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. “During the initial assault, Mr. Pollio managed to discharge his bear spray, but it is unknown if and where the spray contacted the bear. Similar petitions requiring hunters to carry bear spray failed in Wyoming and Idaho, according to Cowboy State Daily. Seventy of the 72 bear mortalities that year were human-caused, according to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Many authorities have long maintained that bear spray is the most effective tool in a grizzly encounter, pointing to two studies of firearm use in bear encounters and bear spray efficacy.