Avoid a scare, be bear aware

When you’re out in the woods with no cell service and six miles between you and your car, a bear is the last thing you want to see. September is Bear Awareness Month, but being bear-aware takes a little bit more thought than most people think.

On Sept. 3, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Ranger Danielle Oyler hosted a lecture at the Museum of the Rockies on how to keep yourself safe while in bear country.

While Oyler explained that the context in which you encounter a bear determines how you should deal with them, she gave two rules to follow no matter what: Never approach a bear and never run from a bear. Bears are predators, so if you run, they will see you as prey and chase you.

Another main point Oyler made is that avoiding places with high bear activity is safer than any encounter with a bear would be. Black bears prefer forests because they like to have hiding spots. Grizzlies, on the other hand, prefer larger open spaces like prairies and alpine meadows.

Avoiding bears is an important aspect of outdoor safety, but so is not attracting bears. Anything that has a human smell such as food and beverages – even deodorant can be an attractant, Oyler warned. In Montana, it is adequate to store food and toiletry items in a locked, hard-sided vehicle. Still, she emphasized the importance of adhering to local regulations when you spend time outdoors.

While there are steps you can take to avoid bears, a surprise encounter is always possible. If you startle a bear, it is important to observe how the bear is behaving to know what you should do, Oyler said.

If the bear seems unbothered by you, remain calm and have your bear spray ready to use. Slowly back away, keeping your eye on the bear and leave the area. If the bear is curious, trying to check you out or aggressively charging you, then it is a predatory bear, Oyler said. In these cases, you should use bear spray at distances closer than 30 feet. If the bear is charging, don’t wait for it to get that close, as it will run into the spray.

The other set of behaviors a bear can exhibit are defensive. This means that the bear might be guarding a food source or their cubs. Defensive bears might stand on their hind legs to get a better look at you or to appear bigger. They also might huff at you, which indicates they may feel threatened. In cases like this, Oyler recommended making yourself appear large to intimidate the bear, and to have bear spray ready.

Oyler reported that bear spray is effective more than 90% of the time. If you must spray a bear, she said to aim at the feet and continue spraying until the bear runs away. Additionally, you can deter bears by hiking in groups of three or more and making loud noises so that bears are aware of your presence.

Ultimately, education on bear awareness is the key to keeping communities safe. “Everywhere in Montana is bear country,” Oyler said. This means that everyone in Montana has a responsibility to stay educated on bear behavior.

To explore more resources about bear awareness, check out Montana FWP’s website https://fwp.mt.gov/.