In this trigger-happy society where there are over m guns — one for every man, woman and child — the most common myth is that you can protect yourself from a bear with a gun.
Forget it. In two studies published in and by bear researchers Tom Smith, a professor at BYU, and Stephen Herrero, professor emeritus at the University of Calgary and author of Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, the profound efficacy of bear spray versus weapons has been proven beyond a doubt. On the other hand, bear spray has a 20ft spread at a 25ft range. Practice using bear spray before going into bear country. How to survive a bear encounter and what to do if it all goes wrong.
Pictured, a very angry brown bear. Photograph: Alamy. First, know your bears. Topics Wildlife US national and state parks holidays features. Everyone should carry bear spray in bear country. Here are a few things to know:.
Get it at least feet off the ground and tie the rope to a different tree. This should minimize a curious bear being able to get to your stash. We camped alongside the road and saw on average a bear every day of the trip. Sometimes we even heard them sniffing around the tent, which was, frankly, really scary. While on a bus tour in Denali the only way to get into that park , the driver told us over the intercom that they had dropped off a camper a few days before and that there were reports he had been attacked by a grizzly.
A month later I asked my new roommate why he had a big cut across his nose. Turns out, he was the camper who survived that grizzly encounter! He had opened the door to his tent to find three cubs in front.
He jumped out quickly to get them away. In doing so the mom saw him and charged him. The charge ended in a quick swipe to the nose and then she retreated. He spent the rest of the night on a cliff looking down at his tent where the mom and cubs decided to hang out. No doubt, pretty frightening. Skip to content. Brown Bear Grizzly Bear Basics Brown bears are the most widespread and diverse of the eight species of bears. Rob Nelson Rob has worked as a biologist and wildlife educator since with the goal of reconnecting people with nature.
That scared me. Then I found Tactic , a firearms training school here in Bozeman. Forrest identified the utter lack of effective knowledge or training around bear safety and set out to develop a comprehensive program designed to empower normal people with the tools they need to avoid an attack or potentially even survive one. Much more than just a handgun training course, it includes lessons in understanding bear behavior and using both nonlethal and lethal defense options.
Crucially, the curriculum is drawn from real-world experience surviving grizzly attacks and includes hands-on time with a real, live grizzly bear. Virginia and I took the course with a few friends. None of us laughed. None of that prepares you for getting up close with such a large, powerful animal in its native habitat, free of steel bars or electric fences. Adam has the personality of a confident, aloof dog. Curious about who I was when I first approached him, he shoved his nose in my crotch.
When I started feeding him candy to hold his attention for the camera, he kept raking his six-inch-long claws across my chest and legs to demand more. I was pretty much paralyzed by fear. Hyde has trained Adam to stand up and roar on command. In the real world, grizzlies give you no warning. Tactic enlists the help of Todd Orr, who famously survived a double grizzly mauling just outside Bozeman back in Visibly nervous standing next to Adam, Orr described the attack. While hiking, he saw a mama bear and her cubs at a safe distance.
They saw him and ran off into the woods. Orr figured he was safe, but suddenly mama reappeared at full charge. He had just enough time to fire off his bear spray before she knocked him down and began tearing him to pieces. She eventually lost interest, and a badly wounded Orr headed back to his truck. But on the way, she attacked again.
At one point during the class, Adam got bored and wandered off about 30 yards. Predators have evolved to blend into their surroundings. Sitting down behind a small pine tree, the enormous bear was utterly invisible to us at that distance. Forrest explained that grizzlies can charge at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, and unlike humans, who take several strides to accelerate, the bears can hit their top speed on their first bound. Then they should immediately leave the area. Every grizzly is dangerous.
During the classroom portion, Forrest talked about the various behaviors that can result in an attack and the different tactics you can apply to avoiding each. Surprise: The most common cause of bear attacks. You inadvertently find yourself in close proximity to a bear, which is surprised by your presence and attacks in self-defense.
Protecting Cubs: A mama bear will aggressively defend her cubs against anything she perceives is a threat. Guarding Food: A bear consuming a dead animal will want to keep away anything it perceives as competition.
Seeking Food: A curious bear is attracted by food smells in your camp or on your person and approaches to find a meal. Rumor has it that some have even learned to associate the sound of a gunshot with the availability of a fresh meal.
Predation: Rarely, a young and inexperienced or injured grizzly may identify a human as prey. A bear that is seeking food may have lost its fear of humans and could linger in a campsite.
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