Posted on 03/08/2012 10:58:38 PM PST by Zakeet
Conventional wisdom isn't always based on common sense, and sometimes isn't even based on real data, especially when it comes to animals of mythological proportions like bears.
BYU wildlife biologist Tom Smith wants to change that.
A new study suggests that one of the most commonly suggested deterrents against bears in the wild — guns — actually won't protect people any better than not using a gun.
"It really isn't about the kind of gun you carry,” he said. “It's about how you carry yourself. We need to respect an animal that could potentially take our lives."
[Snip]
This isn't the first time Smith has had a study showing that guns aren't as effective against bears as generally believed. In 2008, Smith released a study saying that bear spray is more effective than guns.
Part of the problem is that shooting accurately is very difficult in a terrifying situation like having a giant animal charging at you. Even if you do kill the bear, that's still a problem, given declining populations and the the loss of what a bear can contribute both economically and ecologically.
"It's a conservation issue in that we'll see needless bear mortalities," Smith said.
(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...
The Looney Left is right ... you Freepers don't need your #%&*# guns when you go hunting ... cause the professor has proven that if you ever face a bear like this one, a simple squirt of pepper spray will convince the beast not to kill you.
What utter hogwash!
This guy is so full of it, he has agenda smears in his shorts.
I have a can of bear spray. I use it when I walk my dog.
Got menaced up close and personal bout 3 months back down a lonely road by a massive pitbull that made my 100lb. german shepard look small.
The dog stood about 5 feet away from me. I pulled the can, shook it, sprayed, and the cone dissapated before it ever hit the dog. It missed. However, the spray action itself seemd to convince the dog to leave.
Lucky us.
If I go in the woods, I’m bringing my rifle and my .44 magnum.
That is all.
As I recall, you should wear bells to scare the bear off. /s
Timothy Treadwell Syndrome needs to be classified as a mental illness.
They do have a point. If you don’t have the right firearm all you’ll do is anger the bear, especially a brown bear. IIRC correctly Lewis and Clark record in their journals how their men found their firearms couldn’t take down one. And who can forget Jeremiah Johnson always trying to find a .50 cal rifle?
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If it were true that bear spray would save my life more reliably than a gun I'd be glad to learn. But these jerk's priorities are so bizarre you can't believe a word they say. |
hmm I guess he misinterpreted the saying loaded for bear....
I think if I unload 30 rounds from my AK in a bear’s general direction that it will go down.
They'll be calling him the late Professor Tom Smith pretty soon.
The story is that you use pepper spray on black bears, and bells on brown bears. Want to tell the difference between black bear poop and brown bear poop? Black bear poopy is peppery and brown bear poop will have bells in it.
They’re probably assuming most bears wear bulletproof vests.
Another attack on the right to bear arms?
(Even if you do kill the bear, that’s still a problem, given declining populations and the the loss of what a bear can contribute both economically and ecologically.)
So the professor thinks that you getting killed by the bear is better than you killing the bear, because of “what a bear can contribute both economically and ecologically”. Call me crazy, but I think a human being is more precious than a bear, except maybe for the professor! I would gladly trade his worthless hide for a bear any day.
Well, if you’re Kanawa, a six-inch hunting knife (and a good dog), go a long way.
:-)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1670661/posts
BYU excellence in academic research ping.
If correct, Tom Smith’s theory should have predictive value: if he’s a true scientist I suggest he put it to the test against a suitable number of bears in the wild (N>7 at least for statistical significance), and publish the results.
What is with the picture on the left, did that guy kill the polar bear cubs as well?
Disregard, I checked out the article, they were knocked out with spray.
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