Face to face with a bear - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Fozzie_DeBear · 07-12-2008, 10:00 PM

So tonight I am walking my dog behind our house (near Bragg Creek) and I find myself looking at a brown bear about 10 meters away...it was average size I think (about 4 feet tall at the shoulders)...I had no idea what to do...my off-leash dog started to investigate the bear so I interrupted the evolutionary process and grabbed my dog...I walked away slowly, dragging my dog the whole way...and the dirty basterd started to follow me! I kept walking [a bit faster] and made it home...

What the hell are you supposed to do if you meet a bear?

Has this happened to anyone else?

Buff · 07-12-2008, 10:06 PM

If you were with somebody else you should walk up to the bear and say "Ya wanna fight me buddy?" then point at your friend and say "Here's me buddy".

I really should know with all the camping and hiking I used to do in Waterton but its one of those things where I forget the proper procedures. I believe that you are supposed to back away slowly, not making eye contact, but don't take my word for it.

I had a friend who once took a hike up a trail in Waterton, she was with a group of people, probably 6-10. They got to a point in the trail where they came across the bear, so they slowly made their way back down the mountain. The bear followed them the entire way down, then turned around and ran away once they got to the trail head where plenty more people were hanging around (at Red rock Canyon).

Reaper · 07-12-2008, 10:10 PM

It sounds like both you and your dog could use a bear bell. Also, try singing Queen songs while hitting rocks baseball style with an aluminum bat. Watch out for the dog with those rocks. Bears don't like erratic, loud noises. You could alternate the Queen song with playing the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique on a really loud boom box. The Beastie Boys are like Kryptonite to brown bears for some reason. Perhaps it's all the yelping.

habernac · 07-12-2008, 10:13 PM

They are very curious animals. And their eyesight is very poor. I've been face to face four times. Twice while trail running, once mountain biking and once on my old three wheel ATV. When I was running, one ran away and the other just stared at me and didn't move. the mtn bike one was funny. Riding with a friend, we came around the corner and there he was,the bear ran like hell. I laughed and looked over to ask my friend "Did you see that?" but he was gone back in the other direction. LOL. I surprised the one on my ATV and it stood on it's hind legs. I've never turned around so quickly in my life. I spun the tires and got the hell out of there. He ran in the other direction.

I_am_Beast · 07-12-2008, 10:15 PM

Your lucky your name is Fozzie_De_Oilersfan

cause then your be screwed! running into them out there

BTW ya did the right thing, +2 on the bellz

Fozzie_DeBear · 07-12-2008, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper

Also, try singing Queen songs while hitting rocks baseball style with an aluminum bat. Watch out for the dog with those rocks. Bears don't like erratic, loud noises. You could alternate the Queen song with playing the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique on a really loud boom box. The Beastie Boys are like Kryptonite to brown bears for some reason. Perhaps it's all the yelping.

Ahhh...I tried singing Fiest while making farting noises with my armpit...no wonder it didn't work

Jayems · 07-12-2008, 10:49 PM

I know exactly what I'd do if confronted by a bear:

crap my pants, then panic.
I used to live out in bragg, and once had to chase a cub out of the garage... lol

Regulator75 · 07-12-2008, 11:00 PM

Bear bells are useless... Talk loudly, clap or sing regularly when out hiking. Also, bring your bear spray just incase... It's better to have it and not need than need it and don't have it.

Jayems · 07-12-2008, 11:25 PM

bear bangers are frigging crazy loud, those are handy and easy to carry.

RW99 · 07-12-2008, 11:48 PM

Not important, but it's a black bear, just coloured brown

Only Black and Grizzly inhabit this area. I'd much rather have a Black bear in front of me than a Brown

Walking away slowly is fine, but yeah don't run. There's a whole bunch of rules that the experts say to do, but I don't think I'd remember any of them if I came face to face. And there are different rules when it's Black or Grizzly. But it's always better to let them hear you coming than be surprised by you up close. Good thing you didn't have to sacrifice your dog

Dion · 07-12-2008, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayems

I know exactly what I'd do if confronted by a bear:

crap my pants, then panic.
I used to live out in bragg, and once had to chase a cub out of the garage... lol

Some years ago while camping in the Rogers Pass our black lab chased a black bear up a tree. We were sitting around the campfire when Big John noticed these glowing eyes in the bush. One woof and he was off like shot. Later found Bbig John at the base of a tree with a bear halfway up the tree. Stupid dog woke up half the campground with his barking.

Fozzie_DeBear · 07-13-2008, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RW99

Not important, but it's a black bear, just coloured brown

Only Black and Grizzly inhabit this area. I'd much rather have a Black bear in front of me than a Brown

So yeah, I guess that means it was a grizzly then? I don't think my wife is ever going outside again

RW99 · 07-13-2008, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

So yeah, I guess that means it was a grizzly then? I don't think my wife is ever going outside again

Well it could have been either. Because it followed you, I would say Grizzly. But they do look fairly different. Which one did it look more like?

Black bear: http://zachoneill.files.wordpress.co...lack_bear1.jpg

Grizzly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G...vheenUSFWS.jpg

KootenayFlamesFan · 07-13-2008, 12:13 AM

Worked in the forestry industry for about 12 years and had a few run-ins with bears.

There was one area I worked in for a few months and there was a brown bear I ran into almost every day almost in the exact spot...........most times we saw each other from a long enough distance, or we heard each other and avoided a close encounter. One day we got a little too close for comfort......I started walking uphill at the end of the day towards my truck. I decided to take a quick rest as it was summer time and I was needing some water. I had my head down for a few minutes, looked up and saw the bear walking about 50 feet in front of me, unaware I was there. As I stood up, he heard/saw me, charged me a bit, then stood on his hind legs....by the time he got to me he was only probably about 20 feet or less away. For a fairly small bear he looked pretty damn big when standing up! I stood my ground, yelled a bit, then looked for rocks to start throwing at him........he took off and that was pretty much it.

Bears are actually pretty timid.........as long as they hear you or see you from a long distance you won't usually have a problem. Startle them or get too close when they have food or cubs with them and it could be a different story.

The best advice is just to make lots of noise when travelling in the backcountry. Bear bangers and bear spray aren't bad options, either.

Fozzie_DeBear · 07-13-2008, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RW99

Well it could have been either. Because it followed you, I would say Grizzly. But they do look fairly different. Which one did it look more like?

Black bear: http://zachoneill.files.wordpress.co...lack_bear1.jpg

Grizzly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G...vheenUSFWS.jpg

It was 100% brown...definitely not a black bear

MonsieurFish · 07-13-2008, 12:31 AM

I heard you're supposed to start yelling at them and then back away I guess. Try to scare them I guess?

(Please noone take my word for this cause that could infact be the exact thing not to do... I don't actually know what I'm talking about)

Engine09 · 07-13-2008, 12:32 AM

I ran into a cub once while hiking in Northern Sask. I was pretty damn tired after walking over 16k so I had my head down for a bit, looked up and there was a cub about 10 feet in front of me. Both stared at eachother for a bit then it bolted.

It ran off to my left but I couldn't tell if he was running to his Mom or in the direction both of them were headed. All I had was a .22 rifle, pretty scared but I kept quiet and kept going, luckily the Momma bear never found me.

Fozzie_DeBear · 07-13-2008, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

I heard you're supposed to start yelling at them and then back away I guess. Try to scare them I guess?

(Please noone take my word for this cause that could infact be the exact thing not to do... I don't actually know what I'm talking about)

LOL...after googling frantically you are supposed to not look threatening...but ensure that they know you are a human by talking loudly (but calmly)

I think with a cougar you are supposed to put on the bravado...

Buff · 07-13-2008, 01:40 AM

I just recalled a time that we biked up a trail in Waterton. Took us something like 3 hours to get up the mountain. Going down was much quicker (and soooo much more fun!). There was four of us, my wife and I and another couple. It was fast going down and my wife was a bit leary of the speeds. I stopped a couple of times to let her catch up, just to make sure that she was ok and didn't fall off or anything. The last time I stopped for her we both heard what we assumed to be a bear grunting somewhere off the trail. Needless to say I didn't have to wait for my wife the rest of way down.

Flames89 · 07-13-2008, 09:38 AM

Black bears can be coloured brown, but they are still "black bears"

Grizzlies are much larger, big hump, meaner, and basically not something you want to run into.