What to do if you see a bear

I have always been fascinated by bears. Such a large and strong animal. If you think about it, the fact that you can actually go hiking and run into one in many places around the world is a little crazy.

Being around nature and hiking is one of my biggest passions. Bears come with that passion. I will never forget that day in Grand Teton National Park when I run into a black bear. It was simply crazy! Check out the story on About The Bear Snacks

I was recently in Miami with a bunch of friends.There, my friend Frank made me some really good questions about bears.

Are bears really dangerous? What should I do if I run into one? What should I not do? Does my modus operandi change depending on the type of bear? Should I run?

I think most people really have no idea of the answers to these questions. I hope that with this post I can answer Frank’s question and I hope this is something you are also curious about.

Please feel free to comment below if you have any other questions not addressed here and I will update as soon as I have a chance!

Tell me something about bears

Bears can be found in both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. They are quite common in several locations in Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

Most bear species are omnivorous, with the exception of polar bears, which are mainly carnivores, and panda bears, who feed themselves with bamboo.

With the exception of mothers with their young cubs, they are solitary animals. They can be diurnal or nocturnal and they have an excellent sense of smell. Despite how large they are and how clumsy they may look, they are great runners, climbers, and swimmers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOJAHDSLhKo

Bears use shelters, such as caves, as their dens. They use their dens to hibernate during the winder for periods up to 100 days.

What types of bears are there?

The most widespread species is the brown bear, which can be found from Western Europe through Asia and on the western areas of North America.

The American black bear is restricted to North America and the polar bear is restricted to the Arctic Sea. Indeed, I just recently learned that penguins have never seen bears since Polar bears can only be found in the Arctic and penguins in Antarctica.

All other species of bear are Asian, like the cute and harmless Panda bear.

In this post, we will focus on brown bears and the American black bear as they are the main species that you can run into while hiking.

One thing to note is that the popular Grizzly bear is actually the North American version of the brown bear.

Where in the U.S. are there bears?

The North American black is the most common bear species in North America. Black bear can be found as south as Central Mexico and as north as northern Alaska and most of Canada.

In the U.S., black bears are common in the east, along with the west coast, in the Rocky Mountains and in parts of Alaska.

Black bears are the timidest and least dangerous of the North American bears.

The grizzly bear can be found in Western states for the most part and are quite numerous in Alaska. They are capable of killing animals as large as a moose and elk, but they are omnivorous, so they eat a bunch of things to survive.

How can I distinguish an American Black Bear from a Grizzly?

Well, this is not as easy as you may think. One may think size could be a factor. Grizzlies are definitely bigger but most of us haven’t seen a bear live ever so I don’t think that’s a good benchmark.

Next thing one would resource to its color. It is obvious, right? Grizzlies are brown and black bears are black. Well, that’s not necessarily the case as some Grizzlies can have very dark fur and it is very easy to confuse them by solely relying on the color.

So then, how the hell do I distinguish them?

Grizzly bears will generally have their rump lower than shoulders, a remarkable shoulder hump and their claws are way longer. If on top of that it looks more brown and larger, the odds are high you will have run into a grizzly.

On the contrary, black bears have their rump higher than their shoulders, they don’t have a hump (this is the easiest for me to identify), and they have shorter curved claws for climbing.

There is an interesting article in the Yellowstone webpage that explains this in details. See Link

Grizzlies are definitely bigger, more aggressive and scarier than black bears. However, you should be extremely precautious with both.

See an interesting video of one versus the other. Crazy right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hURgA_BNSGc

I guess now you are starting to erase the idea from your mind of running away or trying to climb a tree, right?

Are bears really dangerous?

Personally, I don’t think so. As with any other animal you have to be precautious, apply common sense and in 99% of the occasions the animal will simply omit you or avoid you.

However, what do the statistics say?

You can find the Wikipedia link to fatal bear attacks here. See Link.

As you can see, in the last decade, only 9 people died from black bear attacks and 14 from grizzly bear attack in the whole of North America. Considering how many hikers there are, how large North America is and how many days a year people go hiking, this numbers sounds extremely small.

Also, one single guy in the whole North East region that went to take pictures of a bear and unfortunately, seem to have decided to run away…

Bottom line, bear encounters are rear and most encounters will rarely lead to aggressive behavior and attacks are even rarer. Remember that most bears prefer to avoid contact with humans, and any bear that sees you is just as scared as you may be.

What should I do if I see a bear?

Avoid them

Always carry with you bear spray in bear country. Yes, such a thing exists and it is proven to work.

Try to avoid them just as they try to avoid you. One way to do this is by avoiding hiking around silently and alone. Travel in groups preferably and make a lot of noise. It’s always a good idea to sing or talk loud in bear country.

Also, it is a best practice to store your food in a sealed bag and avoid hiking at dawn or dusk.

If you encounter a bear

If you actually encounter one the first thing is to remain calm and ready your bear spray.

Make sure you stay together in a group to look as large and intimidating as possible.

Try to determine what type of bear you have encountered and how bad the situation is. Grizzlies are more aggressive than black bears and mothers with cubs make it a little worse as mothers become very protective.

The importance of distance

Give the bear as much distance as possible. Don’t approach it to take a photo or similar bad ideas. It’s best to turn around or if you need to continue advancing, take a detour giving the bear as much personal space as possible.

Close encounters

If you encounter a bear close by in the trail or campground, talk to the bear calmly in an appeasing tone. Back away slowly, if possible in the direction you came.

Walk! Do not run. Keep an eye on the bear so you can see its reaction, in most cases, it will run away.

If you are sure you have encountered a black bear, you could take a more active behaviour to make it go away. This may make sense if you encounter the bear in the campground or you can’t walk elsewhere. Ensure the bear has an escape path, stand tall and look it directly in the eye while you yell “Go away, bear” or something like that. Keep the bear spray ready just in case.

Do never try to make a grizzly go away!

Defensive encounters

Sometimes the bear may feel threatened and act aggressively. This is quite common when you encounter a mother with its cubs or a bear next to a food source.

You will notice the bear is acting defensively because it will pop its jaws, scratch the ground with its front paws. It may also blow and snort or even “bluff charge” towards you.

In this situation, bear in mind that the bear doesn’t want to fight you, it is just warning you that you are too close.

Follow a similar M.O. to the close encounter situation. Talk to the bear, ready to your bear spray and back up slowly without running and get as far as possible from the cubs and/or the food source. Do not talk aggressively to the bear or try to move it away! Also, don’t play dead or do anything similar!

If the bear attacks

A defensive bear may change its mind and make contact. Your first line of defense is always the bear spray so point the nozzle just above its head and spray into the eyes, nose and throat when it is 20-30 feet away (10 meters or less). Do not do it further than that as it may not reach the bear or the wind may deviate the spray. That should be enough to discourage the bear.

If that’s not the case (e.g. surprise encounter or mother grizzly with cubs), and the bear makes physical contact, fall to the ground and “play dead”. Roll on to your stomach and cover your neck and the back of your head with your hands. Keep elbows and legs wide so that the bear can’t turn you around. Remain still until the bear has left.

One thing to bear in mind is that the bear may hide close by for some time to verify if you are really dead so remain in the same position for as much time as needed even if that is up to 30 minutes or more.

If the bear attack is prolonged and it is eating you, the attack is no longer defensive and you must fight back.

Repelling an aggressive or non-defensive bear

Talk to the bear in a firm voice. Get out of there slowly and that may be enough. If for whatever reason the bear follows you, then stand your ground and prepare to use your bear spray.

A bear that is initially curious or just wants to test its dominance, may become predatory if you do not stand up to it.

Act aggressively. Look it straight in the eyes and it know you will fight if attacked. Shout and make yourself look as big as possible. Threaten the bear with whatever you have e.g. a pole, bear spray, a stick, etc. The more the bear persists, the more aggressive you should become.

If the bear attacks, use your deterrent and fight for your life. Kick, punch or hit the bear with whatever you have. Focus your attack on the face, eyes and nose.

Fight any bear that attacks you in your tent or shelter.

Some common sense

I know this all sounds very scary but remember that the chance of being attacked by a bear are lower than being struck by a lightning. Bears are timid and shy and they simply need to be respected.

Most attacks occur when hikers surprise bears (especially mothers with cubs) in the backcountry areas.

What should I not do?

I think it is clear from the above but here is a list of things to avoid:

• Make noise and sign while hiking in the bear country
• Avoid hiking by yourself in bear country
• Carry bear spray or deterrent
• Do not run away
• Avoid getting closer to the bear to take pictures or selfies
• Stay away from cubs at all costs
• Never feed a bear
• Do not allow the bear access to your food
• Dropping your backpack is not a good idea unless the bear is chasing you and you think this can distract it
• As you may remember from a video earlier, climbing a tree or something else is completely useless.
• Avoid eye contact with the bear unless you are trying to stand your ground against a potentially aggressive attack.

The importance of bear spray

Bear spray is something very important to carry when you explore the back country. It is used defensively against an aggressive bear charging you. While it is very similar to the pepper spray, it is definitely not the same, so make sure you take the bear one, which is much larger and has slightly different composition.

One thing to bear in mind is that bear spray is very inflammable. Thus, it can’t be carried with you in flights, neither as carry-on nor as checked-in luggage. It is also quite pricey i.e. $50-$60. In some national parks, it is actually possible to rent it. This is actually a good deal since you can’t take it back home with you.

This link contains an introductory video to bear spray and its use Link.

Difference between encountering a black bear and a grizzly?

The M.O. when you encounter a bear at distance is basically the same and also the common sense principles you must apply.

The main different arises in circumstances where you surprise a bear, the bear is in a defensive mode or even in aggressive predatory mode.

Specifically, black bears are more prone to flee and are less aggressive. Therefore, under extreme circumstances, if you encounter a black bear it generally tends to be better to fight back, while with grizzlies it is safest to play dead.

If you liked this post you may be interested in: Yellowstone National Park – The natural wonderland! and Grand Teton – Nature as its best and finest!

Special thanks for Frank and Chris for giving me the idea of writing about this and posing some great questions. I am 100% sure none of you will ever be attacked by a bear. However, it is always good to be ready for every possible scenario! Do not forget to subscribe or follow our IG account to be updated on new posts!