These days when you walk into MEC or any other hiking store, I can guarantee that you can find a wide range of products to ward off bear or cougar attacks, from bear bangers to bear spray. But really, is it absolutely necessary to carry a can of bear spray at the ready or a bear banger cocked and ready to fire at all times. How many hikers out there have had a genuinely threatening encounter with a bear or mountain lion? Have you ever used a bear banger? Or, to cut to the chase, is it worth spending money buying any of these forest-creature repellents?

Your thoughts on this topic would be much appreciated.

Just carry a salmon sandwich in your back pocket for the bear, when you see one throw it as far as you can. He'll go after it

In all seriousness, this topic has been discussed many times on this site, why don't you try the search function (it works well), and look up some of the comments made by members here.

The search does work well, but here's my thoughts anyway.

I live in Pemberton, and see bears all the time. There are so many bears around here they are like rodents - I don't get excited when I see one anymore. When I see them though, it's mostly the hind end as they are running away. The largest concern for bears is when you are camped in the backcountry and you have food or something in or around your tent and a bear smells it and wants it. That bear is usually habituated to eating human food. Those bears are the biggest problem. I have bear spray but rarely bring it. I've never had any issues (although I've only been here a year), nor do I personally know anyone that had. I expect to have more bear encounters this year. Some people on this site have had to fire their bear bangers.

Cougars, in my opinion, are a non-issue. They are such solitary creatures and will usually not bother anyone. But having said that, there was a cougar that attacked some bikers last year in Whistler....[:0] But that's a one in a million thing to happen.

As soon as people start talking about bears, opinions vary... and sometimes people will get hot under the collar, so with that in mind, anything I just said can be wrong

Peakclimber, I've hiked for years in a variety of environments. I've had zero negative encounters with bears, cougars or other animals. I don't own bear spray. I've had a few bears get nosy but it never came to anything.

As for Mountain Equipment and other stores. There is a new addition to the Calgary Lee Valley Tool catalogue: a spider trap. I went to a talk on spiders last Tuesday and the speaker, a spider expert, called the trap an over reaction for a non-existent problem.

Just a note: I like it when the 'same old topics' are discussed. It solicits new ideas and participants. No one has to read a thread or get involved. Maybe others have given their opinion in the past but I and many others haven't.

My suggestion for using the search function was not intended to imply that this topic not get discussed again.

There are lots of ideas in old threads, which might lead to new ideas and suggestions.

Many times my view of bears and cougars has changed, finding some comments reassuring, others not so.

I still don't carry Bear spray or bangers.

Bear spray and or bangers are like a spare tire. You very rarely need it and don't want to have to use it but you realy should carry one.
These products are inexpensive and weigh just ounces. I have hiked the Yukon, the Territories, northern Alta and Sask. Now I hike the good life here in B.C.
I have never had a bad encounter with a bear but have knowen people that have been killed in the bush by that one in a thousand bear. So my opinion, if you arn't sure and are just a bit worried, buy the piece of mind.

On the coast I never carried bear spray. Now I live in Canmore and carry it everywhere when on the trail. Grizz and blacks are very very common out here. I know of quite a few people out here that have had encounters. One guy had a grizz popping his jaws at him. Nothing major....but sh!t does happen some times and I don't want to be one of the few. Most times they turn and run but very rarely they don't.

My suggestion... take Shadee with you as she knows all the bears personally and can talk them out of causing any harm, aslo she makes a mean salmon sandwich and I hate packing my own lunch.

When bear spray is accidentally set off inside your house or office, plan on at least 3 days before you can inhabit the place again [xx(]

I know more people whom this has happened to, than people who have ever used bear spray on a hostile animal.

Yep,have a good friend who used to work at an outdoor store who demoed some bear spray on himself accidentally.We know the stuff works,because he's an unstoppable brute,and it reduced him to a six year old girl in seconds[}]
We all laughed,and he was like"As soon as I can see,I'm going to kick some ass,I know which ones of you guys are laughing,cause I can still @#$%$^& hear!"

I ended up about fifty feet away from a cougar or mountain lion, still not quite sure which, in the Coliseum meadows right at twilight a few years ago, after a full day of scrambling the Needles.

Dropped down to Lynn Creek to refill my water bottle, had the spooky sensation of being watched, looked up, and, sure enough, big tawny-colored cat upstream, watching me.

I stood very still, owing to being, a/ exhausted, b/ scared, and, c/ realizing that I was having an experience that not everyone gets to have. Mr. Cat had a good look at me, then bounded up the bank and was gone. I didn't waste any time putting some distance between us.

I don't carry bear spray or bangers, and, even if I did, can't quite imagine digging through my pack in search of them, even if Mr. C. had been unhappy or aggressive.

IMO, unless you are travelling solo in grizzly country, making plenty of noise, thereby alerting the local wildlife to your presence, is a much sounder strategy than relying on bangers, spray, or useless and annoying jingle bells.

(I did upset a black bear last year in an avalanche chute at the end of the Foley Creek road, but that involved nearly stepping on him in thick, head-high alder. He was surprised and unhappy, I was surprised and frightened, and we resolved our differences by him bluff charging me and whuffing to indicate his surprise and displeasure, and me exiting the area as calmly and quickly as possible, indicating my respect for his territory, which I was only in as a visitor. Again, I don't think I would have wanted to stop to try to locate spray or a banger even if I was carrying them, and, frankly, the situation would never have occured in the first place if I had been making as much noise as I should have been). Macing a bear under these circumstances would, IMO, be a bit like macing the owner of the house you just broke into.

I've worked in forestry for 25 years, half of which was before bear spray was available, so all we had to use was bear bangers--they work if the bear isn't planning on charging, if he is then they are worthless!
I often work (and hike) alone, see bears all the time, sometimes very close (like the time a grizzly walked between two of us and got tangled in our survey chain!), but never had an encounter. Although I've had bear encounter safety training, and read all the Bear Attack books etc, I still feel very safe. I carry bear spray when hiking in grizzly country but that's all.

I've yet to see a cougar in the bush.

I've ran into bears before...manning...never had any bad encounters.

Here is website that may help you with your questions:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nt/nahanni/visit/visit8_e.asp

LMAO - I've had something similar happen. I don't like bear spray.[B)]