by M. Halyard

Created on: February 16, 2011   Last Updated: February 21, 2011

Recent reported bear maulings make the wilderness backpacker think twice about venturing into bear country. In 2010, a mother grizzly bear inexplicably ripped into a tent at Yellowstone National Park and mauled the occupant to death in the middle of the night, then followed that killing up with the mauling of additional tent sleepers nearby. According to Yellowstone Park rangers, there was no obvious reason for the attack: the bear did not appear to be starving or diseased, the tent campers had stored food properly, and there was no threat to the bear or her cubs. Disturbingly, some rangers speculated that the attack behavior demonstrated by the bear indicated predatory behavior on those specific individuals. Even more disturbingly, it seemed the mother bear might even have been teaching her cubs to attack humans. Such random attacks can and should make the wilderness backpacker think twice about avoiding bear encounters and surviving them.

Avoiding bear encounters. Clearly, the best way to stay safe from bears in the wilderness is to avoid them. How? Most bear encounters can be avoided by making enough noise on the trail to alert them to your presence. Therefore, carry on a conversation, wear bells, sing songs. Most bears will retreat from you before you even see them on the trail. If you spot birds circling a particular area, the chances are that a dead carcass underneath is attracting predators; stay clear of such areas. If you are hiking with small children or a dog, keep them near you. Dogs should be on leashes, and children must not be allowed to run ahead in bear country.

Bear Encounter 101. Despite your caution, you sight a bear nearby. The bear sees you. What should you do next? If you are hiking with small children or a dog, you must immediately get them under your control. Pick up small children. Do not make eye contact with the bear, but speak in a calm, low voice. Initially, you should be still while the bear takes your measure, and then you should back slowly away. A bear that stands on his or her hind legs is not necessarily going to attack; it may only be interested in getting a better look or smell of the situation. However, if a bear begins to follow you, you want to make some loud noise before interest evolves into an attack instinct. A sudden yell or a blast on an air horn is usually effective at scaring away a mildly-interested bear.

Surviving an attack. According to Bill Schneider, author of Bear Aware and Where the Grizzly

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