Educate yourself, learn about bear behavior, ways to avoid bears, and what to do if you encounter a bear. It is normal to be frightened once you encounter a black bear. You also need to plan what you will do if, and when, you encounter a black bear. If you do see a bear, what you should do depends on the situation. DO NOT RUN: Absolutely do not run. Some hikers like to wear a bell on their pack that jingles while they walk, alerting bears and other creatures to their presence. If your bear encounter turns into a stand-off, you'll want to hold your ground and begin talking to the animal in a clear, strong voice. Walk! In North America, the two most common types of bear that you'll come across in the backcountry are brown bears and black bears. There’s no better way to prevent an unpleasant encounter with a black bear than avoiding the animals altogether.. Bears usually avoid humans, too, often leaving the scene even before a person realizes a bear was around. Put your arms over your head and spread your legs to keep from getting turned over. One of the most exhilarating and wonderful creatures that you can encounter while hiking or backing in the wilderness of North America is a bear. In general, when you encounter a black bear you should: Remain calm. There are a few things you can do to avoid a grizzly bear encounter. Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. You may not see a bear during your visit because bears naturally avoid people. Give the bear a clear escape route (do not corner it). Back up slowly Never turn your back on a bear, or run. Intimidate the black bear by making yourself look bigger and making noise (wave arms, shout, clap, bang stick). It also helps to make yourself look as large as possible, as this can intimidate the bear, possibly forcing it to back down. Bertie from Effortless Outdoors recently sent me a link to his article titled, What To Do If You See A Bear (And Why) and asked me to mention it on my blog. Check your yard for bears before letting out your dog. Certain safety measures can be taken to prevent a bear encounter.However, if you do find yourself face to face with a grizzly or black bear, these tips will help you escape with your life. You also need to plan what you will do if, and when, you encounter a black bear. Technology is the best weapon to neutralize your bear. Bears will often bluff charge before attacking. 2020: A year like no other in entertainment. “Know what to do when you see a bear. If the bear gets close, strike it in the nose and face with your fists, a stick, rocks, or just about anything else you can get your hands on. If you have a griz­zly bear encounter, here’s what you need to know to stay safe. So, what should you do when you see black bear? If you see a bear before it notices you: stand still, don’t approach and enjoy the moment. Use your pepper spray. Spray when a curious bear is 25-30 feet (8-10 meters) away. Use caution when passing however, because the bear may still become spooked or startled and could potentially turn on you. If the bear approaches, follows or charges you, keep reading the sections below. If it changes its behavior, you're too close, so back away. The first step, as in many situations, is prevention. Talk loudly or shout and throw things at the bear, such as food, rocks or sticks. What to do? Many small credit unions shy away from competition because they are “too small.” Hogwash. The vast majority of attacks happen when a grizzly bear gets surprised. This might cause it to think you are prey and go chasing you in pursuit. If the bear is about to make contact, use your bear spray. If you are in a developed area (e.g., campground, parking lot, lodging area) or if a bear approaches you, act immediately to scare it away: make as much noise as possible by yelling very loudly (don't worry about waking people up if it's nighttime). Keep food out of sight and don't feed any to the creature, as it will only encourage it to follow you looking for more. 2. 3 Bear Safety Rules. As visitors camping in bear country, you have a responsibility to follow the bear rules and to know what to do if you encounter a bear. Never feed or approach a bear. For the most part, they coexist without incident. Hold the can in two hands, with one finger on the trigger, and extend your arms straight out. There’s no better way to prevent an unpleasant encounter with a black bear than avoiding the animals altogether.. Bears usually avoid humans, too, often leaving the scene even before a person realizes a bear was around. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Quiz by Tom_the_Terrible Wind will reduce this effective range even farther (and may blow the spray back into your face). FIGHT BACK with anything at hand (knife, sticks, rocks, binoculars, backpack or by kicking). But just like humans, bears occasionally use hiking trails too, and startling a bear on your path isn’t the best scenario. The first step, as in many situations, is prevention. That said however, there are some other physical characteristics that can help you to tell them apart. Here's what to do if you encounter a bear. If you encounter a bear that’s aware of you: don’t run; running may trigger a chase response. As of 2016, more than 11 million people and 1,600 black bears share the park each year. If you do see a bear, what you should do depends on the situation. The vast majority of the time those encounters are safe and pass without incident, but on occasion they can turn dangerous and sometimes deadly. So it's no surprise that a lot of people want to know what to do if you see a bear when out and about. Do not play dead and do not act aggressively. If that is the case, give the bear a wide berth and exit the area as quickly as possible. Use bear spray either to scare away a bold bear or to deter a bear that is coming toward you. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. If you are attacked by a brown or grizzly bear, leave your backpack on and play dead by laying flat on your stomach with your hands behind your neck and legs spread. If you do happen upon a bear – or it happens upon you – just remember: Stay calm. Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket, and/or standing on a rock or stump. Watch this … If you’ve avoided blind corners and loud streams where bears might not be able to hear you and you still run into one…here’s what to do next. For starters, black bears are smaller in stature and have smaller claws as well, while brown bears – also known as grizzlies – are much larger, have a distinct hump on their backs just behind the neck, and have much bigger paws and claws. When you encounter a bear other useful things to determine are: By using Tripsavvy, you accept our. An ODFW intern encountered a wolf while out in the woods monitoring wolf activity. 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To a bear, the only thing that runs is prey, and it will likely give chase. What to do if you see either of these two main classes of bears is pretty similar - but with one key difference, which you'll need to know if the bear actually starts to attack. The reality is that majority of encounters with the black bears rarely result to aggressive behavior and the attacks are rarer. If you encounter a bear on a carcass, get as far away from the bear’s cache as possible; leaving the area quickly and quietly preferably in the same direction you came in. Black bears don't tend to be aggressive, so when you fight back it is likely to drive it away. It evolved as a way to prevent encounters with enemies and it may provide you with an opportunity to back away. Here’s what to do if you come in contact with a brown bear: Use bear pepper spray: Experts recommend that hikers in bear country bring along bear pepper spray — and have it handy. 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