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Bear spray - Make sure you have the right stuff! 6/2/2008 A recent survey of hikers in Glacier National Park revealed that 35 of the 50 people interviewed who thought they were carrying bear spray actually had the wrong product. “Carrying the wrong product can create a false sense of security and put you at risk when it doesn’t perform as needed during a confrontation with a bear,” said Chuck Bartelbaugh of the Center for Wildlife Information. “Many people mistakenly purchase and carry personal defense or law enforcement pepper sprays designed for use against humans, not bears.” The EPA sets the content standards for bear spray and the product must be clearly labeled as bear spray for use as a bear deterrant. The EPA requires that the concentration of capsaicin and related capsaicinoids range between one and two percent. The minimum canister size the EPA will register is 7.9 ounces. There are a variety of products available, so it is important for consumers to comparison shop and do some research of their own on the proper use of bear spray. “Making certain you have the right product is only half of the job,” Bartelbaugh said. “The other half is using it correctly and with a reasonable idea of how it should perform.” Under no circumstances should bear spray create a false sense of security or serve as a substitute for standard safety precautions in bear country. “It is our responsibility when recreating in bear country to educate ourselves on how to avoid conflicts with bears and other wildlife,” he said. “When all else fails, then there is bear spray.” Bartelbaugh has interviewed state and federal bear managers and reviewed the scientific literature related to bear spray for years.* Here are his resulting recommendations for selecting and using bear spray. MINIMUM SPRAY DISTANCE Bear spray generally will go out about 25 feet. If the user sprays a cloud of bear spray extending 25 feet out and the bear is charging from 40 to 50 feet out, the bear will generally meet the cloud of active bear spray ingredients at about 25 feet, Bartelbaugh said. By the time the bear feels the effects of the spray and diverts its charge it may have covered another 10 feet or more. “Don’t wait until the bear is 25 feet away if you have the opportunity, shoot a cloud of bear spray as soon as it is evident to you that the bear is charging,” he said. MINIMUM DURATION OF SPRAY Bartelbuagh said bear experts he interviewed recommend purchasing a canister with about a six-second spray contained in the can, Bartelbaugh said. Two to three seconds of spray will usually create an adequate cloud of spray to accomodate a variety of charging-bear behaviors. “Some bears may charge and retreat and charge again, others may zig zag as they charge, or stop at the sound of the spray and the sight of the orange cloud,” he said “Another two or three-second burst may be needed if the bear retreats and recharges.” Have reserve bear spray for the hike out. MINIMUM NET CONTENTS A cannister of bear spray should contain a minimum of 7.9 ounces. The can should be carried in a quickly accessible location such as a hip or chest holster or hand held as bear managers do when walking through an area bears are known to inhabit. In a tent keep the bear spray next to your flashlight and immediately accessible. Editors Note: *Based on original research by Carrie Hunt, founder and director of the Wind River Bear Institute at www.beardogs.org, during her work on the Border Grizzly Project in the early 1980s and surveys of bear management specialists with state and federal wildlife agencies. Bartelbaugh (406-721-8985) reviewed this work and the work of other experts for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee responsible for oversight of grizzly bear recovery in the lower 48 states. |
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