How to Survive a Bear Attack
You may think you know what to do if you are walking through the woods and bump into a bear, but you can also be wrong – in this case, you may die. In conjunction with a recent Facebook post by National Park Service, which highlights some of the rules and regulations (“… don’t push your slower friends to try [saving yourself]”), we’re here to remind you of what to do. if in the wild you come across a bear that is not as friendly as Baloo .
While horrific bear attacks like theone in The Survivor do happen from time to time, most bears would rather leave you alone and be alone. I personally have had several encounters with bears, and they were most interested in digging through the trash. If you encounter a bear while hiking or camping, the Alaska Inter-Agency Bear Safety Committee recommends that you start by determining the type of meeting. What you should do depends on whether the bear is acting defensively or offensively, but you will also want to know how to avoid it in the first place.
How to keep bears at bay
There are several things you can do to reduce the likelihood of encountering a bear in the wild, andnone of them require a special stone .
Crowd hike
You want to avoid facing a bear, and the same is probably the case for a bear that would rather avoid you. If you are traveling in a group, you will make more noise and emit more disgusting human odors that will alert bears long before you get too close.
Don’t let bears access your food
The best way to stay away from bears is to give them less reason to approach you or your camp, so make sure you keep food covered (preferably in something airtight, like a refrigerator – some parks require them ) or hang it is in a tree using a bear sack . It will also help others: if a bear realizes that the camp has free food to take with him, he is more likely to come back the next time he smells people.
So you met a bear
If you come across a bear in the forest, the first thing to do is find out its mood and the type of bear you are dealing with.
Protective bear
A defensive bear is a bear that you accidentally run into and take by surprise, which can scare it and run away or trigger a quick attack that you have very little time to react to. If a surprised bear hits or bites you, the action will depend on its type.
Brown bears or grizzly bears
If you are attacked by one of these bears, fall to the ground, lie flat, protect your head and neck with your arms and hands, and pretend to be dead until he leaves. Spread your legs apart to make it harder for you to roll over. If the bear does not leave you alone, fight back using any stones, branches or personal items. Try hitting the bear in the face.
Black bears
Pretending to be dead won’t be so good if your attacker is a black bear. You need to leave as quickly as possible and, if possible, escape to a safe place, such as a car. Again, if escape is not possible, fight back as best you can by hitting the bear in the face and face.
Offensive bear
An offensive bear is one that is chasing you or one that you can follow in the distance, purposefully moving towards you. According to Bill Schneider, author of On Bears and Where the Grizzly Goes , and Professor Steve Herrero of The Grizzly Bear on the Eastern Slopes Project , you should stop moving towards the bear and return the way you came. at least 400 yards. Once he’s out of sight, take a different route or wait 20 minutes before continuing with loud noises as you walk. Move to a higher ground to appear larger, but don’t think about climbing a tree – both grizzlies and black bears can do this, the National Park Service notes .
If the bear is quite close when you see it, do not panic, run wildly or scream (this may induce the bear to chase you), and do not drop your backpack, as it can protect your back in the worst case scenario. … Collect immediately any children who may be hiking with you. Do not look the animal in the eye. Stand and, if you have one, prepare a bear pepper spray (which you should carry with you if you are traveling in an area where bears are often found). Then back away slowly, moving to the side rather than turning or (especially) running away; moving to the side allows you to keep your eyes on the bear without looking threatening (or looking like prey). Speak in a low, monotonous voice that announces your presence at the bar and makes it clear that you are human and probably not what he wants to eat – until he disappears from sight. As you walk away, slowly raise and lower your arms as if you were jumping without jumping.
If the bear attacks, stand your ground. Schneider says most of the accusations are actually bluffs to scare you (as if you need help with that). If the bear doesn’t stop, use the pepper spray as soon as it’s within reach, which is usually 30 to 35 feet. If you don’t have pepper spray, make a loud noise and wave your hands before it comes in contact with it, and aggressively beat it off with everything you have. Again, keep in mind that aggressive bears are extremely rare. This article was originally published in August 2016. It was updated in August 2020 to provide more comprehensive information on how to avoid encounters with bears in the wild and how to survive encounters with different types of bears.