Advice for Bear Encounters—

Keep a Safe… SAFE… Distance

Bear encounters can be exciting but they can turn scary in a matter of minutes.

In more than one fatal attack, the humans were in the bear’s territory taking pictures of the animal, moments before the attack.

The close-up photos that you see of bears were either taken in zoos or through the use of long-range photography. It is not worth risking injury to try to get a good picture of the animal. Bears prefer to avoid humans. Humans should follow the bear’s example.

When I watched this video… All I kept thinking was what are these people CRAZY or just NUTS!

Sometimes an encounter is unavoidable. You may be hiking or the animal may come to your campsite in search of food. Here are the best ways to deal with an encounter if one happens. If you are hiking or camping, it is always a good idea to learn about bear safety and about what to do if an encounter occurs.

The first thing you need to know is what species you might be dealing with. Black bears typically stay out of grizzly territory, but grizzlies will occasionally enter the black bear’s territory in search of food. It’s unlikely that you would encounter both species. But in a few areas of North America, it is a possibility.

Grizzly habitat is currently confined to Alaska, the Western provinces of Canada and the Northern parts of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington State. You are more likely to encounter the black species.

You should not think of the black species as friendly bears. They are more likely to run away from you than grizzlies, but they will attack. Even bears that are kept in zoos, used in films and constantly around humans have been known to attack their handlers.

• If you encounter the black species, do not run. Make a lot of noise and wave your arms. Let the animal know that you are a human. In most cases, the animal will run away. If it stands its ground or acts like it is about to charge, try to circle around the animal slowly, never losing eye contact with it.
• Do not try to climb a tree. Bears are better climbers than humans. Walk away slowly and check frequently to see if the animal is following. If the animal does attack, fight with everything you have. Punch it in the head, throw things or use a repellant spray if you have one.
• If you encounter a grizzly and it charges, play dead. Cover your head and neck with your hands. Lie on your stomach and let your backpack serve as protection. Lie as silently as possible until you are sure the animal has left the area. Trying to fight is not a good idea. You can fight off a black bear, but not a grizzly.

So, remember these three things.

1. Don’t think of them as friendly bears.
2. Always practice bear safety and
3. avoid bear encounters whenever possible

It’s a matter of being safe in bear country and wilderness encounters with any type of bear is dangerous regardless if it’s in the woods or in your back yard. BE CAREFUL!