Pepper Spray Works, But Don't Bet Your Life On It

My eyes water when I remember my introduction to bear-deterrent pepper spray. During Park Service bear spray training, the instructor wet a finger to the breeze, walked upwind of our group, and let go with a short, orange burst of pepper spray. The few particles that wafted our way inspired us to kill him---lucky for him, we couldn't open our sizzling eyes long enough to see where he was.

We learned that day pepper spray works on humans, but is it effective on discontent 700-pound bears moving rapidly toward you?

Stephen Herrero said yes, it is, but don't bet your life on it. Herrero, a researcher with the University of Calgary, presented results of a pepper spray study in Fairbanks recently during the Tenth International Conference on Bear Research and Management. He and Andrew Higgins combed North America for 66 examples of what happened in the field when bears were hit with a snout full of pepper spray.

Their study included black bears and brown (grizzly) bears in a variety of pre-spray moods that ranged from curious to aggressive. All of the bears had been sprayed with the type of pepper sprays found at sporting goods stores---a tubular canister containing propellant and 10 percent capsiacin, a toxic chemical extracted from red peppers that acts as a powerful irritant to respiratory systems and eyes. Because pepper spray can be aimed and shot several body lengths away, it gives people a skunk-like ability to ward off aggressors such as other people and snarling dogs. But the spray's effectiveness on bears in the wild hadn't been evaluated until the recent study.

In the 16 cases Herrero and Higgins looked at in which pepper spray was used against brown bears in sudden encounters, 15 brown bears turned away after receiving a direct blast to the eyes and nose. Three of the sprayed brown bears ended up attacking and injuring the sprayer anyway, but Herrero said it didn't appear a face full of pepper made the bears any more aggressive than they normally would have been.

Of 20 brown bears sprayed while searching for human food, garbage, or just appearing overly curious, Herrero and Higgins found all 20 stopped what they were doing, and 18 left (only two of those 18 came back later).

Blasted black bears didn't seem as affected by the spray, especially those with a taste for garbage. Nineteen of 26 black bears sprayed while acting curious or searching for human food and garbage stopped what they were doing, and 14 of 26 bears left the area. But six of those 14 came back.

"The spray appears ineffective as a means of deterring black bears that are strongly conditioned to human foods and garbage," Herrero said.

Pepper spray also didn't send black bears running in the four cases where people sprayed them after aggressive sudden encounters. Although it stopped the black bears' aggressive behavior in all four cases, none of them left the area. Herrero said although their sample size of their study was too small for bombproof conclusions, black bears seem to be more resistant to the physiological effects of pepper spray than brown bears.

Herrero, author of the 1985 book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, has studied bears since long before pepper sprays became popular in the 1980's. He said he raised his eyebrows at some of the study results, such as how consistently pepper spray turned back brown bears. But he also pointed out the sprays can become useless or even debilitating to the user in a strong wind. Rain and thick brush also cause delivery problems.

He said to rely on the spray as protection while ignoring other bear country essentials---such as storing food out of reach of bears or in bear-proof containers and making noise in thick brush--is just plain stupid. "This stuff isn't brains in a can," he said.