Bear Safety
Traveling in Bear Country
Whether you hike, mountain bike, ride rivers, or horseback ride, there are precautions you should take when traveling through bear country. Following the suggestions below will help make the journey safer for you, your companions, and wildlife.
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Brown Bear Cubs
© Wild by Nature Gallery
Inquire about recent bear activity in the area. Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Travel in groups and only during daylight hours.
Make your presence known to bears! Call out, clap your hands, or sing loudly, especially around loud streams, on windy days, and in areas of low visibility. Stay extra alert near food sources such as berry patches, and spawning fish.
Watch for wildlife on the trail ahead of you. Stay on trails to reduce the chance of sudden encounters and to protect habitat.
Be aware of your surroundings. Look for bear-activity signs: tracks, scat, diggings, torn-up logs, and turned-over rocks.
Keep children close to you and within your sight at all times.
Carry a bandanna, shirt, or hat to drop to distract an approaching bear. Do not drop your backpack! Leave it on for added protection
Avoid taking pets on hiking trails . It is not advised and often not allowed. If dogs are permitted, keep them on a leash to minimize conflicts with wildlife.
Encounters with Bears
Do not run from a bear. Running may trigger an attack. Bears can run faster than racehorses, both uphill and downwhill. Talk to the animal in a calm, low voice while slowly backing away.
Immediately pick up small children and stay in a group.
Contact a wildlife management agency in the area you are visiting to learn about local regulations and guidelines or for additional information about wildlife encounters.
Bear attacks are extremely rare. However, if you are attacked, most wildlife experts recommend that:
Grizzly Bear Power and Beauty
© Wild by Nature Gallery
- If a black bear approaches, try to scare it away by shouting, making noise, or throwing small stones. If a black bear attacks, fight back!
- If a black or grizzly bear attacks at night while you're in a tent, fight back aggressively with sticks or stones.
- If a grizzly bear attacks you during the day, most experts recommend that you play dead: either curl up in a ball or lie face down, using your hands and arms to protect the back of your neck and face, and keep your pack on for added protection. Do not move or make noise until you are sure the bear has left the area.
Help keep bears safe and wild
- Feeding wildlife can put you and those with you in danger and is harmful to animals. Bears especially should never be allowed to obtain human food or garbage (see "Problem" bears).
- Giving animals near roads food encourages them to frequent roadways and greatly increases the chances of vehicle-animal accidents.
- Feeding animals may entice them to eat aluminum foil plastic, or other wrappings. These make animals sick, and may even kill them.
- Eating human food can make wild animals mal-nourished and cause other health problems.
- Feeding by humans disrupts animals' natural migratory patterns, makes them more vulnerable to predators and diseases, and may decrease their chances of surviving a severe winter.
- Store food and garbage so bears cannot obtain it. Remember that allowing bears to get human food endangers both bears and people.
- Please set a good example and tell others why it is important to keep all human food and garbage away from bears.
A habituated or food-conditioned bear is considered a "problem" bear, subject to management actions.
Park personnel often decide to move the bear away.
After trapping, the bear is released in a remote site far from people. However, bears have an incredible ability to find their way back-and usually do.
Grizzly in the snow of winter
© Jess Lee Photography Bears that continue seeking human food may be moved again. If this doesn't work, or the bear is threatening people, Park personnel "remove" it.
"Removing" usually means killing the bear.
Human food causes serious problems. If a bear eats human food or garbage even once, it may associate humans with food.
Bears that obtain human food and lose their natural fear of humans are dangerous, often letting people get too close and appearing tame.
Etiquette for Viewing and Photographing
View and photograph from an established observation area or the trail when hiking. If an animal approaches, back away in order to maintain a safe distance.
Use binoculars, spotting scopes, and telephoto lenses to view and photograph wild animals to avoid stressing them.
Remain alert to potential danger while viewing or taking pictures.
Avoid direct eye contact with bears, even through a lens, because it may be interpreted as a challenge or threat.
Allow other visitors to enjoy wildlife-avoid blocking others' views.
Stay away from newborn or young animals, nests, and dens.
Never sneak up on or otherwise surprise an animal, especially a bear.
Never surround, crowd, chase, or follow an animal-it may respond by charging.
Never try to get an animal to move to a different location.
Don't make sudden loud noises around wild animals.
Watch other people in the area - are they putting you in danger?
Professional photographers get great photos by:
- using appropriate telephoto lenses
- photographing in controlled wildlife management areas with special access permits
- being patient, practicing low-impact photography, and devoting many years to getting desired photos
- using captive and conditioned animals at zoos and game farms cropping their photographs
- content from Center for Wildlife Information
66FOther pages you might find helpful:
Center for Wildlife Information
Help make a difference in reducing human/wildlife encounters by becoming informed about the latest safety techniques.
