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Bare Facts on Bears

July 9, 2011 by · 8 Comments 


Grizzly Bear Kills Hiker in Yellowstone National Park







These tourists have been flooding into Yellowstone in record numbers: 3.6 million last year, up 10 percent from 2009′s 3.3 million, also a record.



  • Stay on designated trails
  • Hike in groups of three or more
  • Make noise in places where a grizzly could be lurking


Bears in Canada



Avoid Bear Attacks

To avoid unwanted encounters with bears adhere to the following precautions:

  • Always keep children nearby and in sight

Bear Facts

  • Bears aggressively defend their food
  • Bears are strong swimmers

Know Your Bears




Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord)




Shape: Distinct shoulder hump


Claws: Very long (2-4 inches)


Black Bear (Ursus americanus Pallas)




Shape: No shoulder hump like the grizzly


Claws: Shorter (about 1½ inches)


What to do if a Bear Attacks






Note: Also posted on Bears and Bear Safety: Are You Bear Aware?

Worth Pondering…
—old First Nations saying

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8 Responses to “Bare Facts on Bears”
  1. Thanks very much for posting this very informative article. I had no idea that Canada had that many bears, especially in B.C. Do you know if bear spray is 100% effective or just most of the time?

  2. Excellent article this. Best I’ve ever read on the topic! I am/was an avid hiker. For decades I spent every weekend and all summer hiking around the country. I followed all these tips (bear bells, singing and talking in densely wooded areas to alert a bear we were there etc) and still encountered a mother grizzly and her two cubs while hiking in Canada. I’ve also been treed and stalked by black bear hiking in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee.

    The one tip that wasn’t mentioned was one the rangers told us when we received our hiking permit – to always be scanning the area for trees you can climb, rocks you can climb, deep water you can go into etc. if you do see a bear. It’s like being aware of an escape route when driving, or knowing where to go in case of a fire. When being stalked by black bear (followed at a distance with no aggression-usually for food smells in backpack) my friend and I took a detour and headed for a secure shelter along the Appalachian Trail and stayed there for the night rather than in the tent we’d planned to use.

    Look for trees with low lying limbs you can reach, or rocky walls or boulders you can scramble up. Even if the bear does climb up after you, as one did with me, you’re in a better position to fight it (as I did) by breaking off branches and bark and poking DOWN at it rather than facing it on level ground. They must hang on with at least one front paw to stay in the tree. It’s tiring on them and eventually they do back down and climb down when they realize you’re going to resist. In Canada I climbed a dead Lodgepole pine-and waited two hours for the bear to leave, which she did. The black bear in the other instance did too. The point is, always have an escapee route or be planning one. It helps you not freak out and keeps your adrenaline focused so you can act rather than react.

  3. jack says:

    bear rushes me and mine and gets dangerously close, he’s gonna get a bullet in the mouth.

  4. Kirk Singer says:

    This is really not what happened. The people were hiking in a closed area and approached the female bear with two cubs. The bear perceived a danger to her cubs and acted acordingly. As the bear did nothing wrong, no action was taken against her

  5. Glen says:

    For those who think a gun is the answer, please think again. How do feel about killing a mother grizzly and orphaning the cubs (who will likely be “put down” as a result)? I’m not saying that the grizz should live and you should die, but understand that even if you are good with a gun, you will have a better chance of protecting yourself with bear spray than a gun. With a gun, you have to be calm, and your aim has to be right on, or you may just make the bear more angry. With pepper spray, you just have to be close, and it will likely stop the bear. Besides that, guns are not allowed in places such as Yellowstone.

    Everyone, please take the time to become “bear aware” and equip yourself properly (spray, not gun) before heading out into the bush.

  6. RIck says:

    I believe that loaded guns ARE allowed in all National Parks as of 2010.

  7. Mike says:

    There is danger in over thinking a situation

  8. Julie says:

    When bear viewing in Alaska our guide carried marine flares rather than bear spray or a gun. The bears do not like the noise or the intense light of the flare.

    The advice given in the article is spot on. Our guide had us bunch up (looked like a larger mass) when the bears showed too much interest in us. Also, as we walked, he clapped his hands and spoke loudly. The biggest thing is do make sure the bear knows you are there and you do not startle them.

    A bear stands so it can see better not as a sign of aggression. A charging bear is trying to scare you off. Most usually a sow (if she perceives a threat to cubs) or a cub (trying it out). Never, ever run. You cannot outrun a bear. Using the flare will stop the charge. If all else fails, lie down, fetal position, protect head and LAY STILL. The bear will usually lose interest.

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