Posted on 05/08/2024 3:55:50 PM PDT by marktwain
In 2014, John Gookin, Tom Smith, and Alison Williams published a paper in Human-Wildlife Interactions titled: A Device for Refilling Practice Bear Spray Canisters. The paper shows how to build and use the device.
This correspondent has long maintained bear spray has a valid place as a means of protection against bears. Bear spray does not appear to be as effective in stopping bear attacks as handguns. This does not mean it is not useful. Bear spray can work effectively as a device to haze bears which are merely curious. Bear spray is generally a better deterrent than shouting or arm waving. There are a significant number of places where bear spray can be carried, and firearms are forbidden by restrictive government edicts, such as in Canadian national parks. Even in wilderness outside of Canadian national parks, a permit to carry a handgun for defense of self and others is extremely restricted and difficult to obtain. Obtaining permission to possess long guns is not as restricted, but still requires much more paperwork and effort than bear spray. A significant number of people are not comfortable with firearms and are not willing to expend the time and resources to become competent with them.
One of the major disadvantages of bear spray is the expense of practicing with the product. A simple can of bear spray costs $40 to $60, as checked online. Inert training cans run about $20. Practice with actual bear spray is not advisable, as inadvertent contact with the spray produces unpleasant results.
About a decade ago, John Gookin invented a device to refill practice cans so that practice could become cheap and easy. He coordinated with graduate student Alison Williams and bear biologist Tom Smith to publish a paper entitled:
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Only those whose lives may depend on it benefit. Not everyone has access to firearms or the legal ability to use them.
How does the bear know you are only practicing? Seems that a bear sprayed by anything but real bear spray or lead would get a little ticked.
If I had an inexpensive bear spray reloading device, I would practice on targets.
We carried bear spray while hiking in Alaska a few years ago. When we went to Yellowstone last year, a ranger at the visitor center showed us how to actually use the spray canister. We realized then that we would have been bear dung in Alaska had a bear decided to eat us because we really didn’t know how to operate the canisters correctly. Confession of one of the dumbest things I’ve done in the outdoors.
We had seen signs of bear scat on the trails in Alaska.
It seemed that Yellowstone is MUCH more serious about bear safety than Alaska. Probably because of the amount of concentrated influx of tourists.
A major advantage of handguns over bear spray is the 150 years of intense development of handguns and handgun holsters to make their use intuitive, with fast access, presentation delivery of accurate fire at short range.
I practice on my wife, not bears. Close enough to the real thing.
I can refill my Glock 20 a lot faster.
I would expect so.
Unfortunately, there is serious difficulty in bringing your Glock 20 on a Candian wilderness trip.
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