what about an air horn?

[hikerboy57]

no im not joking.
first off, im from the Ill taker my chances camp, but i joked on the bear bells thread that an air horn would probably be more effective.
but seriously, has anyone thought of taking an airhorn for both personal safety and as a signal device?i know theyre annoying, but they sure are loud.
and no, personally i wouldnt carry one, but they are fairly light.jusdt wondered if this would deter would be attackers,lions tigers and bears oh my.

[Wise Old Owl]

I don't think its a bad idea, They do make a personal kayak version, but its more for knocking scouts out of bed in the morning.:eek:


I found this.....Noisemakers: http://safety.eas.ualberta.ca/node/13#Deterrents
Pro’s



Cracker shells (fired from a shot gun). These are shells that will travel 200 meters when fired from a shotgun and explode in an area in front of an approaching bear. To be used when the bear is at a distance and approaching your camp.
Thunderflashes (similar to flares, are limited to the distance you can throw one). You throw a thunderflash by hand so it will land in front of an approaching bear, the device will explode with a loud bang and create a flash of light to scare the bear away.
Pencil Flare Guns – (highly portable but many people have received injuries from this type of deterrent as the pen explodes while they are holding it. This deterrent is still sold and is not recommended. Canadian Conservation Officers no longer using pencil flares.)
Pyrotechnics, including bangers, screamers, whistlers & flares. Requires a magazine launcher. These launchers look like a small handgun. There are different types available, some carry only a single shot, and some will carry multiple cartridges. The bangers, screamers and whistlers are charges that will explode and emit a variety of different noises, the name of the device indicates the noise it will make.

Con’s:


Noisemakers that are fired from a shotguns fall under the Firearms legislation and you are required to have your PAL license to carry the shotgun in the field. You are also responsible for the safe storage of a firearm while in the field.
Noisemakers that are fired from a pencil flare or bear flare launcher are governed under the same laws as personal and hunting weapons. Proper storage of the flare guns is required in the field. The launchers must be cleaned after use, just as a rifle or shotgun must be cleaned after use so that they do not misfire.
Flares and noisemakers are not prudent to use in very dry conditions as you can start a fire.
Pyrotechnics, cracker shells, and flares will not work if they get wet. These items also have an expiry date and should be replaced once they have reached their shelf life.
You must be careful to aim the noisemaker in front of the approaching bear so the bear will run away from you and not land the noisemaker behind the bear, thus scaring the bear towards you.
Noisemakers will lose their effectiveness after repeated use. Bears will simply get use to the loud noise and continue to approach.

Other noisemakers:



Air horn (portable, inexpensive but can sometimes provoke a bear into attacking).

Bells (may help, but have sometimes attracted bears. Not recommended as they do not produce enough noise to let a bear know you are approaching.)
Shake a can filled partially with rocks for noise.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-1r4MYh94E

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=Bkwy0scRXBU

[Rasty]

Lions - Yes
Tigers - No
Bears - Yes

[daddytwosticks]

Carry some firecrackers. :)

[Feral Bill]

Years ago I carried one on a river trip in the Yukon. Never saw a bear. It's hard to picture a bear not running from that racket.

[WIAPilot]

LOL If you are really concerned, all the Smart Phones have apps that emit loud emergency signals.

[johnnybgood]

You darn tootin' . ;)

[leaftye]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=Bkwy0scRXBU

That lady has a big 'ol pair of balls on her.

[Wise Old Owl]

you might be a red...... if you feed wild bears.....and carry a camera.

[kayak karl]

late one night i was thinking... i think the bears have had a plot to get use to carry bells so they knew where we were and could eat us.:eek: that wasn't good enough so they got us to carry "spray seasoning". now they want us to carry a horn so they can use it to signal the other bears "Diners ready" You know it's happening!

[ChinMusic]

LOL If you are really concerned, all the Smart Phones have apps that emit loud emergency signals.

Just downloaded the "Air Horn" app. Not very loud but it sure got my dog's attention..........lol

[Lone Wolf]

no im not joking.
first off, im from the Ill taker my chances camp, but i joked on the bear bells thread that an air horn would probably be more effective.
but seriously, has anyone thought of taking an airhorn for both personal safety and as a signal device?i know theyre annoying, but they sure are loud.
and no, personally i wouldnt carry one, but they are fairly light.jusdt wondered if this would deter would be attackers,lions tigers and bears oh my.

coupla rounds from my 10mm in the dirt next to him would run it off

[Sarcasm the elf]

Don't know much about how bears react to air horns however if you want to have some fun...

Buy a disposable air horn from a sporting goods or boat supply store and bring it to a local dog park on a busy day. Standing just outside the park, casually let out a blast from the horn and watch every dog stop dead in their tracks looking like the world is about to end.

My girlfriend has also witnessed a woman using this technique to break up two pit bulls that were fighting, it worked like a charm.

[Wise Old Owl]

good to know.

[Slo-go'en]

This thread reminds me I need to pick up an air horn before I head out west in a couple of weeks. I figure even if it doesn't scare off the bears, I can at least have fun stampeding herds of elk :)

[peakbagger]

I carry an ACR whistle required for offshore boating when I do boundary maintenance on my AT section. I usually encounters bears along the logging road that I need to hike up to get to one part of my Section (sawyer notch between Hall and Moody MTN). I usually just see them running off in the woods but the whistle does seem to let them know I am nearby.
If you have used an ACR whistle, they are real loud and the sound carries.