- Most black bears will high-tail it when they hear or smell a human. While being loud and ripe with B.O. is a social no-no in the human world, it’s a good idea in bear country.
- If you surprise a bear on the trail, back away while speaking calmly and choose a new route or wait for the bear to leave the area.
- Avoid eye contact. This is perceived as a challenge to bears and may change their attitudes from “What’s that weirdo doing?” to “What the hell are you staring at? I’ll rip you apart, smartass!”
- Don’t run. Don’t turn your back. You can’t outrun a bear, and if you try, perhaps you deserve to be eaten. If your flight reaction takes over, your best bet is to climb a tree to at least 30 feet high.
- If a black bear wanders into your camp, make yourself look as big as possible, and try to scare it off with noise and /or light. (Also, make sure your food is properly stored in a bear canister or hung in a tree. If you’re sleeping with a bag of Cheetos, you might as well be a giant Cheeto.)
- If a black bear attacks you, fight back. Use pepper spray, throw rocks at it, or try to jab it in the eyes and nose with a rock, a knife, or a stick. Black bear attacks are often of a predatory nature (i.e. you’re a pot-pie and that bear wants to taste you). This makes playing dead rather dumb, especially if the bear has been stalking you.
- Play dead as a last resort. If you can’t scare the bear away, chances are it’s trying to remove you as a threat. This is most common in female bears with cubs.
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