We’ve been traveling through Wyoming and Montana for the first time and this video couldn’t have come at a better time! I sincerely appreciate both of your recent bear videos. The information is pretty timeless and will help save a lot of humans and bears from harm.

This is how YT-Vids should be. Calm, informative, clear language. Thanks for your effort.

When you showed that teddy bear I laughed

This is the second video of yours about bear safety that I've watched simply because they're interesting and well presented. I live in Paris and the only grizzlies here are bipeds.

Great video. What a lot of people don't realize about shooting a charging grizzly is the size of the target. Most of a bear's head is muscle and fur. The brain case is so narrow that if you shoot directly into either eye you'll miss the brain and just blind the bear in one eye. If you're an inch above the centerpoint between the eyes, you're too high. And it's moving. And you're in an adrenaline situation that gives you strength but sacrifices fine motor control. Indigenous hunters have shot grizzlies with 22 long. But those are to the side of the head, in the temple region where the braincase is a bigger target and the bone is thinner. From the front, imagine a deck of cards sitting on its long edge with the narrow edge facing you. Bigger than that of course, but that's the geometry.

When things with a bear get spicy, you make the bear spicy.

ALWAYS CHECK the EXPIRY DATE ON THE CAN of spray. Replace with fresh spray can before going into the bush. I write the expiry dates on my cans with a black Sharpie. Awesome video, thanks for posting. Yes, being in the bush as a team, never alone is a good idea. When i am in the bush near my camp in Killarney Ontario, bear encounters are common, but we usually go in groups of at least three, and each has his own can of spray. Most of the time i spot or smell the bear before the bear even knows we are there. The stalking bears are scary, they will rarely let you see them. Btw, big-game hunters traditionally have a guide with them, and the guide also acts as protection for the hunter (his client) from predators. The guide carries a Guide Gun, usually a small sized rifle in a large caliber with much stopping power. When the game being hunted goes down, some Brown Bears have been know to associate the sound of the kill shot with a dinner bell of sorts, and the guide with his gun would be there as back-up cover for the hunter. Also, if hunting dangerous game, and the hunter missed, which initiates a charge, the guide is at least a second line of defense. In Canada you can apply for a carry permit for restricted weapon (handguns) in remote areas for personal defense (wilderness Carry)if you job takes you into potentially dangerous areas. This law is intended to allow for pistol carry for trappers, prospectors, linesmen, etc. which would be more practical and convenient for these workers than carrying long arms.

When the camera turned to the scary stuffed bear I lost it. LMAO! That was awesome. Thanks for the great information.

Wo I’m glad you made that clear. I’m that person who would spray it on my Tent believing I’m giving myself extra protection 😬

In addition, "bear spray" can be used against other animals that mean you harm, such as cougars and mountain lions, when used in a similiar fashion. Great video and never out-of-date, thanks.

I'm a 65 year old male with no past knowledge of bear spray. Circumstances require me to soon head into bear & cougar territory on my own for a few relatively short periods. So fortunate that I found your excellent site Kevin. I watched a few others first but then found yours. It's the best researched and presented by far. Thanks very much as I now feel confident I'll be purchasing the right items, transport safely, be at the ready, and use most effectively. Well done !

I love that you're educated and showing real studies to prove your point this video was highly informative and would save lives thank you

I just moved to a small town very deep in the Appalachians. My new neighbors tell me there a LOT of black bears in this area and that bear encounters occur regularly. This is going to be a very different lifestyle for me so I appreciate how informative your video was.

I live in Bear Valley Springs, CA. My family and I have recently begun hiking, your videos make me feel much more confident about it. Thank you for making these videos.

Great pair of videos! Glad that you pointed out that firearms are NOT the primary choice for defense! No, I am NOT anti-gun, I have hunted often and own a number of powerful firearms, but would certainly prefer to protect me and mine with a method that is not only more effective, but preserves the life of the bear. In the highly unlikely event that the bear spray fails, I would always have my lever 45/70 to fall back on.

Just an incredibly useful video - much gratitude. I also appreciate your calm, upbeat, fact-based presentation, without any sensationalism. Carry on!

Well done demo Kevin. I had no idea about "bear spray containers" it seems like a good idea for transport. Thanks for this series buddy🍻👊

I live nowhere near bears but your videos are very informative and relaxing. Good job!

Many Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Very useful.

I am amazed at how well this information is presented. Great job !! No fluff , just straight info. I got this in my recommended . Hope you get many more subscribers

Great job on the video! I usually don’t comment but I’m very happy that you were to the point without a lot of fluff. Very informative thank you!

This is amazing. The most comprehensive and helpful bear videos I've ever come across. Thank you again.

Great video.... I am going hiking around Jasper, Alberta next weekend and found that not only the how to information, but the study and efficacy information very interesting and reassuring!! Thanks for sharing!! Keep up the great content

Very informative! I love that you cite good reputable scientific sources!

Solid video! Thanks for sharing.

i bought a smith and wesson 500 magnum short barrel and i carry it in a chest holster i am in bear country. the chest holster is very comfortable while walking, sitting around a fire pit, standing, etc. if i get nervous, and drop my smith and wesson, i always carry 2 large cans of bear spray too.

Loved both the parts. Very informative. Thanks

This was all excellent and in line with what Herrero has said. Well done.

Very informative! People have no idea what it’s like to have bear encounter. I personally have had seven. Two did not see me. I was in N. Idaho mountains and about to walk out from the wood into a large meadow. Off in the distance I saw what looked like a ground hog. I realized it was a chocolate brown black bear cub. I waited to see if the mother was around. Sure enough; the mother walked out from some trees near the cub. They never saw me and I just faded back into the woods and left the area. They were too busy grazing to notice me.

Excellent video you covered everything we could know about this or need to know thank you so much

Thank you for your videos..I plan on going hiking in the mountains and your advice was clear to understand and I feel more easy about it now that i have listened to you.

Very informative and very helpful. Thank you for making this video.

Nice job ! Good video! This is just what we need to put in perspective our relationship with those special citizens.

These are great videos. Thank you for your content!

Useful information, excellently presented. Thank you!

Great video, I just bought a can and am planning a trip, this info was very helpful.

I worked in an animal sanctuary in Georgia called Noah’s Ark. we had many black and brown bears. Just watching the babies play was terrifying. You realize how fast and strong they are and that you wouldn’t stand a chance! I hike often and decided to refresh my memory on some safety skills as there have been many black bears around Fort Mountain, Georgia lately! Thanks for the great content. I subscribed!

Kevin, this was a REALLY informative video -- THANKS!

Great followup to the video on the facts about bear behavior and attacks.

Great video man! Thanks for your contribution,

Excellent information! Thank you!

Very informative video, and well produced.

I know a man who thought it was a “Bear Repellent” and he sprayed his kids with it before going on a hike, smart man

REally nice touch with the stuffed bear!! Great video.

Great vid! 🙏🏻

Thanks for the great vid. I'm heading for Northern Ontario next month so it is timely.

Great video man thanks.

"Bear spray cannot be used on humans here in Canada." What I heard: "bear spray is perfect weapon against annoying humans."

Outstanding video. Well-researched, factual with a clear, concise delivery. Best of all, no sensationalistic nonsense (except for the scary bear that was sprayed.)

Another great video, dude. I just noticed that Canadian tire sells the inert spray now, but you have to buy it in a combo. Might have to get some. it would be nice to have practice haha.

Thanks a lot Kevin, my first time in bear country with my girlfriend and her family this week. I’ve received training on deploying OC spray but wanted to be entirely sure I could competently deploy bear spray, and I’m glad I found your video as there are many glaring differences in how the two are used. Excellent execution on an informative video, little to no unnecessary fluff with very clear and concise instruction. Keep doing your thing man, you’re doing the lords work 💪

God damn what a clear and elaborative video! Makes me feel good. Thank you for this!

Great info, thanks for posting - you never know when an encounter may happen up here in BC.

Ahh thank you so much Kevin love these videos

that was extremely useful, thank you.

Great video! Can’t wait to show all my comrades.

I live in an area with Black Bears in it, these videos have given me valuable information. Thank you

Awesome demo. I really enjoyed it. I live in New Jersey so not many bears unless I hike up north!

That is the cutest bear ever! Thanks for this video. A few years ago I spoke with someone at an outdoor store and he actually talked me OUT of getting bear spray. He basically said if the bear was close enough to use bear spray I'd likely be killed anyway. All that accomplished was to scare me enough to not go hiking as much. I think I'll find a different place to purchase some.

Excellent video - lots of useful info, Kevin. Had to laugh when you "found" that bear to practice on.

Good morning and health to everyone. Thank you for the valuable information. 👍🙏

Facts well stated. useful info for the majority of the average back country users. The data at the end of the video-useful and thought provoking. Also: Keep track of the expiration date.

Thank you for this information , use ,storage how to carry and use very much appreciated as i crown land camp in northern ontario

Amazing videos, watched all the bear safety videos of yours, taught me a lot, I will soon hike through country where there is a chance to meet bears, glad I found your videos. Calm, entertaining and informative, threw you a sub!

Excellent content

excellent video, I feel much more prepared.

Thank you. I learned something new today. Stay safe...

great videos !

"Better you than me..." Great set of videos.

Hello Kevin, sincere thanks for sharing this very informative video. All the best to you. Stay healthy my friend. 🤗

Well done! Thank you.

Great videos! I'd like to add 2 things. Use a twist lock caribiner for you gear! I had my Garmin Inreach tracker come undone on the one it came with, luckily I found it! I also suggest that you put your bear spray pointing backwards, so the safety can't get knocked off by branches when bush whacking. It happened to me this winter, and I got a shot of it in the gut. I was very lucky I missed the important parts, but it was still 4 1/2 hrs of pain.

I've never even gone hiking, and here I am watching your videos at 1 am

Great videos.

Great Video!!!!

Nice video!

Thank you for making this video, I'm feeling more confident in what to do if I come across a bear. I didn't know they made a canister to put bear spray in.

Thank you very much. Excellent video .

Thank you sir beautifully explained

Thank you great info...

another thing to point out, is that it is only a deterrent as an aerosol. people have sprayed it around the perimeter of their camps, and i've heard of a bush pilot spraying his float pontoons. he came back to his pontoons having been tore up.

Great video! Thanks for demystifying bear behavior. I hope I'll never have to use my spray, but it's nice to know how.

Definitely a firearms - related issue. Thanks much. In my younger days i participated in two different canoe trips in bear country. One was in the NY Adirondacks. The second was in the Minnesota Boundary Lakes region. In both groups there were no encounters with bears. My guess is the noises and possibly the smells kept them away. At that time there was no mention of bear spray. And no one carried a firearm to my knowledge. Though i did have a small pocket knife. But now that i'm retired in a budget apartment complex . . . sometimes my neighbors behave like disgruntled bears. Noises from the patter of little feet, booming pick-up trucks, motorcycles, power tool users (me), and simply upstairs folks acting like a herd of buffalo. No need to visit bear country. It's all right here in the middle of a small to mid-size USA city. Did i forget to mention messy and smelly garbage dumpsters ??? . . . and no recycling bins on the property.

This is my second video of yours I've watched and it is very informative we go to Northern Bc lots and always carry bear spray fortunately never needed it

Alaskan here. I never leave home without bear spray. You have the best spray right there- Counter Assault. My bearspray is always on my belt. I have gone through 4 cans since Spring. A bear has to get kind of close and aggresive for me to use it as well. Like you, I carry 2 cans.

great job and thanks for all the stats and especially about carrying firearms,,,

i love this channel! i have learned alot about bear behavior, my family are going hiking soon, i doubt we will see a bear but if we do i now understand body language and much more! thank you

A great video that I will share for sure. Recently in discussing bear spray with a physician he pointed out that we humans have a smell capacity infinately minute compared to bears and that the power of bear spray is amplified many many times when a bear is sprayed and inhales the fumes. So the effectiveness is amplified and the need for intense contact is much deminished.

My only issue with bear spray is its expiration. Alaska is pretty remote where I wanna go. Definitely gonna have it when I can.

This is absolutely invaluable info for me. I've been hiking, hunting, and backcountry fishing for 50 years and have had exactly two encounters. Both were sows with cubs and in both cases, I had no protection. No contact happened in either case but a good dose of "bear nerves". Although I have firearms and training, it is often not P.C. (California) to carry. Thus, when fishing, I usually don't carry. You have cleared up a lot of things and now I know what to do. I have often wondered about spray and also wondered about exposure after discharging the canister. The longer range spray you mention in passing seems the way to go. I'm now also wondering about something (what?) to have along to neutralize just in case you do get a little dose due the wind or whatever.

I work as a geologist currently in far east russia, not too far from alaska, its full of bears everywhere. We keep dogs and they help, but work is often half an hour on foot from the camp, so that track becomes extremely dangerous. Some older geologists make a fire and keep it on during all the shift. Im really enjoying your videos. Next time i go to work as a geologist im going to a hunting shop and buy these things you advice

Im glad he mentioned not to spray it on objects around your tent in attempts to keep bears away. I was thinking that would be a good idea to cause a bad smell that the bears would stay away from.

The study comparing Firearms to pepper spray was seriously flawed ! I actually took the time to study the entire paper by Stehen Herrero and Tim Smith. There was a particularly glaring error that I picked up on almost immediately. They were using some data involving firearms use from the late 1800's when black powder weapons were still the norm. According to the statistics complied in their study the most common cause for firearms failure to defend a bear attack was the inability to reload. That is no surprise if they were counting incidents from the 1800's using blackpowder or muzzle loading weapons that were prone to failure and often malfunctioned. If they had restricted data to only include modern firearms from the 1980's on , when people started using pepper spray, they would have had a more fair comparison. The other important thing to note was they dug up articles were firearms were actually used in defense from a bear attack. They used data for pepper spray that included many instances where the bear was merely curious or non aggressive. After reading the entire paper I came to a much different conclusion. It seems to me that their study would support that pepper spray was quite successful at scaring off a curious or non aggressive bear, however when the bear was very aggressive and charged pepper spray did NOT stop the attack. They compiled data from over 400 cases where firearms were used for bear defense . Many of those cases were not during the era of modern repeating firearms. They compiled data of only about 70 cases where pepper spray was used for bear defense. Most of those case involved bears that were curious or non aggressive. There were only 3 cases where pepper spray was used against a very aggressive charging bear and in all 3 of those cases the bear charged right through the pepper spray and injured the user. You may not like what I am telling you but if you don't believe me read the WHOLE paper for yourself. It can easily be found online. I looked it up because the summary that pepper spray worked better than firearms didn't make sense to me. I decided to look into it and find out the truth for myself.

Thanks Kevin. I always carry spray in bear country. Lighter than a gun and apparently more effective. Great video. Have a wonderful summer.

good research..

Love your channel.

Thank you, Sir Good job

Really great info. I’ve been carrying bear spray for years and all I have is a stack of expired cans lol I always check the expiration dates before I head out and buy fresh cans as needed

I used to work at cabelas and people would buy the spray all the time, when I first started there I was surprised so many people bought it considering it’s $79 price tag. But people were very confident in their purchase. A lot of people just said they refused to go into the wilderness without it. All in all over time so many peoples stories and reasoning convinced me that it’s absolutely worth the hefty $79 even if you never have to use it.

Great video! .....Where are those woods behind you? They look gorgeous!