• Spasmolytic@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Fucking hell. My wife and I wanted to plan our next hiking trip and go to Banff, then started reading about the grizzly threat. It seemed real, and there are so many beautiful places to go, so we dropped it.

    Then, about a week ago, a guy in the gym at work is telling me about his trip to Banff where they took their kids along too. I started thinking maybe we should go for it. Now I read this awful news. Suddenly it once more seems like a bad idea.

  • Bob@feddit.nl
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    1 year ago

    Interesting editorial choice to stick a photo of a sick sunrise in the middle of an article about a bear mauling.

    • guyrocket@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      The bears can share the outdoors with people. This story is light on details but bear spray is considered the best defense against bear.

      I’ve camped many times in bear country and slept in a tent. I kept bear spray with me at all times and fortunately had no problems…knock on wood. Most of the time it is OK but you have to be intelligent about it. Don’t leave food out, carry bear spray, stay away from bear as much as possible, etc.

      Also, there are plenty of great outdoor places you can go that don’t have bear. Not saying they’re risk free, almost nowhere is risk free. But there are “safer” parks, etc. (not “safe”, just “safer”).

      I would never want to be only stuck inside. There’s too much amazing to see outside.

      • meco03211@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Bear balls! That’s what my wife and I use (along with bear spray and a 10mm). Little jingly balls you hook into your backpack. Now just walking makes a continuous noise.

      • Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Do you spray it directly at the bear? Or is it a kind of repellent that you spray on yourself/your tent? ETA: Thanks for your answers!

        • ikidd@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Never. Ever. Spray bear spray around your camp. There’s been plenty of incidents where that’s what drew them in and got people hurt/killed. It’s like cooking around your tent, they have to investigate the smells.

          • guyrocket@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            Really? Got a link for info about that?

            I wouldn’t think you’d want to spray pepper spray anytime you’re not using it for defense. It usually blows around and there’s a good chance you’ll get some on yourself.

            I would only spray it if I had to.

              • guyrocket@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                Thanks for the link.

                I would never have thought to ever do that. So if you ever do use it, you then need to leave the area. Which you probably want to do anyway because pepper spray is pretty unpleasant.

                • ikidd@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Never occurred to me either. I’ve packed in bear country plenty over the years, never used spray even though I’ve had 2 grizzly encounters and countless black bear run-ins. Just lucky, I guess.

        • meco03211@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s mace for bears. Usually much stronger than regular “mace”. Also the canister is designed to spray a longer distance (like 20 to 40 ft). Google some videos to see it in action.

  • protovack@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    a shotgun is probably the only thing that would’ve saved them. or, just choosing not to hike in bear country at this time of year. This is when the more desperate bears will eat anything that moves. They aren’t picky, and playing dead will not save you if a bear is extremely hungry, as they are in drought conditions. just a tragic reminder that bears can and will kill, and eat you under certain circumstances.

        • guyrocket@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Yes, not a crazy idea. But if you see that Wikipedia article you need bigger caliber weapons to be effective.

        • SHOW_ME_YOUR_ASSHOLE@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Bear spray is the first line of defense assuming the wind is at my back or non-existent. The backup plan is 12 rounds of 10mm Buffalo Bore or Underwood handgun ammunition.

          The only close encounter I’ve had with a grizzly (and a moose too) was in Canada where I was not allowed to have my handgun. I made a point to not wander more than maybe 25 feet from my vehicle so I could make a quick getaway if needed. The grizzly came within 100 feet of me on a river bank on the opposite side of the Kluane river in Yukon Territory and the moose wandered up river then floated downriver.

      • sudo22@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        What? That link immediately refutes this claim in the next sentence “Although this claim has been disputed because of the 83 incidents in the Smith study[10] only 18 cases involved an aggressive bear, and of those 18 only 9 involved a charging bear.”

    • sudo22@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Agree but you need to be very mindful for the type of gun.

      Any more typical pistol like 9mm, 380, 45ACP won’t do much against a bear. 10mm high penetration rounds (ie not holopoints, hard cast is preferable) is probably the minimum I’d want if I can’t carry a rifle in bear country.

    • bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      A lot of common calibers really don’t do much against a damn grizzly, those bastards have every possible cheat code active.

    • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Good ol idiot gun nuts piping in to let us know that every problem can be solved with more guns.

      • sudo22@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        What are you on. Life and death situations are textbook uses for guns no matter how antigun rights you are.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Or, how about avoiding those life and death situations? I’ll “stand my ground” that most bear attacks are caused by people. Don’t do that. Don’t be stupid and rely on blasting away to save your life. Bear bells, secure food storage away from people, not getting too close with your photo attempt, are much more effective

          • sudo22@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Yes I agree do all of this, don’t just shoot everything you see. But on the chance this fails or you make a mistake, you should have a gun as a last resort.

        • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          If every back country hiker was strapped up we would have more deaths, not less.

          • sudo22@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Okay bud. If you don’t want to carry by all means no one is forcing you. But I’m going to protect my family when we camp or need to visit bear country for any reason.

                • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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                  1 year ago

                  Carrying them openly at camp sites and in national or provincial parks is not.

                  More people carrying guns will result in more suicide, more domestic violence murders, and more accidental homicides than it will prevent human deaths from fucking bears.

                  Grow up.

              • sudo22@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                If that’s how you want to do it. Nature is dangerous sometimes. Shouldn’t let that prevent you from seeing its beauty.

      • CalamityBalls@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        From someone firmly against the proliferation of firearms, I think taking a gun on a camping trip where there might be bears is a pretty solid idea.

      • SHOW_ME_YOUR_ASSHOLE@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Gun owners have to pipe in whenever there’s a legitimate reason for a firearm otherwise the narrative is that we only have them because we love mass shootings and dead children.

        • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          We know you love them cause they make you feel like a big man, their widespread ownership just also always leads to mass shooting and the mass death of children.

          We understand where you’re coming from, we just think your prioritization is objectively and statistically stupid.