Learn Wilderness Trail Safety Tips

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm Jordan Pederson for Expert Village. We'd like to talk a little bit about safety on the trails with bears. One good thing that you always want to remember is never sneak upon a bear. Always make a lot of noise. Let the bear know where you are. Give them a chance to leave. There's 3 times when you're liable to have problems with a bear, especially a grizzly. When you come around a corner or you surprise a bear and you violate the distance. Every bear has a distance. What the distance today may not be the same tomorrow. They're much like people in that their moods change. You have to accommodate them on their level. Another time is a mother with cubs. A mother with cubs will protect those cubs at all cost, especially a grizzly bear. A female black bear if possible in the right habitat will send her cubs up a tree and will usually run off to try and lure you away from them. Another time when you could have problem with a grizzly is on a carcass. They will what we call lay up on carcass, one that they have either killed or one that they have found. If you find a carcass or what looks like a carcass, do not walk over to it so see what it is. Just back pedal and leave the area. Several people in Yellow Stone have been hurt by going up to investigate a carcass. These are 3 things. If you're on the trail a good thing to carry with you in one of the pepper spray chemical pressurized cylinders. These are available in small size, in larger size, and then there's another size larger than this one. They're usually available in most of the large sporting good store. This is a good thing to have. It's a good thing to have in your tent at night. It's a good thing to carry on your belt or to carry on the strap on your backpack. Do not put it in the bottom of you pack. You just aim right at the face of the bear and give it about 5 seconds."