Anyone spending time in bear country should have basic bear safety knowledge. Grizzly and Black bears are wild animals and as such are unpredictable. While safety recommendations exist, they are not guarantees. With the use of safety guidelines, hikers, wildlife viewers/ photographers, fishers, campers and any outdoor enthusiast can decrease the chances of a bad bear encounter. We always carry bear spray when recreating in grizzly bear country. Bear spray has proven to be very effective. It does not require accuracy in aim and is easy to use. All of the information in this post is important, but if I had to offer a few bullets:
- Carry bear spray & know how to use it
- NEVER run away from a bear- it will trigger a predator response
- Hike in groups & make noise
- Defensive Bear = Play Dead; Curious/Predatory = Fight Back
Avoid Bear Encounters
Be Alert
See the bear before you surprise it. Watch for fresh tracks, scat, and feeding sites (diggings, rolled rocks, torn up logs, ripped open ant hills).
Avoid Hiking Alone
Whenever possible hike in groups of three or more people—91% of the people injured by bears in Yellowstone since 1970 were hiking alone or with only one hiking partner; only 9% of the people injured by bears were in groups of three or more people.
Avoid Hiking at Dawn, Dusk, or at Night
Whenever possible avoid hiking at dawn, dusk, or at night. During the hot summer season these are the periods when grizzly bears are most active.
Don’t Expect Bears to Notice You First
In Yellowstone National park bears hibernate for approximately 5 months each year and have only 7 months of active time to obtain all of their nutritional needs. Therefore a bear with its head down feeding may not see you as you as quickly as you would think. Pay attention and see the bear before it sees you and before you surprise it.
Make Noise, Alert Bears to Your Presence
When hiking, periodically yell “Hey Joe” especially when walking through dense vegetation or blind spots, or when traveling upwind, near loud streams, or on windy days. Avoid thick brush whenever possible. Some places recommend yelling “Hey Bear”, but I read that this is may cause other hikers in the area to think that there is a bear nearby, so we substitute Joe, but it could be any words. We do not carry bear bells. They reduce the wilderness experience.
Avoid Carcasses
Bears will guard and defend carcasses against other scavengers or humans. Dead ungulates will attract and hold many bears near the carcass site. It is risky to approach a carcass; many bears may be bedded nearby just out of sight. If you find a fresh dead ungulate carcass that still has a lot of meat remaining, leave the immediate area by the same route you approached the carcass from. Report all carcasses to the nearest ranger station or visitor center if in a park. Know that the presence of any scavengers: ravens, magpies, bald eagles, or coyotes can indicate that there is a carcass in the area, so be alert for their presence.
Stay With Your Gear
Don’t leave your packs, lunches, food, or beverages unattended as they may attract and hold bears at the site. If you surprise a bear that’s eating your stashed food you may lose more than your lunch.
DO NOT RUN!
Reacting to a Bear Encounter
How to React to a Bear Encounter at a Distance
If a bear doesn’t see you, keep out of sight and detour as far as possible behind and downwind of the bear. If the bear sees you, retreat slowly (i.e. back away from the bear) and leave the area. If possible slowly walk upwind to let your scent reach the bear. Regardless of the distance, never approach the bear.
If a bear stands up on two legs, it is most likely trying to gather information and not being aggressive. In this situation, don’t panic and slowly back away.
Reacting to a Surprise Encounter With a Bear
If the bear clacks its teeth, sticks out its lips, huffs, woofs, or slaps the ground with its paws, it is warning you that you are too close and are making it nervous. Heed this warning and slowly back away. Do not run, shout, or make sudden movements: you don’t want to startle the bear. Running may trigger a chase response in the bear and you can’t outrun a bear. Bears in Yellowstone chase down elk calves all the time. You do not want to look like a slow elk calf.
Often times, slowly putting distance between yourself and the bear will defuse the situation. Draw your bear spray from the holster, remove the safety tab, and prepare to use it if the bear charges.
Should you climb a tree? Climbing a tree to avoid an attack might be an option but is often impractical. Remember all black bears and most grizzly bears can climb trees (especially if there is something up the tree that the bear really wants). Running to a tree or frantically climbing a tree may provoke a nonaggressive bear to chase you. People have been pulled from trees before they can get high enough to get away. Also, you have probably not climbed a tree since you were ten years old and it is harder than you remember. In most cases climbing a tree is a poor decision.
How to React to a Charging Bear
If a bear charges you after a surprise encounter, stay still and stand your ground. Most of the time, if you do this, the bear is likely to break off the charge or veer away. This is called a bluff charge. If you run it is likely to trigger a chase response from the bear.
If you are charged by a bear and have bear pepper spray, this is the time to use it. Start spraying the charging bear when it is about 40 feet away.
If the bear continues to charge, it is important, not to drop to the ground and “play dead” too early. Wait until the bear makes contact or the nano-second just before the bear makes contact. Remember, by standing your ground, the bear is likely to break off the charge or veer away. If the bear makes contact, this is the point where you become passive and “play dead.” Drop to the ground; keep your pack on to protect your back. Lie on your stomach, face down and clasp your hands over the back of your neck with your elbows protecting the sides of your face. Remain still and stay silent to convince the bear that you are not a threat to it or its cubs.
After the bear leaves, wait several minutes before moving. Listen and look around cautiously before you get up to make certain the bear is no longer nearby. If the bear is gone, get up and walk (don’t run) out of the area. Remember, the sow grizzly needs time to gather up her cubs which may have climbed trees or hidden in nearby brush. If you get up too soon, before the sow has had time to gather up her cubs and leave, she may attack again.
During a surprise encounter where the bear is reacting defensively, you should not fight back. Fighting back will only prolong the attack and will likely result in more serious injuries. Since 1970, in Yellowstone National Park, those that played dead when attacked by a bear during a surprise encounter received only minor injuries 75% of the time. However, those that fought back during surprise encounters received very severe injuries 80% of the time.
If a bear has not reacted aggressively, and has not initiated a charge or otherwise acted defensively, you should back away. Never drop to the ground and “play dead” with a bear that has not been aggressive or defensive.
How to React to a Curious or Predatory Bear
Being submissive or “playing dead” with a curious bear could cause the bear to become predatory. A defensive bear will charge almost immediately during a surprise encounter, and will charge with its head low and ears laid back. A curious or predatory bear will persistently approach with its head up and ears erect. When approached by a curious or predatory bear you need to be aggressive and fight back.
Safely Watching Roadside Bears (Viewing or Photography)
Bears are highly intelligent and quickly learn new behaviors beneficial to their survival. In Yellowstone and other areas with high numbers of people and very low rates of human-caused bear mortality, bears quickly learn that people are not a threat and they will tolerate people at relatively close distances to gain access to native foods found in roadside meadows. This behavioral response is referred to as habituation. Habituation is not necessarily detrimental to bears or people. Habituation enables bears to access high quality habitat adjacent to roads, habitat that is underutilized by bears that remain wary of people.
If people stop to view or photograph bears along park roads, it is important to behave appropriately so you don’t put yourselves or the bears at risk. In addition to bears, habituation is observed in a wide variety of other animals along park roads, including bison, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, wolves, coyotes, and badgers.
You should observe the following guidelines when viewing or photographing roadside bears:
- Do not stop your vehicle in the middle of the road. Park on shoulders or in established turnouts and make sure your vehicle is completely off the paved roadway with the gear shift in park and the parking brake engaged.
- Before exiting your car, look for oncoming traffic. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen people almost get hit because they forgot to use basic road safety skills.
- If you want a better view use binoculars or a spotting scope: Do not approach bears.
- For your safety, stay in your vehicle and view and photograph through a window. If you choose to exit the safety of your vehicle, stay nearby so you can get inside quickly if the bear approaches. Bears, especially subadults can be curious and may approach people to search for and test new foods.
- Do not stand in roadways. A driver distracted by the bear could easily hit you. Although the road provides a firm base, for obvious reasons photographers should not set up their tripods in the road-it is just not a safe thing to do.
- Keep a safe distance from bears. In Yellowstone and most National Park it is illegal to approach or remain within 100 yards of bears (other parks vary, for example Denali National Park’s guideline is 300 yards). If the bear approaches within 100 yards of you, you are required to get into your car or move so that you maintain the 100 yard distance.
- Do not surround, crowd, approach, follow, or block the bears’ line of travel.
- Do not run or make sudden movements. Such movements could provoke an attack. Be extra careful with your children. When excited, children often run. Running may trigger a predatory chase response by the bear.
- If other people in the area are putting you in danger, leave the scene and/or notify a park ranger. You are responsible for your own safety.
- Do not feed bears or leave food where they can get it. Feeding bears is against the law and fed bears usually end up as dead bears because they become more aggressive about obtaining human foods.
Camping in Bear Country
Hiking and camping restrictions are occasionally in effect as a result of bear activity. Never camp in an area that has obvious evidence of bear activity such as digging, tracks, or scat. Odors attract bears, so avoid carrying or cooking odorous foods. Keep a clean camp; do not cook or store food in your tent. All food, garbage, or other odorous items used for preparing or cooking food must be secured from bears. Yellowstone’s backcountry campsites have food poles from which all food, cooking gear, and scented articles must be suspended when not being used. You will need to bring at least 30 feet of rope to hang your food on the food poles. If you are not at a park that offers campsites with a pole- you will need to hang your food from a tree.
Treat all odorous products such as soap, deodorant, or other toiletries in the same manner as food. Do not leave packs containing food unattended, even for a few minutes. Allowing a bear to obtain human food even once often results in the bear becoming aggressive about obtaining such food in the future. Aggressive bears present a threat to human safety and eventually must be destroyed or removed from the park. Please obey the law and do not allow bears or other wildlife to obtain human food.
Sleep a minimum of 100 yards (91 meters) from where you hang, cook, and eat your food. Keep your sleeping gear clean and free of food odor. Don’t sleep in the same clothes worn while cooking and eating. One other way to reduce odors is to use unscented products: laundry soaps, deodorants, etc.
Considering bears’ highly developed sense of smell, it may seem logical that they could be attracted to odors associated with menstruation. Studies on this subject are few and inconclusive. If a woman chooses to hike or camp in bear country during menstruation, a basic precaution should be to wear internal tampons, not external pads. Used tampons should be double-bagged in a zip-lock type bag and stored the same as garbage.
If you are involved in a conflict with a bear, regardless of how minor, report it to a park ranger as soon as possible. Another’s safety may depend on it. Exceptional combinations of food, shelter, and space draw grizzlies to some parts of Yellowstone more than others. In these Bear Management Areas, human access is restricted to reduce impacts on the bears and their habitat. Ask at ranger stations or visitor centers for more information.
Other National Parks may have other specific guidelines. Some places require bearproof containers for your food.
