Now in the autumn, the bears are eating all that they can in order to accumulate some fat to carry them through hibernation. Even though if it is more likely to be hit by lightening than by getting attacked by a bear, it is a fact that bear attacks are rising in the USA today. Here are some things that you need to know when confronted by a bear.
First of all, be proactive. Bears are not normally aggressive and attack humans, however when their young are threatened they may attack. Also, if they smell food they will be searching for it. To avoid these confrontations, do not surprise bears by slowly and quietly hiking through the woors. If you suspect that you are in bear territory, be sure to make noise as you walk. Whistle, sing or shout so as not to surprise the bear. If you have reason to believe that you are in the proximity of a bear, keep yourvery can of bear repellant or pepper spray within easy reach. Do not be careless with food or when disposing of trash. By the way, they love peanut butter and on one occasion, they destroyed a couple of motorcycles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park just to get access to peanut butter sandwiches.
Secondly, be sure to identify what type of bear that you are facing. Grizzly bears are found in some parts of the western states as well as Alaska and they can be identified by their tan color, great size, and the hump behind their head. The brown or black bears are more common in the continental USA and especially in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They can be identified by being smaller in stature and by their darker color.
The grizzly bears are far more aggressive and can charge without provocation. Should you see a grizzly, stand still and make your profile as large as possible. In this case being loud will not help as they do not shy away from noise. If he charges, use the pepper spray and if he still keeps coming, lie down flat on your stomach and cover you head and shoulders with your hands. Finally, do not get up until several minutes after he leaves the area.
Facing the black bear is entirely different matter. Again make yourself appear to be as large as possible and continue to make the loud noises. If he does attack, do not run away as they are faster than humans, and likewise do not try to climb a tree as seen in most cartoons. As with the grizzly, use the pepper spray as soon as they are within 40 of 50 feet of you. If that fails, do the same as you would with the grizzly, drop to the ground and play dead.
But once again, the best solution to avoid being injured by a bear is to respect them and their habitat. Chasing cubs to get a good picture is one definite way of meeting a bear face to face. I don't know about you but i do not want to lie down and let the bear maul me just for a picture. This article was based on an article by Jack Charles that appeared in the Eureka Tent News.