Posted on 11/16/2020 3:53:13 AM PST by marktwain
“An Investigation of Factors Influencing Bear Spray Performance” was published on 1 October 2020 in the Journal of Wildlife Management. The lead investigator was Tom Smith, of Brigham Young University.
Tom Smith is well known for his publications on bear spray and firearms effectiveness when dealing with bears.
Tom Smith graciously supplied me with a copy of the full paper, which shows all the results of the study. The study provides useful information, which can help in choosing between bear spray and other systems, such as firearms, as well as in understanding some of the limitations of bear spray under different conditions.
The first sentence in the paper advances a dubious premise:
“We can contribute to bear conservation by reducing bear mortalities due to human-bear conflicts. ”
It is an interesting premise. It is not obvious, self-evident, or indisputable.
Bear populations must be managed to be conserved. The most effective management tool to keep bears from overpopulating is to harvest the surplus population.
Brown bear, polar bear, and black bear populations are increasing in most places where they exist in North America and the Arctic. They are not endangered. As the populations increase, there are conflicts with humans.
At any given time, the number of bears that need to be harvested will vary. Bears involved in a bear-human conflict are a very small, but an increasing number. The number required to be harvested to keep a stable population is, in nearly all situations, much higher than the number of bears involved in bear-human conflicts.
Reducing bear mortalities in human-bear conflicts means more bears will need to be harvested in regulated hunting seasons.
It is preferable that problem bears be selectively harvested. This is done automatically when human-bear conflict is resolved by harvesting the bear. A bear killed in a human-bear conflict is one less bear that needs to be harvested in a regulated bear hunting season. It is one less bear with a propensity to come into conflict with humans.
Reducing bear mortalities due to human-bear conflicts only shifts which bears are harvested, not the number which needs to be harvested to keep bear populations stable.
There are numerous safeguards in place to guard against the indiscriminate harvesting of bears, which might be disguised as a legitimate response to a human-bear conflict.
Reducing bear mortalities in human-bear conflicts does not appear to be a valid reason to use bear spray compared to firearms, to improve bear conservation.
The study confirms that wind and cold limit the range of bear spray significantly. Perhaps someone will market a heated bear spray holster.
This is old but I still like it.
Montana Grizzly Bear Notice:
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear
conflicts, the Montana Department of Fish and Game
is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra
precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field.
We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on
their clothing so as not to startle the bears that aren’t
expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry
pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a
bear.
It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear
activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference
between black bear and grizzly bear poop. Black bear poop
is smaller and contains a lot of berry seeds and squirrel fur.
Grizzly bear poop has little bells in it and smells like pepper
spray.
The study found that in any head wind over 1 m/s (2 mph), the bear spray range was limited to 5-7 feet.
In any crosswind over 1 m/s (2 mph), the bear spray range was limited to 8-11 feet.
When the bear spray was at 64 degrees F, the range was limited to about 13 feet.
Works well on Antifa though
Important that the nozzle is pointed away from the user!
Antifa/BLM spray
Thanks for info. I always wondered how the little bells got in the bear poop.
What is this spray sh**....Be kind to murderous beast?
It's a him or me confrontation....and it ain't gonna be me.
What's next...tossing a coin?? Rock, paper, scissors?
Hey Joe....What do you think the temperature is?
And how hard ya think the wind is blowing.
Shoot for cripes sakes.
Spray the bear with lead. The only good bear is a dead bear. Same for commies.
un noted was the number of bears actually killedin conflicts with humans who required defensive measures
More people are likely killed in Chicago in one month by each other than bears are killed in defense by humans in one whole year
That’s what .500 and .454 are for.
If the Lewis and Clark expedition had been restricted bear spray, they would have never been heard from again.
un noted was the number of bears actually killedin conflicts with humans who required defensive measures
It is difficult to be certain. Many defensive shootings never make the news.
My best estimate is about 100-200 human-bear conflicts where the bear would be killed.
Most of those would be black bears in the lower 48 or brown and black bears in Alaska. There is about 10 grizzlies in the lower 48, most of them in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Many of them end up dead anyway, as game departments and law enforcement kill them after the conflict.
-——human-bear conflicts-——
Do you define a human-bear conflict as a one on one encounter where the human is actually endangered physically or mortally? Or, is a conflict having one’s camp or picnic ravaged by a bear tearing stuff up looking for something to eat?
If a bear is "ravaging a camp" when the humans are present, it is a danger.
Bears that familiar and unafraid of humans have become way to acclimated to humans and associating them with food.
The common phrase is "A fed bear is a dead bear", pretty much acknowledged by game management across the country.
https://mountain-topmedia.com/the-truth-behind-a-fed-bear-is-a-dead-bear/
https://www.kulr8.com/news/why-a-fed-bear-is-a-dead-bear/article_132b551f-7eae-510e-99fe-7d29e44c864b.html
https://www.lex18.com/news/2018/07/20/a-fed-bear-is-a-dead-bear-why-wildlife-officials-recommend-leaving-bears-alone/
I would say a human-bear conflict is when the bear is destroying human property or threatening the human and does not flee from the human when it becomes aware of the human presence.
That is a tiny number of human-bear encounters.
Most bears flee. If they don't flee, they are a danger.
“There is about 10 grizzlies in the lower 48, most of them in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
That is not correct. There are increasing numbers of grizzlies in northern Montana, Idaho, and even NE Washington state. The population has made a remarkable recovery. I don’t know the exact number but it is much higher than 10.
10 grizzlys killed in human-bear conflicts.
There are about 700 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and quite a few outside the GYE.
Got it.
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