How to Scare Off a Bear

Bears can be a camper's worst nightmare. Bears are powerful animals that can also be quite frightening, even dangerous. When faced with a bear in the woods while camping, take steps to scare it off while preserving your own safety. When traveling in bear country, use these helpful tips below to know what to do if you run into a bear.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Bring an air horn, which produces a significantly louder sound than the human voice. Make a lot of noise when walking through an area known for bear sightings. Speaking loudly alerts bears of your presence. It also gives them time to get out of the area.
2. Stand up to full height and position your arms to appear larger around the middle. Plant your feet and stand your ground to indicate that the area is your territory. Be aggressive in your stance, even taking a step in the bear's direction.
3. Squirt the bear in the face with water from a squirt gun or hose. Communicate to the bear to leave without harming it. Use this method when the bear has an escape route, not when a bear is enclosed or boxed-in.
4. Use pepper spray on a bear if it gets too close. Pepper spray designed specifically for bears is available.
5. Fight back if you are attacked by a black bear. Try to hit the bear in the face or eyes, which encourages it to retreat. If you're attacked by a grizzly bear, play dead.

Tips & Warnings

• Pack food in air tight containers or resealable bags. Wrap all leftover food after eating and dispose of waste away from your campsite.
• Properly dispose of waste at the campsite. Bears often stumble upon a campsite while looking for food. Don't keep unwrapped food inside the tent.