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Bear spray saves him

I will only offer my training and experiences as a current employee with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in one of the higher concentration areas of Brown/Grizzley bears in Alaska. I am not concerned if you choose to carry bear spray or a gun, I really don't care, it's your choice.

As I have stated before, I am a licensed Shooter/Bear Guard for the US Government. I carry a Winchester 870 mounted on a roof rack in my fire engine. I patrol, camp, hike and canoe alone here on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. In 2015 two people were mauled within 6 miles of where I live. Both lived and were deemed defensive bear attacks.

Due to weight restrictions and other things, if I had to choose between the two, bear spray would win out every time. There are a few times that I think carrying both (gun and bear spray) would be a good idea, but those are few.

I have seen over 30 bears this year and I try to avoid them, and make lots of noise. My best advice is to learn about bears and their behavior, that knowledge will serve you better than carrying bear spray or a gun. Don't fear them, but respect them.

There are a couple college girls who work for the state of Alaska eight miles down the road from where I live. They count salmon on Hidden Creek and I talk to them frequently. It is eye-opening for me to watch these two twenty year old college girls carrying bear spray, air horn and a pistol grip Winchester 870 with shoulder harness on their salmon counting rounds.

The brown bears have the ground torn up and fish near one of their check stations. When the bears appear, they just leave. (This is not a tourist area. This is in the sticks).

Again, my advice is to learn about bears and bear behavior.

Around 37 years ago my wife was a college student like them. She was up there doing geology. She and her partner had a .44 and a shotgun with slugs. Don't think there was bear spray back then.

I guess getting mauled by a bear is save.

Sounds more like a failure to me.

Then one has to decide what is criteria for some thing to work.

quote riverrunner: "I guess getting mauled by a bear is save.


Sounds more like a failure to me.


Then one has to decide what is criteria for some thing to work.


"

At that moment it has to be panic time and the person who got bit dropped his canister of spray. I think he froze a little bit and had a problem pulling the tab. There would be a reason to maybe practice a little. But when all hell breaks loose I wonder if I would freeze up or stay focused?

quote Pinetree: "

quote riverrunner: "I guess getting mauled by a bear is save.



Sounds more like a failure to me.



Then one has to decide what is criteria for some thing to work.



"

At that moment it has to be panic time and the person who got bit dropped his canister of spray. I think he froze a little bit and had a problem pulling the tab. There would be a reason to maybe practice a little. But when all hell breaks loose I wonder if I would freeze up or stay focused?"

Training and practice is the key When the SHTF one normally revert to their training .

Preplanning and playing the what if game also helps if you have all ready thought about what you might do, in a given situation one is ahead of the game.

Being well trained what happens a lot of the time is you do the right thing then wonder why you acted that way. Then you realized that that is how you trained.

It takes a lot of repetitions so one does some task automatically. I have heard up to 5000 times.

But one thing is for sure if you don't practice you well not become good at it.

The best sport players train and live their sport.

Some more interesting information on this attack. More info with pictures more info

quote riverrunner: "Some more interesting information on this attack. More info with pictures more info "

Look who the article is from and a different angle they are promoting. I wonder if he could not even pull the safety off if the product is Counter assault he would not in most cases be able to shoot unless he was much more familiar with his pistol.The safety on many just pulls back and falls off on bear canisters. Probably only he knows.

all these animal attacks, bluffs, what-have-you... i just think the animals are tired of the human race encroaching on their space... where should they go? they certainly don't stop having more little animals just because their space is dwindling... they are wild and need wild space... i'm not a tree hugger or anything like that, just filled with thoughts tonight.

Good for the bear, and I am a tree hugger.