Jack Hanna Encounters Bears and Uses Pepper Spray

The news media is buzzing about animal expert and zookeeper Jack Hanna's encounter with a bear and her cubs while hiking with his wife Saturday up Montana's Glacier National Park. When one of the cubs got too close for comfort, Hanna drew his bear pepper spray and squeezed off three applications before the cub ran off.

Hanna said it's common for park rangers to carry bear pepper spray and he himself has carried it for years. This is the first time he's had to use it. He recommends carrying bear spray if you are hiking where bears are know to inhabit. He says only use it if the bear becomes aggressive. Above all, he says, don't run.

There are only a few bear pepper sprays on the market. Although Mace manufactures an effective bear spray, the one we recommend is the ultra hot Guard Alaska Bear Repellent BR-9. It's a large 260 grams (9 ounces) and measures 8-3/4" x 2". The BR-9 s endorsed by the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation. It's special formula differs from human pepper spray and has an effective range of 15-20 feet.

The Sierra Club wants the Forest Service to require everyone who enters a national forest in grizzly bear country to carry bear spray Spokeswoman Heidi Godwin said in a news release, "The proper use of bear repellent pepper spray will reduce human injuries caused by bears, reduce the number of grizzly bears killed in self defense, and help promote the recovery and survival of the grizzly bear."

All Stars - The 5 Top Selling Products This year

We thought we would review the top 5 products at Stun Gun Supply during the last 6 months (Jan-June 2010). We want to take a close look at these products to see why they are so desirable.

#5.  Streetwise 1000K Mini Stun Baton 

We thought this was pretty darn cute when we first saw it. It's only 10 1/2" long and so easy to handle. At 1000K volts it's the strongest stun baton on the market. If that weren't all, it sports a built in LED flashlight also. Being rechargeable, you never need to worry about batteries running down. It comes with a holster with belt loop. It's easy to see why we sell so many!

#4. Barracuda Stun Gun BC-18

Compact stun guns have a lot going for them. The size makes them easy to stow and handle. 1.8 million volts is a lot of power for such a little thing and we think that's part of the appeal. Customers seem to like the wrist strap that will pull out and inactivate the unit if the bad guy tries to grab it from you. Being rechargeable doesn't hurt!

#3. Stingray Hi-Power 2800 Stun Gun

Good Golly Miss Molly! We've got serious fire power here. About the size of the Barracuda BC-18 but noticeably stronger. We test all our stun guns on ourselves or a willing friend. With only abut a half second application, this one hurt! Rechargeable of course and with a LED flashlight to boot. One of the newest models on the market.

#2. Barracuda Stun Gun BC-10

Another Barracuda makes the list. The appeal here lies with the orthodox rectangular shape that most people equate with "stun gun." While other brands were discontinuing many of their traditional stun guns, Barracuda bravely re-thought the stun gun design and came out with this model. It's a compact but puts out a very strong one million volts. It includes modern features like a disable wrist strap, a loud siren and a nylon belt-loop style holster. The unit takes two 9 volt batteries. The $45 price point doesn't hurt.

#1. The Pretender Cell Phone Stun Gun

This top seller combines a decoy cell phone exterior with a record breaking 4.5 million volts. (Don't worry, the milliamps are low to provide a safe alternative to lethal weapons.) The unit comes in a basic black with a silver accent or a pink ladies model (that's right at the top of our home page). There are other cell phone stun gun models but this is the most modern looking with it's large rectangular screen simulating an internet connected device. It also has a 12 LED light to find your way in the dark. The Pretender uses 3 long life lithium batteries that we provide with the unit. We'll also send along a holster that fits the unit perfectly.

So there you have it. The Top 5 Stun Gun Supply All Stars.