No bear spray in Sequoia Nat forest
10-03-2018, 08:57 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 55
No bear spray in Sequoia Nat forest
Seriously, what is wrong with this state that doesn't allow its citizens to protect themselves?
I recently went to sequoia nat. forest with my wife and we encountered 3 bears! in a day. One of them was about 40 yards from us! and didn't even seem scared. The place is INFESTED with black bears and clueless tourists who think they are in Disney. One of the bears we saw was near the general sherman tree, and there were about 12 people taking pictures, and one guy even started approaching the bear with FOOD in his hand! I quickly intervened and told the guy to step back and not feed the wild beast, and told everyone to better leave the area. They all looked at me like I was some sort of weirdo...
I also found out you aren't allowed to carry bear spray with you, because according to the department managing the park "black bears simply do not attack humans in the park". I recently read an article of a hiker being attacked in Bailey canyon (Sierra Madre, CA) for just hiking. I am sure black bears in sequoia national park are wild beasts just like the bear who attacked said hiker, and not some sort of mystical, special, sequoia unique animal. They aren't afraid of humans, and we are just waiting for tragedy. Their suggestion is "if you get close to a black bear, walk away, and if the bear seems aggressive make a lot of noise". That's our weapon people, that's how the state want us to protect ourselves "noise"... not even bear spray... Well let me tell you something, bears are smart, and as soon as they realize we are weak and unarmed noisy animals, they won't hesitate to attack. There soon will be a law that you aren't even allowed to carry your own fists, because you know, punching, it is a weapon, it is dangerous.
I've always said... a bear would never go out to the wild without their claws. Why would we be in the wild without our weapons? It is a basic human right. They started with guns, then they took knives, now it is bear spray... yeap that's right, BEAR SPRAY. A completely harmless defensive tool that is only 10% as powerful as the pepper spray used against humans.
I recently went to sequoia nat. forest with my wife and we encountered 3 bears! in a day. One of them was about 40 yards from us! and didn't even seem scared. The place is INFESTED with black bears and clueless tourists who think they are in Disney. One of the bears we saw was near the general sherman tree, and there were about 12 people taking pictures, and one guy even started approaching the bear with FOOD in his hand! I quickly intervened and told the guy to step back and not feed the wild beast, and told everyone to better leave the area. They all looked at me like I was some sort of weirdo...
I also found out you aren't allowed to carry bear spray with you, because according to the department managing the park "black bears simply do not attack humans in the park". I recently read an article of a hiker being attacked in Bailey canyon (Sierra Madre, CA) for just hiking. I am sure black bears in sequoia national park are wild beasts just like the bear who attacked said hiker, and not some sort of mystical, special, sequoia unique animal. They aren't afraid of humans, and we are just waiting for tragedy. Their suggestion is "if you get close to a black bear, walk away, and if the bear seems aggressive make a lot of noise". That's our weapon people, that's how the state want us to protect ourselves "noise"... not even bear spray... Well let me tell you something, bears are smart, and as soon as they realize we are weak and unarmed noisy animals, they won't hesitate to attack. There soon will be a law that you aren't even allowed to carry your own fists, because you know, punching, it is a weapon, it is dangerous.
I've always said... a bear would never go out to the wild without their claws. Why would we be in the wild without our weapons? It is a basic human right. They started with guns, then they took knives, now it is bear spray... yeap that's right, BEAR SPRAY. A completely harmless defensive tool that is only 10% as powerful as the pepper spray used against humans.
Last edited by entropy4money; 10-03-2018 at 11:10 AM.
01-15-2019, 10:08 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Montana
Posts: 550
You said that you went to Sequoia National Forest. That's federal, not state, but it is in California...
Aerosol flying insect (wasp and hornet) spray makes a pretty good human defense spray, it would probably be better than nothing for bears.
Or just carry bear spray out of sight.
Aerosol flying insect (wasp and hornet) spray makes a pretty good human defense spray, it would probably be better than nothing for bears.
Or just carry bear spray out of sight.
01-16-2019, 07:59 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 141
That sure seems like a strange law to not allow citizens bear spray in a National Forest. I would follow Californians example in following federal immigration law and ignore it. I'd also rather have a big caliber pistol instead of bear spray.
06-18-2019, 06:34 AM
#5
Spike
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Bandon Oregon
Posts: 2
I lived north of the KC NP for many years (Wishon Res), encountered many bears and never a problem. Back packed, hunted, fished most of the trails. Oh sure they get into the trash cans and need to be chased off. The same idiots that feed the bears are the ones that use the bear spray indiscriminately. I don't know if it's banned in all NPs but I believe I was told it was in Yosemite.
If you think you need 'bear spray', carry it for piece of mine but it's not needed. Notice one responder mentioned carrying a side arm ……. asking for big trouble. It's illegal and must be declared when entering the park (must be in a locked/sealed container), Federal Law not California.
Look at it this way, you are the visitor, the bear is the resident and he has the Right Of Way ……. give it to him.
If you think you need 'bear spray', carry it for piece of mine but it's not needed. Notice one responder mentioned carrying a side arm ……. asking for big trouble. It's illegal and must be declared when entering the park (must be in a locked/sealed container), Federal Law not California.
Look at it this way, you are the visitor, the bear is the resident and he has the Right Of Way ……. give it to him.
Last edited by GoldToyBox; 06-18-2019 at 06:36 AM. Reason: spelling corrections
06-18-2019, 07:22 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
the problem is, the world is filling p with morons LOL
and many of these are in positions that can make rules others must follow!
this might sound bad and NOT telling anyone to do so
BUT< I would wonder what the fine would be to get caught with bear spray there, and well, maybe just carry it if you go there and pay it if caught!
safety has a price tag, one way or the other,
ALL wild animals can attach, big or small, and black bears are responsible for more attaches than another other bear species in the USA and Canada!
due to there in more places, it doesn;t make them more aggressive, or not, just means there in more places, so odds go up!
the other side of this coin is, when you add weapons and tools for self defense, you also, add in some of the folks carrying.using them will be poorly trained, and lack common scene too!
after many years of selling these things to the public, trust me, its not as great as you might think for the average yahoo, to have one of either in a area with wild animals and humans intermixing!
as you already pointed out, a guy trying to walk up to a WILD bear to feed it,
NOW say said person has a gun/pepper spray, gets to bear, bear charges, he shoots/sprays it, it gets past him and grabs someone near by! due to in a rage or fear or??
problem started from the person in the wrong, and in the end the bear pays the price for stupid/lack of bear knowledge!
as I said, most all things can be resolved by info and knowing how to use it
and its impossible to fix, well stupid!
bears in any area that see's a LOT of human contact, develop more of a tolerance for humans than in more wilderness area's that bears seldom or never see a human, there IMO totally different bears, even if of same species(aka, black, brown(which are coastal grizzly's actually), actually a grizzly!
I am in a VERY very high bear density area , I see bears almost daily most of the yr, had 10 different bears in my yard yesterday, mating season right now and they were sure putting on a show here all day and night long for me!
I have never had a single issue with them, nor has anyone near me, NO attacks or aggressive one's to DATE!
all this can change in a flash,and anyone that thinks it cannot is a fool!
carrying a gun and or bear spray, can help in an attack, but honestly, most folks ain;t good enough with either to save them, so I gather they see this as a point in why to ban them in a public place, as the odds might be higher, of the gun/spray causing more harm than good
Sorry it doesn't fit for folks that are competent with there gun and or pepper spray, but again, the average idiot, isn;t that good with either, even when they THINK they are! LOL
so I honestly see both side to this , and way I gather it is , if your DON"T want the risk of going without a weapon/spray, then DON"T go there, lots of other places to go
or assume the risks and go without, its still your choice, and gives you some options!
or again, take the gamble, carry and pay the fine if you get caught, maybe better to pay a fine IF caught and carry , as only a issue if you use it?,
what is it they say, better to ask forgiveness than permission LOL
I would just go else where to hike, or??
and many of these are in positions that can make rules others must follow!
this might sound bad and NOT telling anyone to do so
BUT< I would wonder what the fine would be to get caught with bear spray there, and well, maybe just carry it if you go there and pay it if caught!
safety has a price tag, one way or the other,
ALL wild animals can attach, big or small, and black bears are responsible for more attaches than another other bear species in the USA and Canada!
due to there in more places, it doesn;t make them more aggressive, or not, just means there in more places, so odds go up!
the other side of this coin is, when you add weapons and tools for self defense, you also, add in some of the folks carrying.using them will be poorly trained, and lack common scene too!
after many years of selling these things to the public, trust me, its not as great as you might think for the average yahoo, to have one of either in a area with wild animals and humans intermixing!
as you already pointed out, a guy trying to walk up to a WILD bear to feed it,
NOW say said person has a gun/pepper spray, gets to bear, bear charges, he shoots/sprays it, it gets past him and grabs someone near by! due to in a rage or fear or??
problem started from the person in the wrong, and in the end the bear pays the price for stupid/lack of bear knowledge!
as I said, most all things can be resolved by info and knowing how to use it
and its impossible to fix, well stupid!
bears in any area that see's a LOT of human contact, develop more of a tolerance for humans than in more wilderness area's that bears seldom or never see a human, there IMO totally different bears, even if of same species(aka, black, brown(which are coastal grizzly's actually), actually a grizzly!
I am in a VERY very high bear density area , I see bears almost daily most of the yr, had 10 different bears in my yard yesterday, mating season right now and they were sure putting on a show here all day and night long for me!
I have never had a single issue with them, nor has anyone near me, NO attacks or aggressive one's to DATE!
all this can change in a flash,and anyone that thinks it cannot is a fool!
carrying a gun and or bear spray, can help in an attack, but honestly, most folks ain;t good enough with either to save them, so I gather they see this as a point in why to ban them in a public place, as the odds might be higher, of the gun/spray causing more harm than good
Sorry it doesn't fit for folks that are competent with there gun and or pepper spray, but again, the average idiot, isn;t that good with either, even when they THINK they are! LOL
so I honestly see both side to this , and way I gather it is , if your DON"T want the risk of going without a weapon/spray, then DON"T go there, lots of other places to go
or assume the risks and go without, its still your choice, and gives you some options!
or again, take the gamble, carry and pay the fine if you get caught, maybe better to pay a fine IF caught and carry , as only a issue if you use it?,
what is it they say, better to ask forgiveness than permission LOL
I would just go else where to hike, or??
