What to do to avoid meeting a bear in the forest
Brown bears rarely attack humans. They are usually quite cautious and tend to avoid meeting people. If an animal knows in advance about the approach of a person, and even more so a group, it will try not to show itself and, most likely, will go away on its own.
If a connecting rod bear wanders in the forest and was forced to leave its den prematurely, or a wounded animal, the encounter can turn out to be extremely dangerous.
To reduce the risk of colliding with an animal in the forest, you should follow a few rules.
1. Don’t wander through dense bushes. Avoid areas overgrown with bushes. Stay away from windbreaks. It is better to move in open areas and use paved trails.
2. Under no circumstances follow a bear’s path. So you risk meeting its owner, who may decide that you have invaded his territory.
The bear trail is easy to distinguish from the usual one. It looks like two chains of indentations. They are located at a distance of approximately 20 centimeters from each other.
In general, you should not follow the path if you think that a wild animal has left tracks on it. It’s better to look for another road in the forest. It is especially important to follow this rule in winter or early spring. If you see tracks in the snow that may resemble those of a bear, immediately move to the side and try to stay in open areas.
3. Be noisy. This rule is one of the main ones for those who would not like to meet a bear. So talk, sing, laugh, stomp loudly. If you are traveling alone, you can tie a bell to your backpack. A healthy adult bear doesn’t want a collision just as much as you do. Therefore, warn him in advance that there are people in the forest – he himself will try not to meet you.
4. Do not take decorative dogs or other small animals with you into the forest. A large hunting or guard dog can help you and drive away the brown bear. But if a small lap dog runs away and stumbles upon a clubfooted predator, it will get scared, rush back and bring the bear to you. It is better to avoid such a meeting.
5. Do not leave food waste in the forest. As well as food packaging and cans. Moreover, it is impossible to arrange large landfills. Even if you have buried waste in the ground, a bear can smell it. This will make the resting place dangerous for the following groups. Take the waste with you, and if this is not possible, burn it.
6. Never approach animal remains. And also to the piles of fish lying on the shore. Maybe the bear considers all this his prey. Then he will protect his property.
7. Do not move along river banks after sunset and before sunrise. At this time, bears are fishing and will definitely not be happy if they are disturbed.
What to do if you see a bear
A common situation: you found a bear, but it hasn’t noticed you yet. For example, he is passionate about fishing or enjoying berries. The distance between you is more than 10 meters, and the sound of the water prevents the animal from hearing your steps. Or you accidentally saw a clubfoot who fell asleep in the forest.
In such cases, leave immediately. You should not try to photograph a bear, even if it is not looking in your direction at all. You don’t know at what moment he will turn to you. Or he will wake up if he is sleeping. Remember: the beast really doesn’t like being taken by surprise.
Therefore, try to leave in the direction from which you just came, or go around the danger zone in a wide arc. Don’t let the bear out of your sight and don’t turn your back on it.
Important: never approach bear cubs. When you see them, leave immediately. There may be a bear nearby. If she sees you, she may instantly attack because she will perceive you as a threat to the babies.
What to do if a bear sees you
The first and most difficult thing is not to panic. Remember that a healthy bear in its usual habitat extremely rarely attacks a person. And try to maintain confidence and composure.
The bear tries not to clash with large creatures, so try to appear larger. For example, lift your backpack above your head. Or open your coat or jacket and spread your arms to the sides. If you are moving in a group, get together – the animal may see a massive silhouette and decide that it is better to get out of the way.
If a bear stands up on its hind legs, it is usually not dangerous. Mishka just wants to get a better look at who is in front of him.
To break contact, move back and diagonally. At the same time, say something out loud in a loud and confident voice, make noise, stomp your feet.
But don’t scream like an animal, don’t squeal, don’t bare your teeth. Moreover, you can’t growl. You absolutely do not need to sound like an aggressive animal. And on a weak creature that can become prey, too.
You can knock on the pot with a spoon, shoot from a rocket launcher. If you have a weapon, it’s also worth shooting upward to make some noise and scare the bear. But under no circumstances aim at him! If you are not the most experienced hunter and have not met the animal one-on-one before, you can injure the predator. In this case, he will probably rush at you, and you will not be able to escape the fight.
For the same reason, you should not try to use a knife or ax for self-defense. You will only inflict a wound on the beast and turn it into an extremely dangerous opponent.
If the bear continues to move and has already approached you, stop. Keep talking loudly, knock on trees. But do not make aggressive attacks and movements and do not look the animal straight in the eyes: for him this is a signal of readiness to attack.
If the bear stops, you can slowly move back again.
But under no circumstances should you turn your back on the beast and run!
This is how prey behaves, and the hunting instinct can push the bear to pursue. You still won’t be able to escape the beast: it is capable of… move at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour.
The only reliable means of protection is pepper spray. But be careful: an ordinary spray can that can be used to stop a person will have no effect on the brown predator. Take with you into the forest only special products with red capsicum extract, designed for bears, and keep them on hand. They act at a distance of 5–6 meters.
Be careful: if the wind is blowing in your direction, the spray may harm you, not the bear.
What to do if you encounter a group of bears
This meeting is much more dangerous. Brown bears may travel in groups during the rut. Young males behave aggressively during this period and may rush to any large object that moves.
The bear rut lasts from spring to mid-July, so you need to be especially careful in the first half of summer. It is better not to go to areas where bears live alone.
Young individuals that stay together for some time are also dangerous. They don’t know people yet, and the feeling that they are not alone can make them more active. Such pairs or groups may try to destroy a camp at a rest stop and steal food supplies. They need to be driven away – by shouting, noise, knocking, shooting upwards. And do not approach them if you see them in the forest.
Let us repeat once again: never, under any circumstances, approach cubs or a mother bear with babies!
Such meetings can end in an accident – the mother bear will stop at nothing to protect her cubs.
What to do if a bear attacks you
If an attack does occur, the main thing is not to try to run or scream.
Immediately fall to the ground. Lie on your stomach, but better yet, curl up in a ball and clasp your fingers at the back of your head. Your job is to be still and protect your stomach, neck and face.
If the bear tries to roll you over onto your back, slowly and smoothly roll over back to hide his face. But do it naturally, as if by inertia. Do not make sudden movements.
Usually a bear loses interest in a fight if it sees that the enemy is no longer dangerous. He completed his task: defended prey or territory. Therefore, most likely, he will leave. But if he sees or hears you moving, he may linger or return.
A bear attack always stops suddenly. Your task is to wait until he goes a sufficient distance. And then immediately leave the dangerous territory.
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