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I have seen this now three times in the past two years. A person is hiking, this time in WY, and there is a big grizzly nearby. She has a big canister of (I guess) bear spray in hand at the ready, and she is slowly walking away from the bear, constantly facing the bear. The bear is not walking towards her, but instead, appears to be walking perpendicular to her, and starts to forage, paying no attention to the woman. As this woman is walking backwards, and putting more and more distance between her and the bear, she is calling out...
HEY BEAR
HEY BEAR
Can someone explain the rationale behind this? I would tend to think the proper thing to do would be to keep walking backwards slowly, all the while keeping your mouth shut, but I assume I am missing something here?
I think what she did was appropriate. Given the situation, more than likely the bear knew she was there and the fact that she was slowly walking away (not running) it ignored her. So, she likely would have been fine even without calling out.
I've been close to alot of bears while out hunting, hiking, canoeing, camping, etc. We've been to Brooks Camp and done other bear viewing excursions, which are different situations than suddenly crossing paths with one alone. I've never had a problem, but attribute that more to just plain luck than anything else.
I was able to avoid a physical fight with a black bear in the Adirondacks using my voice. We saw him first while the four of use were eating lunch near the end of a portage between lakes in the Saranac Lakes region. We had aromatics cheese and salami out and the bear stared intensely at us from 50 yards back on the trail while we hurried to put it away, got to the lakeshore and then paddled off.
We paddled a mile down the lake and then had another portage between lakes. As we were getting organized to enter the next lake, suddenly we saw the bear again! He had followed us on land the entire way, and now he was determined to win. He came running down the hill toward us full tilt and I stepped forward and as he closed the distance, shouted Hey! Hey! Hey! - using a very loud, clipped delivery, like barking. At the last moment he veered wide as I "barked" and ran right past us into the brush alongside the trail, passing within scant feet. We then gathered our stuff and pushed off quickly into the lake, and fortunately, that was the last we saw of him. I am certain if I wasn't barking at him - I'd have been fighting him hand-to-paw. It wouldn't have gone well for me!
I was able to avoid a physical fight with a black bear in the Adirondacks using my voice. We saw him first while the four of use were eating lunch near the end of a portage between lakes in the Saranac Lakes region. We had aromatics cheese and salami out and the bear stared intensely at us from 50 yards back on the trail while we hurried to put it away, got to the lakeshore and then paddled off.
We paddled a mile down the lake and then had another portage between lakes. As we were getting organized to enter the next lake, suddenly we saw the bear again! He had followed us on land the entire way, and now he was determined to win. He came running down the hill toward us full tilt and I stepped forward and as he closed the distance, shouted Hey! Hey! Hey! - using a very loud, clipped delivery, like barking. At the last moment he veered wide as I "barked" and ran right past us into the brush alongside the trail, passing within scant feet. We then gathered our stuff and pushed off quickly into the lake, and fortunately, that was the last we saw of him. I am certain if I wasn't barking at him - I'd have been fighting him hand-to-paw. It wouldn't have gone well for me!
Some types of bears will skedaddle when you skreeem at them, others will take it as a
cue to engage you in close-combat.
I think most Grizzlies want to murder you no matter what you do?!?!
Utter BALONEY!
I've spent the last 20+ years living and working in grizzly/brown bear country, have come across dozens of bears and have never even been threatened by one.
Last edited by Parnassia; 10-07-2023 at 02:33 PM..
I've spent the last 20+ years living and working in grizzly/brown bear country, have come across dozens of bears and have never even been threatened by one.
A lot of that has to be situational, meaning that you know what you're doing.
The "rules" have already been listed:
Don't surprise a bear.
Don't harass one, especially when its feeding.
Don't get between a sow and her cubs.
Don't smell like a snack.
Have I been surprised by a bear? Yep, while hunting. Was I threatened? No, but then again it was early winter and the bear was getting logy looking for a place to den up.
I've spent plenty of time in bear country and been up close and personal with both black bears and grizzly bears, many, many times. Never had an issue. That said, about 12 years ago, my neighbor was hiking in Yellowstone and a grizzly came out of the brush and attacked his hiking partner. No time to get the bear spray out before the bear was on his partner. Then, as quick as it started it was over and the bear went back into the brush. The man that was attacked had to get over 300 stitches. Wild animals are unpredictable....plan accordingly.
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Utter BALONEY!
