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If you are approaching
your work area from the air, check for predators from the aircraft
before landing and getting out. The same holds true of a car.
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Work in pairs and
stay alert. Alternate responsibilities so one person is
watching for bears and
cougars.
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Be watchful for leg-hold type
bear traps. They are VERY large and will cause severe
injury if stepped in.
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- Do not carry articles
that have a strong artificial smell. Avoid wearing scented
cosmetics, and use unscented deodorant.
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MENSTRUATING WOMEN may have reason to practice
very careful personal hygiene in bear territory (further study is needed).
Thoroughly burn all sanitary materials, and remain especially alert. |
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Make sure someone knows
where you are going and when you plan to return. Carry
hand-held radios for communication with the aircraft or base camp.
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If
camping, keep food out of the tents at ALL times. Do
not store food in a vehicle. Rather, keep it in a secure
bear locker, or in a bear bag properly suspended from a tree.
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Pepper
spray (available from UDAP
Industries) has been proven as an effective (but not
perfect) bear deterrent.
It will work on cougars too. Wear it on your belt like you would a
pistol. There's NO time to get it from your pack once you're in
trouble. Don't hang around after you've sprayed a bear.
Once the initial shock has worn off, bears have been known to ENJOY
licking the pepper residue off themselves!
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A "Bear
Bell" tied to your boot or pack may alert a bear or cougar to your
presence before you accidentally surprise it. If these animals
become aware of you, they'll usually leave the area without you ever
seeing them.
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Watch for "sign"
Keep an eye out for
tracks, claw marks, droppings, or torn up stumps and trees, bedding
and den sites, kills, etc.
Note that unlike cats, bears and dogs do not have retractable claws. |
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| Bear Tracks |
Clawed Tree Trunk |
 If You See a Bear
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Stop, stand still a
moment, and stay calm.
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If the animal is already
aware of you, help it to identify you as a human. Talk in
low tones, and slowly wave your arms. It may then leave.
Staying upwind will help it to smell you.
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Do NOT run from a
bear or big cat unless you are sure you can reach a safe place.
Both can run faster than humans.
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Always leave the bear (and yourself) an avenue of escape. Do this by
maintaining your "situational awareness."
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Quietly walk back the
way you came making sure to not pass between the animal and any cubs.
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If time and
circumstances permit, try to scare the predator away with loud noises.
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If a Bear Charges
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Bears charge at high speed on all four legs
though many charges are bluffs -- they'll often stop or veer to the side at
the last minute. You may have time to climb a tree, but you'll have to get
higher than 4 meters. Remember that Black bears can climb too. If
physical contact appears unavoidable, you have three options:
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Use your
pepper
spray if you have any, or shoot to kill if you have a gun.
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Play dead
if you are attacked by a grizzly.
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Fight back
if attacked by a black bear.
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 Shooting a Bear
The right moment to squeeze the trigger
depends on your nerve, experience with a firearm, and how fast the bear is
approaching. The decision can be made only by the person facing the bear,
and must be made quickly. An accurate shot fired at close range has a
greater chance of killing a bear than one fired from farther away. The
first shot is the most important. Aim for the
shoulder if the bear is broadside, or the back of the neck between the shoulders
if the bear is facing you. Avoid head shots - they often fail to kill a
bear. Do not stop shooting to check the results. Keep firing until the
bear is completely still -- a wounded bear
is very dangerous.
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Pepper spray seems to be more effective than a
firearm because you don't have to be accurate to spray a cloud of deterrent. |
 Playing Dead
Playing
dead may prevent serious injury if you are attacked by a grizzly bear. Do
not play dead during a black bear attack or if a grizzly bear is treating you as
prey. Playing dead will help protect your vital areas, and the bear
may leave if you appear harmless. There are two recommended positions:
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Lie on your side, curled
into a ball, legs drawn tightly to your chest, hands clasped behind your
neck.
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Lie flat on the ground,
face down, fingers intertwined behind your neck.
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Stay in
these positions even if moved. Do not resist or struggle -- it may
intensify the attack. Look around cautiously, and be sure the bear
is gone before moving.
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If a black bear attacks you or a grizzly bear shows
signs that it considers you lunch, and you do not have a firearm,
do not play dead. Act aggressively. Defend yourself with whatever
means are available. You want to appear dominant and frighten the
bear. Jump up and down, shout, and wave your arms. It may help to
raise or wave your jacket or pack to make yourself look bigger.
You may be able to poke out both of the
bear's eyes with your thumbs. A blind bear can't attack you.
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