New Trailer Educates Hunters

A new bear safety education trailer is making its way around Wyoming this hunting season in efforts to educate hunters about safety precautions while in bear country.  The bear trailer is loaded with all kinds of bear safety props to engage people while talking about everything from bear identification, how to set up a clean camp or how to properly use bear spray. Game and Fish Spokesman Mark Gocke says the new bear education trailer also contains two life-size mounted bears – one black and one grizzly – to help hunters better identify each.  The trailer was purchased jointly by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, Bridger Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.  Previously, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has partnered with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation to provide approximately 200 cans of bear spray to hunters in the Jackson area over the past two hunting seasons. Gocke says the bear spray distribution project was made possible with grant monies awarded through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. Gocke says as part of their routine field contacts, Wyoming Game and Fish wardens and biologists asked hunters if they were carrying bear spray. If not, they were invited to participate in the program whereby they would receive a free can of bear spray if they agreed to carry it while afield and participate in a short survey. Hunters also provided their contact information so that state officials could follow-up to gauge any attitude shift or determine if the spray was used.