown. I eliminated the threat and was amazingly calm within seconds. I can draw a firearm faster than deploying spray as anyone can. In that situation if I'd have tried to deploy spray I would not be here right now. If the bear had not charged I would have slowly backed out of the park. Yes, a public park!
why was this situation unique that if you had tried spray you would not be here@@jamespiper4398
Bear spray purchased in Canada has proven to be effective in a number of cases and is a standard piece of safety equipment we recommend for travelling in bear country. The most important thing to try and do is avoid an encounter in the first place. See our description for a link to more information.
Thank you! Best, clearest, and most complete demo I've found so far.
Thank you for this very informative video. Not only will save the life of a person, but the bear as well. More videos like this one should be available and posted on all places where people travel that may encounter wildlife.
I like the light humor in this. Only in Canada would a government video have a little sprinkle of silly harmless humor in it.
great job stepping up to demonstrate how to use the product. such is apparently a task that even the manufacturers are quite incapable of doing.
At 1:17 he says "face against the wind". I think you want your back to the wind.
Yeah, he misspoke, but before that part he clearly states how important it is to manoeuvre yourself so you spray with the wind.
+Cap'n Mo
Yea, because you have time for that during a bear attack. "Bear, please wait while I check the wind direction. Oh yea. It's coming from over there. Well, bear, looks like we need to switch places so you're the one facing against the wind instead of me. Would you kindly comply before attacking me?"
C. S. Christopher Or you could just give up and not try at all, eh?
The good thing is that when the bear picks up our scent then it's downwind from us, meaning our back will be to the wind when the bear approaches.
@@ScottHedley thats only if the bear is hunting you on scent, if the bear is not hunting you and only sees you it could be any direction.
Yes, you can buy bear spray at most outdoor stores in the region.
The expiry date is from the manufacture, they will not guarantee the product after that point. If cared for properly and not exposed to extreme temps, especially cold, it could be viable after that date - but no guarantees! As both pressure and potency are required to be viable, the date relates to both. At the start of each season, it's worth while to at least check the pressure with a quick spray - in an outside location, away from people and buildings and not into the wind!
Expired cans are best dealt with in a "Toxic Round-up". Both the pressure and the contents are a significant safety issue. Check with the local municipal recycling authorities for how/where they would like to deal with such items.
I work at a camping store in alberta and I endorse this video
I was at a surplus store in Quebec buying one of those cans. One of the employees tried to talk me out of it saying I did not need anything to defend myself against bears while hiking, saying I would be just fine. Moron.
Should have slapped them right there and then
Yeah, slapped them silly.
la plupard des gens disent de la marde et savent meme pas de quoi il parle. c'est pas nouveau.
@david messi A blackbear killed a woman recently. Vancouver Island I believe it was. Do not underestimate the dangers of wildlife.
@david messi black bears may be smaller than a grizzly, but they are not small. There's no way you can win a fight with a bear if it were to attack, so to say they are not life threatening is just plain wrong.
Finally picked one up today, mushroom picking season, some how a pocket knife just doesn’t cut it for me for feeling safe lol. One picked was surrounded by a bear or bears and his bear spray was very effective in deterring the bear, I haven’t heard of a bear attack with a mushroom picker but close calls, bear attacks seem to happen near the roads here. Going for a hike soon.
Well, as they say in Pinedale, Wy. ,,,, the diff. betw. black and grizz scat is that black bear scat has rodent bones and berry seeds,,, grizz scat has pepper spray cans and bells.
Ok glad I watched this, someone told me you’re supposed to make a circle around yourself and the bear wont enter the circle. I couldn’t tell if they were joking and I was paranoid that I wasnt going to use it properly if I actually did have a bear encounter 😂
lol my buddy drew an oval around himself. what an idiot.
no, their messing with you. Your supposed to spray yourself with it. Wherever you spray yourself the bear wont bite so if you spray your leg, it won't bite your leg and if you spray your forehead or neck it won't go for your head, that's why they usually say repellant because it works the same way mosquito spray works.
@@ililxaphanlili2600 I hope people realize you're joking. You didn't even mention spraying it in your eyes. If you can't see the bear, the bear can't see you.
All this stuff is pretty important for me to learn I live in Louisiana on the gulf coast looking for a change of scenery... Bozeman Mt... Seattle...and other places around there are looking interesting to me...there's enough ice skating/surfing out on the northern Pacific ocean for me to stay up there for months/years
important to say never turn your back to the animal and never run.
if you do any of those things you are asking to get eaten.
Banff National Park personnel who work in close proximity to bears day-to-day use non-lethal deterrents. They are effective. They are also safer for both bears and people. These include paint ball guns equipped with chalk balls, noise makers, and bear spray. Wildlife personnel do have access to shotguns and rifles for emergency purposes but they are rarely, if ever, used.
Why? Bears do not generally behave aggressively unless they feel that they or their young are threatened. So in the majority of circumstances a negative encounter can be avoided in the first place by giving bears space, recognizing bear habitat, scat and tracks, safely storing food, and making noise especially near streams and meadows.
If all else fails and an encounter with a grizzly or black bear happens, studies show that bear spray is effective and safer than a firearm - even when used at close proximity (as required). Bear spray is also inexpensive, lightweight, easy to use, and less likely to cause serious unintended injury to the user and the bear. It may also deter the bear from approaching people in the future.
We should note too that carrying unencased firearms in a national park is prohibited under the Canada National Parks Act. It is also illegal in Canada to carry restricted firearms, other than transportation to and from a pistol range.
The bottom line? Firearms are not essential for safety in bear country. Bear spray and bear awareness skills produce the best outcomes with grizzly and black bears. For this reason, they are the recommended tools for bear safety on the trail in the mountain national parks.
More details about that on these pages:
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/bears-and-people
Clearly you are referring to the Herrero and Smith studies but you obviously didn't ready the studies you are referring too and just skipped to their conclusion or just accepted what someone else told you. As an economist and statistician who does studies and read these studies in detail, I can tell you they are not scientific at best, and at worst, fraudulent. There are two different studies done by Herrero and Smith. One for guns and one for bear spray but the same criteria was not used. For example, if you had a gun but decided not to use it or didn't have time to deploy it, that counted as a failure of the gun to protect you in the gun study, however the study with bear spray only counted times people actually sprayed the bear. This alone invalidated any comparison of the studies but there are many more discrepancies between the methodology of the two studies and this violates the core principles of scientific study. The only reasonable conclusion is that these studies are not science, they are politics and anyone who follows their advice does so at their own peril.
@@moose9906 There is enough evidence to suggest that using preventative measures is sufficient to prevent danger to most people. It is rare, in the first place, that a human will have an encounter directly with a bear. If it does happen, there is sufficient evidence to suggest bear spray is sufficient in most cases. In those cases it isn't, Parks Canada has advice to deal with the attack. Only in the very rare case of a predatory attack would you need to fight with the bear, and in those cases perhaps your advice of 'using a firearm' would be appropriate.
What is more likely, however, is that people are going to overuse firearms in encounters with bears that could've been prevented if they were less ignorant and arrogant. They are entering bear territory and harming bears in their own territory trying to go about their own business. If you can't follow simple safety advice and respect their territory, for both your and their sake, just stay away from it and stick to your cities. Show some respect for the wildlife whose land you're wanting to explore. Most cases do not require fighting the bear, so there's absolutely no reason to be quick with some trigger finger.
@@themadman300113 There is not sufficient evidence to suggest peeper pray is effective against bears, especially brown bears. The often quoted studies by a professor at Calgary university and an American professor are fraudulent. It is clear you never read them, never read past the conclusions, or didn't understand them because they are not even remotely scientific. The two separate studies that are quoted as if they were one study used vastly different criteria in evaluating the effectiveness of firearms and pepper spray. They are works of fiction done for political reasons and have no relevance to reality and anything resembling science.
Now while it is true that most people will not encounter a hostile bear, that isn't an argument that bear spray is an effective deterrent to a bear attack. By that standard you should go into the forest with nothing at all. The real question is what is the best protection you can carry in the case you are unlucky enough to encounter and aggressive bear. The answer is an high caliber long rifle if you are trained to use it. If you are wandering in bear country you should be trained to use it but not everyone is. For those who don't have access to or are untrained with firearms them bear spray is your best option but that is far different that saying it is the best option.
@@moose9906 Of all the people that have encounters with bears, most of them are resolved by basic deterrents. Of those that are attacked by a bear, the bear is usually behaving defensively in most cases.
Hence, only a **VERY** small minority of cases result in aggressive bear encounters. If you start arming every trigger happy ass to go into the area, people are going to start shooting bears for attacks that aren't even aggressive because they **CANNOT DIFFER BETWEEN THEM** (if they could, they almost certainly would've been able to prevent an aggressive encounter in the first place).
Even if guns are the most effective means of protection, people are simply not trained to know when it's *really* necessary to use a weapon. All that would result in is excessive deaths to the bear population which is already relatively endangered in the area.
Before you try to optimise your safety with guns, perhaps learn more about bear behaviour. I can almost guarantee with completely certainty if every traveller went into the area armed with that knowledge, pretty much no travellers would experience fatalities in encounters with bears.
But since people can't follow instructions and do stupid things like feed the bears, they're creating a more hostile environment for themselves and for others.
The issue isn't lack of guns, it's lazy and ignorant people visiting the area. This advice is sufficient for almost everyone.
Great post except if you consider a 9 ounce canister inexpensive, think again. It can average near $50 for a 7 second can (9 oz). Walmart when on sale at $35. I never assume most bears won't attack. I remind myself ANY bear can attack and prepared.
What if you spray it at Bear Grylls?
I am in the UK flying to Canada to become a ski instructor in 1 month. Since I will spend around 6 months in Banff every year I decided it's probably good to familiarise myself with local wildlife. I have 3 questions; can a tourist buy bear spray? How close it too close since I've seen some people have a bear walk right past them and finally do you find bears in very cold regions.
Hi there! Thanks for watching. Bear spray is widely available from commercial vendors throughout Canada, including the Town of Banff. A bear is never too close to use bear spray on. But use at close range, on a calm bear, that may be just wanting to pass by, could elicit a defensive attack. All wildlife behavior, in response to humans, is very contextual and dependent in large part on the behaviour of the human. To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html
@@parkscanada thank you so much
Ya, I was going to say the same thing. Familiarize yourself with good bear protocols and behaviors - it's all context. You're in their house, so follow their rules.
From what I've read, "effective in 90% of cases" applies only to those cases where the bear is just being nosy. If a bear is charging, again - from what I've read, that effective percentage drops to about 30%. Imagine the nose-guard for the Chicago Bears (pun intended) coming at you because he thinks you're a celebrity vs him being cranked-up on PCP and coming at you because he just recognized that you're the guy that slept with his wife. Spray is definitely better than nothing, in some cases. In others, it will probably just make it angrier. Apparently, a more consistent deterrent is to be in a group of people.
Noise and not smell are the first thing, bears love some smell but do not like others. Go into the wild mean know your surroundings, deal with it and enjoy the absolutely better part to be into the wild ; be part of it
Is the 10% ineffectiveness due to the wind? Expiry? Or the spray not hitting the bears eye?!
Hi Steph, Thanks for your question! There could be many reasons why bear spray is not effective in 8-10% of cases when it is used. This paper talks about the efficacy of bear spray and describes why it may not have deterred a attack; bearwise.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/efficacy-of-bear-spray-smith-et-al.-2010.pdf
It could be related to wind, distance to bear when sprayed, bear unable to flee, bear spray gets knocked out of individuals hand etc. Its also worth noting that 98% of people using spray were uninjured after a close encounter. Hope this helps :)
I would carry bear spray on my belt or a chest type holster, not my backpack even if it has an open side net pouch as shown in this video. Having to pull it out of any part of your backpack may not give you enough time to use it. Nor would I carry it on my bicycle. If you somehow are separated from your bike you won't have your spray.
hey, thanks for the tutorial. you are the only one that show the bear repellent spray that has that safety clip on it. I figured you'd you just pull off the pin and push the red trigger. Every time I would look at the directions. id second guess myself. the directions on here suck.
What do if wind against you?
Can these be safely stored like in a freezer?
I'd like to know if either cold storage or non-frozen cold storage could help store them safely. The reason I ask this is that people I know who have used these have had them leak and get stuff in their cars and trunks from the cannisters minute discharge rate over time. It also seems that you have a higher chance of the cannister leaking in higher heat, so this adds to the idea maybe cold storage would work better? (But is it OK to freeze them or just keep them below 50 degrees?)
Thanks.
Hi there! Thanks for your question. Below is a link to an interesting study on the effect of cold on bear spray.
polarbearsinternational.org/news-media/articles/bear-spray-effectiveness-cold-wind-polar-bears
The main effect of cold is that it decreases the pressure of the canister, there is little if any effect on the potency of the contents. We would not recommend storing it in a freezer, because of the potential effects on the rubber seals.
When using it in cold environments we do recommend keeping it as warm as possible, like inside a jacket, to maintain the most effective internal pressure. It should still be easily accessible, at a moment’s notice however.
We would add that high temps increase the internal pressure, which could lead to the contents leaking past the seals of the canister. Users should follow the manufacturer’s directions for storage and use.
2 questions:
- what about the remaining 10% chance if the bear repellent does not work? Any other tools recommended?
- does the bear spray work against wild boar the same way?
I took my new bear spray can with on a group hike. We all would have been dinner. lol Noone knew how to work this contraction. Thank you :0)
Is a bear bell good if you don't have bear spray?
I am reading a Bernstein bears book can I bear spray the book because there’s bears in it
thank you for the lesson! I will take that spray when I go for hiking
Does it work against mountain lion?
So what does the expiry date actually indicate the expiry of? The pressure, or the potency, or what?
one or both. the point is that its not guaranteed.
What good does it do to say, "Make sure the wind is blowing towards the bear." How are you supposed to do that?
to emphasize that you ideally want to discharge with wind to your back. How hard is that to understand
@@JohnDoe-mp1zk What I don't understand is how to convince the bear to move downwind so you can spray it. Do they mean you should circle the bear? Or do they mean you should just wait as long as you can and hope some of it hits the bear?
@@sandyirving7731 You do understand. Why pretend otherwise? Everyone knows what he meant. So do you. So why be obtuse?
@@CIRCLEOFTONE
I don't understand what action to take if the wind is blowing away from the bear and towards me. Tell me.
Why do they ask if I have bear.pepper spray coming into Canada?
This knowledge is so important! We’re talking LIFE or DEATH. I was chased by a grizzly and by some insane luck of fate managed to hide from it under a log. However, I did have my bear spray and was prepared to use it.
Thanks God you are alive dear!!
Well done video on using bear spray. Although I wouldn't suggest you test your own can of spray, it would be helpful for folks who carry spray know what the effects are going to be like when they themselves get contaminated... Many people have slightly different reactions. Also be certain to carry fresh water with you in case you get some blow back into your eyes and on your hands.
I use my expires cans for spray testing... although never tried to get any in my face. And I won't:-) I always have water and will deal with that if need be in the field. I used to carry a gun all the time as well, not so much anymore.
What is that 10 percent?
What happens to the 10% of bears undeterred by bear spray?
You're Bear Food!
The canister looks so clumsy to use, don't know why it can't be another design to release the spray.
today i spayed that stuff in my face..at work mind you by accident of course..the lil clip came off ..i had to walk off the job .. and douse myself for at least an hour,, having asthma made it worse for me...the burning lasted up to 4 hours..
There wasn't any advice on what to do if the wind is blowing towards your face.
Run towards a tree. Wait till the bear almost catches up to you and then take a U turn.
How does that stuff work above 7,000 feet? Altitude affects pressure.
Seldom works it especially didn't work recently when a couple were killed by bear dispite two cans had been used
Is there a plan B that is written on the spray can just in case the spray is not affective ?
To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html”.
In Tennessee my state there's a lot of black bears which are the most none aggressive bears and honestly if u don't panic they don't panic that's kinda a rule here
Yes, I'll be woken up by a bear in the middle of the night, check the wind and leave the area, calmly.
wait i need to wait for bear to be 5 meters within me?
deberías hacer un top 5 de los mejores gas para osos en el mercado, junto con su precio aproximado
In Canada they only sell 1% bear spray. Is 1% really effective to deter a bear?
stg5ive works on humans so maybe
I have two expired cans of Bear spray that I never used. What should I do with those cans? What's the correct procedure?
better than nothing. Bears can't read the dates
@@michaellehman8583 I gave the cans to police 7 years ago
I was just reading a book that discussed bear attacks, but the interesting part was the investigations after the bodies were found. They mention this park, but make it sound so commercial rather than about the wildlife with apartment buildings, shopping malls, etc. One person even referred to it as the disney of the north. Very disappointing to hear your national parks are that bad.
The town of Banff and certain attractions, yes. Kinda like Old Faithful in Yellowstone, West Yellowstone, Jackson, WY, etc. I saw 4 bears this year in Kootenay NP, adjoining Banff NP. as in Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier, etc, when you get on trails away from the masses, be careful.
Have the wind to your back. Now, what's so tough about that?
And put a portable electric bear fence around your campsite. There’s one out there weighing only 2.4 lbs and it’s really capable. Passive deterrence for a good night’s sleep.
1:30 SPray diretly into the face of the baear. It's over 90% effecive, in all the cases..."
>.....however, 10% of the cases yourself find you being supper at bear family dinner.
90%? That's it? I think we're going to need the John Wick Dragon Breath Shotgun as an extra precautionary.
are we allow to buy bear spray in canada?
Tung L yes we are I have 7 cans of it
against animals only. it is always illegal against people even if you are getting raped you will be charged with assault with deathly prohibited weapon. be careful, even if you have one for dogs or bears. its illegal to carry where you coudnt encounter those animals normally. like in a bar, school or a protest.
@@Francois_Dupont Oh ya? i hear there are cougars in bars. Does that work on them?
@@Francois_Dupont Would you rather be raped or get charged for defending yourself!
You forgot to answer one area you mentioned.
What if the Bear is coming toward you and the wind is also coming toward you.
Now what????
move sideways and spray. you know we live in a 3D world...
Good Job!
Bear spray works on Black bears who are mostly curious. Browns are not going to stop a change because of bear spray. You might as well just spray yourself as flavoring for the brown.
ALSO GOOD ON ATTACKERS!!oh wait were suppose to just be attacked and call police after
Michael Lawson which is really crazy! A person should be able to defend her/himself!
That's only if you use it offensively. I know a woman in Calgary who used it on an attacker and there was no mention by anyone of her getting fined for using it. The police congratulated her.
classicjetsims in Ontario we have some knuckleheads who couldn’t get guns use it for mugging people so now it’s banned in our province. It’s Not like we have tons of black bears or even polar bears 🙄
as long as you legally mistake the assailant for a bear before deploying defenses you might be ok in canadian court.
Yeah reminds me of the ranger joke spray the black bear he ran off sprayed a brown grizzly just thought I was offering hot sauce for his afternoon meal 🐺
Only 90% 😳 what’s about rest 10% ? 🤔
so... what happens if the wind is in your way...
What if the spay don’t work , then what do you do ????
To start learning about bear behaviour and appropriate human behaviour around bears click on the following link to a video - “Staying Safe in Bear Country” th-cam.com/video/s-zkGuh42l4/w-d-xo.html”.
I hate to say this but they should make a new safety system… the clip came off and sprayed in the vehicle. Was pretty bad.
I just watched a video where a young woman was attacked while rying to unlatch that safety tab. Didnt have any knowledge
I’m sorry, did he just say the bear spray attracts bears? So what, I spray a bear in his fact only for his homies to show up and jump me?! 😂
My brother in Christ just sprayed his camera with no regard. Respect
ROFL: do not spray on yourself. Hilarious vid thx guys
sad, but that was put in there for a reason.
He said 90% of the time effective! So, what about the %10? Did they still get attacked???
1 out of 10 does not instill confidence in me.
maybe they get angry and charge blindly
better than 100% chance of being eaten.
If the bear spray was effective, why were the members of the rescue team in Banff armed instead of going there with bear spray?
Hi there! Thanks for your question. Assuming you are referring to the\attack in the Red Deer Valley, the team in Banff did go in with bear spray as an option, along with several other tools, besides a firearm. However, the context of responding to an incident where an attack has likely already occurred, staff may be dealing with injured victims and a closure is in place due to aggressive bear behaviour is far more complex than typical bear encounters the public may find themselves in. Such responses require access to more comprehensive tools and tactics. Training for such responses is grounded both in research into animal behaviour as well as responses by a variety of agencies in North America to numerous, similar incidents. Hope this helps answer your question, thanks for watching!
It's only effective on curious bear not one who wants to attack the couple themself had used bear spray two empty cans found at scene and it had no effect
I got sprayed with that stuff once
Be sure to ask the bear to approach from downwind.
All ontario mans on this video right now😭
👍
Leave the are as calmly as possible or drag yourself out from the area as calmly as possible .
I always just try to keep an extra picnic basket with me.
Yes.
Just so people are aware you do take a chance with using bear spray people have died in the past while using it its effective but not 100% of the time you're taking a risk regardless when you have bear spray.
What if it's a Russian Bear?
Thank!!
What happens in the remaining 10%? or when wind is blowing in your direction? Shotgun seems better.
this is solid advice but also get proper bear spray and learn to use it and have it at the ready. were I live there is a 100 miles between my back yard and the next paved Road. we only have black bear in the area for the most part along with cougars but I wouldn't trust bear spray to protect me my the people with me on 10 Mile hikes Into the Woods. I have ran into cougars 4 times in the wild and bears several times most likely they're not interested in attacking and all you need to do is slowly walk away butt bear spray can save your life better than a handgun. having a AK-47 at the ready at all times on a long hike is kind of silly.lol
thanks for posting this video
can I drink it?
Great idea
Thanks! Now i know how to spray it on humans.
This piece looks very nice but in my country this is very costly around 100 dollars a big amount in india, i want to know can i refill it again for reuse with little amount of investment? how many times i can use this lethal weapon....? how many sprays and how to refill it. Must answer. Note : I didnt like the pepper spary its not strong and also covers less distance, 5 meters is too close, chances of death very high.
Going hiking Banff
That would be funny if someone tried to spray their clothes with bear spray to deter bears :D
Yeah right, always control the wind. Bear spray is not likely to be very effective if there is any wind unless the bear charges from precisely downwind of you. If there is any wind, the fogger sprays will deflect at about 3 feet.
".....in 90% of cases bear spray has been effective". So one in 10 were not effective. Good to know.
Imaginary bear haha good one😂
I have a bear spray and I hope I will never use it...
Thanks 🎉🎉🎉
Oi...👁️👁️
It's unfortunate that we live in a society so far removed from common sense that you would have to suggest NOT spraying it on your clothing or getting it in your eyes.
Like si vienes por Broncano
90% of the time is deters an attack!!????? I want something that;'s 110%.
What
I was raised in bear country, and got very frustrated watching this “how-to”. 🤬🤬🤬
The method of triggering the spray can is Spot On, but usefulness of the video ends there.
Showing a horizontal spray method might get you mauled….
It just pisses them off.
When repelling ANY bear (black OR Brown/Griz), ALWAYS begin your spray extremely low (6’ in front of their chin), and sweep upward towards the face. This method is proven to be the best defense!
Make Damned SURE, their nose goes thru the mist, or your odds of a 2nd chance, diminishes exponentially.
Spraying too high allows their face to travel “below the cloud”, and they “WON’T EVEN GIVE A DAMN.”
If you spray LOW(!!), and insure they have to pass “THRU THE SPRAY”, you’ve just gotten your money’s worth, out of your spray can.
Doubt this old man’s experience, and I wish you well….