Page 77 - Breath of the Bear

Take a look at the posturing of
this bear before she charged me,
which is a good representation
of a bear in a defensive mode.

Nothing will guarantee your safety in bear shouldn’t be messed with. noise while not taking our eyes off of the area,
country, but knowledge of bears and proper Predatory quickly retreated back to camp.
behavior greatly reduce your risk. Most bears A bear is in a predatory mode if his ears are If Mama Ain’t Happy, No One Is Happy
tend to be wary of humans and often will do straight up, eyes locked on you and not looking There is a reason that a woman protecting
anything to avoid them. Please remember away, head down while advancing towards her children is sometimes called a “mama bear“
that seeing a bear is a thrilling and rewarding you. This is the time that you must respond in because nothing is more fierce than this animal
experience. The presence of bears is not an aggressive, dominant manner because your protecting her cubs. She will often fight a male
necessarily a problem or a threat to your safety. life depends on it. Yell in a very deep and very bear hundreds of pounds heavier in defense of
However, it is important to remember that bears loud voice. Show that you are the dominant her young. Special precaution should be taken
are wild animals and deserve our respect. one. Wave sticks, beat on a pot, throw rocks when stumbling upon her and you should back
If you’re on the trail and see a bear that is and find a way to get out of there as quickly as away quickly and as reverently as possible
far away or he doesn’t see you, turn around and possible, without running. Firearms are a very without challenging her.
go back or circle far around. Don’t disturb it. last resort. A .44-Magnum handgun may be Playing Dead
If a bear is charging, remember that almost all inadequate to stop a bear. A .300-Magnum rifle You’ve probably heard about playing dead,
charges are a bluff. NEVER RUN! or 12-guage shotgun with rifled slugs are better that you should lie down on the ground and put
Backpackers in the wilderness of Alaska often in experienced hands. your hands over your head, but most research
carry bear spray, a boat horn or cow bell for Charge It! has determined that this is not the correct
noise as a loud, unusual noise can deter a bear. I have been charged twice by the same response. If a bear takes you down, fight with
Any bear deterrents you have should be carried bear and I can tell you that there is absolutely everything you have. The eyes and nose of the
in your front pockets because you may not have nothing more terrifying. Your heart leaps, your bear are the most sensitive parts. Use what you
time to reach around into your backpack and senses go into overdrive, birds stop chirping have to go for those areas. Bears don’t expect
get them out. Don’t spray into the wind or any and the oceans cease their tidal movement as their prey to fight back, so this may startle them
enclosed space. When hiking, avoid passing a 700-pound bear is coming towards you. Our enough to determine that you are just going
through thick brush or any area with animal expert guide threw out his arms and yelled to be too much work. The only situation where
carcasses or scavengers, and keep the wind at “stop” at the bear along with some other playing dead might be effective is if a mama
your back when possible. language. Being shocked at such bold behavior, bear has taken you down, because then you
Highway Bear Safety the bear stopped in her tracks and slinked off want to show her that you are not a threat to her
If you see a bear while driving, check for traffic while giving us the stink eye. cubs. If you are knocked down by a bear, roll up
before stopping. Ensure you slow down and pull Luckily most charges are bluff charges. The into a tight ball on your side and put your hands
over only when and where it’s safe. Don’t stop in bear is showing dominance and you are being around the back of your neck. Do what you can
the middle of the road, or close to a hill or curve. challenged. This is a challenge you must accept to protect your spine and neck.
Avoid creating a “bear jam” by staying in your by standing your ground and being assertive. The Moody Teenager
vehicle. Remain a respectful distance from the Yell deeply, wave your arms, stomp your feet, Juvenile delinquents, whether human or
bear, and under no circumstances attempt to make noise, but do not run and do not scream. animals, can be trouble makers. Maybe they left
approach or communicate with the bear. Do not High pitched screams sound like an injured the den too soon or their mother was killed or
take bear selfies, use your zoom lens instead. animal and can trigger the predator/prey they are just up to no good, but after mamas
Camp Safety response, you will then have a good chance of with cubs, these are the ones you need to watch
Keep your camp spotless and never close being chased and you cannot outrun a bear. If out for as their behavior can be moody and
to a trail that bears might utilize. Cook as far you are in a group, stand next to each other in a unpredictable, as was the case with the bear that
from your site as possible and avoid smelly or line so you look large and intimidating. charged my daughter and me.
greasy foods, then thoroughly burn all food When using the outdoor facilities one Disclaimer:
waste. Store everything in trees or bear-resistant morning (big euphemism there) I was dragging The opinions expressed here are from our
containers. Keep food smells off your clothing. a shovel along a rocky path which was causing own experiences along with research we
Pets, their food, toiletries and even gasoline a very audible scraping noise. Upon turning a have conducted. In no way should this be the
can attract hungry bears. Stop fishing if a bear bend my daughter said very calmly, “Mom, definitive report on bear interactions or bear
approaches, and if you have a fish on the line, bear.” I looked up and maybe ten feet from us safety. Sometimes one can follow all the right
give it a lot of slack or cut it. Don’t be the person was a huge male brown bear. The sound of the “rules” and things still go wrong. While rare,
to teach a bear that humans also can catch a shovel must have put him on alert but when he there are bear attacks every year that sometimes
fish! saw us he looked as surprised as we did, and result in injury. Each bear experience is unique
Good Posture, Bad Posture – First Sighting if we weren’t so shocked, his look would have and unpredictable so extreme caution should be
When a bear spots you, it may stand on its been comical. We all stared at each other for a used when choosing to hike or camp outdoors.
back legs to get a better picture of what you moment then thankfully, he turned around and The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has
are. Speaking calmly and slowly waving your left and we, clapping our hands and making also provided useful bear safety tips.
arms in the air may help satisfy its curiosity. If
it starts to follow as you slowly move off, stand
your ground. photo by Isaac Stern
Defensive
Ears back, huffing, swatting at the ground,
looking at you then away, moving around or
showing you how big he is, indicates that the
bear is defensive and warning you that you are
in his space. Take the hint and leave the area
by showing strength while retreating. This is
done by clapping your hands, slapping your
thighs and stomping your feet at the same time
you are backing away, all the while keeping
your eyes focused on the bear’s behavior. In
bear language you are yielding the ground to
him while at the same time showing him you

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