View Full Version : AT Bear incidents - guns or spray
At the request of an administrator, I'll repost an earlier question in a new thread:
Does anyone know of incidents on the AT in which a hiker had to use a gun or bear spray to fend off an attack by a bear?
There is always a lot of discussion about the merits/disadvantages of carrying a gun or spray, but I don't recall reading of incidents in which either were used by a hiker to prevent serious injury or death by a bear.
Lone Wolf
07-08-2008, 11:49
At the request of an administrator, I'll repost an earlier question in a new thread:
Does anyone know of incidents on the AT in which a hiker had to use a gun or bear spray to fend off an attack by a bear?
There is always a lot of discussion about the merits/disadvantages of carrying a gun or spray, but I don't recall reading of incidents in which either were used by a hiker to prevent serious injury or death by a bear.
nope. i've never heard of anyone using either weapon to fend off an attack from a bear
Gray Blazer
07-08-2008, 11:56
When you walk up on a bear you prolly won't have time to use either. Just don't turn around and run.
Footslogger
07-08-2008, 12:01
I know of an incident in 2003 when a bear made a "bluff" or false charge at a hiker who had surprised it on the trail. He crossed the tips of his trekking poles and held them out in front of himself. The bear's nose contacted the crossed trekking poles and it stopped and then backed away, walking slowly into the woods.
'Slogger
Gray Blazer
07-08-2008, 16:46
The signs in Shennandoah says don't spray the bears with pepper spray. It may scare one off, but pepper will attract other bears.
I'm picturing people just trying to piss bears off by pepper spraying them.
I had to spray a bear in Mass: in 2005. Young bore that would not back down and was stalking me. I was glad My wife made me take it !!!!!!
I was face to face with a bear on my AT thru-hike -- about two feet away from my face, me wearing a mosquito net over my head.
We scared the daylights out of each other! A scream, Ha. After the bear ran away I chest puffed seein' as I chased off one big ol' New Jersey bear up the hillside in a manly way. Well yeah, I'd run the other way down the hillside but still...
I had to pick up all kinds of stuff in front of the shelter that I'd thrown into the air when the bear was face-to-face with me -- I took some pics of the bear wandering around the shelter and the food locker, then I headed north again that morning.
I think I saw five bears on my AT thru-hike including the Moma and two cubs in Shennandoah and the bear in North Carolina.
In Pennsylvania on my AT thru-hike, posters said a cougar was loose -- there were actually posters in the AT shelters that said "Don't Pet The Couger". Darwin couldn't get the chance to intervene.
In Vermont/New Hampshire, Rhode Bill went to get water down the hillside from a shelter one evening and had a young bear with a collar sit down next to him while he was filtering water next to a crick. Rhode Bill didn't hear or see the bear until the bear made a whining noise. Ha, Rhode Bill flew up the hillside back to the shelter and had left his water bottle back at the crick. Had to go back down and get it later. Posters there said the authorities were letting human accustomed young bears back into the wild and wanted to hear reports from anyone seeing bears that were wearing a bright yellow collar.
Datto
At the request of an administrator, I'll repost an earlier question in a new thread:
Does anyone know of incidents on the AT in which a hiker had to use a gun or bear spray to fend off an attack by a bear?
There is always a lot of discussion about the merits/disadvantages of carrying a gun or spray, but I don't recall reading of incidents in which either were used by a hiker to prevent serious injury or death by a bear.I wish Kirkman would elaborate on his post. He seems to have the story the OP is looking for.
HikerRanky
07-12-2008, 23:09
For those of you that want to discuss Bear Protection - Guns or Spray, go over to this thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39107). The OP wanted to know about incidents with regards to the AT specifically.
A friendly reminder that in the Straight Forward forum, deviation from the original subject will be deleted.
ed bell.....Go over to Bear Protection - guns or spray? I told more of the story over there!
buff_jeff
07-20-2008, 20:53
Just tee 'em up with your trekking poles.
fiddlehead
07-20-2008, 22:03
I was "false charged" by a black bear in VA on the AT during my '95 thru-hike.
You can read about it here (http://fiddlehead.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/black-bear-protecting-her-2-cubs/) on my blog if you like.
sheepdog
07-21-2008, 08:22
I was "false charged" by a black bear in VA on the AT during my '95 thru-hike.
You can read about it here (http://fiddlehead.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/black-bear-protecting-her-2-cubs/) on my blog if you like.
Cool story Fiddlehead. That was quite a day.
HikerRanky
07-21-2008, 09:57
Good morning folks,
Please remember that the OP wanted to know about having to use either guns or bear spray to defend themselves on the AT from a bear attack....
While teeing up sticks would be an alternative solution, it is not what the OP wanted...
Thanks everyone!
fiddlehead
07-21-2008, 09:57
Cool story Fiddlehead. That was quite a day.
Thanks Sheepdog.
Had another (somewhat) similar very interesting story from a hike in the South San Juans in southern CO one year. But won't hijack the thread. Might put it on the blog one of these days though seeing how people seem to be very interested in the subject.
By the way, here we are 13 years later and I still am good friends with that girl although we did get way less serious after that hike in '95
sheepdog
07-21-2008, 10:46
Thanks Sheepdog.
Had another (somewhat) similar very interesting story from a hike in the South San Juans in southern CO one year. But won't hijack the thread. Might put it on the blog one of these days though seeing how people seem to be very interested in the subject.
By the way, here we are 13 years later and I still am good friends with that girl although we did get way less serious after that hike in '95
If you want to pm me the story I'd like to see it. I usually carry bear spray. If not for bears for mean dogs. I've seen two bears on the AT, both took off running. That may not always be the case. I don't know if spraying momma bear would be too good of an idea. It would be nice to have in your hand though if you had to fight her off.
If you want to pm me the story I'd like to see it. I usually carry bear spray. If not for bears for mean dogs. I've seen two bears on the AT, both took off running. That may not always be the case. I don't know if spraying momma bear would be too good of an idea. It would be nice to have in your hand though if you had to fight her off.
Thats a thought. I wonder if there is info. on momma bears protecting cubs being sprayed and their reaction?:-?
whitefoot_hp
07-23-2008, 21:29
Good morning folks,
Please remember that the OP wanted to know about having to use either guns or bear spray to defend themselves on the AT from a bear attack....
While teeing up sticks would be an alternative solution, it is not what the OP wanted...
Thanks everyone!
i think you were given a tough forum to moderate. could not the trekking poles crossed up be considered a firearm, if one used an alcohol stove to propel it? just kidding.
HikerRanky
07-23-2008, 23:00
i think you were given a tough forum to moderate. could not the trekking poles crossed up be considered a firearm, if one used an alcohol stove to propel it? just kidding.
Well, I did volunteer for this forum.....:eek:
Technically, a firearm is a device that fires single or multiple projectiles at a high velocity by gases produced from a rapid controlled burning of a propellant in a confined space.
Now that the thread has the definition of a firearm, and since teeing poles does not fit within the above definition of a firearm, let's get back to the original subject......
Randy
I have seen seven bear since beginning my section hike in 2000 in Georgia. I am now half way through Pennsylvania and have finished New Hampshire. Every bear I've seen ends up moving away from me at a high rate of speed. I always stop and talk to the bear to make sure they know what I am and that I'm there and without exception they choose to leave the area.