Basic strategies for bear safety #1. 

Knowledge is power.

Your most important tip is to get information from reliable sources about how to avoid a problem with a bear - and what to do if you have one despite your best efforts.

This lens includes links to some of that expert advice. Please check those sites for the details you need - this lens only summarizes the key points. If you're visiting a national park or similar area, you should also inquire at a ranger station or visitor center about local safety information and regulations. Some areas, for example, have specific regulations about food storage and how far you must stay away from bears and other large animals. Some areas may be temporarily closed if there has been recent unusual bear activity. Those rules are for your safety and the benefit of the bears, so take them to heart.

Dr. Tom Smith is a leading expert on the subject of bears, and until recently was on the staff of the Alaska Science Center. He notes, "we see that a large number of bear-human encounters could have been avoided had people done the right things (e.g., store food properly, make noise while hiking through dense brush, not pushing bears when attempting to photograph them, etc.)."

So... learn how to "do the right things" when it comes to bear safety before you venture into the wilds. I've tried to make it easy for you by including some links to great expert advice on this page, so keep reading!

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service North Central Research Station)

Basic stragegies for bear safety #2. 

Avoid encounters with bears whenever possible.

Like many other things in life, when it comes to bears, the best surprise is no surprise.

Dr. Tom Smith notes that "the greatest contributing factor to bear attacks is surprise. Bear attacks have consistently occurred in habitats where visibility is poor, underscoring the fact that given a chance, most bears will avoid a conflict with people."

Mick Holm, Superintendent of Montana's Glacier National Park, notes that "Your best defense is to avoid a bear encounter in the first place by making your presence known."

Many people like to wear "bear bells" on their packs, hiking stick or ankle, but the value of the bells in alerting bears is a subject of some debate. Talk loudly, sing, or clap your hands at intervals, to let bears know you're in the neighborhood. This is especially important if you are hiking in areas of dense vegetation or in places where other noise (such as a waterfall or rushing river) can mask the sound of your approach.

Late summer and early fall when bears and people may be looking for the same berry patch are a time to be especially alert - and to make your presence known.

Basic strategies for bear safety #3. 

Keep your distance - and DON'T feed the bears!

I know you've heard it before, but whatever you do, don't feed the bears! Avoiding "feeding" includes proper storage of your food in camp as well as resisting that urge to offer snacks to wildlife. You'll find information further down this lens on recommended food storage containers.

Many problem encounters with bears are the result of people getting too close to the animal in search of that great photo, or just out of curiosity. If you don't have an adequate telephoto lens on your camera, just consider that while a picture may be worth a thousand words, it's certainly not worth a thousand stitches.

Some parks have specific regulations about how far you must stay away from a bear and about proper food storage, so inquire locally for any such rules, which are designed for your safety and the protection of the bears.

Basic strategies for bear safety #4. 

Know how to react if you DO find yourself close to a bear.

You'll find some different advice from most experts depending upon whether you're dealing with a grizzly (or brown bear as they're often called in Alaska) or a black bear. Keep reading for links to those tips. This information is very important, so please take a look. For sake of space, I won't repeat it here.

Please note that with the exception of those white polar bears, the color of the bear's coat is not a reliable way to tell a grizzly from a black bear. You'll find information about bear identification in one of the modules below.

Different actions are also recommended for surprise encounters vs. an actual unprovoked attack (if you're asleep in your tent, for example.)

There are, however, at least two general rules:

• Never get between a mother bear and her cub(s), and give a mother with youngsters even a wider berth than other bruins.
• If you find yourself close to a bear, never run. You simply can't outrun a bear, and the attempt could cause the animal to begin a pursuit. A bear that outweighs you by several hundred pounds can run 30 m.p.h. or more, and forget the old fable that bears can't run downhill. On a recent trip to Alaska, I saw a large grizzly run full-speed down a steep slope. Thankfully, I was in a vehicle a safe distance away!
  
  Climb a tree? Take a look at the above photo and see if that sounds like a great idea.
  
  (Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service North Central Research Station.)

Basic strategies for bear safety #5 

Be absolutely vigilant about how you manage food and garbage in camp.

This point is covered in detail in some of the expert links, so please read the information on those links. However, this subject is so critical I'll mention it briefly here.

Always store your food and any food garbage properly, well away from your sleeping area. Never store any food in your tent, and that includes that single energy bar or stick of gum you forgot was in your pack. Don't sleep near areas where food was prepared.

Some parks and other area have specific regulations about food storage, and they are intended to improve your safety, so check locally when you hike or camp for information and tips.

Bear safety tips from the experts in the field 

The following links will take you to interesting and readable information from some of the top bear experts in the country.

Be Bear Aware

A link to the non-profit Center for Wildlife Information, which has a lot of useful information about bears and wildlife safety in general. Their site includes some downloadable publications, some of which are in the standard .pdf format and require the free Adobe Reader program.

Safe Conduct in Bear Country

A great article with practical tips for hikers, campers, photographers, hunters and other who spend time in Bear Country. Written by Dr. Tom Smith, until recently on the staff of the Alaska Science Center, and one of the leading researchers in the country on bears and bear safety.

Who's Who (Bear Identification)

This guide from the Center for Wildlife Information to identifying bears (grizzly vs. black bears) was originally designed for hunters, but it's equally useful for anyone who lives or recreates in places that bears call home.

Bear Safety - Glacier Bay National Park

Excellent information from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve on distinguishing between black and brown (grizzly) bears; actions to take if you encounter or are threatened by a bear; tips on how to avoid problems with bears in the first place.

Minimizing the Dangers of a Bear Encounter - Yellowstone National Park

Tips from Yellowstone National Park about how to avoid a confrontation with a bear, and what to do if one should occur.

Black Bears - Great Smoky Mountains National Park -

Information about black bears from Great Smoky Mountains National Park - their behavior and what yours should be if you encounter one.

Bear Safety Information, Glacier National Park

An excellent site with bear safety information, and a link to an on-line video about bear safety.

Bear Pepper Spray - Don't leave home without it in bear country 

What you don't know CAN hurt you if you're carrying the wrong spray.

Bear pepper spray is an important, last-resort defensive measure for anyone who spends time out of doors in Bear Country. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about this product and its proper use.

It's absolutely essential to avoid confusing "bear spray" or "bear pepper spray" with other pepper spray products. Many people mistakenly purchase and carry one of the numerous personal defense or law enforcement pepper sprays designed for use against other humans rather than bears. The products are definitely not the same!

For defense against bruins, be sure you only purchase and carry bear spray products that meet EPA standards and are clearly labeled "for deterring attacks by bears." Carrying the wrong product can create a false sense of security and put you at risk when it doesn't perform as needed during a bear encounter. You'll find a link to a list of products that meet EPA standards a little further down this page.

In addition to the above information, Chuck Bartlebaugh, Director of the Center for Wildlife Information, offers the following recommendations for minimum standards for bear pepper spray:

• Spray distance of 25 feet under optimum conditions. (Factors such as wind, moisture and the age of the canister itself can all reduce the effective distance of the product.)
• Minimum spray duration of 6 seconds;
• Minimum net content of 7.9 ounces or 225 grams.

What you need to know about carrying and using bear pepper spray 

• Bear spray should be carried in a quickly accessible location such as a hip or chest holster. If faced with a charging bear, you don't have time to start digging in your pack. In your tent, keep the spray readily available next to your flashlight.
• Bear spray should be used as a deterrent only in an aggressive or attacking confrontation with a bear. These products are only effective when sprayed as an airborne cloud and make direct contact with the eyes and nose of an approaching animal.
• These products are not a repellent and should never be applied to people, tents, packs, other equipment or the surrounding area. Research at the Alaska Science Center found that the residue from the spray may actually attract bears, even several days after the product was used!
• Keep a firm grip on the canister and aim slightly down and toward the approaching bear; many people tend to aim too high, which could allow the bear to run under the cloud of spray;
• Don't forget that a bear can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Try to spray early enough so the bear, if charging, runs into the widest bear pepper spray cloud and has time to react to the product. If possible, spray when a charging bear is still 30 to 40 feet away.
• Each hiker or other backcountry user should carry his or her own bear spray. You may meet more than one bear, or if you're part of a group and only one person is carrying spray, Murphy's Law says that person will be too far away to help when a bear poses a threat to another group member.

Bear Pepper Spray - Links to advice from some experts. 

Bear Pepper Spray - Research and Information

Excellent, must-read information about Bear Pepper Spray from the Alaska Science Center - Biological Science Office. It includes some vital do's and don't for using these defensive products - including research showing that if improperly used, bear pepper spray may actually attract bears! Don't miss this one.

Bear Pepper Spray Information

Very helpful information about bear pepper spray from the non-profit Center for Wildlife Information.

Sources of Bear Pepper Spray that meet EPA Standards

This site includes a list of bear pepper spray products that meet EPA standards, and links to manufacturer's websites. Please note that the EPA does not recommend products - the agency merely compiles this list of those which have been through the EPA "registration process" to ensure they meet the agency guidelines.

Bear Pepper Spray Video

The official website for Yellowstone National Park includes an on-line video on the use of bear pepper spray. You can view it at this link, which is the Backcountry Trip Planner page for Yellowstone - just scroll down on the page to find the video. If you don't have a high-speed Internet connection to allow efficient viewing, you can also download a transcript of the narrative.

What don't I just carry a gun instead of bear pepper spray? 

What about firearms as a more effective defense against bears? In addition to the fact that carrying weapons is against the law in areas such as most national and state parks, many people will probably be surprised by the following information from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

"...based on their investigations of human-bear encounters since 1992, persons encountering grizzlies and defending themselves with firearms suffer injury about 50% of the time. During the same period, persons defending themselves with [bear] pepper spray escaped injury most of the time, and those that were injured experienced shorter duration attacks and less severe injuries."

"Canadian bear biologist Dr. Stephen Herrero reached similar conclusions based on his own research-a person's chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used."

Click here to read the complete text of this report.

Research published in 2008 by some of the top bear researchers in the country confirms that bear pepper spray is your most effective defense. An analysis of 20 years of bear spray incidents in Alaska found that the product effectively halted aggressive bear behavior in 92 percent of the cases. Of all 175 people involved in the incidents studied, only three were injured by bears, none serious enough to require hospitalization!

Why is bear spray is more effective than a gun in defense against a bear? Dr. Tom Smith notes that shooting accurately during the terrifying split seconds of a bear's charge is extremely difficult. It's a lot easier to aim the wide spray pattern. The canisters can be carried in holsters and work like miniature fire extinguishers. They eject the red-pepper spray at more than 70 miles per hour, and studies show that the spray reached bears even in windy conditions.
Click here to read a good article from a New York Times writer on this subject.

My advice? If you spend time out of doors in "bear country," just get and carry the spray - and read the directions and become familiar with how to use it before you hit the trail!

Bear Resistant Storage Containers 

IGBC list of Bear Resistant Food Storage Containers

When you're dealing with bruins, you may wonder if anything is absolutely 100% bear-proof. As this photo proves, a standard picnic cooler certainly isn't! However, the experts on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee have developed a list of approved containers for storing your food and similar items when camping in bear country. Click on the above link for details.

Bears and Food Storage Video

This short on-line video from Yosemite National Park demonstrates some proper food storage techniques to help keep food away from bears - and shows what can happen when people fail to do so! Bears which have learned to associate people with food can become dangerous and may have to be destroyed. Please do your part to help protect bears and people in areas such as national parks by following proper food storage guidelines.

Some books on bear safety from Amazon.com 

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Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics) by Dave Smith

Steve French, Director of Research for the Yellows more...1 point

Steve French, Director of Research for the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation, says Backcountry Bear Basics is "the number one book I'd recommend to a...1 point

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Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (revised edition) by Stephen Herrero

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The author is Professor of Environmental Science and Biology at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is recognized throughout the world...0 points

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Take the poll! 

Leave a comment in the guestbook, so I'll know you stopped by. 

I'd welcome your comments or suggestions about this lens or hearing about any of your own experiences with bears.

jade

Thanks for the info, great web site

Posted July 02, 2008

thetruthisoutthere

I thank you so much for all the knowledge that you have shared with me thru this site.

Posted May 30, 2008

purple83 Great lens on bear attacks there are great products on amazon you could add like mase spray or tazer a non lethal way to protect yourself against wild animals. I love your lens 5 stars to you. Check out my new lens about when animals attack just click my name but beware very graphic content and not for the sqemish. Posted May 01, 2008

kiwisoutback Good to know...I've never even encountered a bear in the wild, but I guess I know what to do if we do...lensrolled this one onto our US Roadtrip lens! Posted April 24, 2008

EagleScoutMom Knowledge is power !!! Thanks for a great site !!! Posted December 10, 2007

jasmineann We were lucky enough to visit the Rockies last year and we did see several bears including a mom and 3 cubs! We were fortunate to be with people who understood and taught us how to behave around bears.It was wonderful.Excellent informative and educative lens! 5 stars! Posted October 17, 2007

Sean

I am an Eagle Scout that has, over the years come across all types of Bear. I am using your link to educate my Tiger Cubs for an upcoming Blueridge Mountain campout. I have been sniffed and moved by Grizzly in WY and AK. Walked away each time without stitches. Your lens is great and right on. Thanks

Posted October 16, 2007

JOHN GLASS

I FOUND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE RIGHT ON TARGET - MY RATHER EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH SMOKY MOUNTAIN BLACK BEARS HAS PROVEN MANY SUGGESTIONS TO BE TRIED AND PROVEN.

Posted October 15, 2007

 

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