Top Five Bear Spray Tips

You have your camera, water, and a jacket for unpredictable weather.  But do you know how to make the most of your bear spray if you encounter a bear?

1. The single most important thing you can do is remove your bear spray from your backpack and carry it in a hip, chest, or hiking pole holster.  Most people pack it away, which means they have no chance of quickly accessing the spray, should they need it.   
2. Know the characteristics of the brand of bear spray you use and be aware of your changing environment.  Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee recommends a product that can reach a minimum distance of 25 feet and spray continually for at least 6 seconds, but a product that offers a greater spray distance/time offers a definite advantage.   Pay attention to your environment.  Is the wind blowing in your face, or is it at your back?  Knowledge helps you assess your situation and make informed decisions. 
3. Familiarize yourself with how the canister works before you hit the trails.  Don't test the canister because you'll waste valuable pepper spray, but make sure you know how to remove the safety clip without fumbling.   
4. If you need to deter a bear, your first warning should be a quick shot that is angled slightly toward the ground well in front of you.  The pepper spray will bounce up from the ground and disperse into the bear's face.  
5. If the bear continues to approach, deliver a more aggressive shot of spray. 

   If possible, leave some spray in your canister for the hike out.

    

Want to Recycle Your Bear Spray Canisters?

Until recently, bear spray canisters from thousands of visitors, locals, and land management agencies have collected in our landfill with no way to be recycled.  Expired, used, and  empty canisters enter the waste stream and can  injure workers at disposal sites.  Now, you can stop by a variety of recycling boxes in Grand Teton National Park and take part in the park's larger sustainability effort.

Counter Assault, a bear spray manufacturer in Kalispell, Montana, supports the Foundation's work in Grand Teton and provided the lead funding for a recycling center in Yellowstone National Park that is designed to serve the entire greater Yellowstone area.  Visit www.bearsprayrecycling.info  or call 877-665-0492 to learn more.

Collection sites within Grand Teton National Park include:  Colter Bay Visitor Center, Colter Bay cabins, Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Ranger Station, Jenny Lake Visitor Center, Gros Ventre campground, Signal Mountain Lodge, and the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center.  Collection sites are also located at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in the National Elk Refuge and Teton County Recycling.  Additional collection boxes will also be located at several private Jackson businesses and the Jackson Hole Airport as of July 15.

Summer is finally here in Grand Teton!  The sun is out, the birds are chirping and the temperatures are high!  As for the many animals in the park:

• "Child rearing" season is in full bloom for all species.
• Early born bison calves are starting to turn from their bright orange natal fur to a dark brown coat.
• Elk calves and pronghorn fawns are now very mobile, moving with their moms for most of the day.
• Wolf pups are out of their dens and staging at rendezvous sites under the watchful eyes of moms or other adult "pup sitters."
• First year bear cubs are growing rapidly and become much more mobile, which allows their family groups to travel more widely in search of food.
• Nestling red-tailed, Swainson's, and other hawks have recently fledged and are gradually expanding their flights away from nests.
• Osprey, eagle, and swan nestlings are still developing and preparing for flight later this summer.
• Pika and marmots at high elevations are struggling to find food because of the persistent, unusually deep snow pack for this time of year.
• Mosquitos are now out in force (but vary in abundance across the landscape), providing food to birds, bats, fish, and other species.

Photo credit: Timothy C. Mayo

A big thanks to Foundation supporter and nature photographer, Timothy C. Mayo who shared this photo of coyote pups in front of a cabin near the famous Moulton Barn on Grand Teton National Park's Mormon Row.  Please remember to send us your photos and videos of wildlife in Grand Teton National Park so we can share them with others on Facebook, Twitter, and in these monthly e-mails!

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