I perfer my bear spray to be High vel lead

Mandatory bear spray, no mountain bikes allowed on popular Banff hiking trail
winnpegfreepress ^ | July 28, 2011 | Bill Graveland

Posted on Monday, August 01, 2011 7:21:22 PM by MamaDearest

BANFF, Alta. - One of the most popular hiking and biking trails in Banff National Park is bringing in restrictions at the height of the summer tourist season due to fears of bear attacks.

The Lake Minnewanka Trail has been a favourite haunt for hikers and mountain bikers for decades. There are over three million visitors to the park each year and many of them take to the 32-kilometre trail northeast of the Banff townsite.

Until Sept. 15, it will be mandatory for hikers to travel in groups of at least four. At least one of the individuals will be required to carry bear spray.

"This is the first time we've required bear spray and it's only on this section of trail," Parks Canada spokesman Mark Merchant saidThursday.

"If people don't follow the rules, it gives us another thing that the law enforcement branch can fall back on. That's going to be the last recourse."

Being charged requires a mandatory court appearance where a judge can impose a fine of up to $25,000 under the National Parks Act. Merchant said there have been no close calls this season but the risk is still there. There are an estimated 60 grizzly bears within the boundaries of the park as well as another 40 to 50 black bears. Many are now feeding on the plentiful buffalo berries in the area.

"We have had encounters in the past. We've had a mauling and we've had also just close encounters," Merchant said.

"We really need to emphasize how serious we're taking the situation on this section of trail. By telling people 'you have to carry bear spray' we really think we're going to drive that message home.

"Bear spray probably is the best tool as a last resort. It has proven more effective then firearms or anything else."

There is also a ban on mountain bikers and dogs on most of the trail. Merchant said mountain bikers are quieter and faster than hikers and are more prone to surprise a bear. The local cycling group is supportive of the new rules, he added.

The Parks Canada website says that between 1998 and 2005 there were five bear attacks in Banff National Park in two locations: Allenby Pass near Bryant Creek and the Aylmer Pass trail near Lake Minnewanka.

All of the bear attacks were on hikers alone or in small groups and happened when they surprised female grizzlies with cubs along the trails during berry season.

There hasn't been a fatal bear attack in the park since 1980.



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TOPICS: Outdoors; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: banff; bearspray; bikes; Click to Add Keyword
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mandatory bear spray

I've been told by someone who knows his stuff that there's never been a documented bear attack on a group of more than three people. seems the bears don't like the odds! We'll have all sorts of people saying only a gun will work but Banff is a National Park and no guns allowed by federal law. So the group thing and bear spray is a good idea.

You could always spray your buddies and while they roll around in agony the bear is momentarily confused and you can run away

I remember a video of a test where they sprayed equipment , tent , canoe ,etc .That attracted the bear and he rubbed against it ,loving it !!

So spray your companions withe spray and the bear will hug them all. !

Interesting:

A couple of years ago a grizzly kept 5 girls pinned to the ground about 10 miles out of town on a well used trail here, Livingston -Paradice Valley, for over an hour. Didn't maul them but would not let them leave or move.

Also had a couple of bow hunters spray down a grizzly in Sunlight Basin north of the Park. They were returning to their vehicle when the bear came back, mad as hell, 20 minutes later. The solution was a 44 mag this time around.

In Canada's Waterton Park, I believe, a few years back a couple of girls were attacked by a grizzly, they sprayed it and it left. They were in the process of getting the hell out of there when the bear tracked them down and mauled them severely. It probably would have killed them but was chased off by a horse packer and his mules.

Just this spring I filled my bear tag the "easy" way. I had a large (6ft, 350lb) black bear try to get into our trailer (while we were in it, in a USFS campground) during turkey/bear season here in Montana. Not wanting to shoot it I tried to chase it away twice. (Too windy, wind WRONG direction to use the stupid spray!) The third time it came back I "sprayed" it with a 160 7mm bullet at 23 feet. That bear will not be mauling any tent campers this summer...

I'm sure bear spray works 99% of the time. The other 1% you can get killed or maimed, those odds suck as far as I'm concerned. It's now legal to carry in YNP if you have a CWP, I do. Got some shit from a ranger until I asked him, "OK, so exactly why is it you are carrying a sidearm AND A 12GA LOADED WITH SLUGS?" His bear spray was also in a "weak-side" holster in back of his flashlight, obviously not his primary "go-to" weapon...

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:

You could always spray your buddies and while they roll around in agony the bear is momentarily confused and you can run away

Now I admire a man with a plan.

Considering that in all probability, the majority of the hikers/bikers don't even know which end of a gun to put the gas in, I think it's a good plan.