# Bear chews on can of bear spray.



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Found this while out hiking last week. I'm not sure what the story is but I'm assuming it fell off a hunter's belt and a brown bear ran across it and decided to see what pepper spray tasted like. Kind of ironic.  Around here, bears chew on anything and everything they find in the forest. I would love to have been a fly on a tree trunk when he bit into this.


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

That's a cool find, did you look around for any human remains.. hope the owner did just drop it!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Was the safety pin still in it or was it pulled and perhaps the can was discharged? 

I can just imagine if a bear did bite into a full can of the stuff, they actually might like it.

A lot out there claim that bear spray should just be sold in the condiment aisle in the stores.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

pollo70 said:


> That's a cool find, did you look around for any human remains.. hope the owner did just drop it!


We did look around out of curiosity but found nothing. It was only a couple miles from where I live so I'd imagine if a hunter had been mangled by a bear we would have been called in on it.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Critter said:


> Was the safety pin still in it or was it pulled and perhaps the can was discharged?
> 
> I can just imagine if a bear did bite into a full can of the stuff, they actually might like it.
> 
> A lot out there claim that bear spray should just be sold in the condiment aisle in the stores.


I didn't think to look. And by dang, it has been pulled. :shock:

I've also heard they like it. I'm not sure how many bears I've sprayed and had immediate and positive results but the last ones, a sow and three cubs, actually came back and started to sniff where I had sprayed. They didn't react like the others I've douched with spray.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The studies that I have see tell you not not spray it around your camp or onto things in hopes of keeping bears off or out of it. They claim that if it is used this way that the bears do treat it as a condiment and will get used to it and actually like the taste of it. So don't spray it on yourself. 

Also from what I have read the spray is most effective if it is inhaled by the bear, kind of like snorting Tobasco. I'd hate to even try that.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

This is hilarious. would have loved to see the darn thing explode in the bear's mouth.



Critter said:


> ....
> Also from what I have read the spray is most effective if it is inhaled by the bear, *kind of like snorting Tobasco*. I'd hate to even try that.


I've been snorting Tabasco since I Was 4. Have I been doing it wrong?


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## RemingtonCountry (Feb 17, 2016)

MadHunter said:


> I've been snorting Tabasco since I Was 4. Have I been doing it wrong?


It puts hair on your chest!


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## muddydogs (Oct 7, 2007)

A couple years ago a crew member doing plots lost there can of bear spray up in Montana somewhere. A few weeks later the quality control crew just happened to draw the plot for inspection and found the can of bear spray with a single canine tooth hole in it.

I have a few bear spray stories from a guy setting off a can in the cabin of a boat on a windy rough ride across Yellowstone Lake to the janitor that found a can in the trash and decided to try to kill a few ants with it in the office building.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I almost wonder if Essence of Skunk would be more debilitating to a bear than pepper spray. Since it is just concentrated Cayenne Pepper I would imagine that the bear is fine and dandy after a very short amount of time. Essence of Skunk on the other hand would ruin the bears ability to smell for several weeks rendering the bear to pretty much feed on grass. Then again there is nothing there to keep the grizzly bear from feeding on you...


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## bwood (Jan 5, 2011)

You grossly underestimate their ability to smell. I've had dogs take getting skunked right in the face and 10 minutes later be pointing pheasants. I've heard their sense of smell being compared to our eye sight. Just because one thing is really bright it doesn't mean we can't see other things. That is why cover scents are pretty worthless and scent elimination technology is taking over.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

bwood, Thanks for the perspective on the dogs. Scent control is definitely a realm that I am unfamiliar with. Since my days in jr. high and learning about deodorant and checking wind I really wonder how amazing olfactory senses can really be. Someone needs to invent something that amplifies smell soon.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Nambaster said:


> ......Someone needs to invent something that amplifies smell soon.


Are you wanting to smell the bear coming? I figure that after a while bears will learn to approach humans from up-wind.


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