Our wild bruins are due respect—not fear

by Bob Bancroft

A piece of wood snapped in the forest, not far away. I was culling young firs under a massive white pine by a stream in the forest. Another snap, closer this time, and I stopped to listen. A moment later, I heard a black bear cub whining to its mother. I gathered tools, kept my head down, and without hurrying or staring, walked away.

Black bears, Ursus americanus, can easily out-run, out-swim, and climb trees faster than humans. Luckily, most of the time they’re shy. From the bear perspective, living space in North America is becoming over-run with people. A realistic understanding of bear behaviours can help in sharing the living spaces. On average, bears tend to be more tolerant of humans than vice-versa.

Problems can erupt when bears link people with food, so I phoned the neighbours when a female black bear began to occupy a den I’d built several years before. With raccoons and rats around, these folks were already being careful about not leaving pet food and garbage cans unprotected. Nothing troublesome transpired in the years that followed, and she reared a cub back in the woods.

So, when can a black bear become trouble? Conventional thinking used to centre on females protecting their youngsters. That’s true, but it’s more complicated than that.

In New Hampshire in 2018, traditional bear foods were scarce after a plentiful year in 2017. Many females had extra young over the winter following the 2017 feast, but were forced to abandon their cubs later in 2018. When natural foods like berries become scarce, dumps and back yard feeders become alternate food sources. Hunger is a great motivator. Bears learn to open car doors and even pry out windshields if they smell food inside.

Attractive items include garbage, inadequately sealed and stored foods, barbeques, oils, propane and other petroleum-based products, and compost. If a bear gets an easy meal, you can be certain it will return.

Bears that encounter humans can react in many ways. For instance, a bear that is dominant among other bears may be less willing to back down from a human. Conversely, a bear that is low in the bear social structure might try to assert dominance when it meets one of us. Bears that have been fed by certain people may be expecting food from all humans, when most unaware people fail to understand the bear’s motivation.

Thankfully, most bears avoid us, and we are often blissfully unaware of their presence nearby.

On a property in New Brunswick, the bears became upset with our arrival. They jaw-popped loudly, a sign of stress. Gobs of fresh bear poop appeared around the campsite, an unwelcome sign. I began to understand that “their territory” was surrounded by a lake to the south, farms to the west, a highway to the north and a massive clear cut to the east. How could we inform the bears that there would be no further disturbing of “their” 34 acres? Several years later they are becoming accustomed to our presence and have ceased fertilizing the ground around the camp! We also restrict our visits to their “home” places on the property.

“Watching a big male wandering down our orchard a while back reminded me of a beagle—legs following a nose”

I’ve learned a couple of useful things from personal bear encounters and incidents friends have experienced. Surprising a bear at close range can, in itself, prompt aggression. It’s best to travel bear country while making sufficient noise to alert them to your presence. Bears are intelligent and sometimes curious. Their eyesight is much like humans, and they possess a far better sense of hearing and smell. Watching a big male wandering down our orchard a while back reminded me of a beagle—legs following a nose.

So what should you do when you are walking outdoors and see a bear? Stop, stay still and calm, and assess the situation. Determine first if the bear is aware of you. If not, check the wind direction. Back off slowly and quietly, return the way you came and travel downwind if possible. Be careful not to startle it.

If a bear sees you, it usually runs away. If it stands up, it’s likely a sign of curiosity. Stay calm.

If it moves towards you, but shows little stress, let it know in a non-threatening way that you are human. A non-defensive bear may only be curious, or after food, or testing dominance.

In very rare cases it might be predatory. This animal will approach slowly and hesitantly, ears cocked forward, and head and nose lifted to check out what you are. I have talked to them in a low, firm, respectful voice.

Researchers recommend that you also wave your arms slowly. Try to move out of its way, if you both are on a path. Avoid sudden movements, and watch for any changes in behaviour. The average weight of an adult male black bear is roughly 300lbs or more, so do not provoke or encourage any bear.

If the bear continues to come closer, as a last resort you should become aggressive. Running could prompt a chase—so not advisable unless there’s a safe place that you can reach before the bear.

Stare the bear in the eye and shout. Make yourself appear large (opening a coat or jacket wide, and/or stepping on high ground or a rock, for instance). Stamp your feet. Take a step or two towards the bear. Let it know you’ll fight. Threaten or use any deterrent—bear spray, rock or a stick—and apply it to their eyes, nose and face.

Photo credit: bigstock/ snoopydog1

A predatory bear is coming to eat you. Fight back. Predatory attacks are extremely rare in eastern North America, but when they’ve happened, it’s not ended well for human or bear.

Defensive bears are focused on you as a threat—and that can become dangerous. The bear will become agitated or stressed and possibly vocalize. It may bluff charge you, stopping just short or veering off course at the last second. This rarely becomes an attack. Now is the time to use a firm voice, and step aside if you can. If such an advance continues, shout, become large and threatening with all the energy and weapons you can muster.

If a defensive bear attacks you physically, fall on the ground face down, with your legs spread slightly, and play dead. Lock your hands over the back of your neck. Protect your face and vital organs if you can. If the bear flips you over, roll back on to your stomach. Don’t cry out or fight back. Once the bear thinks you are no longer a threat, it will stop the attack. Lie still and wait for it to leave. Moving too soon when the bear is still nearby could very easily prompt another attack.

The Pocono Plateau of Pennsylvania has a healthy black bear population that stayed when people moved in. Biologist Gary Alt kept tabs on the bears as people teemed into their community. The bears adapted well, but some residents became uneasy when, for example, a female with two cubs was denning under the deck! That’s the time to move the barbeque into safe storage!

My outdoor life includes annual, multiple encounters with black bears. Over the decades nothing aggressive has ever materialized. I once had a respectful conversation with a large male who was about to break into my car to access a lunch bag I had thoughtlessly left behind. After listening and watching me slowly approach, he gracefully turned and walked away.

For context, we have already established in this column that statistically, the most dangerous creature we have is probably the black-legged tick.