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Snap! Crash, rustle, rustle!
What was that?
Do you have your bear spray out of your holster yet?
Could be a false alarm of a squirrel, snowshoe hare or really large-sounding mouse, but it could also be a bear.
If you do think it is a bear, are you backing down the trail yet? Making lots of noise? Is the safety off your bear spray?
Most bears are afraid of humans, but in some circumstances they are curious, surprised or defensive.
How accessible is your bear spray?
- In a zippered pocket in your backpack
- In a side pocket of your backpack with a compression strap holding it in
- In a holster on your waist belt
- In a holster on your chest strap
- In a pocket holster
- Not carrying bear spray
Tip 1: Keep bear spray accessible
Where do you carry bear spray?
I use to carry bear spray like the first two examples- tucked into my backpack. The chances of encountering a bear are slim, right?
However, after talking about bear encounters, my husband bought me a Counter Assault chest strap harness to carry my bear spray. This allows me to have my bear spray easily accessible even with my backpack off.
Tip 2: Carry bear spray on you at all times
How often do you leave your pack on the ground (with your bear spray attached to it) when you’re taking a snack or lunch break and exploring around? If you surprise a bear, your bear spray is over there!
Best to keep your bear spray attached to you and not your backpack. Likewise on a mountain bike or horseback riding on trails.
I attended a bear spray informational meeting hosted by the USFWS and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and they highly recommended keeping the bear spray on you with either the chest holster or the pocket holster.
A former USFWS employee actually saved her life by keeping it accessible. Hiking along a trail through thick brush next to a loud creek, she surprised a bear. The bear charged her and she only had time to get into the fetal position. As the bear was attacking her, she was able to pull her bear spray out of her pocket holster while hunkered down and spray it upwards over her shoulder at the bear.
Luckily she survived, though escaping with some serious head wounds.
Tip 3: Carry multiple cans of bear spray
The lady had advice that I hadn’t thought about. Always carry two bear spray canisters! She used her one can on the attacking bear. What if it followed her? Did she have another bear spray?
If you are hiking alone, you can carry two canisters yourself. If you are hiking in a group, everybody can carry bear spray.
Tip 4: Have a plan
If you only have one can, spray some the first time and then spray more as needed. Sometimes the bear is bluff charging and then leaves.
An IDFG employee told the story of multiple people in a group all spraying one bear during an encounter. Then the group had no bear spray left to use after the bear encounter while hiking back to the trailhead.
Lesson learned: communicate who is going to use the bear spray, so there is a backup if needed.
Tip 5: Bear spray expires
There is an expiration date on the canister. Respect it.
I once carried an expired bear spray to walk around my neighborhood (low chance of bears, high chance of unfriendly dogs). I had to use it on a growling dog that was approaching very close. Eek! The expired bear spray didn’t even go five feet! Not what I want when I encounter a bear.
Now I carry bear spray that hasn’t expired!
Tip 6: Transport bear spray carefully
You don’t want it going off in your vehicle because it has been rolling around, something was set down on the top or something snagged on the safety. I use a Counter Assault Kozee-Tote safety container to safely transport bear spray because if it does go off, then the foam absorbs the contents. No more worries!
The canister can also be used in your backpack to carry that second canister of bear spray!
Remember these tips:
- Keep bear spray accessible
- Carry bear spray on you at all times
- Carry multiple cans of bear spray
- Have a plan
- Bear spray expires
- Transport bear spray carefully
Fatal bear attacks are infrequent. The North American Bear Center reports that black bears have killed 61 people since 1900 (less than one per year). Between 2020 and 2022, there were eight fatal grizzly bear attacks in North America. For comparison there were 13 fatal lightning strikes in the United States in 2023 and 277 fatal car accidents just in Idaho in 2023.
However, always be prepared by carrying your bear spray, knowing how to recreate safely in bear country, how to use your bear spray and how to respond to a bear encounter.
Be safe in bear country.
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