Bears might be cute presents for little kids, but they’re no joke in the wild. If you hike or camp, knowing how to avoid and survive a bear encounter could save your life.
When I first started hiking, bear encounters (and obviously bear attacks) were one of my primary concerns, especially when I spotted bear scat on the trail. There are 40 bear attacks on humans worldwide per year, and from 2000-2017, 48 of those in North America have been fatal.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re still incredibly dangerous and a bear attack could be a possibility, but if you know how to handle each variety of bear, you can increase your chances of escape so you don’t end up a statistic.
Why bears attack: The triggers you need to know
Most bears don’t attack unless they are scared or startled, so if you’re making plenty of noise while out in the woods, all of the wild animals in the area can steer clear of your location. Mostly, attacks happen when a bear feels the need to defend:
- Its territory
- A food source
- Its young
That’s why when you see a bear cub, don’t stop for selfies. Get out of there, because the mother is probably around too.
It’s rare, but sometimes bears may view humans as prey if they are starving or if they are habituated to human food or garbage. For this reason, bears are sometimes put down by authorities if they start getting too comfortable around humans.
To do your part, always use a bear bag when out camping and pack out your trash so that they don’t have an opportunity to become habituated to humans.
Bear attack survival: What to do for brown and black bears
Not sure what to do when you encounter a bear? Here’s a simple cheat sheet:
| Bear Type | Reaction Strategy |
| Black bear | Stand tall, shout, throw objects, fight back |
| Brown bear | Lie down, play dead, protect your vitals |
| Any bear | Avoid encounter, use bear spray |
If brown bears see you as a threat, removing that threat will reduce the likelihood that they want to fight you off. With a black bear, you’re trying to prove to them that you’re not an easy meal or incentivize them to flee, rather than fight. This is where the saying, “If it’s black, attack, and if it’s brown, lie down,” comes from.
Realistically, you won’t be able to outrun a brown bear, nor will you manage to fight it off if it decides to go for you. Your best bet, then, is to take away the threat and let it think you’re already dead.
Most advice follows a rough pattern: “lie down in a ball with your hands on the back of your neck and your chin tucked into your chest.” This helps protect your vital organs if the bear does attack or decides to test your playing dead capabilities a little. If you have a backpack, don’t throw it away; it can help protect your back. Remember, don’t get up immediately just because you think the bear is gone. Stay down until you’re certain.
Black bears run at high speeds and climb trees far better than we ever could, so you won’t escape them up there. Stand up tall, wave your arms, shout, and curse at the bear, and it should get the message. Be sure to give it plenty of space to escape; otherwise, you’re just cornering a bear and swearing at it, which only ends one way. If you do find that it keeps coming at you, you might have to grab a stick and fight it off, or as a last resort, raise those fists.
Bear safety tips to prevent encounters on the trail
Whether you face a brown bear or a black bear, you’re far better off trying to avoid a bear attack altogether. Here’s how:
- Make noise: Talk, sing, clap, or play music to avoid surprising bears, especially near vegetation or water. Bells can help, but they are less effective.
- Travel in groups: Bears are unlikely to approach groups of four people or more, so bring your buddies!
- Carry bear spray: This is a lot like pepper spray and can help in a pinch. Just keep it easily accessible in an outer side pocket of your bag, and practice using it beforehand so you don’t fumble in a real emergency (and accidentally spray yourself).
- Keep your dogs leashed: Unleashed dogs can provoke bears and lead them back to you.
- Hike during midday: Bears are generally less active from late morning to early afternoon, and they will often take a siesta during the heat of the warmer months. Avoid hiking at dawn, dusk, or during the night.
- Hike in the summer: Bears are most active in the fall as they enter hyperphagia to prepare for winter. Similarly, they are hungry in springtime post-hibernation. To stay safe, hike in summer.
- Keep your campsites clean: Always properly pack anything scented, including deodorant and lotions, on top of all your food and trash. If you’re camping, use a bear bag or a bear canister because your car isn’t going to be safe.
A note on bear spray
When selecting bear spray make sure to check for the EPA registration number on the label — this tells you that it was specifically formulated to deter bears, and isn’t just a personal defense spray.
Each member of your group should carry their own bear spray. To use it, be sure to follow the directions on the bottle (the size of the bottle determines both how long the can will last and how far it will disperse). Generally speaking, most cans will disperse between 20 and 40 feet.
Make noise on the trail, don’t leave food out overnight, and be aware of your surroundings, and you are less likely to startle a bear into attacking. Keep bear spray close at hand and know how to use it to fend off a bear before a charge becomes an attack.
