Anybody ever have a grizzly encounter?

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Skeeter

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I went backpacking at Yellowstone last summer. I was prepared for a grizzly encounter, but thankfully didn't run into one close up. I did see from a distance a grizzly eating an elk carcass.
 
very lucky indeed not to have one,even happier those critters don't live here,only our local brown bears and they tend to avoid humans..
 
If you play dead, the bear will generally stop attacking!

For most bears, but not those in the grizzly family (or at least it MIGHT work, but it isn't 100%)...

When I lived in Alaska (Kodiak island to be exact), certainly had more than my share of bear encounters...and I was just a kid. Man, we were dumb. It's amazing we're still alive.

Once, we played with some cubs. We heard momma, but we got out of there before we actually saw her. (guessing she smelled us).

Another time, we were picking salmonberries on a hillside, when one came to the top of the hill (dad was running down the hill carrying his rifle). It actually reared up, but the hill was too steep for it to come down, giving us time to get in the car.

Then, my brother and his friends got cornered on the side of a rocky cliff. I actually had to run back home and get my shotgun (they were stuck there for about an hour or so...one determined bear). Just to scare it off. Luckily, where the bear was, and my brother was, there was no way for the bear to reach them, or me down on the ground. (it was a good 50 feet drop or more).

Only other time, we were fishing, and saw two bears further down the creek. We had plenty of time to just leave before they got interested in us. Luckily, the salmon were running, so I'm not even sure they saw us.

Bottom line, best bear defense....get somewhere the bear isn't, or cannot go.....
 
For most bears, but not those in the grizzly family (or at least it MIGHT work, but it isn't 100%)...

When I lived in Alaska (Kodiak island to be exact), certainly had more than my share of bear encounters...and I was just a kid. Man, we were dumb. It's amazing we're still alive.

Once, we played with some cubs. We heard momma, but we got out of there before we actually saw her. (guessing she smelled us).

Another time, we were picking salmonberries on a hillside, when one came to the top of the hill (dad was running down the hill carrying his rifle). It actually reared up, but the hill was too steep for it to come down, giving us time to get in the car.

Then, my brother and his friends got cornered on the side of a rocky cliff. I actually had to run back home and get my shotgun (they were stuck there for about an hour or so...one determined bear). Just to scare it off. Luckily, where the bear was, and my brother was, there was no way for the bear to reach them, or me down on the ground. (it was a good 50 feet drop or more).

Only other time, we were fishing, and saw two bears further down the creek. We had plenty of time to just leave before they got interested in us. Luckily, the salmon were running, so I'm not even sure they saw us.

Bottom line, best bear defense....get somewhere the bear isn't, or cannot go.....
yeah the best thing to do is get the hell out of dodge,,,,,a human has no chance if the bear gets a hold of them
 
If you play dead, the bear will generally stop attacking!



That's a myth. If a bear is already on you fight back don't play dead. A lot of campers and hikers were attacked/killed in there sleep, one can't play any more dead than being a sleep ;) When I worked for the game department and forest service those were the first instructions, appear bigger and fight back with everything you have! I had black bears stalk me thus they are notorious ambushers late spring that love attacking from your back side luckily never been charged.
 
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That's a myth. If a bear is already on you fight back don't play dead. A lot of campers and hikers were attacked/killed in there sleep, one can't play any more dead than being a sleep ;) When I worked for the game department and forest service those were the first instructions, appear bigger and fight back with everything you have! I had black bears stalk me thus they are notorious ambushers late spring that love attacking from your back side luckily never been charged.

There are certain times where playing dead is the ideal defense. It's not a myth.
 
"Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face."

-https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm
 
That's not correct, more people have survived fighting back than play dead, if playing dead was so affective they wouldn't recommend bear spray nor instructed us to fight back. We were always taught fight back, try playing dead when the food is scarce or when a bear is injured. By all means play dead amongst a charging bear, let us know how it worked out. The government is full of advice as a generalization given most hikers/campers are unarmed, flight sets in or are frail and can't fight etc... most bear attacks have no warning, they will be on you in seconds were your first reaction is to run, which is a mistake unless you're a marathon runner, most of us aren't and once the bear charges you are not going to out run it'. Trees are not always the safe bet unless there are a lot of branches that can block the bear. We had situations were the bear waited two days below the tree he was in playing the waiting game. The best defense is just stay away from known bears then start heading in an opposite direction.
 
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Tom, I was referencing black bears, and commenting on my earlier post, your post was in reference to griz and brown bears, I didn't clarify that, almost all my encounters have been black bears and only a few times with grizzlies, I can only pull from my experiences and training and didn't see the beginning of your statement "Brown/Grizzly Bears" my bad and by the way is the official park services instructions though again is a generalization as I alluded too above. Though the instruction in your comment doesn't pertain to black bears and is polar opposite. Instructions to the general mass isn't necessarily the same set of instructions given to enforcement ;)
 
Yep, I had the wording reversed earlier...for grizzlies play dead, but that doesn't work for black bears (which is what most are in the lower 48). Still, I'll take my chances getting the hell out of dodge...thanks.

You can also make yourself look big, and make a lot of noise, and that will likely make them leave the area.....OR make them think you are challenging them, which is why I ignored that tip, and went right to getting the hell out of dodge.

Many times. Polar bears too. It was just part of living in Alaska. I always carried a S&W .500 mag loaded with 450 grain hollow points.

That would do it. Unfortunately, the shotgun I had as a kid, would have just ticked it off... (though would scare them away....mostly).
 
From a recording of the brown bear attack of Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard related from Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Larry Van Daele

"The bear attacks (Treadwell), and he calls for help. Ms. Huguenard opens the tent fly and is very upset. At her urging, he 'plays dead.' It sounds like the bear then retreated for a couple minutes but returned. It again went after him, and he begged her to hit it with something. She in turn screamed for him to fight. The audio ends with his sounds no longer evident and her screams continuing.

"That evening, probably Sunday night, (the male) was walking along a major bear trail and walked by the tent. When he encountered Mr. Treadwell, the bear reacted and either bit him and/or hit him. When he 'played dead,' the bear left, but as is often the case, when Mr. Treadwell started moving again, and/or Ms. Huguenard came to his aid, the bear returned.

"At this time, for some reason, the bear killed and ate him. I suspect that Ms. Huguenard's screams, which sound eerily like a predator call, may have prompted the bear to return and kill her. He then cached her body to be eaten later.''
 

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