On Tuesday, a coalition of grizzly bear advocates filed a petition with the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to require hunters and trappers to carry bear spray in the state. They argue that this will keep players safe and reduce the mortality rate of grizzly bears.
local outlet are reporting that 19 Montana groups and 46 individuals have supported the petition for “public safety.” The full text and the petitioning organizations and individuals have not yet been made available to the public, and commission OL did not immediately respond to a records request.
A petition was filed a day later Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Published detailed description Report on the fatal attack of a passenger This spring in Montana’s Glacier National Park. Despite the hiker’s apparent defensive use of bear spray, he did not survive.
The 33-year-old hiker was descending the trail after sunset when he encountered a male and female. The report shows that victim Anthony Pollio deployed and emptied his canister of bear spray at the location “where the bear initiated its attack.”
The report states, “During the initial attack, Mr. Pollio managed to release his bear spray, but it is unknown whether the spray contacted the bear. Mr. Pollio fell down the slope, probably up to 93 feet, as the bear continued its attack.” “Our estimate is that the bear stopped the attack at that time, allowing Mr. Polio to climb approximately 18 feet, after which the bear reactivated and head-butted Mr. Polio, killing him. The attack was likely brief and intense and did not last long.”
Similar petitions to require hunters to carry bear spray failed in Wyoming and Idaho Cowboy State Daily. animal advocate Arguments that conflict with predators is the leading cause of death of grizzly bears in Greater Yellowstone EcosystemWhich extends to parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. (Glacier National Park, where polio was fatal in May, is in the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem, where Grizzlies are expanding their range And fights are also common.)
In other words, animal advocates hope that mandating hunters (and trappers) to carry bear spray in addition to firearms will kill fewer bears. their focus is on stopping individual animal deathThat set a record of 72 known or suspected grizzly deaths in GYE in 2024.
Of the 72 bear deaths that year, 70 were human-caused, According to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Those reasons break down as follows:
- 28 bears killed for management removal after livestock depredation
- 15 bears killed due to conflict in human use areas
- 15 bears killed in self defense
- 7 accidental deaths (3 drowning, 2 hit by vehicle, 2 electric shock)
- 3 illegal killings
- 1 mistaken identity
- 1 Humane removal of an injured orphan cub
so far in 2026Most of Montana’s 23 fatal deaths have been the result of conflict evictions (10) and car attacks (6). As of press time no one has been held responsible for self-defense.
Despite individual mortality, the GYE grizzly population as a whole is strong. Grizzlies have long exceeded their population recovery goals and it is no surprise that as their numbers increase, bear conflicts and bear deaths are also increasing. Conservative estimates put the number of bears in the monitoring area alone at about 1,050, and about 2,000 In the lower 48 overall.
Pointing to two studies, many officials have long said bear spray is the most effective tool in a fearful encounter. Firearm use in bear encounters And bear spray efficacy. A later 2008 study found that “red pepper spray stopped undesirable bear behavior in 92 percent of cases when used on grizzly bears.” Both studies analyzed historical bear encounters in Alaska rather than the Lower 48.
The IGBC recommends not traveling at dusk, dawn and night, when bears are most active. It also recommends staying in groups that do not separate and avoid loud noises in the backcountry. These precautions conflict directly with the nature of hunting and trapping, which often requires solo trips (such as checking trap lines), stealth, late-night trips to camp, and packouts of cached game meat.
Connected: The feds aim to bring grizzly bear management back to western states. Could federal listing be next?
“It’s one of those things that sounds good on paper. But the actual system of implementing it, monitoring it and finding the people to carry it – that’s a different issue,” hunter and media personality Guy Eastman explained. Cowboy State Daily. “You think you’re going to put down your rifle and reach for the bear spray? No. There’s going to be a ‘boom.’
