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Contact UsStaying out of trouble in bear country
Contributed by Michael Morris, Revelstoke
Persons travelling in bear country should not take bear safety lightly. Your best protection is awareness of bear activity and practicing avoidance techniques.
Hiking
When travelling in bear habitat consider whether a bear could perceive your presence soon enough to avoid an encounter. A surprised bear can be aggressive especially if it is protecting cubs or protecting a food source. In the vast majority of instances, a bear that picks up on the approach of a person melts into the bush. We can never know how often we have passed such a bear without realizing it.
The most useful and easiest tactic a person can employ is to simply make noise. The human voice is a distinctly foreign sound in the bush. It does not matter what is said, just say it loudly! Bells are frequently used for this purpose, but their high pitch carries poorly and they can be tiresome to listen to all day. It is more effective to use your voice. Hiking in groups works well as people in groups talk more.
Consider the environment in which you are travelling. Dense, wet vegetation absorbs sound. Rushing streams or wind also cover human sound and scent. Make louder and more frequent sounds in these situations. Streams also cause air to flow down valley. Hikers walking up a trail along a rushing stream need to pay extra attention to making their presence known.
Always look around. When walking on rough ground, hikers spend most of their time looking down. Make an effort to keep looking around, especially if you are first in line. Binoculars help in scoping out large open areas such as meadows before you enter them. Avoid wearing perfumes or carrying especially smelly foods. Bears are curious because a new smell may mean a new food source.
Should you encounter a bear, stay calm. Most likely nothing will happen. Do not approach the bear. Speak in a calm voice to let the bear figure out what you are. Back away slowly. Don’t make eye contact.
If you are charged; climb a tree if you have time, otherwise drop to the ground with your knees tucked into your chest and clasp your hands behind your neck. This shows the bear you are not aggressive. Most charges are a bluff. If the attack continues from a black bear, fight back. Remain in the tucked position when attacked by a grizzly.
Guns are very effective at killing bears, if you know how to use one. However, hunters are injured more often by bears than non-armed persons. This could be attributed to a few factors. Hunters injure bears and are then attacked. Armed persons take more chances in bear habitat. Hunters have been attacked near carcasses that a bear has claimed.
Pepper spray is a non-lethal weapon that has successfully repelled bears. However, it must be used at very close range. The spray would be useful in a camp situation where a bear showed increasing boldness over time. Removing the attractant is a better strategy.
View this Parks Canada video on how to use bear spray.
Biking
Your speed and quietness put you at risk for sudden bear encounters. Slow down through shrubby areas and when approaching blind corners. Make noise, travel in groups, be alert and always watch up ahead.
Camping
When camping in bear habitat, consider the following:
- Choose a campsite that is off a natural travel corridor. Bears will use a path of least resistance.
- Plan to cook well away from your tent so if a bear does come by later to check out the inevitable cooking aromas, you won’t be there.
- Choose to bring along simple to prepare foods that have little scent, i.e. oatmeal instead of bacon for breakfast.
- Keep food out of the tent.
- Carry 15 metres of rope for hanging food. Remember black bears climb trees well, so hang it off a branch, out of reach. Where there are only very small trees such as in subalpine areas, stash your food away from camp.
- Avoid campsites where litter is present. This could be a sign of a bear that has learned to associate people with food.
