As people prepare to spend time in the woods this spring and summer, wildlife officials are warning them to be prepared for encounters with animals, in particular, bears.
Firefighters in one northeastern Washington county received a lesson this week on the virtues of bear spray.
You’re more likely to run into a black bear than a grizzly bear in Washington, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for either, says Candace Bennett, a wildlife conflict specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in Colville.
“So the general difference is not size and color. Black bears can be all different ranges of color and size can be deceiving as well," Bennett said. "Another thing is that distinguished hump of the grizzly bears. The hump is on the shoulder area, just kind of behind the neck. It's pretty distinguishable.”