The exercise involves inert bear spray, which a person can use when the bear is rushing at them. The bear charged, the hiker discharged bear spray and suffered injuries that sent the man to the hospital, but were not life-threatening. “A lot of people think bear spray is actually bug spray,” Ficek said. FWP staff also takes old and expired bear spray at any regional FWP office. A lot of bear spray also gets left at airports when tourists buy them and then can’t be taken back on a plane.