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Bear Spray
Bear spray, also called pepper spray or capsicum deterrent, is on the rise as an affective tool to minimize injury due to bear-human conflict. There are periodical injuries and sometimes fatalities to both bears and humans. It is suggested that the use of these non-lethal deterrents can reduce the risk of injury or death, for both bears and humans, perhaps more than firearms or no bear spray at all. The correct use of bear spray is vital in a human-bear conflict and the deterrent should not be considered a substitute for awareness and normal safety precautions while in bear country.

Use
The use of bear spray comes with a set of important guidelines and safety precautions that need to be known by anyone planning on using bear spray effectively. Spray canisters should be stored in cooler temperatures and handled with care, just like a weapon. They have been known to explode from overheating on people’s dashboards of their cars. A typical bear spray can costs about $40 to $50, but there are several operations working towards the renting of bear spray cans in hopes to save both human and bear lives, while saving money and educating the public too. A Bozeman-area nonprofit, Keystone Conservation, is hoping to be in business by mid May of 2012 and are working to make $5 day rentals for mainly Yellowstone visitors. The correct and legal use of bear spray intends users to discharge the spray on an aggressive bear in a defense situation only and should not be used to spray a passive bear. A 1998 study released by Stephen Herrero reported, “ We do not know how a given incident might have ended without use of the spray. The spray is also known to be no reason for a bear to attack people more. The possession of bear spray is suggested when traveling out in bear country, but one should be educated on the use of the deterrent before actually using the spray, especially in a life or death situation. People should be more educated and aware of certain strategies and bear avoidance techniques to stay safe in bear country.

Effectiveness
Research has shown that there are both positives and negatives to using and having bear spray. The efficacy of bear spray depends on the situation and circumstances of the attack, but many studies have shown that bear spray deterrent use is overall more applicable and ethical option as compared to a firearm or no defense mechanism at all. In a 2008 study on the “Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska,” Tom Smith of Bingham University reported, “No bear spray has ever been reported to kill a bear. It is our belief that widespread use of bear spray will promote human safety and bear conservation”. On the other hand, latent spray (on object) has also lead to the attraction of bears, which usually end up with the Bear destroying the spray-covered object. This serves as a need to cautiously manage deterrent distribution and is a good example of where spray is useful and where it is not.

A United States Geological Survey article, “Bear Spray Safety Program,” says that bear spray is effective in fending off aggressive bears while also preventing injury to both the human and the bear. It also states, “No deterrent is 100-percent effective”. In Living with Grizzlies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that, “The Service supports the pepper spray policy of the Interagency Grizzly bear Committee, which states that bear spray is not a substitute for following proper bear avoidance safety techniques, and that bear spray should be used as a deterrent only in an aggressive or attacking confrontation with a bear”. People are encouraged to use common bear knowledge while hiking, fishing, and especially camping in bear country. They should not make or change previous decisions just because they think bear spray will keep bears away or save their life.