Surprise! Hunter uses pepper spray to repeal grizzly; Both survive.

For a change, a hunter uses pepper spray instead of a gun on a charging grizzly in the Teton Wilderness.

After hunters gunned down five grizzlies in the Teton Wilderness south of Yellowstone National Park this hunting season, one hunter has used pepper spray instead. The grizzly, unharmed, was repelled. The hunter, Tim Manley, ended up with a sore leg and a couple stitches.

The story, told in the Jackson Hole News on Oct. 1, said that Manley was hunting along the western boundary of the Teton Wildernes near Arizona Lake. The bear charged as Manley was carrying an elk hide back to camp. Manley said the bear's rush lasted only three seconds. In that time Manley fell backwards, grabbed his spray, and hit the bear in the mouth as it was chomping on his leg. The whole incident was over in 12 seconds, according to the story. Manley told the News that things happened so fast "to even get frighened."

Manley was carrying a can of spray much smaller than that recommended by wildlife managers, but it worked.

Wyoming Game and Fish and most grizzly bear experts agree that pepper spray is more effective in repelling charging grizzlies than bullets. There are fewer dead or injured hunters after using spray, and there are no dead bears.