The Humane Society has sent petitions to Fish and Wildlife agencies in Wyoming and Idaho, requesting that hunters be required to carry bear spray. The petition was submitted to officials in April.
“Encounters between hunters and grizzlies too often prove injurious for both people and bears,” the petition reads. “For decades, a substantial majority of the human injuries and fatalities associated with huntergrizzly conflicts have occurred during encounters with elk hunters during the fall hunting season.Although injurious and fatal attacks remain uncommon, they are no less tragic, and allreasonable steps should be taken to prevent their recurrence. Conflict with hunters also accounts
for a disproportionate and escalating share of human-caused bear mortality within the GYE. As of 2017, it has become the most common human cause of grizzly bear deaths in the ecosystem.
Yet, there is a simple, inexpensive, and proven solution. The best available science shows that when hunters carry bear spray, have it immediately accessible and deploy it, bear spray can
effectively and non-lethally deter bear attacks on hunters. Studies show that bear spray is far more effective than firearms.
As ecological changes and population growth within the GYE continue to accelerate the frequency and lethality of these interactions, the need to implement effective non-lethal solutions
is dire. The proposed regulation represents a proven, common-sense approach that will benefit
both hunters and grizzly bears in Wyoming. ”
The petition can be read in its entirety here: https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/WY%20BEAR%20SPRAY%20PETITION%20040419.pdf
