WY: Bear Spray to Be Required for Grizzly Bear Hunts?

“All grizzly bear hunters must carry bear spray while engaged in the act of grizzly bear hunting (WGFC Regulation Chapter 16, pending)”

When you are hunting bears, you would normally be carrying a rifle.  You would have to drop the rifle, then access and deploy the bear spray.  That does not work. Nearly all bear spray successes have been during use by unarmed people.

One of the foremost proponents of bear spray has said that it would be crazy to attempt to use bear spray against a charging grizzly when you were carrying a rifle. From hcn.org:

Here’s the problem, according to Brigham Young University professor Tom Smith. In an interview with Sports Afield, he said, “If I’m actually out hunting and I have a gun in my hands, and suddenly a bear comes at me, do you think I’m going to lay the gun down and pick up bear spray? Are you out of your mind?” 

Smith is the primary author of Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, and Efficacy of Firearms for Bear Deterrence in Alaska. His remark makes it clear that carrying bear spray is one issue, but using it if under attack is a far different matter. The impracticality of hunters using bear spray explains why bear-spray research only provides data on spray use by non-hunters.

Dave graciously sent me his analysis on the proposed regulation. I have edited and cut a bit for reasons of space:

The “logic” is that research proves bear spray is more effective than a firearm: it follows that during a surprise encounter with a grizzly, hunters should “only use a firearm if bear spray is unavailable.”

 

One, I’m not aware of a single case when a hunter facing a charging grizzly did “something” with his rifle or shotgun and then used bear spray. Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska shows that just one hunter “stalking a wounded” bear used bear spray.

 

It is illogical to claim that research on bear spray use by non-hunters proves bear spray is the best self-defense tool for hunters carrying a rifle or shotgun in hand.

 

Bear spray zealots prove the adage “when your only tool is a hammer, you treat everything as it were a nail.”

 

Bear spray zealots: the problem is that too many hunters who rely on their firearm for self-defense get injured by bears. Solution? Bear spray.

Provide hunters with information on how to use their rifle quickly and effectively.

 

Instead of using Pittman-Robertson funds to promote bear spray and discourage firearms use, state fish & game departments should fund moving bear targets at shooting ranges in WY, MT and ID.

Teach kids how to use their firearm quickly and effectively. Right now, WY, MT, and ID teach kids in hunter ed classes how to use bear spray.

I wanted to see what had happened in Wyoming, so I looked up the Wyoming hunting regulations for this year (2016).  I could not find chapter 16.  It was obvious that cooler and more logical heads had prevailed. Everywhere else I looked, there was no mandatory carry of bear spray while hunting grizzly bears.