Heading into the woods? Be bear aware

With more people venturing into the forested areas of North Idaho during the summer months, bear encounters are becoming more common, although bear attacks are not.

While bear attacks are uncommon in the Idaho Panhandle, it is important to know how to avoid encounters with these animals altogether. Idaho Parks and Recreation public information specialist Chelsea Chambers offered some tips for hikers and other outdoor recreationalists on how to avoid coming face-to-face with a bear as well as how to protect yourself should a bear encounter occur.

“Make noise frequently, especially when going around corners or up blind hills,” Chambers said. “Clapping, talking; personally, I yell, ‘Hello!’ or ‘Hey bear!’ as I was told to do when hiking in Wyoming.”

Bear spray should always be carried when in the woods. It should be stored outside a pack where it can be accessed very quickly if needed. Chambers highly suggests learning the steps your can of bear spray needs to be deployed, as some canisters require different pins or buttons to be pulled or pressed. Knowing this information prior to needing to use the spray can be life-saving, she said.

On its website, the National Park Service advises individuals to watch out for “good bear habitat.” Bears prefer areas that are suitable for them to feed, rest and sleep such as thick brush and heavy tree stands. NPS officials urge people to be mindful of features that can easily hide a bear, like tall bushes, gulleys and boulder fields.

“During the late summer and fall, bears will be foraging, which can make it harder for them to notice you,” the website said. “Watch out for large swaths of flowering plants or plants that have fruit on them, like berries. Be extra careful near water sources where bears might be feeding or drinking.”

The National Park Service also instructs you to never approach bear cubs, even if they look like they are alone. Chances are, mom is not too far away and mother bears are extremely protective of their young.

Chambers advised hikers to avoid hiking alone if possible. There is power in numbers, and should you run into a bear, an incident is less likely to occur if there are more people present as a group is seen as more intimidating than a single hiker. Additionally, it is best to hike during the day as opposed to very early in the morning or at dusk, when bears are most active. Trail running in bear country is also not a great idea, Chambers said. Moving quickly heightens the chance of turning a corner and surprising an unsuspecting bear, which can be dangerous.

It is also important to remain aware of your surroundings. Just because you can’t see a bear, Chambers said, it doesn’t mean one is not nearby. Scat, claw marks and tracks can all be good indicators that animals of any kind are close or regularly frequent the area you are in.

“We always encourage guests to adhere to posted signage, properly store their food while camping and to be ever-vigilant when in the outdoors,” Chambers said. “When you recreate in the outdoors, you are in wildlife territory. You are a guest in their home and we expect everyone to treat the land and wildlife with respect.”

There are tens of thousands of bears in Idaho, mostly black bears. Most recent numbers indicate there are over 20,000 black bears and likely around 100 grizzly bears in the region, Chambers said.

“You can almost always safely assume that if you are outdoors, you are in bear territory,” she said.

It’s good to be vigilant while in the outdoors, but sometimes making noise and looking for signs of bear activity will not stop you from running into one of these animals in the Panhandle. Chambers shared some tips on what to do should an encounter occur.

If you encounter a bear in the wild, it is important to know what kind of bear you are dealing with. Both black bears and grizzlies can range in color from black to blond. Although grizzly bears are usually much larger than black bears, size is not always a good indicator of which species you’re dealing with.

One of the best indicators is the size and shape of the shoulders, the facial profile and the length of the claws — if you unfortunately happen to get close enough to examine them. The grizzly bear has a pronounced shoulder hump while the black bear does not. Grizzlies have a sloped kind of facial profile, smaller ears and much larger claws than the black bear. Black bears have a much flatter profile, larger ears and smaller claws.

Black bears and grizzly bears have different demeanors and encounters should be treated slightly differently, but with any bear — or any animal, for that matter — do not run. Fleeing will likely instigate the bear’s instinctual predatory response to chase and that increases the odds of the predator thinking of you as prey, Chambers said.

“Humans are not often on the menu for most wildlife, bears included,” she said. “But if their predatory instincts are triggered, things can get hairy very quickly.”

If you surprise any kind of bear, slowly and calmly back away while avoiding direct eye contact, as that can be perceived as challenging behavior. Chambers said it is good to speak slowly and calmly while waving your arms gently to show the bear that you are human. Pick up pets and small children immediately.

“Do not try to climb a tree,” the National Park Service website warns. “You cannot outrun or out climb a bear.”

Chambers said there is a large difference between defensive — meaning they have been caught off guard — grizzlies and black bears.

“If a black bear charges or attacks, yell loudly and fight back,” she said. “If a grizzly bear charges or attacks, do not fight back. Play dead. Collapse face down to the ground. Remain as still as possible and try not to allow the bear to flip you over.”

Bears will often use bluff charges to intimidate and show their dominance. While this will definitely seem scary, Chambers again advises you to not run.

“When a bear bluff charges, it will have its head and ears up and forward,” the National Park Service website said. “The bear will puff itself up to look bigger. It will bound on its front paws toward you — moving in big leaps — but then stop short or veer off to one side. Often, bears retreat after a bluff charge, or they may vocalize loudly.”

Aggressive charges look different and should be taken very seriously.

“Aggressive charges are very dangerous,” the website said. “Bears may yawn or clack their teeth and pound their front paws on the ground while huffing — these are warning signs. These behaviors indicate that a bear is stressed and it may be getting ready to charge. It will have its head down and ears pointed back and the bear will come at you like a freight train. Be ready to protect and defend yourself.”

Chambers said it is important to note that bears have been known to predatorily stalk humans. A predatory bear is a bear that has been watching you and possibly following you, meaning it likely does see you as prey. The National Park Service recommends yelling, flailing your arms and acting big.

“Again, most animals don’t want to fight humans,” Chambers said. “It is possible that by reminding them that you are a human, that they will leave.”

If a predatory bear attacks you, fight back, whether a grizzly or a black bear. Use bear spray, rocks, sticks or anything in the area that could deter the bear from continuing to advance.

Chambers said she personally has not heard of any instances of bears attacking people in the Idaho Panhandle, but that does not mean it will never happen. Idaho Fish and Game encourages people to report bear sightings anytime they see one so rangers can keep track of bear activity in the area. Report bear sightings at www.idfg.idaho.gov/species/observations.