Bear mace is considered a very effective type of weapon for protection against bears. Although bear spray is primarily intended to be used as a defense mechanism, it can also kill the offending bear if administered in sufficient quantities.
Bear spray generally contains one or more ingredients that are used to make it more effective as an offensive and defensive weapon. The effects that these substances have on the body will help you understand how bear spray works to ward off bears and why it can sometimes kill them.
This means that trying to outrun one could cause an accident that just makes things worse. The same goes for trying to climb a tree; climbing would be futile because black bears are very good climbers.
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Will Bear Mace Stop A Charging Bear?
Yes, bear mace statistics prove and bear mace should have an effective range of about 15 feet (4.5 meters) and is particularly useful against charging bears because they have such poor eyesight.
Another advantage: pepper spray works on people too! You can carry it in a holster or keep it handy in your pocket when going out into the woods – much more convenient than a shotgun.
One thing to keep in mind: pepper spray has the same effect on bears as it does on humans, so you should be careful not to get any of the spray into your own eyes because it will temporarily blind you too and leave you vulnerable to attack.
How Does Bear Mace Work?
Although there are ingredients in bear mace such as chili peppers, it is capsaicin that causes inflammation that can lead to death if used at a high enough concentration and for a prolonged period of time.
The nervous system will continue firing signals to the lungs while experiencing an irritating incident like eating spicy food or getting splashed with chili oil causing the bear to become short of breath faster than normal.
Those who have been exposed to capsaicin often suffer from burning sensations which is caused by the tear release reaction and has been described as having feeling similar to having acid on their eyes and or skin.
How Much Do You Need?
Bear experts recommend a minimum of three or four bursts from a 12-gram canister. The wind could cause some problems with accuracy from longer distances so make sure that your target is well within range before firing!
If there are several people present and they all carry bear repellent, then this increases your chances of stopping a charge because the bear can be hit by several sprays at once instead of being able to dodge one shot after another quite easily.
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To avoid having to use pepper spray in self-defense against a charging bear, stay away from blind corners where one could suddenly appear and step out at the last moment when passing along forest trails.
Remain as quiet and calm as possible and move through the woods as quickly but quietly as you can so that your presence is not known.
Always be aware of anything unusual in your surroundings – like a pile of rocks or recent diggings – which could indicate the presence of bears inside your perimeter.
Above all, don’t do anything stupid to attract attention to yourself…like trying to photograph or feed a bear for example!
Does Bear Spray Make Bears Mad?
Bear spray is used to deter a bear attack, and so it would be reasonable to assume its use creates some sort of negative reaction in the bear.
Bears are known for their sheer power and how dangerous they can be when provoked. However, the opposite may actually be true.
Research has shown that spraying a bear with pepper spray typically causes no harm or even agitation from the animal.
Studies have been performed in which bears were sprayed with capsicum spray (the active ingredient in most forms of bear repellent), and other forms of irritant sprays; but these tests showed virtually no aggressive reaction from the bears who had just been sprayed.
Is Bear Spray More Powerful Than Mace?
Bear pepper sprays are registered with EPA as pesticides and must be used accordingly; however, they are considerably stronger than their cousin products used for personal protection mace.
This makes them a more effective deterrent against wildlife attackers and credible threat against would-be assailants in people [who] feel uncomfortable going hiking without packing something to ward off bears or mountain lions.
In fact, the effectiveness of these bear sprays is equivalent to that of police defensive sprays like Mace®, but at a fraction of the cost.
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What Is Bear Mace Made Of?
There are two types of bear mace: the first utilizes capsaicin, which comes from hot peppers as well as red pepper powder.
Reaction with an irritant produces a temporary non lethal debilitation effect–the idea being that the attacker will be incapacitated while you escape unharmed.
The other type uses irritants and tranquilizers to produce similar results; however these products are not labeled for use against bears and should not be used against any animal (including humans).
Can Bear Mace kill Humans?
There are no documented deaths from capsaicin derived from cayenne peppers as a weapon. However, it can be very dangerous to use on an unsuspecting person.
It is imperative that a responsible adult knows what they’re doing when playing with this stuff, and plenty of water should be available for anyone who accidentally gets pepper sprayed.
Capsaicin won’t kill you but it’ll hurt like crazy and make all the mucus membranes in your respiratory passages and eyes burn like heck.
You will also likely get quite nauseous from the burning sensations in your throat/lungs as well as the stinging pains from other areas in your body that the capsaicin has come into contact with (the more skin area exposed to capsaicin, the greater amount of exposure).
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Conclusion
Pepper spray or bear mace is a better bet than trying to outrun a charging bear or try to escape by climbing a tree because the bear can move faster and climb more easily than you.
If you have the option of carrying it with you then do so; if not, carry something else that might scare off a bear – such as an air horn (if there are several people present) or even an ordinary whistle which has just enough high pitch to be irritating for bears but not loud enough to deafen everyone in earshot.
The post Will Bear Mace Really Stop A Charging Bear?(OR NOT?) first appeared on RV Camp Travel.
Original source: https://www.rvcamptravel.com/will-bear-mace-really-stop-a-charging-bear/
