Overcoming fear of bears

[Dogwood]

IMHO Fear is countered best by knowledge and experience. Read trail journals of REAL people's bear experiences, watch some youtube videos of wandering bears getting yelled at before their tails disappear into the bushes. By knowing how they really do react and watching them you can understand them and what they want. (Ignore the "horror" stories for now as they are highly irregular)

Then as others said..you need to get out there and shiver and shake like the rest of us did till you by experience learn to not fear the woods. If you do see a bear, respect them...yell, bang stuff, and throw stuff and they will scurry away too.

This +1. People fear what they don't know, the unknown. Bears represent some unknowns. What people generally do know about bears is the highly sensationalized over dramatized HIGHLY FEAR INDUCING negative bear/human encounters accounted for in mainstream media where universally the full circumstances surrounding the encounter are never investigated or reviewed and RARELY to NEVER are their explanations on how to avoid these encounters in the first place by simply changing some aspects of human behavior.

Also, know there is a big difference in black bear habits verse brown bear habits. Only 5 states have Grizzlies(brown bears), none east of the Misssippi River.

[capehiker]

I hiked the entire state of New Jersey 4 times before I saw a bear. On the fifth time, I caught a glimpse of its butt. Honestly, I'm more concerned about contracting Lyme's Disease than seeing a bear.

[MuddyWaters]

Having a little fear is a good thing.

But if you want 100% assurance that nothing bad will happen to you, you might as well stay home.
Thats not possible.
99.999%, sure. 100%, No.

Just get used to the idea that bad things MIGHT happen to you out there
Up to and including death, by several different means.

One day, an AT hiker will get killed or severely injured by a bear. Its a numbers thing. It just hasnt happened yet.

[Fredt4]

If knowledge defeats fear, let's try sharing the knowledge. A hypothetical
1. I'm the only person in camp. (I hike solo, I'm going mid-week, and it is outside the bubble.)
2. A habituated bear wanders into camp and starts plucking on the hanging cable like it was a banjo.
3. He's not impressed when I scream and yell and wave my flashlight.
4. He hangs around all night.

This isn't entirely hypothetical. I've experienced something much like it. Here's what I did. What would be a better response?

1. I periodically stood up and yelled, to remind him I was there.
2. I gathered some rocks.
3. I sat with my back to a tree in the dark (to prolong my flashlight batteries).
4. Whenever he showed too much curiosity in my direction, I turned on the light, yelled, threw a rock, sat down, and turned off the light.

It worked, 'cause I'm still here. I'm headed back to habituated bear territory, so I'd like to tune my approach. (I am over the top about keeping food smells to a minimum, but since I'll be camping at sites known to have habituated bears, the bears will associate packs and people with food.)

What should I do differently?

I wouldn't wave a bacon egg sandwich at a bear and dare it to take it, but I don't think having food smells will lead to an encounter. The bears knows you're there, from past experience it knows you have food. Yet bears don't take food from hikers as long as the food is not left unattended. Will the bear invade your tent while you sleep, very unlikely. Perhaps it's best to avoid established camp sites if you're camping alone.

[rafe]

Most bears want nothing to do with humans. I hiked 30+ years and most of the AT before I met a bear close-up and personal on the AT. It was pretty cool when it happened. I'm quite the wimp but I felt no fear at all. Made my day, big time.

[Lnj]

It would tickle me to death to see a bear. I am just that idiot that would want nothing more than to coo at it and pet it.... unless its in the middle of the night and its coming into my tent, which would likely never happen.

[Dogwood]

It would tickle me to death to see a bear. I am just that idiot that would want nothing more than to coo at it and pet it....

Da bears feel the same way about you..... Umm, scratch and sniff. Maybe, I can eat this? Let me bite into it to find out how tasty it is.

[Lnj]

If bears like the smell and taste of human food... smelling me will certainly turn them off. I will not smell tasty by human standards!! Plus, I hear they are easy enough to scare off. I wouldn't actually TRY to pet one, I would just desperately WANT to.

[AO2134]

I'm planing a 1000 mile nobo hike May-August 2016. I'm doing lots of research, conditioning my body, trying out gear, breaking in boots, etc. I'm doing everything I can to prepare for the trail. So how do I overcome my fear of bears?

I don't hunt. Don't own a gun. Never shot a gun. Hope to never, ever shot a gun. I say this because I too an uncomfortable with hiking in areas where there are bears. But if it makes you feel better, I have hiked very close to 1,000 miles and I have never seen a bear. I hope this trend continuous.

Increasing your knowledge about bears helps to a certain extent. 99.99 times out of a 100, the bears are "more" scared of you then you are of it. They will more than likely run away before you even see them. They are very timid creatures, however, there are always are exceptions. Being smart with food is critical. Bears spend all their time looking for food. Proper food storage is critical.

Despite all this knowledge, I still dislike the fact that they exist anywhere in a mile radius of me. The fact is while on the trail we cohabitate with bears while we are on the trail and we must be respectful, knowledgeable, and smart about out time in the woods.

Again, I've done close to 1,000 miles with no bears. About 20% of my hiking trips are solo, and I do feel a little more exposed when I am alone. Finding a partner may make you feel safer.

[Pedaling Fool]

This +1. People fear what they don't know, the unknown. Bears represent some unknowns. What people generally do know about bears is the highly sensationalized over dramatized HIGHLY FEAR INDUCING negative bear/human encounters accounted for in mainstream media where universally the full circumstances surrounding the encounter are never investigated or reviewed and RARELY to NEVER are their explanations on how to avoid these encounters in the first place by simply changing some aspects of human behavior.

Also, know there is a big difference in black bear habits verse brown bear habits. Only 5 states have Grizzlies(brown bears), none east of the Misssippi River.

Dogwood, you seem to have an uncanny ability to touch on all my pet peeves

I hear this a lot, "People fear what they don't know, the unknown." This is repeated ad nauseam, as if this is some quaky behavior unique to humans. It's an animal behavior.

However, I pretty much agree with the rest, things like black bears protecting their cubs or that black bears emit vicious roaring/growling sounds are all myths that are kept alive by the media, especially hollywood.

[earlyriser26]

I have two responses to your fear. 1) The real risk from bears is almost zero. You can look it up, but as I recall fatal black bear attacks in the eastern U.S. was something like 12 over the last 50 years. I think there have been 4 over the last 15 years. This includes pet bears. My numbers may be slightly off, but you get the point. 2) But logic doesn't help most people. Fear is often not logical. Hang your food. I won't keep bears away, but will make you feel better. Also, avoid the Smokies, Shenny's, and NJ.

[August W.]

bearsmartdurango.org has some nice recordings of various sounds black bears make. I have heard the sound a cub makes when startled, and I have heard the sounds a female black bear makes when a human spooks her cub. I will never forget either. A bear's moaning can sound much like a roar, and though it is rare for a black bear to roar, they can and sometimes do.

[BirdBrain]

Dogwood, you seem to have an uncanny ability to touch on all my pet peeves

You exaggerate and give undue credit. I believe I hit all of your pet peeves.

[Pedaling Fool]

bearsmartdurango.org has some nice recordings of various sounds black bears make. I have heard the sound a cub makes when startled, and I have heard the sounds a female black bear makes when a human spooks her cub. I will never forget either. A bear's moaning can sound much like a roar, and though it is rare for a black bear to roar, they can and sometimes do.

They don't do this (at ~2:15-minute point in video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx1AMfC-F2g

I've heard the moans and stuff, like what you hear on bearsmartdurango.org and still not satisfied it's a roar/growl, but if that's what you hear in it, so be it, as they say on this link: "Growls may be in the ear of the beholder." http://www.bear.org/website/bear-pag...ars-growl.html


BTW, there's video on the above link of two male black bears fighting, weird sounds, but no growling, not even a snarl

[August W.]

They don't do this (at ~2:15-minute point in video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx1AMfC-F2g

I've heard the moans and stuff, like what you hear on bearsmartdurango.org and still not satisfied it's a roar/growl, but if that's what you hear in it, so be it, as they say on this link: "Growls may be in the ear of the beholder." http://www.bear.org/website/bear-pag...ars-growl.html


BTW, there's video on the above link of two male black bears fighting, weird sounds, but no growling, not even a snarl

The bear I heard roar I encountered in the N.W. mountains of North Carolina. If you are ever fortunate enough hear it in person you will better understand the difference between a moan and the much louder roar. A farmer who was roughly 200 yards away heard it as well. Go ahead and think of it as just a loud moan if you want. Hunting bears with a notebook and camera allows for a much richer learning experience than that screen you are looking at.

[Pedaling Fool]

I've had my fair share of run ins, including getting between cubs and their mother. I guess they were all just jaw-popping pussies

[Fredt4]

I have two responses to your fear. 1) The real risk from bears is almost zero. You can look it up, but as I recall fatal black bear attacks in the eastern U.S. was something like 12 over the last 50 years. I think there have been 4 over the last 15 years. This includes pet bears. My numbers may be slightly off, but you get the point. 2) But logic doesn't help most people. Fear is often not logical. Hang your food. I won't keep bears away, but will make you feel better. Also, avoid the Smokies, Shenny's, and NJ.

Unfortunately "hanging your food" only increases to probability of having a bear encounter. Using a bear canister, if no other device such as bear cables, bear boxes, bear poles, bear lockers are available. I'm sleep perfectly fine using a Ursack and keeping the food near me as a foot rest, but I understand not everyone is comfortable doing so. But hanging your food should make you more uncomfortable.

[Fredt4]

God I so hate auto-correct.

[gregpphoto]

The only fear of bears I have is fearing they will one day be gone

[Colter]

The only fear of bears I have is fearing they will one day be gone

Black bear populations are in pretty good shape.
"At the time European settlers arrived, it is believed that there were about 500,000 American black bears roaming the continent. Today the number is actually higher."