When do you carry bear spray?

[doublebugle]

Every time I leave the pavement, and it’s not winter. Depending on where I go I often double up with a fire arm. Of course I live in south east Alaska, and have had hundreds of encounters with both black and brown bears.

 

[Rockskipper]

My cousin was an archaeologist in Alaska and they carried rifles as well as bear spray. But hows about some stories of your encounters? Hundreds sounds like an interesting life.

 

[Udink]

How does bear spray disarm corn?

It's .40 caliber bear spray.

 

[Rockskipper]

It's .40 caliber bear spray.

I should've figured that out, cause I've read about your encounter in the Books and it was darn scary. I was trying to remember when you used bear spray on him, because I didn't recall you getting that close, as he started shooting at you and your sons. Every time I go through Woodside, I think of your story - since he lived there, IIRC. I was glad when they locked him up - do you know if he's still in prison? I recall he was caught down in the La Sals.

 

[Udink]

I should've figured that out, cause I've read about your encounter in the Books and it was darn scary. I was trying to remember when you used bear spray on him, because I didn't recall you getting that close, as he started shooting at you and your sons. Every time I go through Woodside, I think of your story - since he lived there, IIRC. I was glad when they locked him up - do you know if he's still in prison? I recall he was caught down in the La Sals.

He didn't shoot at us, but he was breaking into my truck while I was about 0.4 miles away and a few hundred feet above him. I fired a warning shot (of bear spray ) in the opposite direction, and that's when he slashed two of my tires and then retreated. My kids (ages 3 and 5 at the time) and I descended the trail and found a safe spot to wait after I called 911, and he ascended the same trail and evaded the Emery County deputy that responded. He's currently in the Beaver County Jail after that incident in the La Sals.

 

[Rockskipper]

Not to derail this thread, but he was stealing stuff from trailheads in the Swell, primarily from ATV and dirt bike trailers and such, IIRC. I have more questions, but I'll save them for when I run into you one of these days - I'll know it's you when I see someone bowling out in the backcountry while carrying .40 caliber bear spray.

 

[doublebugle]

The last time I used pepper spray: we where hunting on admiralty Island. Keep in mind that the natives call the island the fortress of the bears. The first Russians called it the island of death. Fish and game says there is 1 brown bear per square mile.
It was around 5 am and one of my partners goes out to pee and reports that every thing outside has been moved around, but the deer is still hanging. About 5 minutes later we hear the snap of the 1/4 rope braking. A quick check and the deer is gone. 4 of us inter the night armed to the teeth ready to reclaim our kill.
We hear the bear eating our deer and quickly corner it. We are standing on the open beach and it is just inside the tree line against a rock parfait. The 12 year old is giving the job of keeping it spotlighted. The bear was smallish, a juvenile delinquent. A warning shot didn’t phase it. Although the echo of the shot had more effect but just caused it to drag the deer behind a tree. We where now in a stand off. State law doesn’t allow you to kill a bear in defense of a carcass. We did have bear tags, but one is not allowed to hunt with the aid of artificial lights. We couldn’t shoot the thing till day light. For the next hour the bear got dinner and a floor show. It ate the deer and we yelled, cursed, blow air horns, and threw rocks.
We attack at dawn: Daylight comes and we advance on the bear. Under the cover of 3 rifles my partner starts throwing rocks at it as we advance in unison. The bear backs off and briefly disappears. While standing over the remains of the deer the bear appears on top of the rock parfait a mere 15 feet away. All rifles train on the bear. A very brief discussion takes place. It is decided that the bear is too small to shoot. Fish and Game allows a hunter to take 1 bear every 4 years and none of us wants to burn our tags on this overgrown cub. So Mike pepper sprays it. It sneezes. Mike then sprays himself trying to holster the spray.
Three of us are now running away from mike so we don’t get sprayed.... the bear meanwhile has vanished. Probably really enjoying the antics of the floor show.

Turns out mike just sprayed his leg and has no immediate effects of the spray himself. He’ll get himself later when he whips is hands on his pants and then rubs his eyes. Told him to change pants...

The deer is trashed. We decide to load the remains into the skiff for burial at sea. Once we got the deer at the skiff we decide to stake the area out to see what our not so welcome guest will do.

Well out of the woods comes an orange faced bear. He is following the drag marks right to the skiff and the remains of the deer. We are sitting in the open on a log and she just doesn’t care.

I ask
Ken kill or no kill.
Ken: it can’t come to my house
JT kill or no kill
JT: I don’t know

So I jump up and change the bear. While running at a bear time slows down and the mind wonders a bit. I had a flashback to the movie Rough Riders about the charge up San Juan Hill where the command to charge wasn’t heard and one of the lieutenants is yelling “for gods sake follow the Colonel” hopping the rest of the party would follow.
I figured that the bear would take off running at the third step. It didn’t. It was standing there looking at me slack jawed. I latter found out that the rest of the party was sitting there slack jawed as well.
Between the 3rd and 4th steps it dawns on me that the rest of the group can’t shoot because I’m between them and the bear. I come up with a plan. I’ll slide behind the skiff throw the rifle on the skiff and shoot the bear.
The bear takes off running away from me as fast as he could go. Not to return till dusk the following night.

 

[Miya]

The deer is trashed. We decide to load the remains into the skiff for burial at sea.

What an amazing event! I was on the edge of my couch while reading it. Glad everyone remained safe. Thank you for sharing!

This is probably a dumb question, but why put the deer to sea or bury it at all? Is it a rule, tradition, or out of respect for the animal? Absolutely no judgement, just curious.

 

[doublebugle]

To reduce the attractant and reward for the bear. We and others where still using the cabin and didn’t want a bear hanging around. That bear Harassed the next group who also didn’t kill it because it was so small. A year later the first group into the cabin found a bear hanging around the cabin that matched the physical characteristics of the bear we peppered sprayed. That bear was killed after it chased someone into the cabin and was outside huffing and bouncing on its front paws.

 

[doublebugle]

Because you asked for it:

One morning I was talking my trash out to the curb for pick up. It was 8 am and broad daylight. As I near the curb a average sized black bear walks out of the brush across the street and walks up to me and takes the garbage can from me and starts eating trash. I’m yelling and jumping up and down. It just doesn’t care. I retreat into the house retrieve a can of pepper spray and a shot gun. I walk out of the house at the bear and it runs away....

 

[doublebugle]

Most of my encounters aren’t dramatic.
My last bear sighting of the year was bears digging roots in a field. 3 bears digging roots and were just watching them.

 

[MikeM]

It's not even a question, I carry bear spray whenever I am out hiking. There is a trail right here on the edge of town and even though I'm right close to home I still carry spray because I've heard of several people running into bears and mountain lions there. We may have at one time thought that there are "only" black bears in most of the areas that I hike, but it seems like every summer we are hearing stories of confirmed Griz sightings in areas that were once thought not to have any. So, to be on the safe side, I carry whenever and wherever I go.

 

[Rockskipper]

Butte? Grizz? Wow.

I'm thinking of renting a cabin for four months in Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner. Guess I would be wise to carry bear spray after early March, eh?

 

[Bob]

Butte? Grizz? Wow.

I'm thinking of renting a cabin for four months in Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner. Guess I would be wise to carry bear spray after early March, eh?

Yes

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

Butte? Grizz? Wow.

I'm thinking of renting a cabin for four months in Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner. Guess I would be wise to carry bear spray after early March, eh?

Most definitely! In spring/early summer that area can be crawling with griz and blacks.

 

[Miya]

To reduce the attractant and reward for the bear. We and others where still using the cabin and didn’t want a bear hanging around. That bear Harassed the next group who also didn’t kill it because it was so small. A year later the first group into the cabin found a bear hanging around the cabin that matched the physical characteristics of the bear we peppered sprayed. That bear was killed after it chased someone into the cabin and was outside huffing and bouncing on its front paws.

Oh makes sense! Thanks

 

[Yvonne]

always and everywhere in Yellowstone, even in tourist spots like Upper Geyser Basin at night and early morning. You never know...

In places like the Winds or Salt Creek Canyon which a bear population.
I would never go without bear spray in Glacier or other areas known to have a good sized bear population

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

Butte? Grizz? Wow.

I'm thinking of renting a cabin for four months in Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner. Guess I would be wise to carry bear spray after early March, eh?

@Rockskipper What a great place to spend a few months! Hope that works out for you.

 

[Rockskipper]

Thanks - it's actually just a couple of miles from the highway, so not way up in the basin, but pretty close. I'll know later today.

 

[MikeM]

Without a doubt, yes, I would carry bear spray in the Tom Miner basin. Anywhere that close to Yellowstone. In fact, I believe a woman was mauled by a grizzly up there just last Fall.

And, yes, Butte had a confirmed Griz just a few miles north of us in Elk Park. It got into someone's chicken coup if I remember correctly. There were also confirmed Griz sightings in the upper Big Hole and the Pintlers last summer, which was the first in something like 100 years.