Warding Off Bears

[Joseph Reeves]

People in Southeast Alaska — including those who live on Admiralty Island which is called Kootznoowoo, meaning Fortress of the Bear in Tlingit — just say "hello bear" as we enter the forest or step out of our kayaks onto a beach. I've seen brown bears continue to roll rocks around the beach while an air horn is blowing, whistles don't even generate a nod. Saying hello and letting them know you are in their forest does seem to help. Bear spray and the Mossberg are good back-up. We were talking to the bears as we marveled at this tree on Admiralty

[Jim Colten]

When we visited S.E AK in 2001 we were told that Admiralty Island housed approx 1 bear per sq. mile.

I don't obsess about bears but I think that's beyond my threshold for comfort.

[Ross Bleakney]

Nathan is right, the clickers are only to make the bears aware of your presence. Yes, they are the ones used to train dogs. The theory is that they don't sound like anything else. They aren't very loud and they won't intimidate a black or brown bear. They could, however (just like yelling "Hey Bear") alert a bear to the fact that you are getting close. In Grizzly country, that is probably the most important thing (many a Grizzly attack report starts with "the hiker surprised the bear…").

To chase off a black bear, I've always just made a bunch of noise (clanging on pans, etc.). A group of people making a bunch of noise works even better. Black bears seem to be a bigger problem in car campgrounds than in remote places, so finding folks to join in the bear chasing activities should be easy (if you are at all concerned). In Grizzly country, I always carry bear spray (although I've never used it).

[Steven Evans]

John,
Maybe there really isn't an alternative to bear spray. One step less would be a device that makes a loud noise, and one step more would perhaps be something that physically hurt the bear (gun?). I've never hiked the AT, but up here, I just have a whistle. JimQ sums it up pretty nicely in one of his posts above.

Joseph, why are you blowing your airhorn and whistle at a bear who is rolling rocks around on the beach? Just take a picture and leave. :)

[Joseph Reeves]

Re "
Joseph, why are you blowing your airhorn and whistle at a bear who is rolling rocks around on the beach? Just take a picture and leave. :)"

End of a long day – 30 miles — and it was the only beach that offered a place to camp. We figured if that bear left there wouldn't be any more that evening…. The other bears didn't get the memo so we spent the night with a large fire on the beach.

[DAN-Y]

In India they wear masks on the back of their heads to fool predator tigers. Maybe it might work for predator bears. 

[jscott]

I was once lucky enough to come upon a bear just off trail and ahead of me. He or she didn’t know I was there. we both walked along for several minutes, me staying behind of course. Very fun to watch how goofy bears can seem when they’re ambling along looking for stuff. Finally I made some inadvertent noise and the bear whirled around, saw me and bolted off. Then it stopped in its tracks. I could almost see the ‘wait a minute!’ thought balloon. It turned to face me with its head swaying slightly. Not good. Here’s the important part: I did not look at the bear, especially its eyes. I calmly looked down and very softly intoned, ‘that’s a good bear, alright then…”for a few minutes. the bear then as much as said, ‘alright then, we have that straight’ and moved off.

I’ve read that de-escalation can be effective; certainly don’t meet a bears eyes, but act deferential. I think Doug Peacock suggested this, but I may be mis-remembering.

Or, make yourself big and make noise! Hopefully you’ll know which tactic to adopt when the moment arises.Happily bears are so common and non-threatening, mostly, in the Sierra that this isn’t anything I even think about. I worry far more about ants and snakes.

[Brad P]

Talking to a naturalist in a WV state park, you do need to be concerned if you get between cubs and mama.  That’s when you could get into trouble.

[Gunnar H]

Here’s the important part: I did not look at the bear, especially its eyes. I calmly looked down and very softly intoned, ‘that’s a good bear, alright then…”

How to do it with perfection (00:20):

[jimmy b]

John, first you have to accept the idea of worst case scenarios and understand your odds. Once you accept the worst case scenario of being killed and consumed by a large predator you at least are not kidding yourself. Second the odds of a car crash on the way to your AT hike are many times more likely to kill you than you are to have a physical encounter with a bear on the trail. See how the fear factor is rapidly diminished.

So with that the only advise I would ever give someone dealing with wildlife is to expect the unexpected. Each animal is an individual just like every human. You can make all the general observations you want but you will have no idea what that animal has gone through days, hours or minutes before your enter its personal space. Each encounter will be unique and unpredictable as flipping off the wrong guy on the highway now a days. I would guess the bears have little idea how they will handle each encounter with humans before the actual event. One thing for sure in the event it starts to go badly you had better be cool and collected. Panic is the number one fail point in ANY situation when it hits the fan. Have some general plan in mind for a handful of situations, commit to your gear defense decisions and go from there.

The wife and I always carry  bear spray in Brown bear country and make plenty of noise on the trail. I have taken to carrying a can to have in the tent at night here on the east coast because of the number of habituated back yard bears that have been ruined by people living near and hiking the trail. I am very aware of bears in Grizzly country and hardly give Black bears a thought other than practicing good food habits.  Have lots of fun on your AT section!

[DAN-Y]

In todays news:

Alaska boy, 11, shoots bear charging fishing party

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/01/alaska-boy-11-shoots-bear-charging-fishing-party.html

[jscott]

“Once you accept the worst case scenario of being killed and consumed by a large predator you at least are not kidding yourself.”

Ah come on, you are kidding yourself; it’s never going to happen. Not on the Appalachian trail. No need to get all ‘well I’m a manly man in the wilderness who knows he might well die but has stared death in the face in my imagination woof woof’ on us.

For God’s sake go out and enjoy the AT You’re not going to become bear crap.

what in the world do people think about when they go hiking? Sure, maybe in Alaska.

[jimmy b]

Sure Jeffery, and ask the guy that fought off the BB in the smokies all night or the kid who was pulled from his hammock at night by his head by a BB what they think the bears were looking to do….have a picnic?

its people that think these animals are harmless teddy bears that continue to habituate them into bad behavior and ruin them until they kill and consume someone on a trail somewhere as was the case a few years ago.

Your way off the mark if you think I make inflammatory statements to inflate my ego. I really could not care less. I am realistic about risk and don’t kid myself or stick my head in the sand and hope for the best. Geez didn’t you get the whole point of the post that the odds are incredibly remote. Maybe read it a bit sloooower. You may find your post much more hyperbolic than mine lol.

If I were to take someone sailing on my boat tomorrow they would be required to wear a life vest and would be informed on the dynamics of sailing aboard a small sailboat such as the possibility of being cleared off the deck by their head from a jibing boom or the slight risk of getting trapped by the rig under water in the event of an accidental capsize. I think most would like to know of such things as to avoid them while the boat is underway.

Considering risk is a good practice. Giving absolutes as you did above to others is not.

Edit- Oh and as to what I thing about hiking…may want to read the part about not giving much thought to Black bears at all while we are out… a bit sloooower.  Geez.

[jscott]

Sorry Jimmy, I’m a bit under the weather and my sarcasm rose to the surface. It’s just, the op is a first time hiker going out on the
AT with the bear jitters. I should have been clear that I was trying to balance out the tenor of the whole thread, which emphasizes bear attacks. I’m not sure that telling the op to be prepared to die is the best advice. You do say up front that it’s far more dangerous driving to the trailhead than hiking the trail, which is the best message. I just think the op needs to hear that He’ Going To Be Safe and not to worry. I’ve hiked for many years in black bear country, in the Sierra and the PNW. Newbies are always concerned about bears. I think that on the West Coast, when people get into trouble outdoors, it’s rarely because of bears. Many thousands of people hike the AT; bear attacks are statistically rare.

[jimmy b]

No worries Jeffery, I understand. For sure my intent was not to scare off the OP. Actually quite the opposite trying to point out even in the face of a worst case the odds show it incredibly slim to have a physical encounter let alone worse.

I would put money on the OP not ever seeing a black bear on the trail other than a few spots like Shenandoah. We were tripping over them last year down there lol.

One thing for sure though in our area their numbers are increasing in a big way. Every night it seems the news showis some dumbass pulling a stunt with a black bear or showing off the worst of bear behavior as a joke. Not good in my opinion. Then these misbehaving bears go back into the woods. I have grown tire of seeing otherwise very viable and beautiful wild animals euthanized because of idiots.

 

 

 

[BC Bob]

The idea that you shouldn’t look a bear in the eyes is incorrect according to the bear researchers….

Start at 26:00

[David Thomas]

I’ve posted this before, but he’s BPL’s Erin and her husband Hig dealing a great job on the Alaska Peninsula nine years ago.

The comment thread is everything you’d expect on YouTube.

[BPLwiia]

The OP is concerned with black bear on the AT which, with all due respect, is totally different than how to conduct oneself around brown bear.  I’d suggest the OP read Dr. Stephen Herrero’s book, “Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance”. It may even be at his local library.

Learn what predacious behavior looks like. It accounts for 88% of deaths of humans by a black bear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7yoIheOrTc

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.72/full

https://www.bear.org/website/bear-pages/black-bear/bears-a-humans/47-what-does-steve-herrero-say-about-mothers-defending-cubs.html

 

 

 

[Nick B]

Good thread with lots of good advice. Love the debate.

Y’all realize you are giving the OP advice on a hike he took over 8 years ago, right? ;)

[jimmy b]

Ha, lol. Totally overlooked the date. Wonder if he saw any bears?

[BPLwiia]

Bear behavior hasn’t changed in the past 8 years so the advice is as good today as it would have been then.

[Jerry Adams]

“Y’all realize you are giving the OP advice on a hike he took over 8 years ago, right? ;)”

And did he report back his experience???

No!!!

He must have been eaten by a bear : )

[Richie S]

In some ways the feeling of security is as important to people as actual security. (I won’t open the bigger can of worms there). Maybe carry it until you have some bear encounters with this disappearing through the brush at a high rate of knots or just have a number of nights where you fall asleep and get to wake up ok.

[Nick M]

I never go completely unarmed one way or the other.

Bear spray doubles as a defense against lunatic humans as well.

[Erik G]

Yea, I always take both my arms with me too.  ;)

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