British Columbia is bear country. If you spend real time outside here, whether that is cruising timber, guiding clients, running a trapline, or hiking with your family, you are sharing ground with bears. A forestry client once wrote to tell us the bear defence training had already paid off twice: crews read the bears correctly, understood what kind of animal they were dealing with, and walked away without a confrontation. That is the whole point of this training. The best bear encounter is the one that never becomes a confrontation.

Silvercore runs three bear and wildlife defence programs, and people regularly ask us which one they should take. This page lays out all three, who each one is for, and what you need before you show up.

The Silvercore Path: Wilderness Safety

• Will Your Bear Spray Work When You Need It?
• Plants to Avoid in the Bush
• What You Need to Hunt with a Firearm in British Columbia

Why our program is built on Gary Shelton's work

Silvercore partnered with James Gary Shelton to design our wildlife defence programs. Shelton's books on bear behaviour and bear attack survival are the authoritative texts on the subject, and they have become essential reading for people who work in parks and forestry or spend serious recreational time in the wild. His research is the backbone of what we teach: how bears behave, how to read the difference between a defensive animal and a predatory one, and what actually works when an encounter turns aggressive.

All of our instruction is delivered by federally certified firearms instructors, and our instructor-to-student ratio exceeds government standards. This is not a video and a waiver. It is real training.

The three courses

Bear & Wildlife Defence (Online). The place most people should start. A common sense program covering bear behaviour, how to avoid dangerous encounters in the first place, and strategies for surviving an aggressive run-in with predatory wildlife. No firearms licence required, take it from anywhere, and you receive a certificate of completion. Many students take it on its own; others use it to prepare for the live fire course.

Bear & Wildlife Defence (BR1). Our one-day, on-range bear defence shotgun course, geared toward anyone travelling through bear country. You will shoot, a lot, under pressure, with instructors watching your gun handling the entire time. You need a valid non-restricted PAL to register (exceptions may be made for active law enforcement officers), and you bring your own shotgun and ammunition, as rentals are not provided for this live fire course. You leave with a Bear Defence Certificate of Completion.

Industry Level Bear & Wildlife Defence. A two-day live fire and classroom course for industry workers and professionals working in bear country, built to demonstrate complete due diligence from a business standpoint, with certification. Silvercore staff can travel to remote locations and provide firearms and all other required material. If you run crews in the bush, this is the one your safety program needs.

Which one should you take?

• Hiker, camper, angler, or hunter who wants to understand bears and avoid trouble: start with the online course.
• Outdoorsman or woman with a non-restricted PAL who carries a shotgun in bear country: take BR1, and take the online course first if you want the theory locked in before range day.
• Employer with workers in bear habitat, or a professional who needs documented due diligence: the Industry Level course, and talk to our office about bringing it to your worksite.

A word on bear spray

Bear spray belongs on your hip whether you carry a firearm or not, and knowing its limits matters as much as carrying it. We wrote up how spray performs in the real world, including temperature, wind, and expiry, in Will Your Bear Spray Work When You Need It? Read it before you head out this season.

Keep your skills sharp between courses

A one-day course is a foundation, not a finish line. The Silvercore Club is built for people who live this stuff year round: Silvercore branded online courses, including the online Bear & Wildlife Defence course, are included free with membership, alongside member insurance, partner discounts on gear, and a community of people who spend their time outside. It is $59 a year, and it keeps you sharp and has your back.

Join the Silvercore Club

Travis Bader Silvercore Outdoors

FAQ

Do I need a firearms licence to take bear defence training? Not for the online course. The BR1 live fire shotgun course requires a valid non-restricted PAL to register, with possible exceptions for active law enforcement officers.

Is equipment provided for the BR1 course? No. Firearm rentals and ammunition are not provided for this live fire course. Students bring their own shotgun and ammunition. Check the course page for the current equipment requirements at your location.

Who designed Silvercore's bear defence program? The program was designed in partnership with James Gary Shelton, whose bestselling books on bear behaviour and attack survival are the authoritative texts on the subject.

Can Silvercore train our crew at a remote worksite? Yes. For the Industry Level Bear & Wildlife Defence course, Silvercore staff can travel to remote locations and provide firearms and all required materials. Contact our office for a quote.