Originally Posted by
JohnScott
... bear spray is highly effective when used properly and is much preferred over firearms by virtually all state and federal agencies as a matter of policy in dealing with bears.
It's been about ten years since Hap and I had quite the go around on this subject, and I have zero interest in rehashing that discussion which ended with Hap bowing out because further discussion would have to be "political", which I didn't think was necessary but wasn't worth pursuing because the ball was in his court at that point.
If you want good information on bear safety, go the the National Park Service website, or the websites of other federal agencies like the National Forest Service or U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the State parks, fish and game services around the Western U. S.
As of ten years ago, all of those services advocated for use of bear spray over use of firearms, and nothing has changed at least as to the National Park Service when I was on their website this morning.
The choice is yours - spend the time and energy to thoroughly research the subject to become informed and be safe, or not.
Just saying.
John