View Full Version : Tested some old bear spray today
fiddlehead
09-23-2012, 11:20
My brother is going hunting for elk in WY next week.
So, he needs some bear spray as the grizzlies have migrated further south again this year I guess.
So, to save him some money, I got out my old bear spray.
One said it expired in 2002 (that's the one I bought for the CDT in '98)
And the other one expired 2 years ago.
So, we took them in my back yard and tested them out.
Says 30' range on the can but I would say it only went about 20'
I thought it would be a steady stream at that range but it was more like a cloud of fog.
Almost immedietly afterwards, even though there was practically no wind blowing,
we both started coughing and my eyes REALLY started burning.
He was totally satisfied that they both worked fine and is taking them along.
After all the years of carrying them in WY and MT, I finally tested them out.
I realized it was something I should have done years ago as now I know it's going to work, and at what range and that if the wind is blowing the right way, it would extend or decrease the range consiberably.
I guess they're up to almost $50 each now-a-days.
He's driving out so, no problems with airplane rules.
If I were going somewhere that I felt I need to take bear spray I believe I would spend the $50 and get a new one. Thats just me:)
Wise Old Owl
09-23-2012, 11:32
No surprise there.... it was the dog spray that has a stream ( like the postal folk used to carry in hand delivery) Bear is a thick cloud.... good thing you thought about the wind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP86JbknAXs
Odd Man Out
09-23-2012, 11:49
If you have old bear spray, does it only work on old bears? (sorry I couldn't resist)
Have a great trip.
fiddlehead
09-23-2012, 12:21
If I were going somewhere that I felt I need to take bear spray I believe I would spend the $50 and get a new one. Thats just me:)
Just wondering if you've ever tested yours?
Because I never did before, but now that I have, I would trust them.
There was no hesitation, no lack of power, and the air seemed instantly saturated with burning in both the eyes and the throat.
The only thing I can think of is that a brand new one MIGHT have more range although the one that was 10 years old seemed to have the same range as the newer one.
Just sayin.
Pathfinder1
09-23-2012, 12:38
Hi...
Well, now you not only have one beyond its use-by date, but one used one as well.
Hope they aren't needed, but I certainly would feel more comfortable carrying new ones. Ones which are EPA Registered.
Anyway...good luck, and I hope that they aren't needed.
HikerMom58
09-23-2012, 12:52
This thread makes me so happy, you just don't know!! (it's the lil things, LOL) I have always wanted to try mine out 2. Mine is not that old but it was 39 bucks when I purchased mine. Interesting to hear how it works!! Yipee.. thanks fiddlehead!! Have a great time!
elkie-girl
09-24-2012, 02:03
Why does your brother needs any spray being a hunter? Does he not carry his rifle or shotgun :) ? I thought a 12ga slug is enough medicine (as well as 30-06) for any bear...
Wise Old Owl
09-24-2012, 02:08
they are still about $45 dollars...at 8 oz
http://www.rei.com/product/623173/counter-assault-bear-deterrent-spray-81-oz
neighbor dave
09-24-2012, 07:38
UDAP bear spray is about 20 bucks cheaper and comes with a holster.
spray down wind=wouldn't the bear smell or hear you long before an encounter?
spray upwind= pepper flavored human treat for bear
spray when no wind= not many times is there no wind, plus the bear will most likely hear you.
not sure i'll carry bear spray again.
OldStormcrow
09-24-2012, 21:39
If you have trouble affording or finding real bear spray, you could consider a good quality yard fogger. They have as much range as bear sprays do, they spray a fog, they are much cheaper and if they work on bears anywhere near as good as they do on humans (don't ask me how I know this) they should make a fine alternative.
Wise Old Owl
09-24-2012, 21:54
If you have trouble affording or finding real bear spray, you could consider a good quality yard fogger. They have as much range as bear sprays do, they spray a fog, they are much cheaper and if they work on bears anywhere near as good as they do on humans (don't ask me how I know this) they should make a fine alternative.
Ok with due respect and not being sarcastic allow me the opportunity to ask, oldstormcrow ... have you tested this? - last time a grizzly charged at you, you reached for insect spray? I honesty do not think a yard fogger is going to work. Bear containers and bear sprays have been rigorously tested, both at zoos and in the wild, prior to release for public use. This is a litigious nation of people. Your post reminded me of similar posts from people advocating spraying wasp spray to stop an attacker on the internet (myth) Since then additional language & information has been added to every can. It's not personal... so honestly how do you know?
Just wondering if you've ever tested yours?
Because I never did before, but now that I have, I would trust them.
There was no hesitation, no lack of power, and the air seemed instantly saturated with burning in both the eyes and the throat.
The only thing I can think of is that a brand new one MIGHT have more range although the one that was 10 years old seemed to have the same range as the newer one.
Just sayin.
Actually I have never had bear spray. I've done a little hiking in Az several years ago but never been in Grizz country. Maybe thats why I would be skeered:)
My brother is going hunting for elk in WY next week.
So, he needs some bear spray as the grizzlies have migrated further south again this year I guess.
So, to save him some money, I got out my old bear spray.
One said it expired in 2002 (that's the one I bought for the CDT in '98)
And the other one expired 2 years ago.
So, we took them in my back yard and tested them out.
Says 30' range on the can but I would say it only went about 20'
I thought it would be a steady stream at that range but it was more like a cloud of fog.
Almost immedietly afterwards, even though there was practically no wind blowing,
we both started coughing and my eyes REALLY started burning.
He was totally satisfied that they both worked fine and is taking them along.
After all the years of carrying them in WY and MT, I finally tested them out.
I realized it was something I should have done years ago as now I know it's going to work, and at what range and that if the wind is blowing the right way, it would extend or decrease the range consiberably.
I guess they're up to almost $50 each now-a-days.
He's driving out so, no problems with airplane rules.
luckily, I was able to test my bear spray last weekend at quantico MCB range. even though I bought the spray in 1990, i found it worked fine. the double ought buck sprayed right out there, no problem. f'ing canned bear spray is for moron tree hugging fools who live to be a griz dinner. good luck.
fiddlehead
09-26-2012, 10:09
luckily, I was able to test my bear spray last weekend at quantico MCB range. even though I bought the spray in 1990, i found it worked fine. the double ought buck sprayed right out there, no problem. f'ing canned bear spray is for moron tree hugging fools who live to be a griz dinner. good luck.
Interesting that you think that. (that double ought buck spray would stop a charging griz)
Because my brother, who hunts elk out there every year, was telling me that now the guides (cowboys most of the year, hunting guides in season), told him to bring bear spray as it is effective and proven.
Shooting a charging griz is, at best, 50% that you are going to hit him, let alone kill him.
But, I tell you, when we tested this spray the other day, I was amazed at how much my eyes immedietly started burning like hell, and we both started coughing right away. And that was with no wind blowing and spraying away from us.
I have much more faith in this pepper spray now that I've tried it.
And I've hiked in griz country over 1,000 miles now.
But, if you feel safe with your 30 ought....... go for it.
But remember, a hunter with the Lewis and Clark expedition shot one 11 times with a 50 caliber and it kept coming.
Up to you.
Snowleopard
09-26-2012, 10:21
I've read that there is inert (no pepper) bear spray available for practicing. If I were going into grizzly country, I'd want to practice for a while first.
Bear spray, inert, for training purposes:
https://store.udap.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=12-I&Category_Code=BS
But, if you feel safe with your 30 ought....... go for it.
But remember, a hunter with the Lewis and Clark expedition shot one 11 times with a 50 caliber and it kept coming.
Up to you.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I read the same thing. Grizzlies are amazing creatures.
Pathfinder1
09-26-2012, 12:37
they are still about $45 dollars...at 8 oz
http://www.rei.com/product/623173/counter-assault-bear-deterrent-spray-81-oz
Hi...
Will the EPA register any bear spray with less then 9.5 oz content?
atraildreamer
09-27-2012, 14:01
I bought an old taser at a yard sale...would you like to test it on your brother and see if it still works? :confused: :eek: :D :banana
OldStormcrow
09-27-2012, 17:58
Ok with due respect and not being sarcastic allow me the opportunity to ask, oldstormcrow ... have you tested this? - last time a grizzly charged at you, you reached for insect spray? I honesty do not think a yard fogger is going to work. Bear containers and bear sprays have been rigorously tested, both at zoos and in the wild, prior to release for public use. This is a litigious nation of people. Your post reminded me of similar posts from people advocating spraying wasp spray to stop an attacker on the internet (myth) Since then additional language & information has been added to every can. It's not personal... so honestly how do you know?
So....."honestly, how do you know?" you ask. I have used a yard fogger on a human before, I know it's range, and I know that it will drop a human in their tracks. Now, considering that a bear's senses are 'way more sensitive than your's and mine, one would assume that the effect on a bear would be even more intense. And no, I have not been chasing griz bears around out west to test my theory. If you want a true "certified card-carrying expert", go ask Bear Grylls, I suppose. I'm just a savvy old dude with some miles and experiences under my belt.
garlic08
09-27-2012, 18:16
My neighbor gave me an expired can of bear spray and I drove with it up to Glacier for the start of my CDT hike. Unfortunately it sat too long in the hot car, and maybe because it was an old can, it leaked. Liquid pepper spray is very annoying, too. That was about five years ago, and I still sneeze when I open that pack. You might want to mention that caution to your brother.
I bought a new can at Glacier at a $10 penalty, and used the leaky one as practice. I would recommend anyone who's serious about hiking in grizzly country do that. A friend of mine just went and bought two and shot one off for practice.
I did not get any blow back on a calm day, and I'm sure I got more than 20' before dispersal. The one I used was only a couple years out of date. I would carry a can that's had a test spray out of it.
As I hiked out of grizzly country south of Yellowstone, I gave mine to one of the cowboy guides at Brooks Lake Lodge. He appreciated it very much. He said all the guides used it as their first line of defense with their horses and customers (in that order).
WalksInDark
09-27-2012, 18:21
This discussion about bear spray reminds me of a discussion I was once part of regarding MACE (now what it would be comparable to would be pepper spray) spray incidents: according to the cops and first responders present most folks never practiced/tried the spray before having to use it during an actual incident....as a result the sprays were largely ineffective....or in more than a few cases resulted in the user spraying themselves in the face rather than spraying the bad guys; similarly, during a college police-drive-along I got to see a newbie deputy sheriff attempt to stop a fight between two drunken brothers by simply spraying them with MACE....the outcome was almost funny....the MACE did not stop or even really slow down the fight...however, the MACE got all over the officers and their squad car when the two perps had to be taken to jail. I, however, really got to appreciate how well MACE works during the +20 minute drive from the perps home to the county jail.
The moral of the story (for my money, anyway) is that if you are going to expect some THING to maybe save your life or keep you from severe injury...you really need to practice a few times during a safe training exercise just to be on the safe side. Oh yeah, the "worst outcomes possible from something that is supposed to help you" examples I have seen include: SCUBA buoyancy vests being triggered accidentaially (this happened much more when the were still powered by CO2 cartridges); boat aerial flares going places other than straight up; and even large GI issued bug bombs emptying uncontrollably and ballistically (This one was pretty funny actually. When the person using the bug bomb went to turn the spray on....they accidentally pushed the control too far and the entire canister contents stated flying out the nozzle. The person holding the canister got some pretty significant skin damage due to the freezing cold temperature of the metal, the canister ended up shooting around the floor into several different rooms...and the home where the canister went off had to be aired out for a few hours before anyone could go back into it.)
Lastly, if you have never tired the spray during ideal test conditions...how do you know that you will be able to use it effectively when you are in the "scared snotless and running backward" conditions?
Hilarious! First time I was to carry bear spray (in Bob Marshall 10 years ago), I wanted to test fire it first to check for range. So outside of the motel in Kalispel, in the side yard, I test fired about 1/2 second. Most went in a stream about 30 ft and the rest was a slight fog. We went back inside, and a few minutes later everyone was coughing and wheezing. The slight breezed had blown the fog towards the motel. We exited our room only to find everyone else on that wing exiting their rooms coughing and wheezing. We left for dinner, never letting on what that we had caused the irritation. Still laugh about it to this day. I have no doubt of the potency of bear spray!
I just got back from hiking in the Tetons and Yellowstone. I spent 40 bucks on bear spray and could not carry it home on the plane and there was not a post office to ship it. No grizzles in Missouri so that would have been a waste. So I donated it to the ranger station at Mammoth Spring and they say they appreciate it and use it. I looked for a hiker in town but could not find one that did not already have a can strapped to him or her.
I figured I could use the stuff if needed, but I wondered all along if soiling my self would spoil the effect. Really, if a grizzly bear charged me, that would be the first order of business. In my opinion, yard fogger or wasp spray is a no go. This was suggested.
Hobby, I just saw your post. Funny! One of my friends test spayed at the back end of a campsite and cleaned us out and all our neighbors too. The only thing left were the chipmunks still chewing on our backpacks. They are immune to the stuff.
slow mind
10-01-2012, 00:26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y
Just info... take from it what you will
atraildreamer
10-01-2012, 15:25
I used to do delivery work. Since I had to carry a lot of cash, and had to deal with the occasional aggressive dog, I started carrying a small pepper spray canister on a lanyard that I hung around my neck. One day, while closing the car door, the canister got jammed in the door, got punctured, and proceeded to spray me on my forehead. :eek: I tossed that thing as far as possible, but the fumes from the spray, even though it missed my eyes, still stung them, the effect lasting about 15 minutes! :(:banana
Pathfinder1
10-01-2012, 17:44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y
Just info... take from it what you will
Hi...
Great post. Thanks. I think everyone can learn from it.
I just watched that video. It was excellent. Better than anything on the National Parks website. Thank you for posting.
atraildreamer
10-06-2012, 15:03
Not just for bears:
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/10/03/disabled-woman-wards-off-13-intruders-with-bear-spray/
Disabled Grandma Uses Bear Spray To Fend Off 13 Attackers After Her Marijuana Grow
October 3, 2012 11:48 PM
DIXON (CBS13) – It was one disabled woman versus 13 intruders, and she won.
The Dixon homeowner, whose identity is being kept hidden, knows what the criminals were after, but wouldn’t let them have it.
She went to answer an early morning knock on the door, but not before grabbing a can of bear spray. It was her only defense against 13 intruders.
She was staring down the barrel of a shotgun, facing seemingly impossible odds. Most wouldn’t dare fight back, but this disabled grandmother did.
“I’ve always jokingly said, ‘if someone tries to take my income, I’m going to fight. They’re going to have to fight me,’” said the woman.
She says the intruders were after her medical marijuana grow in her backyard. They were apparently so distracted that even the gunman didn’t notice what she was hiding in her hand.
“I couldn’t get the safety off,” she said.
As they were yelling “where’s the marijuana?”, she flicked off the safety and emptied the can of bear spray on three of the men, including the guy pointing the shotgun at her.
“I didn’t realize it until it was all over with how dangerous it was,” she said.
It is partly because she didn’t realize just how many intruders she’d chased off, until the very end.
“Running as fast as they can away in two different directions and there was 13 of them,” the woman said.
They were running away scared and empty-handed from a disabled grandmother.
“Put that much energy to come, and take it from someone is just chicken,” she said.
It was a matter of principle over medical pot, which is her sole source of income. Clearly, she isn’t giving up without a fight.
“I would do it again,” she said.
Now she’s getting out of the medical marijuana business because she doesn’t want her grandchildren around any danger.
I have a can of spary sitting around that is 25 years old, what are the chances it would be effective? Thanks
Wise Old Owl
10-06-2012, 20:54
Pull the trigger! :cool:
Oh honest - check the ingredients - IF it still has full pressure...its good.
The reason modern bear spray has an expiration date is because the propellents degrade, not the active ingredients.
Bear spray made prior to the EPA's mandated propellent change should still be fine (like the 1990 can mentioned in this thread). I have one that old, have tested it, and it's still going strong. The newer stuff is undoubtedly fine far past its expiration date as well, but I'd not use it much over 5 years past the date personally.
Spray is effective. I always have it with me here in Grizz country, even when elk hunting with a rifle.
Wise Old Owl
10-07-2012, 01:14
Thanks for clearing that up....
Wise Old Owl
10-07-2012, 10:08
Hi...
Will the EPA register any bear spray with less then 9.5 oz content?
Serious? I am not a huge fan of govt oversight... EPA registers almost everything... "55541-2" is on the can.
I was looking for the emoticon....
Sailing_Faith
09-13-2013, 12:05
Make sure to find an area away from other people to test the spray. A friend once tested a pepper round (designed to the fired from a 12ga shot gun) and had downwind neighbors from a block away complaining about burning eyes!
Hill Ape
09-13-2013, 14:20
I've been sprayed with whatever it is cops carry these days. I believe it was capsaicin based. Not pleasant, but I was not incapacitated. And long ago I've gone through the CS chamber in Basic Training. Did that a couple times. Some people would flop on the floor like a dying fish. Some people just started coughing. But oddly, it didn't seem to affect some people whatsoever. But again, most of the guys I saw were still able to function. Girl a couple weeks ago had her hands mauled after spraying a bear. Was the bear pissed at her hands, or at the spray? Was the spray effective then? I think that stuff lends a false sense of not only security, but also of the level of risk involved. If you are close enough to use spray, YOU have already made mistakes. The bear is under no obligation to respond as expected to getting sprayed. Just walk away.