Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Preventing Close Encounters
• Method 2 of 3: Preventing escalation and aggression
• Method 3 of 3: Dealing with aggression and assault
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need
• Similar articles

The bear is one of the most stunning creatures out there, and seeing this master of the forest in its native habitat is an unforgettable experience. However, if you get too close to him, your meeting can turn into big trouble. Fortunately, despite the constant human invasion of bear territory, bears rarely attack humans, and even less often it is fatal. However, bears are huge and powerful wild animals, and without proper preparation, any encounter with them can be fatal.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Preventing Close Encounters

1. 1 Scare off bears with loud noises. Carry bells with you or move around in a large group. If you can prevent an encounter with a bear, you will not need the rest of the steps. Bears are inherently hermits and generally prefer to stay away from humans. Help them in this and try to make your presence known when you are in their habitat: talk loudly, sing or use bells so that the bears can avoid meeting you.
   • There have been very few cases of a bear attacking a group of people, so stick together.
   • If you are traveling alone, be sure to make noise or use bells, especially if bears have been seen in the area.
2. 2 Keep an eye on the tracks of the bear and change your route if necessary. If you find traces of a bear, turn to the side or leave the area. Try not to catch the animal by surprise - if you see a bear from afar, stay away from it. Wait for the animal to leave before moving on. If the behavior of the bear has changed when you appear, then you have come too close.
   • Stop making noise when spotting a bear. Be quiet and calm so as not to disturb the animal.
   • This is especially important when meeting small and "harmless" cubs. The mother is not far from them, so such a meeting can lead to big problems. Even if the cubs seem to be sick or injured and need help, contact the gamekeeper and do not approach them yourself.
3. 3 Stay clear of dead animal carcasses. Bears protect two things: their offspring and their food. If you find an animal carcass, especially a relatively fresh carcass, go around it and try to leave the place immediately.
4. 4 Do not bring pets with you. Bears try to avoid humans and very rarely consider them as a food source.However, your dog may be less fortunate, especially if he perceives the bear as a threat. However obedient your dog may be, do not take it with you to an area where bears live.
   • If you do have to take your pet with you, be sure to keep it on a leash.
5. 5 Purchase bear repellent (pepper spray) and airtight containers. Try to avoid bears, but be prepared for unwanted encounters with them. If you are camping, remember that food and food waste should be stored in airtight containers to keep wildlife away from the smell.
6. 6 Familiarize yourself with the behavior of bears so that, on occasion, you can recognize an exacerbation of the situation in time. Bears are nowhere near as unpredictable as people think. Like humans, they have body language and certain signs that you can use to assess the situation and take appropriate action.
   • Standing on its hind legs indicates that the bear is showing curiosity rather than aggression.
   • Usually bears prefer to retreat. They show aggression in order to avoid direct collision, so stay calm and do not make sudden movements.
   • Bears are not always attentive. The animal can be distracted, so you should make a noise to warn the bear in time about your appearance.
7. 7 Find out which bears live in the area. Your actions when meeting a bear will to some extent depend on which species you encounter. In Russia and North America, you can find three types of bears: brown (the American subspecies is called grizzly), black and white. White (polar) bears are, of course, easy to recognize, and their habitat is limited to northern latitudes. Brown and black bears cannot always be distinguished by color. The brown bear can weigh over 350 kg and can be distinguished by its prominent hump on the shoulders and by the pelvis that is below shoulder level. Black bears are usually smaller (up to 180 kg) and their pelvis is located approximately at shoulder level or higher. Bears can also be distinguished by their footprints: in brown bears, the claw prints are clearly separated from the paw print, while in the black bear, the claw prints are located quite close to the paw print itself.
8. 8 Check out the latest local news. Perhaps bears have recently been seen in this area, or their activity has increased. Ask a local huntsman or forester about the latest developments; he may have advice on how to avoid encountering a bear. Try to find out the latest news.
   • Be sure to inquire about where you are most likely to encounter a bear and properly store food and waste when setting up camp. Each area may have its own rules: sometimes it is necessary to use sealed containers, in other cases it is enough to hang food in bags or hide it in the car.

Method 2 of 3: Preventing escalation and aggression

1. 1 Stay where you are and never run away. If you run, the animal will perceive you as a prey worth pursuing, and the bears run very fast. Also, you should not shout shrilly so that the animal does not think that you are afraid. As difficult as it is, it’s best to stay put and stay calm.
2. 2 Stay away from the bear and try to gradually move away, watching him. If you see an animal from afar (more than 100 meters away), leave its territory. If you need to go forward, go around the bear as far as possible. If the animal does not notice you, do not disturb it: quietly and carefully retreat, and then, when you are at a safe distance, make a loud noise so that the bear recognizes your presence and can retreat. However, if you come close to the bear and he notices you, stay calm and try to keep your distance. At the same time, watch the animal and slowly retreat.
3. 3 Make it clear that you are human:speak in a normal, calm voice. Words are not important - just say something while you step back and sideways a little and watch the animal. The goal is for the bear to understand that there is a person in front of him (that is, that you are not afraid and can stand up for yourself), and that you do not pose a threat and peacefully leave his territory.
   • Do not under any circumstances shout, squeal or make high pitched sounds!
   • Choose a simple phrase or mantra and repeat it calmly, for example, "You have nothing to fear, I will not harm you." Words don't matter, just try to keep them in a calm voice.
4. 4 Try to appear as large as possible. Spread your arms, the hem of your clothes and stand on an elevated place. In doing so, you should also act calmly and slowly. If the animal sees you and the distance between you is less than 100 meters (or the bear is approaching you), stay put and try to appear as large as possible. Stand up straight and don't show your fear. You can do the following:
   • Spread the skirts of your jacket apart.
   • Slowly raise your hands and wave them, letting the bear know that you are a human, not a prey.
   • Continue speaking in an even, calm voice.
5. 5 Always give the bear the opportunity to retreat. If the animal has no escape routes, calmly but quickly make way for it. Remember that in most cases, bears behave defiantly, but at the same time they are not at all going to attack. However, if the animal has no other choice, it has to fight, so step aside immediately to make way for the bear to retreat.
6. 6 Understand the bear's motivations. Going a little deeper into the psychology of the animal, you will be able to adequately respond to the attack. Firstly, if a bear is tracking you (for example, disappears and reappears) or attacks at night, most likely, he sees food in you and, when attacked, will behave like a predator. If you scare a bear on its way, or if it has cubs, eats or protects the carcass of a dead animal, then it will most likely act in self-defense.
   • If the bear attacks out of predatory motives, then you should fight back. As a rule, bears hunt humans out of despair, and this happens extremely rarely.
7. 7 If the animal is behaving aggressively, respond in kind. If you are 100% sure that the bear is trying to check if you are a prey, try to make the noise louder and appear bigger. Stomp your feet, wave a stick threateningly, knock on dishes. Let the bear know that it is not safe to attack you. However, do not hit the animal until it touches you. Do not forget that at first the bear tries to scare you, so try to act calmly but confidently and show the animal that you will not be offended.
   • Once again: this not fine. It is extremely rare for bears to attack people for predatory motives, so you should correctly assess the situation.

Method 3 of 3: Dealing with aggression and assault

1. 1 Stay upright even if the bear is about to attack you. If you run, the animal will perceive you as prey and easily overtake you. Don't be aggressive, but don't squat, play dead, or show your fear or weakness. If the bear is about to attack you, gather all your will into a fist and stay in place: most likely, the animal is simply trying to scare you with demonstrative aggressive behavior, and if you stay still, it will retreat.
2. 2 If the bear comes very close (less than 2.5 meters), try to move from side to side. Bears and other animals with 4 legs have a wider center of gravity and therefore cannot turn as sharply as you and me. Of course, you should not run in circles, but if you are in an open area (on a lawn or in a field), do not run away from the bear in a straight line, as it is much faster.Move from side to side where possible to make the bear change direction. But do not overdo it, otherwise you yourself will quickly be exhausted.
3. 3 If you are attacked by a brown bear or grizzly bear, and you come into direct contact with him, pretend to be dead. If a bear (other than black) attacks you in self-defense, pretend to be dead and fall to the ground. Do this only after the bear comes into direct contact with you or tries to do so. To pretend to be dead, lie on your stomach on the ground and put your hands over the back of your neck and back of your head. If you have a backpack on your back, do not remove it to further protect your back. Keep your feet together and don't resist.
   • After the bear moves away from you, wait another 10-15 minutes before carefully looking around to see if it is still nearby. The bear may look around and come back if it sees you moving.
   • Remember: if you are sure that the bear is attacking you out of predatory motives (for example, he is chasing you), then you should resist when attacking.
4. 4 If you are attacked by a black bear, you should fight back. Remember that aggressive behavior can be bluffing. However, if the bear really attacks you, you should fight back by any means. Try to hit the animal's face to scare it away. You may think the odds are uneven, but bears generally don't see humans as prey. If an animal attacks you like a predator, then it is most likely an immature, hungry or wounded animal, which may well be frightened by retaliatory strikes.
   • If you think that the bear is attacking you for predatory purposes (for example, the attack occurred at night or the animal was tracking you), fight back immediately - as a rule, only severely starved bears do this.
5. 5 Know how and when to use bear spray. If a bear attacks you, stand still, rip off the safety brace and release a cloud of gas between you and the animal. At the same time, close your eyes and hold your breath. It is important not to get into the animal, but to create a protective cloud between it and yourself, which will allow you to hide. For greater effect, start releasing the spray when the bear is 10-20 meters closer to you.
   • Continue to spray until the bear changes direction. If the gas cloud does not work, direct the jet directly into the animal's face.
   • Practice removing the spray from the case quickly before you hike.

Tips

• When heading into the forest, be sure to warn others about where you are going. Take your mobile phone with you.
• If possible, go with the wind, that is, so that it blows in your back. Let your scent alert the bears to your presence.
• Do not store food in the tent. Use special containers for storing food or hang food bags on a tree (or between trees) at least 4 meters from the ground. Keep in mind that most bear species are excellent tree climbers.
• Stay put unless you are sure the bear is considering you as prey.
• If you have to pretend to be dead and you have a backpack in the back, this will help protect vital areas on your body. Lie on your stomach, squeeze your fingers and cover your neck with your palms. Use your legs and elbows to prevent the bear from turning you over, but do not fight. If you look dead and harmless, the defensive bear will leave you alone.
• If you have a firearm, use it when you need to save your life, and only if you are in serious danger (and not when the bear just wants to scare you). Only use weapons if you know how right do it. If you are forced to shoot a bear, wait for it to get close (maximum 9-12 meters) and aim for the lower part of the neck or the head.If you injured or killed a bear, be sure to report it to the appropriate authorities.
• Bears are attracted to smells, so keep all your trash in one place and away from you while you sleep. Be sure to clean up and properly dispose of medical supplies or hygiene products that have blood on them. Zip bags help provide a partial seal.
• Bears very protect their cubs, and the bear will surely get angry if you get close to her offspring. Stay away from the little cubs, no matter how harmless they look.

Warnings

• Stay away from bear food sources. Places with animal remains, berries and fish ponds have a better chance of encountering a bear. In addition, the murmur of the water will make it harder for the bear to hear you approach.
• Always walk with a flashlight and company at night. It will also help to notify the bears of your presence.
• Make noise and slow down as you ride your bike through the forest full of bears. Mountain bikes go too fast to give the animals time to recognize your presence, and you can catch this king of the forest by surprise around the next bend.
• NOT try to pretend to be dead when meeting a black bear or a bear that considers you to be its prey. If the bear continues to attack you after pretending to be dead, you have no choice but to fight back.
• Killing a bear for any purpose other than self-defense is considered illegal in many countries. Be sure to report the incident to the appropriate authorities in your area, otherwise you may be accused of poaching.
• Bear spray is an effective repellant, but its scent can also attract these animals. Throw away empty cans and do not try to spray pepper spray around the perimeter as a precaution.
• Not get between the female and her cubs. Do not try to take pictures of the cubs or follow them into the forest.
• Don't feed the bears... Feeding bears is prohibited in national parks in the USA, Canada and several other countries. Among other things, this teaches bears to associate people with a light food source and leads to the fact that animals cease to be afraid of people. Such consequences can be dangerous for other tourists and ultimately lead to the need to kill animals.

What do you need

• Flashlight (at night)
• Noisy objects
• Bear spray can
• Firearm - pistol or rifle (optional)

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