being from bear country (Montana Mountains)
I've run into quite a few out in the woods..
good rule of thumb when you realize you are around
a bear.
FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT! Look around the whole
area for cubs, while most bears are mild temper
a moma bear is a different critter.
If you notice cubs SLOWLY back away do not run or make
fast movements.
I have been charged by 2 bears on different occasions, in this
case your best bet is to wave your arms in the air and make
as much noise as you possibly can, I even resorted to cussing
the bear out when it was about 15' from me... scared, heck ya
but do not let the bear know this... STAND YOUR GROUND
if they charge and you back away, odds are they will not stop
until they are on top of you. As far as the old saying to play
dead, well i cant say for sure, i have never had a bear get
me down yet so i have not had to try that one.. and not sure
i ever want to.
I have encountered black bear as well as griz in the wild, once
while camping, i unzipped the flap on the tent and though to
myself.. hmm i dont remember the tent being that close to the
brush... then i realized that was not brush, it was a griz standing
outside the tent door munching on some berries on a short
bush. I slowly and calmly zipped the tent back up, so if it turned
around it would not see me directly, and then slowly and quietly
moved to the back of the tent and sat, after a min or two the bear
slowly moved on. Which i was very glad of. *LOL*
There is only one time in the wild i was very worried about a bear,
i am not sure what the heck was going on or why, but a griz was about
30' away when i topped a hill, and i saw it and froze to see what its
mood was and reaction would be, the bear was pacing back and forth
in about a 10 foot section. I watched it do this about 4x and puzzled
me, i have never seen that behavior in the wild before.
BUT i slowly backed away keeping my eyes focused on the bear,
(not its eyes, do not stare down a bear, they dont like that)
and got my butt outa there...
ahhh the good ol day's.. now due to health i am pretty much
stuck in doors... i do miss the hikes in the hill's... amazing
what you can see when you spend the day with nature.
I was never really scared of the bears, this is because i never
go to the woods without my pistol at least. So i knew if i had to
i could stop it, but i just prefer not to shoot a bear unless its bear
season and i have a tag..(which so far i have never managed to
get a bear in bear season, always see them before or after the season
starts or ends.)
Like all critters you can learn a lot from bears and get some
entertainment. On one of my hard drive's, i have a picture i took
of a griz, that was sprawled out laying on its belly with all
4 leg's out to its side and it was resting its head on a small rock,
it was what you would think of when you see a bear skin rug..
it was comfe just chillin and enjoying life...
Most bears will not pay you much attention in the woods,
they know they can take you any time they wish and you
do not pose much of a threat to them, use your head
and you will be fine most of the time.
edit on 23-12-2012 by severdsoul because: (no reason given)