Bear Experiences

[thuja]

For those interested: "Bear Attacks" by Stephen Herrero. According to him, it's not even debatable. Your chances of getting mauled by a black bear (unless you're competing for a Darwin Award by doing something breathtakingly stupid) are almost nil. Lots more black bear stories because they're all over the country, while grizzlies are present in only 4 states, so do the math. So black bears are more likely to ruin your weekend by scaring you if you see one on the trail, and stealing your food if it's not stored correctly, but as far as them coming into camp, swiping a hole in your tent, and chowing down on you...the evidence just ain't there. Black bears harass, grizzlies maul.

Certainly the odds of an individual black bear making trouble are much less. But there are lots more of them. And there are some clear differences in black bear behavior regionally. In northern BC they are not necessarily benign. I think they have killed about as many people in BC as grizzlies.

I have seen black bears charge, grizzly-like, in response to barking dogs. I have heard of many other such stories. The usual story, dog runs up to bear, barking, bear charges, dog runs back to master for protection. Man's best friend, thanks a lot, fido.

It's five states with grizzlies, counting Alaska. Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. Not that many here in Washington, but there are reliable records probably every couple of years, if you consider collectively the Selkirks in the NE corner, the Kettle range in the middle, and the Cascades in the W.

 

[Chip]

My closest experience is one of the reasons I like tents. On a bivouac with a camping partner a number of years ago I became aware of noise near us. I opened my eyes to investigate and saw a medium sized black bear heading toward us, towards her, really. The bear walked right up to her, sniffed her head, then passed between us, close enough for its fur to brush my bag, and for me to get a good wiff of what a bear smells like. I couldn't move until the bear had passed. It was still visible aways away when I woke my partner to let her know what had just happened and let her see the bear. She was surprised and laughed nervously, admitting she had had one of those half awake dreams that there was a fly buzzing her head and that she had wanted to swat it.

In retrospect it was quite a calm and peaceful "interaction".

 

[Snowflea]

Ignorance is bliss

June 2005 -- Jackson, WY -- Death Canyon Trail (really)

Early morning run with a friend, chatting away.
Two miles from trailhead we look up 100 feet or so.

Friend: "Well, what have we got here?"
Me: "Oh, it's a cute brown bear!"
Friend: "Get my camera out of my fanny pack!"

As I'm pulling out the camera, I accidentally grab ahold of a baggie of GORP.

Me: "Oops, you forgot to Ziplock your Ziplock!!"
Bear: "Sniff, sniff" (head bobbing in air)
Friend: "Holy S*&t! The bear's heading toward us!"

We back up a bit & watch as the bear eats the spilled GORP, still thinking it's a "friendly WY brown bear". Friend gets photo. Bear goes back to original perch and ignores us (amazingly!--somebody/thing was watching out for the two idiots from the East Coast) and after about 15 minutes, finally saunters off the trail.

We continue our run up into Death Canyon & have a wonderful morning. (Hey, the Tetons rock!)


Later that afternoon...

The photo is shown to another friend, a veterinarian with much knowledge of wildlife.

Vet: "OMG!! That's a grizzly bear!!"
Us: "Huh?"
Vet: "See that telltale hump?!"
Us: "Huh?"

So, that's my story of surviving "a grizzly encounter."

('Course after subsequently seeing "Grizzly Man," our encounter wudn't nuddin'...)

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Black bears do not care you play dead....

For those interested: "Bear Attacks" by Stephen Herrero. According to him, it's not even debatable. Your chances of getting mauled by a black bear (unless you're competing for a Darwin Award by doing something breathtakingly stupid) are almost nil. Lots more black bear stories because they're all over the country, while grizzlies are present in only 4 states, so do the math. So black bears are more likely to ruin your weekend by scaring you if you see one on the trail, and stealing your food if it's not stored correctly, but as far as them coming into camp, swiping a hole in your tent, and chowing down on you...the evidence just ain't there. Black bears harass, grizzlies maul.

Playing dead sometimes will save you from becoming a meal for a grizzly, but not always from a hungry black bear. The classic story is that of geologist Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, working in Alaska in 1977.

http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/40648

This characteristic difference in grizz and black bear behavior in Alaska has been observed over and over according to the two outdoor instructors who taught a wilderness safety and first aid course that I attended three years ago. They also said that moose maybe more dangerous than either grizz or black bears and showed us a video of a moose stomping a person to death.

 

[bruno]

vis a vis stinkyfeet's story: here's a li'l tip! when you're out for a trail run in places where you ain't the top o' da foodchain, just go runnin' with a friend cause bears and mountain lions (the critters yer most likely to piss off) are way faster than you are so with a friend all you have to do is be faster than THEY are. so go with a slightly slower friend!

 

[Mattl]

AND of course remembering Brutas the bear. Terrorized the pemi and eventually getting shot..Ill miss you dude. I know Dave Metsky and a few others got to see him. -Matt L

 

[dug]

Yes, chased Brutus out of camp once myself. Big GD black bear, I tell ya`!

 

[DougPaul]

I completely dissagree that black bears are as bad or worse then Grizzles or Kodiaks, no way. Ive seen many black bears up close, Ive talked to them and even had a "confrontation" with one who wouldnt get out of the trail I was hiking on to let me by, ( he eventually saw it my way). I have spent all kinds of time in Yosemite, black bear heaven. I doubt with all my being anyone out here would rather meet a pissed off Griz then a humble black bear, black bears maybe mischivious but they are not dangerous (exceptions can be made of every species).

I have read that black bears in the northwestern US and western Canada are much more aggressive than those in the NE US.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Playing dead sometimes will save you from becoming a meal for a grizzly, but not always from a hungry black bear. The classic story is that of geologist Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, working in Alaska in 1977.

http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/40648

This characteristic difference in grizz and black bear behavior in Alaska has been observed over and over according to the two outdoor instructors who taught a wilderness safety and first aid course that I attended three years ago. They also said that moose maybe more dangerous than either grizz or black bears and showed us a video of a moose stomping a person to death.

According to Herraro, grizzlys are generally defending territory and blacks usually flee, but occasionally become predatory (ie decide that you are food). If a black bear starts stalking you, it most likely is figuring you are on its menu...

The above incident was a preditory attack which ended only when a coworker scared the bear off.

Doug