Video: Bear Pepper Spray

Transcript for Bear Spray

Danielle Oyler, Wildlife Stewardship: Bear spray is a safe, easy, and effective tool to stop or deter a bear attack from happening. The way it works is by spraying a fine mist of capsaicin, which is a hot chili pepper oil, into the air. The bear then breathes that in, and it affects its ability to see, breathe, and smell and distracts it and lets you get away from the situation.

Bear spray is effective, but you need to carry it in an accessible place in order to be able to use it fast enough when you do see a bear. There's a number of ways to carry bear spray, and there's no right or wrong as long as it's easy to get to. It often varies by what activity you're doing.

So most commonly, we see people use it by carrying it on their hip holster or on the waist belt of their backpack. But you can also use a chest harness, you can use a binocular harness, or you can use a running belt or any other way to configure it on a backpack that makes it easy to get to. Some people even choose to carry it in the cargo pocket of their pants.

Before you go out into the backcountry with your group, make sure you talk about what you would do if you have a bear encounter. It's also really important to practice while you're on the trail how easily you can access that bear spray and practice pulling it from the holster. Make sure that that movement is natural and comfortable.

Bear spray is effective to about 25 or 30 feet. However, if a bear is charging from further away than that, use your best judgment. But you don't have to wait till it hits the 25- to 30-foot mark to begin spraying because bears can run very fast and cover that distance quite quickly.

So, if a bear is within 25 or 30 feet and you feel threatened, go ahead and take the safety off. And press down on the trigger and spray at a slightly downward angle towards the bear's feet. You should spray until the bear changes behavior. And if it starts to run away, you can pause. If it continues to come towards you, continue to spray.

So, bear spray is a very effective tool to stop or deter a bear attack. Studies have shown it reduces the likelihood of a person getting injured as well as changes the bear's behavior, most instances. Both bear spray and firearms can be effective deterrents, but bear spray has some distinct advantages. You don't have to worry about your partner getting injured if you were in need of using the tool you have to defend them from a bear. You're also not worrying about injuring a bear and having that bear be a danger to you.

Bear spray is different from pepper spray. Although they share the same active ingredient, when you're purchasing bear spray, make sure you look for that wording on the label and that it's an EPA–certified product. If you end up in a situation with bear spray on your skin, make sure you have a little bit of soap and water with you to wash it off. Bear spray is an oil-based product, so it won't wash off with water alone. If you get it in your eyes, irrigate it with clean, cool water. If you have gear with bear spray on it, make sure you wash it outdoors with plenty of soap and water, and wear gloves when you wash.

Bear spray cans do expire, and the reason they do is not because the capsaicin itself goes bad, but propellant can escape out of the seal of the can over time. So, it's important that if your bear spray does expire, when it does expire, that you get a new can. And with old cans of bear spray, it's best to call the local Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Office to find out about disposal or call your local waste management.