How to Stay Safe in Bear Country
Staying safe in a bear country is essential. We share advice on preventing and avoiding encounters with bears when hiking in the Canadian Rockies and U.S. National Parks, but you can use these tips for basically any outdoor trip.
Hiking is our passion, and so far, our biggest concern always was the ever-changing weather in the mountains. But once we started planning our trip in the Canadian Rockies and consequently the USA, we soon realized that there is one more thing we need to take into consideration, something we've never experienced before.
We're talking about encounters with bears. Although encounters are not that common, they certainly can happen, and as we wanted to enjoy hiking in the wilderness as much as possible, we knew we have to learn tips on how to stay safe in a bear country and tips on what to do when we see a bear in the wild by heart.
We do not want to scare you off. Still, if you plan to explore the great outdoors in the national parks where bears are native animals, you should not take the possibility of the encounter lightly. We recommend you gear up and theoretically prepare yourself.
The part of Canada we wanted to visit, Jasper, Yoho and Banff National Park, the same as Yellowstone National Park in the USA, is home to a large population of grizzly and black bears, and if you plan to go out to explore nature, it's better to keep it in mind and adapt your behavior.
Despite the fact that bears usually prefer to avoid people, encounters can happen, especially in the peak season when the berry (feeding) season coincides with high tourist season, and reading about safety in bear country should go without saying.
No matter how exciting it is to see a bear in the wild with your own eyes, it is less appealing to see this animal up close.
Bears are excellent climbers (as we witnessed with our own eyes) and runners; their top speed exceeds 50km/h (Usain Bolt was clocked 45km/h), so you can easily calculate your chances.
Even though bear attacks are rare, they still can happen, and that's why it is good to follow few simple rules and be prepared.
In this travel guide, we focus mainly on tips that should help you understand how to stay safe in a bear country and what to do if the bear encounter happens, is unavoidable, and even what to do when it turns into an attack.
WAYS TO AVOID A BEAR ENCOUNTER
What is the best advice you can get when it comes to bear encounters? Without any doubt, you should try to avoid them.
We know it might be tempting to see bears in their natural habitat, sometimes it is even cute to see a mum with cubs in the distance, but it's not worth the risk.
We must admit that our hopes to see bears in the Rockies were also high, but we never planned to get closer than necessary, and we always follow the rules for staying safe.
The only thing we did was that we purchased a telephoto lens, so we could see bears clearly in the distance and take nice photos (some people might prefer binoculars instead).
These useful tips should give you a general idea of how to stay safe.
Visit an information center in the town close to the trail you want to hike and ask employees what is the current situation in the area.
Park rangers and staff in the visitor center are helpful and have the latest update on where the bears were last seen. They also know which trails are at the moment closed.
As this service basically works on word of mouth, it is essential to return from your hike and see a bear or experienced an encounter, go back to the information center, and report it.
If you, for whatever reason, cannot visit the information center, all the essential tips are usually near trailheads. Follow up the instructions at the trek's beginnings and do not underestimate them.
Group size matters, and it is not only a plain tip. It is recommended to hike in tight groups of three to four or more, especially if you want to wander off the beaten path.
Remember, when it comes to group size, bigger is always safer. If you're a solo traveler, always keep other hikers in sight, or ask in your hostel if someone has similar plans.
Make noise to let bears know about your presence in the area. Bear bells, which you can purchase almost everywhere, are not recommended, as they are not loud enough.
Boomboxes are louder than bear bells, and many use them as a bear deterrent, but they take away the feeling of being outdoors.
It's always about keeping balance, so choose an alternative that is the most comfortable for you and gives you a sense of safety.
It is better to clap your hands, call out or talk loudly, especially near streams, berry patches, or generally in areas with low visibility. In general, you should always be more vigilant near trees or bushes where you cannot be sure if the bear is there or not.
Watch for the signs. Bears leave marks of their presence everywhere. If they are fresh, watch your surroundings more carefully or return to your car in case you do not feel comfortable.
Keep your dog on a leash, or better leave him at home. Some dogs can provoke bears. In the berry season, some trails are even closed for dogs, so always check up-to-date information.
Do not litter and keep your food in bags. Do not attract bears by the food scents. This is absolutely essential in case you sleep at campgrounds.
Although tents are natural barriers, you should never leave food inside. Most of the campsites have specialized food banks where you can store leftovers.
For more tips, read our Canadian Rockies Camping Guide.
Keep yourself odor-free.
Try to stay on designated trails and travel in daylight if possible.
Ask the others you'll meet on the trail about bear presence signs as they can provide valuable information.
WHEN YOU SEE A BEAR
Make sure you have your bear spray ready and do not run.
It's best to keep bear spray handy, not in the backpack but, for example, behind your belt.
It is also very important what is the distance between you and the bear. When a bear is about 200 meters from you, you should watch where the animal goes to ensure you do not share the path. If both of you walk in the opposite direction on you can see the bear in the bushes, you can carry on, but be vigilant.
If the bear is unaware of your presence, move away quietly without attracting its attention.
If the bear is aware of your presence: stay calm, do not make sudden movements, talk calmly to show you are not prey but human.
Back away slowly and make yourself look big (pick up small children from the ground), do not drop your backpack as it can serve as protection.
If the bear approaches you, you must be prepared for two scenarios; as in general, the animals can act defensively or non-defensively).
DEFENSIVE VS NON-DEFENSIVE BEAR BEHAVIOUR
When it comes to actual bear encounters, which means you cannot keep your distance and bear is aware of your presence, it might be hard for you to figure out exactly what is going on as both of you will be stressed out. It is not easy to evaluate all hints correctly.
A bear can see you as a threat, can be frightened or agitated, and may vocalize. In this scenario, act in a non-threatening way, talk calmly, and move back slowly.
If you detect a change in a bear's behavior or it's approaching you, try to stay calm, talk firmly and move out of the bear's path.
If you sense that bear's behavior changed to predatory, which is very rare, shout aggressively, try to intimidate the bear and if it gets too close, use your bear spray.
BEAR ATTACK
When it comes to the actual bear attack, try to proceed as follows. The most common attack is the defensive one.
Get ready your bear spray and use it if the bear is still approaching. If the bear makes contact, play dead. Lie on your stomach with legs apart and cover your head and neck with your crossed arms. Remain still and wait until the bear leaves the area. The defensive attack shouldn't take more than two minutes.
It may happen that defensive attack shifts to predatory, although the situation is unlikely.
But if the animal hunts you along the trail, you approach it at night, or the attack takes more than 2 minutes, do not play dead but fight back! Run, try to escape, or hit the animal with whatever you have. Do anything necessary to let the bear know you are not prey.
It also depends on the type of bear which attacks you.
If the brown or grizzly bear attacks you, follow the first advice and play dead for a while. If it is a black bear, check out your escape routes and if there are non, fight back immediately, be aggressive.
Although we hope you'll never come to the very last step of this bear safety guide, it is better to be ready than sorry.
Safe travels!
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
