Safety Around Bears when Camping or Hiking
Most bears will not come after humans. Given enough warning, they will go about their business and you will never have known they were there. A threatened bear, however, might be a different story.
Bear Facts
– You may be more likely to run into a bear at dawn or sunset.
– Winter is when some bears hibernate, so you are much less likely to run into one during this time.
– Polar bears don’t eat during the summer, so it’s safer to hike and camp in their geographic region during this time.
– Bears can weight up to six hundred pounds.
– Some bears can run as fast as thirty or thirty-five miles per hour.
– Most bears will hear you coming and go the other direction.
– Bears are attracted to food odors. Keep foods in bear-safe packaging.
What Causes a Bear To Strike?
Most bears will leave the scene and leave you alone. There are instances when they may attack, however. As scary as this sounds, there are some small things you can do to keep them from becoming aggressive.
The smell of food will bring a hungry bear into close range. Keep your food in bear safe containers and keep food at least a hundred yards or more from your campsite. This may sound impractical, but it will keep bears from coming into your campsite.
Bears do not like to be surprised. As beautiful and peaceful as the area may seem, make noise as you go along so they are aware of your presence as early as possible. If they cannot detect you until you are almost on top of them, they may strike.
Bears, as most animals, will fiercely defend their young. If you see a cub, chances are good that the mom is not far away. Get out of the area as fast as you can!
When Confronted
– Noise may send a bear running in the other direction. Rocks or pebbles in a tin can work well.
– Pepper spray is a good deterrent for bears and any other aggressive animal. With a large bear, prepare to run because it may only stun them momentarily. Some companies sell products labeled as “bear deterrent”. This works much like pepper spray, and most likely contains the same ingredients.
– Avoid eye contact and appear submissive if the bear will not go away
If Attacked
– Swing anything you can at the bear and make noise. Try to hit the bear in the nose because it is particularly sensitive.
– If you can’t get away, curl up in the fetal position and ‘play dead’. You will probably get hurt, but this may help minimize the damage.
Final Thoughts
If you are going hiking or camping in bear country, don’t go alone. If something were to happen to you, no one would be around to help you. Most likely, you won’t run into a bear and have nothing to worry about. It doesn’t hurt, however, to look into what types of bears are in the area where you will be going. Being prepared and knowing what to look for give you a leg up on staying safe.
