Bears occupy a special place in the North American ecosystem as it pertains to mankind. Coastal indigenous people view the bear as a brother of man. These omnivorous apex predators sit at the top of the food chain in most of the wild places on the continent. When venturing into the wilderness it is wise to take precautions to avoid human bear confrontations.
How Dangerous are Bears
Bear attacks get a lot of attention in the media. The shocking brutality of most bear attacks speaks to a wide audience and certainly makes for a good story. However, this leads to many people having an unrealistic perception of the dangers surrounding bears. Bears are absolutely dangerous, but with the proper precautions the likelihood of having a confrontation lead to serious injury or death is minimal.
While statistically the odds of a bear attack are negligible, hunters do present a higher risk than the average public in the outdoors. After all, hunters are often moving silently off trail with the wind in their face and hopefully, carrying dead meat. So what can hunters do in the field to increase bear safety and manage risk?
Be Aware in Prime Bear Habitat
Probably the most important bear safety step hunters can take is to be aware when moving through bear habitat. Coastal bears occupy dense cover near creeks, swamps, and berry patches. Oftentimes, the brush is thick enough to conceal them. However, bears are not nearly as quiet or sneaky as ungulates. If you hear a large stick snap or a brush move, it is almost certainly a bear. Back out, loop around, and circle so the bear can smell you to avoid alarming it at close range. Very few bears are predatory and if they know where you are they will naturally avoid you.
Have a Low Scent Camp
Another key step to avoiding bear encounters is maintaining a low scent camp. First off, never make camp near a gut pile. The gut pile is an attractor for all kinds of predators and scavengers and if you are in grizzly country it is almost a certainty that it will be claimed sooner rather than later. Once a bear has claimed a gutpile it is his. Trying to push a bear off of a food source they have claimed is a sure-fire way to incite a conflict.
Also, manage strong human-sourced smells around camp. Do all of your cooking 50m or so away from your tent. The same goes for where you decide to “flip a rock”. Feces can be a tantalizing attractant for many critters just like the smell of your food. Finally, remove anything from your pack that may smell like food. Toothpaste is a common culprit but there are any number of scented products that get forgotten in the tent because they aren’t actually food.
Travel in Groups
When possible, travelling with another person decreases the likelihood of issues. While entirely anecdotal, virtually all of the aggressive bear behaviour, including a bluff charge, that I have seen has happened while alone. My preference is to hunt solo and through dozens of bear encounters, bears are much more skittish when confronted with two people. Having a hunting partner is a great safety net not only from bears but from the slips, falls, and exposure that can be a risk in the outdoors.
Never Run
Despite all of these precautions, sometimes you will come face-to-face with bears. In these scenarios be loud, look big, act confident, and slowly back down the way you came. In my experience most black bears will run away if you follow these guidelines. Grizzlies are much more apt to simply not care one lick about you. This can be a challenge when they are blocking your route but it is still much better than aggressive behaviour.
When in a bear encounter there is one thing you should never do: run. Running sends a clear signal to the bear that you are prey and can trigger a predatory reaction. Also, there isn’t a human on the face of the earth that can outrun an adult bear. As a short aside, there is a pervasive myth that bears can’t climb trees. This is somewhat true for adult grizzlies with their long claws. However, black bears are exceptional tree climbers and can seemingly run up tree trunks with their specialized claws.
Carry Protection
Finally, carry some kind of protection. This topic has been beaten to death by a lot of the outdoor media and I am not going to delve into it nearly as deeply as others have. My take on the matter is that drawing and shooting a handgun fast is very difficult, especially in times of extreme stress when the lizard brain is making the decisions. For the unlikely warningless bear charge bear spray seems simpler to deploy.
My personal bear safety preference is to carry a long gun for most of my adventures outdoors. If I am going into habitat particularly well suited for bears, I will add bear spray in a holster on my belt. For those taking bear spray, use a proper holster. They are easier to draw from and you won’t accidentally spray yourself. One time, my girlfriend was carrying bear spray in the back pocket of her pants. It popped out while hiking and hit a rock, puncturing and emptying its contents on her and the dog. Thankfully she was close to town but if she had been miles from town it could have presented a sticky situation.
Closing Thoughts
Staying safe in bear country requires some preventative measures as well as come caution. However, most negative bear encounters can be avoided by following some simple guidelines. While overblown by the media, it is smart to carry some sort of bear protection with you while in the backcountry. Exercise caution and mitigate risk and bear safety should never present a reason to avoid the great outdoors.