Bears 101

The first time I saw a bear in the wild was on the Rogue River. I woke up to a view of Douglas pines covering the mountains in the Siskiyou National Forest. There was no need for a tent in the August heat of southern Oregon. It was the last night of sleep on the Rogue River where bears are notorious for hanging by the water and galavanting through the brush. The morning sun was just over the mountain crest when someone shouted, “Look over there!”

This photo doesn't have a bear, but it is the Rogue River and one of my favorite places on earth. You can see how a bear sighting here is magical

Across the river, a mama black bear led her two cubs through a blackberry bush, teaching the one closest to her to stand on its back legs to grapple with the vines and find their snack. I must admit, the shock of seeing a bear in the wild was diluted by a wide river that flowed between my group and the bears. The water provided a safe viewing experience without the threat of actually coming face-to-face with the bears. We all watched as the furry family mozied about, having no apparent awareness or care that they were being watched by humans less than fifty yards away.

a low-quality zoomed-in iPhone photo of a bear on the Rogue River. Here's where bringing a camera on the river would've come in handy

The cubs were as cute as can be. The smaller of the two stumbled about as if it had just woken up and hadn’t yet found its footing for the slope of the land. The bigger of the cubs was the apparent ringleader of the two, scampering past their mom to venture into oh-so-sweet berry territory. It was one of the most amazing natural occurrences I had witnessed. I was a bit stunned, and finally came to the realization that if you’re going to be in nature, you’re going to get all aspects of nature, bears included! It seems like an obvious notion, but it didn’t really hit me until they were there, right in front of me.

This post is all about bear safety, as requested by my lovely cousin who is curious about what do to when you see a bear in the wild (shout out to Danielle). Since this encounter, I’ve had about ten more bear sightings. That being said, I am no expert and this article is simply my thoughts and experiences. When you go to a place with a potential bear encounter, it’s wise to speak with a ranger and/or someone who is around bears more frequently. You should talk to the rangers about bears when you’re in national parks specifically. Some parks prohibit bear spray whereas others encourage keeping one with you. Either way, it’s always good to be prepared and respect the wildlife around you, while also staying safe.

Here's a section breakdown :-)

1. Types of bears

2. Bear Safety

3. If A Bear Charges

4. Storing Food

5. A Note on Bear Spray

6. A Note on Firearms

7. I'm Still Learning, Too

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Types of Bears

There are two types of bears that you may see in the wild in the United States:

1. Brown (Grizzly) Bears

2. Black Bears

This is true with the exception of Alaska, which also has polar bears. Polar bears are a whole breed of their own and are actually classified as marine mammals. They, unlike brown and black bears, are a carnivorous bunch (though they are still omnivores). Black and brown bears are omnivores with a large portion of their diet consisting of fruits, nuts, roots, seeds, and fish, among other things.

Brown Bears & Grizzly Bears

Brown bears and grizzly bears are the same species, so I’m lumping them into one category. A main distinction between the names is where they live. Brown bears are usually on the coast, giving them access to ocean-life creatures. This diet allows coastal bears to grow a bit larger than their inland counterparts, the grizzly bears.

Tell Tale Signs of Brown/Grizzly Bears

• Shoulder hump

• Rump lower than their shoulders

• Look like they have a beard (a.k.a. ruff)

• Longer claws

• Toes close together (though hopefully, you won’t be close enough to catch this detail lol. It's good to know when looking for tracks, not for paws!)

• Short, round ears

• Up to 5 feet in height when they’re on all fours

• A curve between their nose and ears (side profile)

Black Bears

Black bears are the super cute ones that you just want to go up and cuddle. It’s tempting, but you need to resist their button nose and welcoming eyes. They aren’t harmless, by any means, but they do have a reputation for being a bit milder during a bear encounter than grizzlies may be, depending on the region. They are also quite small, which can give the illusion of safety.

Tell Tale Signs of Black Bears

• Flat shoulders (as opposed to the hump on a grizzly)

• Rump is taller than their shoulders

• Toes are spread out (again, for track-identifying purposes hopefully)

• Short, curved claws

• Up to 3.5 feet in height when they’re on all fours

• Upright, taller ears

• No beard

• A straight angle between their nose and ears (side profile)

Identifying Bears

These bears have colors in their name, but these titles are misleading. Brown and black bears can be an array of colors and shades. The same goes for their size; though black bears are typically smaller, there is always overlap. If you stumble upon bear tracks, it’s helpful to know which type of bear makes what tracks.

The chart below belongs to the Pacific Northwest Trail Association. I think it's a useful infographic to check out.

This chart is from the Pacific Northwest Trail Association :-)

Bear Safety

When you’re hiking in bear territory, always be aware of your surroundings. It’s called being bear aware. Also be aware that you are in nature, which is a bear’s space. You can enjoy the trees and mountains and scenery in all of its glory, but a bear isn’t just part of that wilderness. The wilderness is its home. Treat nature with respect and understand that bears need space.

A mama bear (cubs not pictured) standing up to get a view of the hikers that she thinks are a bit too close to her young

Making noises while hiking helps bears become aware of you, which is what you want. Bears don't actually want to be around humans, so make some noise. It also helps to continuously do that so you don't catch a bear off-guard and surprise it. More on that further down the page. Some things you can do while hiking in bear territory to make bears aware of your presence are:

• Sing, say “Hey bear"

• Chat away with your friends

• Avoid berry bushes for long periods of time (and at all)

• Avoid animal carcasses

• Clap your hands

• Keep a bell on your bag so a bear can hear you. However, this isn’t the best way to ward off bears

• Store your food well while camping

• Store scented stuff (sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, deodorant)
  

What to Do When You See A Bear

Seeing bears in the wild is exciting! It can also elicit feelings of fear, shock, and a bunch of other emotions. There are a few things that you need to do if you see a bear in the wild.

• STAY CALM. That’s rule number one. When you see a bear in the wild, you need to stay calm. Whether it’s a brown or black bear, sudden movements and noises will be seen as aggressive, so take a breath and stay calm.

• DO NOT run, make sudden movements, or scream. Chances are the bear probably hasn’t seen you. Making sudden noises and movements will scare a bear. Think of someone jumping out to scare you. You’ll probably scream and jump! Same principle. Bears usually don’t want to hurt you, but aggressive behavior can stem from fear.

• If you have kids, pick them up. I know it can be hard to calm kids down, but try to also keep your kids calm. Because children are small, a bear can view them as a small animal.

• Make only slow movements.

• Speak slowly, calmly, and confidently. This lets the bear know you are a human. Screaming can confuse a bear. On top of surprising it, the bear may think you are an animal.

• Avoid eye contact. Making eye contact can be viewed as a form of aggression from a bear’s point of view.

• Keep facing the bear and back away slowly until you cannot see the bear, the bear turns away from you, or the bear passes you. Make sure to provide lots of space for the bear. Again, you’re in its territory. Stay safe by keeping distance between yourself and the bear

Many bear encounters are harmless if you know what to do. You can enjoy bears in the wild, take photos of them (not with them), and enjoy their presence. But it must be done in a safe and respectful way.

If you handle a bear sighting with respect, you can enjoy the encounter and have only minimal “what the heck just happened” moments. Then you can live to tell the tale and be super cool. Reacting with fear and shock can be dangerous and even deadly for both you and the bear. All too many bears are euthanized due to humans disrespecting their space. They get used to humans, and when that happens, parks are obligated to keep humans safe by keeping the bears away, which is sad and unfair since it’s the bear’s space to begin with.

Give bears plenty of space to roam and be happy. In this case, back away from the bear and wait until the bear scampers off to do their own thing.

If A Bear Charges

Know that a bear probably doesn’t want to mess with you. You’re in its territory and it may be curious about you, want your food, or want you to GTFO. A bear will probably let you know which option before the chance of a charge happens. Knowing what kind of bear you encounter and what their behavior means is knowledge that will help you survive a potentially harmful, dangerous situation.

If a bear charges at you, it can be two things:

1. Bluff charge

2. Aggressive charge
   

Learn more about both types of bear attacks here. I’ll give ya an overview!

Bluff charges are just that: a bluff! A bear will run towards you, then back away. It’s an intimidation tactic to let you know you need to leave. When bluff charges happen, the bear may leave, veer away, or let out a cry.

Here’s what to do in a bluff charge:

Back away slowly. Don’t run

• Put your hands above your head to make yourself look bigger

• Talk to the bear slowly and calmly
  

Now let’s learn what to do if the bluff turns into an aggressive charge. When a bear wants to charge you for real, they’ll show warning signs:

• Huffing

• Pounding their paws

• Yawn

• Clack teeth

• Head down

• Show other signs of aggression and stress

This is where knowing the difference between brown and black bears comes in handy.

Black Bear Attack: Fight back!!!

Brown Bear Attack: Play dead!!!

I do not have personal experience with either and plan to keep it that way. But if you do, it’s important to know what to do and know what type of bear you’re involved with.

When fighting a black bear, fight with your life. Do whatever you can to get the bear away from you.

DO NOT fight a brown bear/grizzly bear. You need to:

• Lay flat on your stomach

• Spread your legs apart

• Cover your head and neck

• Do not move

Playing dead shows the grizzly bear you are not a threat. If you fight back, the bear will fight back harder, which makes your odds of survival lessen. You want the bear to stop caring about you. If and when the bear leaves, stay on the ground for a few minutes to be absolutely sure the bear is gone. Then get up and get outta there!

If a brown/grizzly bear continues attacking even though you’re on the ground, then fight back, and fight like hell.

If by any chance you are stalked by a bear, prepare to fight. This is rare but possible. The bear sees you as prey and may attack you. Ideally, you'll get to a shelter if possible, but it’s likely the bear will come after you.

I’m not writing this to freak you out (though I can get pretty freaked out myself). I’m letting you know so you can be the most prepared you can be in the wild. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.

Storing food

A huge reason bears get used to humans is because they want our food and garbage. This is really bad because bears will want human food more than their own and they become less afraid of humans. When that happens, they’ll do anything to get the food or garbage, which endangers humans. Bears oftentimes get euthanized because of this.

When camping and backpacking in bear country, you should always store food in bear canisters or hang food from a tree. Each national park has different food storage requirements, but even if you’re not in a national park, be conscientious of the wildlife around you. And it’s just nice for the bears and other campers because the fewer human encounters bears have, the safer the bears remain (and vice versa).

I have the BearVault BV500 to take on backpacking trips. There are smaller bins available, too. You can also rent a bear box in a lot of parks. If there’s a storage container or locker, use that. Make sure you know the food storage regulations in the area you’re camping/hiking in.

Tip: bear boxes can also be used as kinda "comfy" seats

A Note on Bear Spray

Bear spray is useful but is not a deterrent. It is an emergency tool and does not guarantee safety around bears. Doing the aforementioned actions is the best prevention for bear attacks. However, it can come in extremely handy if a situation escalates.

Make sure you know the bear spray rules of the park you’re in. For example, Yellowstone encourages people to have bear spray on them at all times whereas Yosemite prohibits bear spray.

Bear spray does provide a sense of security, yet does not guarantee safety. Make sure you are always bear-aware and prepared when in the wilderness. Learn more about using bear spray here.

A Note on Firearms

When talking about national parks, firearm use and discharge are strictly prohibited. Outside a national park, I strongly advise against using a gun in a bear attack. The sound of a shot can scare or anger a bear more than it already is. If you hit and injure a bear, that could be even worse than the initial bear attack. An injured bear can turn into an angry bear. This can you you in immense danger. You may have a lot of experience with guns and be a great shot, but hitting a bear does not mean you will be safe, and could even mean the opposite. Additionally, the goal should be to not kill bears. Bears are protected by federal and state laws. Even though guns in the wilderness can be used for self-defense and protect you in certain situation, they can also enrage bears and escalate a potentially dangerous situation.

I’m Still Learning, Too

As I said in the beginning, I’m no expert on bears and bear safety. I learn new facts about bears and what to do in a bear situation every time I go to a park. I also know that every bear encounter is different. I hope you feel more prepared if and when you have a bear encounter! Remember that viewing bears can be exciting! Having a safe encounter takes having respect for the bears and awareness of your surroundings.

Related but not totally relevant is an NPR article about the debate on bear population regulation. I enjoyed the read and think you might too!!

Have thoughts on this article or the NPR one? Comment or send me a message :-) have fun out there and remember to stay bear aware!

Now please enjoy this video that I took of a bear and also a person in a bright jacket. To be honest, I did not handle this situation well. Even though I was far away, there was still a mama bear and her cubs. I should've gotten out of there instead of taking a video. Here's to learning and being safer in the future! Oh, and ignore the heavy breathing and shaky hands!!