If your plan for staving off a bear attack includes the use of a repellent spray, it’s important to know how it’s going to work if you ever have to use it.
If you’re going to hunt, fish, hike, camp or otherwise spend time in the Mountain West, it’s important to have a plan for dealing with the very unlikely scenario of a bear attack. Whatever implement you decide to carry will need to be both lightweight and handy enough that you’ll always carry it, and it needs to be one you know how to use. Knowing that includes understanding how it does what you’re depending on it to do.
“It’s amazing how many folks I meet around here who carry bear spray and have no earthly idea how to use it,” said Jim Zumbo, of Cody, Wyoming.
Zumbo is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast and well-known writer of big game hunting stories. His work was a staple of Outdoor Life magazine for decades and he continues to live and write about a life in the wide open places. His work is commonly found in Petersen’s Hunting magazine today.
Bears are common throughout the Mountain West. Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are prime grizzly habitat.
“One thing you should do, must do, is practice with your gun or spray,” Zumbo said. “If you’re using a gun, practice drawing it out of your holster in a variety of positions until you can smoothly retrieve it quickly.”
If you’ll be using bear spray, the answer for practice is to buy one or more cans of inert practice spray — spray that imitates bear spray but does not contain the active ingredient of capsicum. Capsicum is the oil found in hot peppers that creates the burning sensation. It’s used in self-defense sprays for the same purpose.
“Since the average can of bear spray holds enough spray for 7 or 8 seconds, you should be familiar with it in advance,” Zumbo said.
This familiarity includes knowing how to get the spray ready to be sprayed, as well as how to aim and use the spray itself. Bear spray canisters are very similar to kitchen fire extinguishers, and only slightly smaller. They have a safety clasp that has to be removed before the trigger can be pulled, and being ready to do this in the heat of the moment is an indispensable part of the preparation.
“This is not to say you should be overly concerned,” Zumbo said, “but it’s like lightning. Odds are that you’ll never be struck, but you should take precautions and know what to do in situations where it could happen. No deterrent, whether it’s a firearm or bear spray, will do you a lick of good if you don’t have it ready if a bear suddenly charges.
“Grizzlies can run 30 miles an hour or more. That means 44 feet per second.”
Typically, charges don’t necessarily happen in a straight line, either.
“The bear will likely be darting and dashing about, weaving through and around brush, logs and rocks, all the while growling, huffing, popping its jaws,” Zumbo said. “Your brain will be in panic mode.”
That means your reaction toward self defense will need to be already on record with your brain in advance.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
