this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
132 points (97.8% liked)

World News

39102 readers
2223 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

A grizzly bear attacked and killed two people in Banff National Park west of Sundre, Alta., on Friday night, Parks Canada says.

The people who died were common-law partners, according to a family member of one of the deceased whose name CBC News is choosing to keep confidential until all members of the family have been notified. The couple's dog, who was with them at the time, was also killed.

"They were long-term partners who loved the outdoors and were inseparable," read a statement from the family member.

"They lived for being in the backcountry and were two of the most cautious people I know. They knew bear protocol and followed it to a tee."

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] kale@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I do a lot of camping in bear country. I've been to Bannf. Bear spray is more effective than a firearm at stopping a brown bear attack. Bears have super sensitive noses and eyes, bear spray is immediate pain.

Bears are extremely muscular from the front, so even if you could manage to shoot one several times from the front, you'd have to use non-expanding bullets like hard cast lead or full metal jacket, which aren't as lethal as expanding bullets like flat nose or hollow points are (for people). Expanding bullets would be stopped by muscle in bears. Non-expanding bullets are slower at killing things (I believe it's illegal to hunt with FMJ around me). Bears can run so quickly that a lethal shot killing a bear in two seconds might not be enough time to stop the bear before it could hurt you. And if a lethal shot took a minute to kill a bear, it's not effective at stopping an attack.

9mm has stopped brown bear attacks plenty of times, but it's risky. Both US Parks Service and Parks Canada say bear spray is more effective at stopping a bear than a firearm. I think Parks Canada still uses 0.303 rifles to rangers, but that might be for polar bear. Canada is really strict on pepper spray and mace, but you can purchase bear spray, even if you're not a citizen. I don't think a non-citizen would be able to hike with a holstered 10mm or .40SW pistol anyways.

Bannf was really crowded when I went there. It's beautiful but the "must see" scenic spots are all filled with Instagrammers. Bears are probably less afraid of people, and I saw plenty of idiots 10 meters from a brown bear with an SLR camera without any precautions at all.

Pro tip: Jasper is very similar terrain, is also a Canadian Park, and is much less crowded. When I was there a couple of years ago, there was zero cell signal an hour before we arrived at the park. You'll need paper maps or offline GPS. If you want wilderness with fewer people, try Jasper Park.

[–] bobman@unilem.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks for the informative post.

Perhaps I should go with bear spray whenever I'm in areas with bear attacks.

I didn't think it would be so effective, but you're right about them having very sensitive noses.

[–] ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

For those unaware bear spray also has a range of up to 50ft. It's not only good for bears... it's a much better alternative to mace since it's much more potent and effective at range.