Musings: Hiking in Grizzly Country

[Mark Wetherington]

Companion forum thread to: Musings: Hiking in Grizzly Country

Musings about backpacking in grizzly bear habitat.

[Drew Smith]

“If people persist in trespassing upon the grizzlies’ territory, we must accept the fact that the grizzlies, from time to time, will harvest a few trespassers.”
― Edward Abbey

[David Thomas]

We’ve sometimes taken the reverse approach from the author’s (“seen a grizzly . . .  I found myself scratching it off my list”).  One time in Banff, we were debating about a nice loop with lots of glacier views with the downside that it was a very popular itinerary.  There was a sign outside the permitting office that two grizzlies were active along that trail, we looked at each other, and knew we were going there since that warning would scare away the nervous hikers.

It worked out well – there were very few other people on the trail, sometimes we had campsites entirely to ourselves, and we saw both bears as we hiked.  Because we did what we were supposed to – yakking it up where there were poor sightlines, water noise and berries – the bears did what they’re supposed to and were heading away before we came over the rise.

This betrays my location, but isn’t “hiking in grizzly country” just “hiking”?

[Murali C]

When species cannot co-exist and conflicts arise, then the stronger species will win. That is evolution at work. So as human/bear conflicts arise more often in the future, bears are going to lose out.

[Mark Wetherington]

So as human/bear conflicts arise more often in the future, bears are going to lose out.

You’re definitely right in the macro sense, but I think in the micro sense myself and most other backpackers would be on the losing end of a direct physical conflict with a grizzly bear. And that’s fairly disconcerting. I can’t imagine myself limping out of Glacier National Park beaten and bruised and remarking to the ranger “If you think I look rough, you should see the bear . . .”    ; )

David:

That’s an interesting approach and one I hope to get comfortable adopting in the future. To clarify, the CDT hikers said they saw a grizzly cub at the lake, but didn’t see the mother, and I still visited that lake I just didn’t camp there (it wasn’t really a lake I was stoked on camping at anyways, as a more scenic one with better fishing was just on the other side of the pass). I recognize my response to that info (grizzly sighting at the lake) was irrational — it’s not like the bear signed a six-month lease there and was going to be hanging out there until hibernation, it could easily have moved on to the lake I camped at or somewhere else a dozen miles or more away. But I suppose I was trying to get at how rationality is often trumped by more primal emotions, despite knowing better, and how that influences our interaction with the landscapes we backpack in.

[DWR D]

There have been proposals to re-introduce grizzlies in several lower 48 states where they used to exist before they were hunted out of existence in those areas. I believe California has that proposal… as a CA backpacker, I would not be happy about that. And… can you imagine the lawsuits after the first human death by grizzly ???

[Murali C]

Mark – I think folks like David Thomas and Philips of this world who hike in Alaska are very comfortable hiking in grizzly country. Maybe it is just getting used to – like pretty much everything in life. They claim the wild Grizzlies avoid humans. I have hiked in Jasper/Banff and in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons with bear spray etc Luckily never encountered one on the trail – but saw several from car especially in Jasper/Banff area. I was hiking alone and was literally screaming/singing loudly to make sure that I don’t surprise a bear. Probably my singing kept the bears away :-)

DWR D – Yeah – I don’t understand these re-introduction efforts. There is absolutely no reason to.

I wish the bears would leave us alone and I am sure all humans will leave them bears alone!

[David Thomas]

Murali: You definitely get used to your local hazards.  I was struck, while on walking safaris in Zimbabwe, that I was much more nervous about a little ole 300 to 400 pound African lion than I am about 400 to 1000 pound brown bears back home.  Part of it was that we were walking TOWARDS the critters, instead of AWAY like we do at home.

Every time I’ve encountered a brown or black bear in Alaska or Canada, it quickly went the other way (unless we shot and ate it).   Versus in California, where it takes black bears a while to register that I’m not acting like other backpackers and WILL be hitting them with my stick if they’re still around when I get there.  Only once they realize that, do they scamper away.

[Murali C]

Yeah – I have heard that Masai in Kenya are a terror to the lions and lions keep their distance from them. In a recent book Burn – the author was talking about living with hunter gatherer society and one day, the tribe stole a zebra or impala from a lion that had just killed it. These folks are very used to lions and are not that scared of them.

As long as the bears run away and stay wild, great for everyone.

“I’m not acting like other backpackers and WILL be hitting them with my stick if they’re still around when I get there. “

Ha ha! That is funny….maybe someday, I will develop that attitude….

[Luke Schmidt]

David’s “attitude” might give him the confidence other hikers lack to chase off a bear and actually scare it. I think bears can sense to some degree if you are afraid of them. I’m convinced the vast majority of black bears will back down from a sufficiently confidence/aggressive human.

For one thing, many black bears are fairly small. I’m taller than the vast majority of black bears i encounter. Obviously they are stronger and they have claws. But they don’t know I’m weak and clawless. If I’m aggressive most are going to run from the bigger “bear.”

Grizzlies seem a bit more curious, they are less likely to just run, and they are bigger. But mostly they want no part of me either. I just don’t push my luck with grizzlies as much.

[Murali C]

So, if you are hiking alone – how do you make sure that you are heard so that bear doesn’t get surprised? I know David talks about his dog sometimes sounding the alarm that something is afoot. I think that is the biggest problem – a surprised bear that is suddenly scared and thinks it needs to defend itself.

[Jerry Adams]

bear bell is an old technique to warn bears

I’ve seen black bears maybe 10 times in Oregon, Washington, and northern California.  They always run away.  You have to be quick with your camera to get a picture.

[AK Granola]

California proudly has the last remembrance of the grizzly on its state flag, but I’d warrant there are few Californians who want it back; they prefer their fantasyland rather than the real land they moved into. If you read the literature documenting early explorations of California, most describe the grizzlies there as fairly shy and not very dangerous, easy to shoot. Native Americans living there didn’t fear them either, according to most accounts. Hollywood has managed to instill irrational fear in most of us. But California has more serial killers than any other state, and deathly traffic in every community. Why worry about grizzlies? If California had fewer people, less traffic, and affordable housing, I’d move there and advocate for grizzly reintroduction, just to get out of the cold.

I would never want Alaska to lose its grizzlies or its wolves, wolverines, or any other of our amazing wildlife. A short-tailed weasel has been hunting my woodpile lately – I love where I live! When Outsiders move in, and wonder why we haven’t shot all the predators to keep humans safe, or why Denali NP doesn’t have a coffee stand in the middle of the park, I want to send them back to California, or wherever they came from. It’s not Fantasy Island, and it’s not “wilderness.” It’s wild land, with all (most) of the creatures who have lived here thousands of years; enjoy them! Land much used by humans as well for all of that time. It has “natural splendor” but it isn’t landscaped to suit the needs of REI members (like myself). It isn’t here just for the amusement of the well-off.

You do get used to hiking and camping with big wildlife in Alaska, but bears make you more aware of your surroundings. After living here 30 years, I’m still paying attention when I’m in brown/grizzly bear country, more so than elsewhere, noting the freshness of tracks or scat.

Risk assessment always makes sense on an intellectual level, and it’s pretty clear that fear of grizzlies is much hyped; stats just don’t back up that fear. But as humans, our emotions get the better of us, and all those silly movies come back to haunt us at 3am in the tent. I sleep pretty well these days in my tent, here or elsewhere! So yes, you get used to it.

Want to see a great demo of our most dangerous Alaskan animal in full attack mode? Here’s a YouTube video I just watched, and the canoeists caught some behavior that highlights how dangerous moose really can be. Outsiders often don’t believe they are dangerous, because they seem so complacent. Fast forward to 15:40 and watch what happens. Turn up the volume so you can hear the moose growl. This is the critter I worry most about surprising on a trail. But I wouldn’t live without them.

 

[John Vance]

I  am more wary of moose since I run into them more often than bears and their behavior can change so rapidly without any warning.  The rare black bear encounter I’ve experienced while hiking is a view of its backside rapidly moving away.   My two Grizzly encounters while backpacking were in the northern end of the Wind River range, one during the day and one at night.  I felt kind of honored from the perspective of more than a thousand nights in my bag with hundreds of those in grizzly country, and I finally saw one.  They happened two years apart 20 years ago and it hasn’t happened since.
We did have a Cougar take a deer in our backyard this past January which was pretty cool.   My wife didn’t think so and wouldn’t go out there for nearly month and it was my job to clean up the leftovers.

 

[Todd T]

bear bell is an old technique to warn bears

Old, yes, but also ineffective.  See:

Smith, T. S., Herrero, S., Layton, C. S., Larsen, R. T. and Johnson, K. R. (2012), Efficacy of
firearms for bear deterrence in Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 76: 1021–1027.

Primary author Smith tells of watching bears repeatedly ignore bells, but immediately take notice
when a pencil is snapped in two. The theory is that high-pitched sounds (like little bear bells) are
interpreted by bears as birds or squirrels or other non-threatening creatures. So if you want to alert
a bear to your approach, you need to make noises that sound more like something that might worry the bear. Grunting, throat clearing, talking in a normal voice, crashing brush, snapping twigs,
etc., could sound like something big (another bear?), so they get the bear’s attention.

Bear bells do a good job, however, of irritating every human within a mile of the nervous hiker.  (Grrr!)

[Murali C]

“Grunting, throat clearing, talking in a normal voice, crashing brush, snapping twigs”

Hmm…none of these seem practical if hiking long hours. What else can one do?

 

A guy on trail once asked me “do you know how to tell the difference between black bear and grizzly from the scat?” Answer: if the scat has berries it is a black bear. If the scat has a bear bell, it is a grizzly.

[AK Granola]

Bear bells clearly indicate newcomers or tourists here in Alaska. I know no one who would use those, so annoying. It would also be hard to hear them in places where the wind is blowing hard, or there’s a rushing stream nearby.

What else can one do? Hiking in groups is useful, because there is often talking, and even the sound of many footfalls is noisier than a single person. When I’m alone I sing quite a bit, especially in brushy areas. If it’s head high alders and I cannot see anything, I do shout and clap every few seconds, until I’m in the clear. But you’re right – hiking alone for long hours it’s hard to stay noisy. I try to stay alert for scats, tracks or broken bushes that might indicate an animal has been through recently. Most places are not teeming with bears or moose; they like some areas more than others. Learning where they like to go helps with how attentive you need to be. Often we end up hiking in the alpine, where visibility is fantastic.

When I do see bears or moose, I watch their behavior closely (if they’re actually nearby; sometimes you see them a long way off and then you just keep an eye on them). A super scary bear (which I’ve never seen, but friends have) is one that is interested in you, follows you, or that you see over and over again after thinking you’ve passed it by. Then the bear spray is in your hand and you’re making a shit-ton of noise, constantly. And listening to your heart race. Even moose sometimes follow people, not sure why. I have had this happen. It was so weird and freaky like those deer in the Sierra that wait around camp for you to pee. Not sure if that’s the moose’s intention also. Eventually they quit bothering you.

There’s no magic formula; it’s one of the risks of hiking.

edited to add: a fair number of Alaskans also carry guns. I don’t, but I don’t mind when folks do, if they seem like intelligent people who know what they’re doing.

[David D]

David T, what do you think of Prof Smith’s advice that, instead of talking, clap when there’s a possibility to have a surprise encounter:

“Make sharp noise when approaching blind corners or brushy areas: “clap” and say “Hey bear”.  They ignore bear bells and conversation level speech/music, its just background noise to them.  It’s a burst of sound – a clap, a “hey!” – that gets a bear’s attention”

[Luke Schmidt]

Someone told me whacking a stick on a tree works well.

I have walked up on grizzlies just strolling mindlessly along. I started to yell occasionally in thick areas and/or smack my trekking poles together. Seems to help. A bear safery expert told me the human voice is something bears really don’t like. I’ve seen grizzlies a long ways off that ran when i yelled.

But outside of thickets i don’t worry much. On an alpine ridge the bear and i will probably have plenty of time to react.

[Jerry Adams]

that’s funny about bear bells

I’ve heard people with bear bells before and thought it was mildly annoying

of course the most effective is bear spray, worn so it can be immediately deployed

[MJ H]

Answer: if the scat has berries it is a black bear. If the scat has a bear bell, it is a grizzly.

You left out the “smells like pepper” part, which was the best part.  As in this version:

The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter. They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.

[Carcajou]

An interesting suite of responses to the article. Some I must admit I found frustrating and some I felt misguided. But then I realized that I was looking at it from my perspective. I am a long retired wildlife biologist and a still active backpacker (into my 7th decade of exploring the wilderness). I have spent quite a bit of time in country inhabited by grizzly bears. I have always considered it an extra blessing to see a grizzly bear while on a backpacking trip – but really at any time.

I take what I believe are reasonable and sensible precautions when I know I am hiking in grizzly country. May I suggest that anyone who does ready Dr. Stephen Herrero’s book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance. The reason I take the precautions are not only for my own safety but for the bear’s well being. They are an integral part of the ecosystems that they occupy (as are humans). Just because humans have an ingrown fear does not mean that the right solution is to kill them (or lions, alligators, rattlesnakes, etc.).

The majority of bear encounters, black or grizzly, are incidental or accidental. Most of the time the bears sense us long before we show up. They choose to avoid us. Very few are interested in an encounter with humans, or other bears. Those encounters that result in a serious incident as often the result of a sow protecting her cub(s) or a bear protecting its food. As a side note there are more ‘mother protecting it’s young’ encounters involving elk, moose, etc. A further side note, a former work colleague was once treed for close to 16 hours by a cow moose.

I encourage people who want to venture into the wilderness to take a similar approach to Leave No Trace camping when it comes to wildlife, in this case the grizzly bear. Learn as much as you can about how to venture safely into the country they inhabit. Take the correct precautions. Mostly take the right attitude, which in my view is not humans win – bears lose.

[Justin W]

Phillip, the most scared I’ve ever been was in Denali when a momma moose and calf came trotting down the trail towards us. As soon as I saw them, I immediately went behind a tree while dragging my spouse with me. Thankfully the moose just trotted by nonchalantly.  (I’m not an Alaskan native, and it was my first time there).

[Scott S]

Bears will usually run away—but not always. In 2021 three buddies and I were backpacking the Shipwreck Coast in Washington. One two occasions we saw juvenile bears down on the shore. The first bear we saw was probably 2 years old, and dutifully ran away from two us shouting at it. The second bear was a little older, and directly in our path. With four of us shouting at it, trying to look big, waving our poles, etc., the bear actually walked towards us. Not because he was trying to threaten us but because he saw something on the beach he was interested in. He saw us and just didn’t care. Luckily the tide was out so we could give him a wide berth. But he didn’t get the “humans come, I run” memo.

[Jeffrey H]

Clapping is effective for me. When I first started backpacking solo in SW Virginia I would run into black bears constantly. Happened a 3 or 4 times in that fist year.

Then I started clapping anytime I’m in dense brush. Haven’t seen a bear since then while backpacking in this part of the country.

Honestly sometimes I want to stop clapping just so I can see them again but…that could be problematic.

It probably harder to clap every minute or so in brush if you are highly dependent on 2 trekking poles though.

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