This article is quite tricky, because the author has never been attacked by a bear, yet.
However, reading articles and advice from experts and, above all, the stories of people who have actually suffered attacks by parts of bears and have rejected them, encourages me to expose the tips learned first, and then narrate some of my own harvest concocted by my mind.
If you decide to continue reading this article on our site, I'll show you the best repelling tactics and how to survive a bear attack.
Bear Country
When one decides to go hiking or for any other reason to a place where bears live, it is essential to know what kind of bears exist in that area and the idiosyncrasies of each species. The black bears are the most common in the entire North American continent. It is recommended to walk making noise with your voice, singing or shouting at intervals. This seems to make them uncomfortable and they move out of your way.
With brown, grizzly and kodiak bears it can work too. But for polar bears twice the size of black bears, this tactic is not so good because it seems to draw them towards the sound source.
The camp
At campsites Never leave food out in the open, as bears have an excellent sense of smell and a voracious appetite. There are airtight containers so that food fumes do not spread through the forest.
A crackling fire, even if it's hot, is an essential element in any territory inhabited by bears. The sight of fire and the smell of smoke distances them from this ancient element that they recognize and terrifies them.
If while we are walking we see bears in our way, we must go back discreetly. Sometimes very dangerous situations occur with grown cubs (adolescents), who when they see a "new animal", that is, you, escape from their mother's surveillance to get a better look at the new creature. The mother will respond in a very aggressive way, annoyed at seeing her peace and her offspring exposed to possible danger.
If this happens, you must chase the cub away before it gets too close. Screams and metallic sounds, gesticulating threateningly can slow down the curious cub. If this doesn't stop him, a shot into the air is recommended. The cub will not, but most likely the mother will recognize the noise as a very bad thing and will drive her cub back.
Bear Species
There are several species of bears:
- Black bear, Ursus americanus. It is a bear that males can weigh up to 275 kg. It is the most abundant species. It is distributed from Alaska to Mexico. There are 16 subspecies.
- Brown bear, Ursus arctos. It is a Eurasian species, and from the northern area of North America. The average weight is 400kg. There are 16 subspecies, some of them much heavier.
- Grizzly bear Ursus arctos horribilis. It is a subspecies of the brown bear that is distributed from Alaska, Canada and the American Rocky Mountains. They are aggressive, and it is estimated that 70% of attacks on humans are caused by female grizzly bears, with young in between. They can weigh 680 kg, and stand 2.40 meters tall on their hind legs.
- Kodiak Bear, Ursus arctos middendorffi. It is another subspecies of brown bear, the largest variety. There are specimens of 700 kg and 2.85 meters upright.
- Polar bear, Ursus maritimus. The white bear is the largest land carnivore. There are registered specimens of 1000 kg. Its habitat is the arctic zone of the planet. They will attack the fixed human, because they are super predators.
How to deal with a bear attack step by step
- The first thing is to avoid possible attacks if you see them.
- The second thing is to stand up to them without showing fear, but it's not a good idea to challenge them either. We have to look older by standing up and opening our arms and legs. Do not cross your eyes, since for bears it is a very hostile and defiant gesture.
- Never run, the bear will catch up with us shortly (they can run at 50 km/h).
- Try to repel them with pepper spray if they get closer than 10 meters. Position yourself so that the wind blows the pepper to the bear, not to your face.
- Brown bears charge in a straight line, and black bears zigzag. You have to kick them in the solar plexus or stomach, or punch them on the snout, which is very sensitive.
- Some experts advise playing dead (?), with your torso against the ground and protecting your neck and head with your hands. It seems to work sometimes, except with the polar bear.
- If you stop the attack, try to avoid walking backwards without losing sight of the bear.
- If you're carrying a firearm, it's time to shoot into the air.
- It is advisable to travel accompanied by several people who help each other.
- If you shoot the bear you must report it to the authorities.
Real testimony
In October 2015, a young hunter was attacked by a young grizzly bear (185 kg).
The event occurred in Montana. It happened to a 26-year-old man named Chase Dellwo, who together with his brother were trying to hunt a moose with a crossbow. He unexpectedly ran into a grizzly bear near a stream. The bear was as scared as the man and his defensive reaction was to attack the intruder.
The bear tried to bite his head off (it is a common form of bear attack), but the young man managed to get away. The bear counterattacked and bit his leg, shaking him and throwing him into the air.
During the fight, the young man remembered an article that his grandmother had shown him on one occasion. This article referred to the bad maxillary reflexes that large animals had.
This is why Chase Dellwo stuck his arm down the bear's throat to make it vomit. Fortunately that worked and the bear fled from the fight.
After that, helped by his brother, he went to the hospital
