How to React if Threatened by a Bear

Most hikers and camper have heard that bears are more afraid of people than people are of them, and largely that is true. Despite the billions of sojourns into the wilderness of North America in the past 100 years, the fact is that there have only been 45 deaths from bear attacks. Still, when bear attacks make the news it makes them seem scary. While it is highly unlikely that you will ever encounter a bear face to face for more than the fleeting second it takes to see you and to run, here's what to do when it happens.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Because it is uncommon for bears to attack humans, make sure you are not in proximity to a cub or to food that the bear might consider as its own. If you are, then without diverting your eyes from the bear, move yourself out from between the bear and whatever it is protecting. When facing a bear, it doesn’t actually pay to try to convince the bear that the food item it wants is actually yours. The bear doesn’t have to justify its claim. It wins--period.

2. Once you are clear of the offending zone, if the bear continues to pursue you, drop to the ground, curl into a ball and play dead. It’s possible that the bear may, after the fact, choose to see what you taste like. If he does, its better to give up the pound of flesh while playing dead, then to give up your life as the result of spooking the bear for a second time. Predators taste funny to other predators, especially raw. It will be painful, but it may save your life.

3. Once the bear loses interest in you, wait until you can no longer see the bear before running away as fast as you can in the opposite direction. It is unlikely that the bear will come back or pursue you and even more unlikely that you will encounter another bear or wild animal that will seek to take a taste of you. Bind any wounds as best you can, using the clothes off your back if needed, while on scene. It’s better to be found naked and alive than clothed and dead. Stop the bleeding, if any, as soon as humanly possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Bear attacks are much more rare than other fatal encounters, including plane crashes and car accidents.
• Never walk up to a bear, or get in between a bear and its cub.