How to Scare off a Black Bear

A black bear is a scary creature, but not as dangerous as many people think. While you should never provoke a bear–and absolutely avoid a bear with cubs–if you are approached by a black bear this proven method is your best bet to getting rid of it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Noisemakers

1. The hard part about scaring off a black bear is mastering your own fear. If you didn't grow up in a rural area or have little experience with the animals that can be no mean feat. While a black bear can look intimidating you need to remind yourself of a few things. First, black bears tend to be timid unless starving or ill and secondly, even cats can startle a black bear into running away.

2. When you first see the bear approaching, alert anyone near you and make sure they stay calm. This technique will usually work even if you are alone, but the more people employed the better.

3. Tell everyone to remain motionless until everyone is ready. You are going to count to three and then everyone will stand up as tall as they can, as quickly as they can and make as much noise as possible.

4. You and everyone around now jumps up at the count of three and makes as much noise as possible, moving toward the bear slowly but leaving it an avenue of escape. Bang pots and pans, use whistles, smack rocks together–whatever you have to do to be loud and scary. Stand up tall with your hands over your head to appear bigger.

5. At this point the bear should be retreating, if not you must persist in making as much noise as possible without stopping. Do not approach close enough for the bear to strike you but do not back off and let the bear know you are afraid.

6. Fire can also scare a black bear, and waving a flaming stick or oven lighter at a close-by bear can have the desired effect.

7. When the bear has left try to identify what attracted it. Did you leave the trash out? If camping, did you leave food outside of a cooler or on the ground? If hunting is allowed where you are is it possible someone left a scent lure nearby? Has a skunk recently sprayed? Whatever you can think of, eliminate. It is easy to startle a black bear and they often won't return, but there is no point in taking chances.

Tips & Warnings

• This works best in a group, and the bigger the group the better.
• Always carry a whistle or other noisemakers when camping.
• Do not injure a bear unless you are prepared to kill it quickly, a wounded bear is incredibly dangerous.
• Do not attempt this method with grizzly bears, it's been tested on black bears but a grizzly bear is a very different and much more dangerous animal.

[tundranut]

on 2/23/2009 Good solid advice, assuming everyone doesn't just run screaming in different directions. 5*