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Comment by jammygit | Hacker News Reader

As a Canadian, I’m always confused at how safe Americans think a gun makes them when in the woods.

Guns are not a good defence against many wild animals. Get some bear spray, it is dramatically more effective and will not kill somebody as easily if you accidentally shoot a person in the dark!

Point taken about the civil rights marches though

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In New Jersey, bear spray is also illegal (or it was when I last lived there, 6 years ago). And this is in a state that acknowledges that there's a problem with bear overpopulation.

It appears an amendment to allow bear spray was proposed in 2017, but it hasn't really gone anywhere. https://www.billtrack50.com/BillDetail/842364

I have witnessed a teen use bear spray in a fight that took place outside of tim hortons between 20 teens and an (Not naming) Food delivery service driver in their mid 40's. The guy was screaming on the floor for an hour. The Police considered it as a weapon.

still better than having been shot multiple times at close range, no?

Oh man I'm sure glad that poor youth showed restraint and chose bear mace instead of the glock!

Sounds like you just made a great reason for concealed carry.

what are you talking about? As described, it was the teens who had the weapon - you'd rather they were carrying guns in that situation rather than bear spray? If that's so, I don't want to live in your world.

Under Canadian law, pretty much anything that can be used as a weapon is illegal to carry for use as a weapon. If that fight was in a wooded area where carrying bear spray was a reasonable precaution against bears, there would be no crime. The weapon offense was for carrying bear spray with the primary intention of using it on people.

Yeah, I think bear spray is usually a more appropriate form of defense against animal attacks: in addition to effectiveness, when humans go to their 'home' it is unfair for animals' natural defense or feeding behaviors to cause their deaths.

> if you accidentally shoot a person in the dark!

Fourth rule: always identify your target.

Even despite the dark, you can attach a flashlight to your firearm that allows you to quickly identify the target before shooting at it. Most modern guns have that capability.

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