When camping or hiking one of the smartest pieces of safety gear you can carry isbear spray. As you travel throughout various campsites you never know what you may encounter some places have coyotes while others may have bears.
Bear pepper spray is also referred to as mace and contains a high concentrate ofground and dried Chile pepper (oleoresin Capsicum) that is very effectivein repelling any aggressive bears you may come across.
Upon release the spray will cause an irritating effect on the animal similar to a burning sensationin the lungs, eyes and nose. In the majority for cases where bear attacks have been encounteredpeople who have used bear repellent escaped serious injury over 90% of the time.
According to theUnited States fish and wildlife department those who relied on a firearm to defend themselves in contrastsuffered injury 50% or the time.What makes bear spray so effective is that a bears sense of smell is over 200 times more powerfulthan a humans, and when agitated causes the bear to flee.
If faced with a charging or aggressive bear slowly reach for your spray and when the animal iswithin thirty to forty feet, discharge your cannister creating a clouding effect that the bear willrun into.
Always be aware of the direction the wind is blowing and if appropriate wait until the bear
is in effective range. Never run if faced with an encounter as that will just create a flight chasescenario and can cause you serious harm.
Bears for the most part will try and avoid any human encounters and usually only become aggressive ifprotecting their cubs, are suddenly surprised or defending a recent kill. Travelling in groups andcreating noise while hiking can help avoid any dangerous encounters.
If used as directed and with proper care bear spray can make your outdoor recreation safe,
more enjoyable and possibly save you and your loved ones from serious harm or injury