What would you do if you saw a bear in the woods? It’s fun to imagine hypothetical situations and wonder how you would react in a high-stress scenario, but for anyone traveling to Alaska or anywhere else with wild bear populations, you should seriously consider how you would react if you encountered a bear in the woods. Don’t venture into the Alaska bush with no bear protection plan in mind. Educate yourself, learn about bear behavior, ways to avoid bears, and what to do if you encounter a bear.
Bertie from Effortless Outdoors recently sent me a link to his article titled, What To Do If You See A Bear (And Why) and asked me to mention it on my blog. The piece is very detailed and well-researched. My one complaint is he didn’t separate Kodiak bears (or even Alaskan brown bears) from grizzly bears. While all brown bears are members of the same species, grizzlies and coastal brown bears exist in different environments and often do not react the same way to humans. Kodiak bears have more to eat and grow larger than grizzlies, but grizzlies are often more aggressive than Kodiak bears toward humans. This one criticism aside, though, Bertie’s article is good and provides some interesting facts.
Unless your goal is to see a bear, follow Bertie’s tips for avoiding a bear encounter. He helps separate fact from fiction. For example, studies show those obnoxious little bear bells that annoy your hiking companions do not deter bears and may even attract them. A whistle is also a bad idea.
Keep in mind, bears have individual personalities and do not all react to humans in the same way. A bear’s response to a person depends, in part, upon his past experiences with people. If a bear rarely sees humans, he could be startled, curious, or terrified to spot a person on his trail. On the other hand, a bear living in an area commonly visited by tourists might not even look at you as you pass him in the woods. Black bears behave differently from brown bears, and a polar bear’s reaction to a human is so dissimilar from the response of a black or brown bear, it’s a bit misleading even to include polar bears in the same article.
My husband, Mike Munsey, and I take guests bear viewing each summer. Mike knows Kodiak bears well. He understands their body language and vocalizations and can quickly spot a bear acting aggressively. He would be the first to tell you, though, that bears in other areas of Alaska often exhibit different behaviors from the ones we encounter.
If you are planning to travel in bear country, research the bears in the area you plan to visit. Contact biologists and ask what information you can download about the bears you might encounter, and inquire into methods you can use to protect yourself. If you are camping, you will want bear-proof food containers, and if you plan to camp in an area with a high concentration of bears, you might consider purchasing a portable electric fence.
If you want to see bears but don’t know anything about them, hire a guide. You have no business trying to get close to a bear on your own if you have no bear experience.
One of my favorite parts of Bertie’s article is where he uses an illustration to demonstrate the likelihood of being killed by a bear. As the graphic clearly shows, you are much more likely to be killed by a dog, a cow, or lightning than you are to be mauled and killed by a bear.
The bottom line if you encounter a bear in the woods: respect the bear’s intelligence and strength, but don’t fear the animal. The bear is likely more terrified of an encounter with you than you are of seeing him.
Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. Sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska, and listen to her podcast, Murder
Robin, I have visited Munsey’s Bear Camp 3 times. I remember one time, before you and Mike married, Mike at I were at Uyak Bay, relaxing against some very large boulders, when Mike suddenly shoved me and told me to get down on the beach … quick! I did and when I turned to see what was going on, just above the area where we rested was a Mama Kodiak with her babies, looking down at Mike. OMG! My knees were shaking so bad that I thought I would drop like a rock in the sand! Another time we were walking the beach on Uyak Bay and I noticed a Kodiak Bear stalking us in the woods above the beach. Stood straight up and looked at us. WOW! Great times! But always beware and remember that bears are not your friends.
Thanks, Deb! Those are great memories, and I agree. We should respect bears and not treat them as our pets or our friends.