HELENA — It is no secret here in Montana that bear spray is necessary outdoors, but what should you do when your canisters expire or need to be disposed of?

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, bear spray has a shelf life of three to five years, but that can also depend on where you store it.



If you've left your bear spray in the garage or your car, it might not be safe to use anymore as it could freeze and thaw multiple times over the winter.



While expired bear spray might still work, it should not be relied on. 



Some landfills can take large quantities of bear spray, while stations in places like Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks can handle smaller amounts, like one or two canisters.



If you are not near those disposal locations, they say go out to a remote area with no people or animals and spray the canister downwind until it is empty.

Then, wrap it in a plastic bag and throw it away.

"It's likely to injure somebody," said Danielle Oyler, FWP wildlife stewardship outreach specialist, "While not fatal, we know that there have been landfill employees and waste management employees that have been injured by bear spray because it was thrown into their garbage. We're trying to protect folks who are handling our waste management."

FWP recommends renting bear spray if you are from out of state, and you can find where to do that by calling the Chamber of Commerce located in the town you are visiting.

They also mentioned bear spray holsters, which can prevent the impacts of bear spray accidentally going off or exploding.

You can find more resources on how to stay Bear Aware here with a YouTube playlist here.