JACKSON HOLE, WYO – There’s no such thing as a free lunch but there is free bear spray if you know where to look.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department, in partnership with the National Elk Refuge, and several Wyoming hunting groups, is distributing bear spray to hunters and anglers at no cost on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in Jackson.
According to Dusty Lasseter, Bear Wise Wyoming coordinator for WGFD, 100 cans of bear spray will be given away to hunters who possess a current Wyoming hunting or fishing license on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The bear spray to be given away has been purchased with monetary donations from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Bowhunters of Wyoming, Wyoming Outdoorsmen and Western Bear Foundation (formerly known as Yellowstone Country Bear Hunters Association).
“This event is an excellent example of Wyoming sportsmen stepping up to increase awareness and safety in bear country,” Lasseter said. “Game and Fish promotes proper bear spray use as an effective deterrent in an aggressive bear encounter and we hope this effort will raise awareness and prevent conflicts between bears and those hunting in bear country this fall.”
The giveaway will begin at 8am at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center at 532 North Cache Street, just north of the Wyoming Game and Fish office. To receive a free can of bear spray, hunters must show a current Wyoming hunting or fishing license and take a short survey to help the Wyoming Game and Fish Department evaluate their educational efforts that promote bear awareness and reduce the potential for conflicts between hunters and grizzly bears.
“This is a great opportunity for Game and Fish to interact with our dedicated sportsmen and also assess our Bear Wise program,” Lasseter said. “Hunters who pick up a can of bear spray will have the opportunity to practice with inert training cans and talk with local large carnivore biologists. These educational efforts and interactions will continue to be an essential part of grizzly bear management now and into the future.”
