How To Avoid A Bear Attack

Many NJ residents were shocked to hear about the news story of a black bear attack in West Milford on Sunday, which resulted in the death of Darsh Patel, a 22 year old Rutgers University student. It is very rare to have someone in this area killed by a black bear. The last fatal bear attack in NJ was in 1852.

A group including Darsh and four other friends went hiking in the Apshawa Preserve on Sunday when they were first followed by a black bear. Instead of staying together and trying to scare the bear off, which would have probably been the best course of action, the five decided to scatter and Darsh was the unlucky one that the black bear chased. Scattering may have seemed like a good idea, since the bear could only chase down one of them, but running from a black bear is not advisable, since they may then see you as prey. Since black bears can run much faster than humans, running is only a good idea if a secure location is within a short distance and you can get there before the bear can get to you.

When they couldn’t find Darsh, the remaining four contacted the authorities, who found Darsh’s body a few hours later. The bear was subsequently killed. The news did not report this, but I am suspicious that the hikers had food on them and that was initially what the bear was after.

Most of the time a bear won’t attack people, but bear attacks are becoming more frequent as each bear’s territory is shrinking and the bears are consequently getting more aggressive searching for food. More and more people are also hiking and camping in bear territory.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. You will never lose a fight that you are in.

2. Bear avoidance is the primary objective.

3. If you see a bear, try not to panic and don’t run. A black bear can run as fast as 35 mph!

4. The black bear is the only type of bear that lives in New Jersey. Brown bears, grizzly bears, Kodiak bears and polar bears do not live in the wild locally.

5. Bears are animals, who have a variety of personalities and behavior patterns. Some are more aggressive than others. What may work in one situation with one bear, may backfire in another.

6. If you are in bear country, it is a good idea to buy and carry bear spray with you and keep it easily accessible.

7. Knowledge is power! Knowing how to avoid a bear encounter, what to do if approached and finally how to defend yourself if attacked could save your life.

Avoiding a Bear Encounter:

Life is a giant game of calculated risks. The one and only way to guarantee that you will avoid a bear encounter is to stay out of areas in which bears live. But if you love being out in nature, this is difficult to accomplish. The other consideration is that if you live in this area, you are already in bear country.

When you are hiking, make your presence known. Do not be in a stealth mode. Talk loudly, sing, make a lot of noise and try to stay in groups for greater safety. If a bear knows that you are coming, this will allow the bear to walk away from the noise and to avoid an encounter, which they are usually not looking for.

Be on the lookout for active bear signs such as fresh tracks or fresh bear feces (scat). If possible, avoid their feeding areas, such as berry patches and stream banks. Hiking during the midday hours will also reduce the chances of encountering a bear, as they are less active at that time.

When camping, food is the most likely enticement for a bear entering your campsite. The National Parks Conservation Association suggests double-bagging and hanging your food a minimum of 14 feet above the ground and at least 4 feet from the trunk of a tree. This may not be practical, so if you don’t have a place to hang your food, you can put your food in sealable plastic containers and store those containers in your car.

Do not place your tent near hanging food or by a car where food is stored. The smell of food may still attract the attention of a bear and if it does, you want the source of that food smell to be a substantial distance from your campsite. The suggested distance is 100 yards. If that distance is not possible, make the distance between your campsite and your stored food or your eating area as far as possible. Food wrappers, leftovers, food scraps and dirty dishes can also put the scent of food in the air, so don’t keep them near your campsite.

You should also place your tent in an area where you will have good visibility. Having a significant elevation will be helpful, but this may increase the amount of wind that you are exposed to. Avoid placing your tent near heavy brush, since you will not be able to see an approaching bear.

Encounters:

If a distant encounter occurs, simply back away, at least a few hundred yards and find another route. If another route is not available, wait 20 to 30 minutes before heading back down the trail. While going back down the trail, be sure to make noise to announce your presence. This will allow the bear to know that you are coming and not to frighten the bear into attack mode. It will also give him ample time to move out of your path.

If you have a close encounter with a black bear while you are walking down a trail, an accepted strategy would be to stop, stand your ground and to assess the situation. If the bear does not instantly come towards you, it is best to slowly back away while keeping an eye on the bear to make sure it isn’t following you. If a black bear starts to come towards you, make yourself as big as possible and in a stern voice tell it to go away. If the bear continues to come at you, use your bear spray when he is about 20-30 feet away to deter it from coming any closer.

In the case of a close encounter at your campsite with a black bear, make sure that the bear has a clear escape path. Stand tall and look at the bear while saying something like “Get out of here bear” with a loud and stern voice. Keep doing this until the bear leaves. Don’t scream at the bear frantically, since this may scare the bear and cause it to attack. Have bear spray or a large strong stick with you in case the bear gets too close. These may be used to deter the bear from an actual attack.

There are no grizzly bears in New Jersey, but if you are on vacation and you have any close encounter with a grizzly bear, they are different from black bears. Grizzly bears are much more aggressive than black bears and more difficult to discourage. With a grizzly bear, it is better to stand still, keep your eyes on the bear and wait for its reaction. If the grizzly comes too close for comfort, you can try your bear spray to stop it from attacking you. If it keeps its distance, slowly back away from it while keeping your eyes on the bear. Remember to never turn your back on or run from a bear.

Attacks:

The National Park Service breaks bear attacks into two groups; defensive attacks and predatory attacks. Learning how to recognize what type of attack is happening will allow you to appropriately respond to the attack. Never run from a bear in attack mode, as they are much faster than you. Also, they see your flight response as a fleeing animal and will chase you.

Most bear attacks are defensive attacks. They are called defensive attacks because the bear is generally caught off guard by a human presence and they are trying to defend themselves. With that surprise comes their instinct to defend themselves, their cubs, or their food. Predatory bear attacks are rare for black bears. Polar bears, on the other hand, have been known to track and attack humans.

Protecting Yourself in a Defensive Attack:

Defensive attacks are the most common type of bear attack. There are a few things to look for when a bear attack will be a defensive attack. Common bear actions in these types of attacks include: hop charges, a fake rush towards you, slapping at the ground, teeth clacking and huffs. This is the bear’s way of saying, “I don’t know what you are or what you’re doing here but you are not welcome.” Sometimes a bear will stand on its hind legs to get a better look and smell, to determine if you are a threat to them. If the bear does not get more aggressive after these motions, slowly back away while facing the bear. Do not turn your back on or run from a frightened bear.

It is a bad scenario if you get caught off guard and the bear gets to you before you can properly respond. This may also occur because you were not successful with a bear spray or scaring the bear off. If this is a defensive attack, all is not lost. At that point, one suggested strategy is to play dead in an attempt to defuse the situation. While on the ground either lay flat on your stomach with your fingers interlocked over your neck and spread your elbows and legs so it is harder for the bear to roll you over; or, curl up in the fetal position, again with your fingers interlocked over your neck.

In a defensive attack, a bear does not intend to eat you, it is just trying to eliminate a threat. Generally, once the bear believes that you, the threat, have been eliminated, it will leave. Continue lying on the ground for at least 20-30 minutes to make sure the bear is not lurking around watching. If the attack continues and you feel that you are going to be seriously injured, or killed, fight back with any weapon possible. Use rocks, sticks and anything else that you have available to you. If you have a handful of dirt, throw it in the bear’s eyes. With any makeshift weapon aim to damage the sensitive areas of the bear, being the nose and the eyes.

Protecting Yourself During a Predatory Attack:

A predatory attack is one in which the bear intends to eat you. If this is happening, do whatever you can to survive. If a bear is attacking you in this manner, you would not want to play dead as you might during a defensive attack.

Knowing what to do to avoid a bear encounter and what to do if you become face-to-face with a bear is the best way to survive in bear country.

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