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Tip o' the Day

Today's topic will be the efficacies of bear sprays.

First off, what is "bear spray"? It's generally recognized as "capsaicin," a bitter chemical compound (CH NO) derived from cayenne pepper. It causes pain to the nerve endings of the eyes and nose. It temporarily robs the creature to whom it's been applied of their senses and causes pain. But there are no long-lasting effects.

All the above sounds clinical. But I'm here to tell you there's nothing dispassionate about getting hit with the stuff. I once "test-fired" the canister I routinely carry while in bear country. Fired beautifull. The wind was wrong. What happened next wasn't beautiful. Mine was a diluted dose, but a troop of maddened grizzly bears careening my way would've been the least of my problems.

Jane carried a spray canister on her belt for so many years that the can corroded and began to leak. She noticed strange burning sensations along her waist. At last the culprit was identified and she disrobed while I, being ever the gallant, helped her, then carried the clothes to the creek for a thorough soaking. When I returned, my hands were burning. The day was hot and I pullled off my cap to wipe sweat from my head. My bald spot began burning! Then I soaked my cap in the stream because whenever the bill was handled, the hand started stinging.

It's bad stuff, capsaicin. In my view, it's far more certain than a magnum handgun in the hands of a scared user during a surprise bear encounter. The spray has been known to stop an angry grizzly in his tracks.

I was once in an outdoor store when a gentleman walked in and bought every canister of bear spray the store had in stock -- about ten. He seemed a no-nonsense sort of guy, so I asked if he anticipated future bear problems?

The man shook his head, then told me he owned a bar in North Dakota. "I had a riot in my place last weekend and" -- when he turned his pale blue eyes on me I'd never seen anyone so grim -- "it won't happen again!"

So arm yourself with a canister of pepper spray, practice using it until you're smooth in handling efficient in delivery, and you'll never have to worry about a grizzly again, right?

Well, not exactly. There's an addendum about brains. The spray is no substitute for commonsense avoidance tactics while traveling or camping in bear country. Consider capsaicin spray as sort of an insurance policy. Insurance is great when you need it, but I remember my daddy telling me I'd be better off in the long run if I pay for insurance yet never need it.

There's no question about it, I feel safer hiking in grizzly country with a canister of pepper spray hanging from my belt. But I'll still plan on waltzing with the same watchful, careful tactics that brought me to the outdoor dance for the last forty, fifty years.

And so should you.

Novels from Roland's Validiction For Revenge Western Adventure series

BRUNO GOES HOME

Bruno was a European brown bear that we Americans might consider indistinguishable from our grizzlies. Brown bears -- the only kind found in Europe -- was once relatively common; now there are but a few remnant populations roaming amid the Old World's highest mountains. But like folks in the New World, as the great grizzled beasts are driven inexorably toward extinction, human inhabitants of the bears' lands come to understand that without the great Ursids their own lives are diminished.

Enter Bruno -- the first wild bear sighted in Germany in 170 years!

To see his picture, a Montanan or Wyomingite would recognize an exact replica of their own Glacier or Yellowstone grizzlies. To review Bruno's brief history, his antics and actions in frustrating biologists from four countries who pursued him, journalists and photographers who lusted after him, and the hordes of townfolk who ached to simply see him would inspire sage nods and gales of laughter from those Americans familiar with the same acts from the same kinds of creatures from across the broad waters.

What kinds of acts? Here's a partial litany of what the Austrian Bear Emergency Team called "bear events":

May 5, 2006 - Tosens: A bear is observed close to the village (first bear observation passed on to the Austrian bear biologists).

May 10, 2006 - Gargellen: At night the bear breaks open the door of a sheep pen at the fringe of the village and kills one breeding ram. Vergalda: In the same night the bear breaks the door of an empty pigsty, about 15 meters from the farmstead and feeds on kitcxhen waste stored in a barrel.

Due to growing public interest, officials held their first press conference relative to Bruno.

May 14, 2006 - St. Anton am Arlberg: A dead sheep is found on a pasture. It was killed and eaten by some carnivore, the signs are not typical for a bear. However, the damage may well be attributed to the bear as it was on his route.

On behalf of Landesrat Schwarzler a scat and three hair samples are brought to the Molecular Systematics lab of the Natural History Museum Vienna.

May 16, 2006 - Haselgehr/Lechtal: At (10:30p) the bear is observed close to a stable as he triggers the automatic light in the farm yard. The bear approaches a bee house and is chased away by the farmer with the car. The bear returns shortly afterwards and is chased off a second time. At night the bear destroys a solitary beehive between Haselgehr and Klimm.

May 17, 2006 - Martinau/Elmen: The bear is observed by a hunter leaving the house for the morning hunt. The bear breaks the window of a bee house right in the center of the village, but moves on before causing more damage.

May 18, 2006 - Gehren-Alm: At 7:10a the bear passes an alpine hut at close range and is photographed by the owner and his wife from the porch. This is the first photograph of the bear.

The emergency team gets the assignment to capture and radio collar the bear and perform aversive conditioning, in the district of Reutte.

May 19, 2006 - Graswang: At night the bear kills 3 sheep on a pasture south of the village. The wounds are not typical for a bear attack and no bear signs can be found in the surrounding area -- a large dog is believed to have been the culprit.

May 20, 2006 - Reschberg: This night the bear kills four sheep. The wounds are quite similar to the wounds in Graswang but this time bear tracks and hairs are found at the site. In the evening a culvert trap is set up at the pasture with chunks of killed sheep as bait -- first trapping attempt.

May 22, 2006 - Grainau: The bear raids a chicken coop in the village and kills six chickens and four doves in front of the house. Later the same night the bear kills three sheep and injures another ... a crowd of journalists and camera teams impedes the damage inspection.

Meeting at the Bavarian Ministry of Environment (StMUGV). The bear is classified as very dangerous and hunters are authorized to shoot the bear.

May 23, 2006 - The Bavarian shooting permit is expanded to the Austrian side, but remains restricted to the district of Reutte.

May 24, 2006 - Thoersee: The observation of a bear is reported by a hunter the next day. During the site investigation the hunter tells two different versions of his observation and no bear signs can be found.

May 25, 2006 - Schneeberg/Thoersee: Two teenagers report bear signs (a track, hair, and daybeds). During the site investigation hairs can be identified as roe deer hair, the day beds as roe deer beds. No bear signs are detected anywhere around.

May 28, 2006 - Tufts, near Schwaz: A bear crosses the road in front of a car near an isolated farm and follows the farm track in direction of the river Inn. In the mud of the farm track plenty of bear tracks can be found and in the herb layer of the forest along the Inn River a track runs directly to the river bank. On the opposite riverside, no tracks can be found. The police in Mittenwald are asked to check a pasture where a sheep is missing. The site investigation the next day does not provide any tracks or evidence of the whereabouts of the sheep. Most likely the sheep was stolen.

May 30, 2006 - Achenkirch: A forester reports on a killed roe buck on a forest road close to the village. The wounds are neither typical for a bear nor for any other carnivore. The closeness to the road allows for the possibility of the deer having been hit by a car. No bear signs can be found at the site.

May 31, 2006: Meeting with Landesjagermeister Steixner. He blames the authorities of deciding over the heads of the Tyrolean hunters. He disagrees with the assessment that the bear poses a risk for human safety and announces that Tyrolean hunters will not shoot the bear.

June 1, 2006: Press conference at the Vienna Zoo with WWF-president Pechlaner, Landesrat Steixner und Chris Walzer. [*Note: Apparently representing Bavarian and Austrian hunters in opposition to destruction of Bruno.]

June 3, 2006 - Klais: Four sheep and one goat are spotted killed in a pasture.... Bear tracks are found under some shrubs and in an open shed, and bear hair can be collected from a barbed wire. The killed sheep are located 400 meters from each other and from the nearest inhabited house. Between Seefeld and Scharnitz: On a parking lot, garbage bags have been torn apart. An inconclusive track can be found at the forest edge. According to the local police, foxes regularly visit the place.

Next week: Conclusion to Bruno's story.

* We can thank Tomiki (no other name) for European info on this so-Montana-like bear. Email: tomikibear@centurytel.net

 

 

Roland Cheek wrote a syndicated outdoors column (Wild Trails and Tall Tales) for 21 years. The column was carried in 17 daily and weekly newspapers in two states. In addition, he scripted and broadcast a daily radio show (Trails to Outdoor Adventure) that aired on 75 stations from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. He's also written upwards of 200 magazine articles and 12 fiction and nonfiction books. For more on Roland, visit:

www.rolandcheek.com

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