I think if its a black bear you run like hell, a brown bear you play dead. Maybe its the other way around. Hell, I can't remember. Bring your rifle.

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I stop in my tracks and wait to see what he is doing. More importantly I look around to see if he is actually a she with cubs and make sure I am not between them (mom and cub). If the bear isn't moving away I talk loudly to the bear so it knows I am there and if I need to move away I do so slowly, backing up and keep making noise so the bear doesn't forget I'm there...

The 20 or so times I have run up against bears, the bear has always moved on. When I have been running alone at dawn or dusk in the Tetons (bear central) I will usually sing out loud or talk to the bears so I don't suprise them when I run around the corner.

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--Roberto

Representing:
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Wear bells and make plenty of noise. I actually believe that mountain lions are more of a threat than bears because they will actually stalk you.

I don't as we don't have a lot of bears in DK, but if we had I would imagine that my running split would reach new heights that day...

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//FRISK

Save a bike - ride a triathlete

A black bear can kill a human with one swat of it's paw. Fortunately bear attacks are very rare. We only have one about very five years in Ontario.

Freeze. Don't look at them in the eye. Slowly back away and hope that it's not a mother with a cub.

The last thing to do is attempt to run from any wild animal. The bear may then mistake you for prey.

99.9% of the time the bear isn't interested in you. Usually animals are much more aware of your presence than you are of theirs. Generally they want to avoid human contact. When I run in the woods I bring along my black lab. His dog tags clanging together are quite loud as he runs and gives other animals lots of warning that we're coming.

I agree that I'd much rather encounter a bear than a mountain lion.

"What do you do if you see a bear?"

Peter,
If running/biking in bear country, just make sure you aren't the slowest one in the group. You don't have to outrun the bear...

Kyle

I have run and cycled in the woods in bear country for years. To date I have only ever seen one bear - it lumbered across the road about 100m ahead of me once. Stopped in the middle of the road briefly to have a look at me and then darted off into the woods again. I am sure that more bears have seen me than I have seen bears though!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Act natural, don't get too close. If it comes after you, let go with this:



Cheers,

Karma

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

I've run into two mountain lions and 2 bears so far and I will never forget those moments. Both are amazing creatures.

Mountain Lions
Mountain lions like to attack their prey from above and behind with one swift bite at the base of the skull so if you survive that part you are doing well. If you come up on a mountain lion though you need to make sure that he doesn't think you are prey. That means you need to maintain direct piercing eye contact with him. Do not ever break eye contact, turn your back or bend over even if he starts to walk away. Give him every chance to leave and do not corner him. You can also slowly step backward a couple of steps to give him room if necessary. The first time I walked up on one I was only 30 feet away and we stared at each other for at least 3 minutes (which seemed like an hour) before he decided to leave. If he attacks do not play dead, fight, punch, hit, scrape, gouge, yell, throw rocks, or poke it with a sharp stick.

Bears
You handle bears differently. If you see a bear you need to stop and do not make eye contact and don't turn your back. If he is calm and not pawing or with his ears back that is good (but he could still attack very quickly). http://www.udap.com/...video/BearCharge.wmv

Back away slowly (facing him) and speak in a calm slow and low voice. You are being submissive and getting out of his way. If you back up and he follows, then stop. Slowly raise your arms while talking. If he gets too close you can be a little more agressive but they may bluff attack. If so hold your ground. If he does attack, roll into a ball or face down, protect your face and neck, remain motionless and pray to god he only chews on you a bit. If you are in this posture and he continues to eat you then then he is probably going to kill you so try to poke his eyes out or whatever you can do (pray).

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Don't hold back

Call Stephen Colbert-he'll have them exterminated for u.

P

Always make sure you have a slower training partner with you, that way you don't need to outrun the bear, just the people with you.

Seriously, just slowly back away from the bear, and watch that you're not between a ma and her cubs. Otherwise, just play dead or stand still and they'll quickly lose interest in you. Black Bears are very lazy. Grizzlies are more likely to attack you, so for sure with them play dead.


Adam

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Adam

Euro-Sports.ca/The Foodery Team member

For black bears: Depends on how far I am away. If I am pretty far (50-100 ') I would watch for a while, then make some noise and he will almost certainly run away (I have done this many times). Very close? Man, you better not surprise him!!! (Though I have done this too, and they ran away every time).

An 800-pound grizz? I would rather not think about it. I can't believe the trails some people I know run on alone in Glacier Park ... I pack pepper spray up there and have never walked or run solo there. Of course there are only a few bear attacks every year there and only one or two fatalities every 10 years or so ...

Best advice is to make noise as you go. If they hear you coming they will clear out of the area before you ever get near them. If you do come across one, having a slower training partner is your next best option. ;-)

True story. While hiking in Glacier Park Montana I overheard a Park Ranger on a guided hike looking at some scat in the trail with some hikers. This is Black bear scat she announced. Someone asked what is the difference between blackbear and grizzly scat. The always cool ranger states. Grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. We laughed for miles over that one. A Griz encounter happened the next day on the Iceburg lake trail that we hiked, on the very the next day.
The best thing to do is to not let it happen. I think the rest you play by ear. Sometimes leave, sometimes standtall with arms over head, sometimes up a tree, other times do a search on the "Do you believe in Prayer thread, and then lay down like a dog and play dead. Trouble with any of them is the playing dead may not be far from the real deal. Also women on menses are really bad to be in the woods with in bear country.
I only have had one encounter with a Griz when I was in highschool while elk/deer hunting. I was going up the trail and the bear was going down. We each passed at about 50 yerds me high and him low off the trail. He saw I had a big gun and I saw he had big teeth. The last I saw of him while looking over my shoulder was him looking over his shoulder about 100 yards away. One of the last times I went hunting alone.
I also was hunting in a light snowfall and had a strange feeling that something was watching me, but couldn't finger exactly what. This went on for about an hour. I turned around and walked the same way I went in the woods and low and behold there was a mt lion that had been tracking me. and fairly close too. every place I had stopped to look for something he/she had moved off the trail at 25-50 yards away. Pretty creepy. I only hunted until I was 16 then decided that I wasn't much of a killer.

It's an oldie but I love it....

What's the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat?.........

Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it. :-)


I recommend this book...... Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance by Stephen Herrero. Stephen teaches (or used to ) at the University of Calgary and knows his stuff.

I'd try and stay above threshold, probably well above 5K pace, don't worry too much about form but DO make sure you get a good cool down in.

" I'd try and stay above threshold, probably well above 5K pace, don't worry too much about form but DO make sure you get a good cool down in."

As far as form, I'm betting you won't be much of a heel striker for the first few miles...

G-man,

Iceburg Lkae trail............have not been on that one yet, maybe one day. Done 3 trips in the backcountry
of Glacier (Camas Valley/Grizzly Alley 2x & Elizabeth Lake and out the mountain tunnel pass onto Iceburg lake trail)

Awesome place to visit and heading back next year to Kinta Lake for another trip in the backcountry but this
time taking my 2 sons with me for the experience.

Everything you say about bear encounters is to be taking seriously. I have seen plenty in my 3 trips there and every
time I have camped at those places.............damn bears come in camp. Makes for a restless night of sleeping.
Nothing more scary than trying to sleep in a tent and hearing sticks break outside and not knowing what what the hell
it is.

But you know, the backcountry of Glacier is an unbelievable experience, just awesome.

I have always wanted to the Hammer Nutrition bike ride thru Glacier but this flatlander would humping up to Logan's
Pass and I bet you a Griz comes out to the road and catch be in a bonking state. But id you saw one, surely get
your heart rate up and push the pedals.


All good info here..............and I have to agree. If the scat has bells in it, well.......probably not a good thing to be on
that trail.

Glacier bound in 08

Forget about bears and mountain lions.

What do I do if I'm attacked by a giant beaver?

Run with a dog.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

I ran into a bear once while in Vancouver. Big Black Bear sitting on a garbage can having a snack, wasn't interested in me at all.
I remember hearing that when you encounter a bear, run down hill if its an option. Never uphill. Bears have huge strong hind legs and they will catch you but they suck at running down hill.

In Banff there was a famous grizzly female that wasn't scared of anyone. She would wander down main street like it was nothing. My sister was eating lunch at the banff springs hotel and this bear was sitting on the other side of the fence right on the green of 18th hole.