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One thing that has always struck me as curious is the idea of bear spray as "first line of defense". In order for bear spray to be effective, the bear has to be close enough to you that, essentially, there is no second line of defense if the bear spray doesn't work.
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Where I live in Alaska, during the summer, when out in the bush because of the dense foliage one is lucky to be able to see more than ten to twenty yards... period. Yes, there are openings, but the vast majority of where I am out it is walls of green.
So, bear encounters are usually of the up close and in your face variety. My closest non-hunting bear encounter started at about that (10 yards or so out of the bushes) and ended at about four feet.
And this myth (spray not working) It has basically worked 100% of the time against bears in Alaska:
http://www.adn.com/2008/04/20/381252...h-in-bear.html
But, I still always carry a firearm when out and about; still bear spray is my first line of defense, it works for me... and so far everyone else who has reported bear/spray encounters and has used it against bears in Alaska. What's not to like?
YMMV