What to do if you encounter a bear.

What to do if you encounter a bear – Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Rating: ***

With the upcoming Outdoor Ed Portaging Trip, I’m sure there are many people that are worried about bears. Thin tent material will not stop bears from getting to you at night, but there are precautions that are taken to make sure that bears don’t come near your campsite during your trip. However, while walking through the forest in search for a good “pee tree” or while portaging your heavy pack along a path, there is still a chance of coming across a bear.

Black bear attacks are extremely rare, but knowing what to do in case of a bear encounter could be the difference between a cool experience and a traumatizing one. One thing I didn’t know about bears is that the noisier the bear is, the less dangerous it is. Bears usually want to run away when you come across them, and they usually only attack when they feel threatened or if they are a predatory bears. Getting between a mother and her cubs will make her defensive, so watch out for this situation. Predatory bear attacks are also very rare and typically only happen in remote areas. If you come across a bear, stay calm, DO NOT RUN or scream, and slowly back away from the bear. Remain facing the bear, and calmly talk in a monotone voice, without making eye contact. If the bear doesn’t leave or starts to come towards you, make yourself big and make as much noise as possible-try to persuade the bear to leave. In the extremely rare instance that a bear does attack you, use pepper spray if you have some on you and fight back as much as you can. Don’t play dead unless you are sure that it is a mother bear trying to defend her cubs.

I have always been told to make a lot of noise as soon as you come across a bear. I think I would be too scared to talk in a calm voice while slowly backing away, but if I come across a bear I would rather leave slowly than try to intimidate the bear. It is important for everyone to know what to do in case of a bear encounter, which is always possible in the Canadian wilderness. Bear cubs are adorable to see from afar, but being between a bear and its cubs must be a terrifying experience. I hope that I will never come close to a bear attack, but I still hope to see bears and other wild animals in nature.

"What to do if you encounter a bear." - Ontario Government, Ministry of Natural Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Bearwise/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_167730.html>.