As if dealing with 500 miles of challenging backcountry, including snow swept trails, ice cold rivers, and challenging heights wasn’t enough, teams competing in the 2008 Primal Quest presented by SPOT have to keep their eyes peeled for bears.  To that end, Sean Hill has put together these excellent pointers for dealing with Bears in the wilderness.

Living in Bear Country

Safety Tips:

Be alert where recent bear activity has been documented by park officials, Fish and Game, Forest Service, and other public service people. Some common areas where bears like to frequent are: avalanche chutes, stream beds, dense edge cover and, in late summer, berry patches.

• Use extreme caution when travelling on trails at night or at either end of day.

• Be careful with food smells – never cook close to camp. Store all foods in plastic away from camp at night and when camp is unattended. We suggest at least 100 yards from camp and at least 14 feet up a tree hung 4 feet away from the trunk.

• Watch for fresh bear sign (scat or bear tracks) on the trail or near possible camp sites. (funny thing most bears do go in the woods and most often right in the middle of the trail)

• If possible, make plenty of noise on the trail, especially on blind curves, in dense vegetation or areas with limited vision.

• Be conscious of the wind – bears have an excellent sense of smell. If the wind is at your back, chances are a bear will smell you and leave the area well before you reach it. If the wind is blowing in your face, your chances of an encounter greatly increase. Also, in high wind situations or along creeks and streams, a bear might not hear you coming or you might not hear it.

• Dead animal carcass – If you come upon a dead animal carcass, immediately leave the area. Bears will often feed on a carcass for days and also stay in the area to protect their food.

• Bear cubs – If you see a bear cub, chances are the sow is not far away. Female bears will fiercely defend their young, so it is best you leave the area and find an alternative route.

• Keep dogs under control – dogs can lead an angry bear back to you.

• We advise not to travel alone in bear country. Invite a friend. It is always safer to travel in groups if possible.

MAKE NOISE!!! Use the buddy system and watch your partners back

*Remain calm if you spot a bear; avoid sudden movements.

*Back away slowly, avoid eye contact, and speak to the bear in a calm, quiet voice. Running might trigger a chase response, and you’re not going to outrun a bear.

*Throw something onto the ground (for example, a camera) if the bear pursues you, as this may distract the bear and allow you to escape.

*Keep your backpack on; it may protect your body if you’re attacked.

*Don’t climb a tree. Black bears can climb trees, and trees found in grizzly country generally have weak trunks and lack low branches.

*Drop to the ground in the fetal position with your hands behind your neck if attacked. Stay silent and don’t move.

*Roll with the bear’s blows and return to your motionless fetal position.

*Stay quiet and motionless for at least 20 minutes once the bear leaves. Bears will often watch from a distance and return at the first sign of movement.

*Fight back only as a last resort if the bear persists. You’ll have the best luck fighting back against a black bear. If you can get to your feet, strike it in the eyes or on the snout as you slowly back away.

Pepper Spray:

Bear Spray is not a substitute for caution and common sense. In the pursuit of your activities don’t be prey for an attack, stay alert, and be prepared with confidence and peace of mind by having easy access to bear spray.

In any kind of attack situation you have to react under pressure. Attacks can be fast, often leaving you no time to think, only time to react. We strongly recommend you take time to familiarize yourself with your bear spray and its operation.

*Test fire – downwind – outside – pointed safely away from people and pets
Depending on product contents may travel and/or linger longer than expected. There may be a difference between products. Using a quick half-second burst will increase safety and confidence with this product.

*To prevent loss of safety clip, tie the safety clip to the handle. (or you could have pepper flavored clothes)

* DO NOT carry in your pocket, fanny pack, or backpack. For quick silent access in a close encounter attack it is best to carry in a holster, on a backpack strap, etc. HAVE IT READY. Attacks can happen in seconds.

* Keep loose clothing out of the way.

After purchasing your bear spray, please read all directions and warnings on label.

This information was compiled from multiple sources. One particular source was UDAP Pepper Power found here. There is much more information please read the following link.

http://www.udap.com/

More information:

http://www.wildraven.net/carnivores/ursidae/grizzly/safety/guidelines/report.html

Here are some of the personal tidbits, I have learned growing up in Griz country:

*Noise is your friend: Bears and other animals for that matter will stay away if they know your there. (Doesn’t help if you’re hunting)

A car or truck makes for safer camping (metal vs. nylon), tents should be pitched near the car, close to rock formations or near trees and debris to provide a barrier if needed between you and the animal. (There may be more than just bears in those woods)

Clean clean clean… most animals have very keen noses, do not store ANY foods in clothes or packs that you sleep with. Preferably change clothes prior to sleeping to get food scents away from sleeping. This includes trail mixes, granola bars, power bars, candy, chocolate… etc… you get the point. I have had backpacks eaten by bears that only had prepackaged granola bars….

Sleep with warm clothes on and the bag halfway unzipped. This works well for emergency escapes or unless the bedspins facilitate getting out of the tent quickly.

Store foods up and away, in a tree or in a locked car (some bears can open doors)

Don’t wear bacon flavored cologne or perfume….. Jokes

ANYONE else have tips?

AND now that the fear of the wild has taken hold of you, attacks occur VERY rarely.  I looked for some actual statistics; didn’t find, but didn’t spend too much time. The National forest, Yellowstone Park, and Montana game and fish will close areas if bears are spotted depending on the activity. They are pretty aware of most bear activity and I am sure PQ HQ will be notified of any activity.  With the number of people up there I wouldn’t expect any issues in TA/CP areas. The competitors who travel in small numbers (4), and who may be in a remote area’s in the middle of the night will have to take extra precautions.

IF there is a bear encounter OR sighting; by whomever; get information!!! Report it to PQ HQ who will in turn report it to the authorities. This includes number and type of bears, location, and activity of the bears (feeding on a carcass, lounging, whatever). This could save someone from accidentally having a BAD experience with a bear.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 9:42 pm and is filed under Primal Quest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.