California is, well, California. Besides being America’s utopian ideal for the civilian disarmament industry, the left coast’s great minds work damned hard to ensure that even defensive measures are difficult to acquire or downright illegal. This is a place, for instance that tried (though thankfully failed) to ban civilians from owning body armor. Self-defense ammo is banned in San Francisco. We could go on, but the list is virtually endless.
But we can’t blame the ban on carrying bear spray in California’s national parks on Golden Staters. The parks are under the aegis of the National Park Service. The feds.
That’s right, if you’re going to be hiking, camping, or carrying a pick-a-nick basket into Yosemite or one of the other four national parks in Cali, don’t bring bear spray with you. It’s against the law. As ActiveNorCal notes, that usually comes as a surprise to visitors from normal states where carrying a (somewhat) effective defense against being mauled by a bear is just common sense.
What’s the rationale for outlawing bear spray?
The reason it is banned comes down to the bears themselves. California’s national parks are home exclusively to black bears, which are far less aggressive than grizzlies. The National Park Service says bear spray is unnecessary for black bear encounters and that no one has been killed or seriously injured by a black bear in Yosemite’s recorded history.
Oh. They claim you really don’t have to worry about California’s black bears. They’re just more docile there.
Are black bears in Arkansas just more ornery? How about Canadian black bears? What’s pissing them off in Minnesota? Have the park rangers heard about the black bear that harassed and then killed a northern California woman in her own home?
But don’t worry, hikers and campers. The US Fish and Wildlife Service assures us you won’t need bear spray in the parks. Just make sure you don’t inadvertently surprise a momma bear and her cub.
What do they suggest you you carry instead of spray (or, God forbid, a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan)?
Air horns are one of the best options. The sudden, loud blast can startle and deter a bear that has gotten too close, giving you time to back away. They are small, lightweight and easy to clip to a pack or belt loop.
Bear bells are another common choice. Attached to your pack or clothing, they produce a consistent jingling noise as you hike that alerts bears to your presence before you get close. The idea is simple: most bears want to avoid people, and giving them advance warning lets them move away on their own.
We guess it’s going to take someone getting mauled or killed by a black bear to convince the USFWS to allow visitors to tote bear spray in California’s national parks. Hell, even the California Department of Parks allows it in the state’s parks. Until then, proceed with caution.