Sharing the woods with black bears

It's sort of ironic that my name here is mommabear but I have a question regarding bears. When I hiked the 46, I ran into a bear on Big Slide on my way down. I was hiking solo and it was later in the afternoon. The bear and I had a conversation and he eventually left. When I decided to go for the Catskill 35, I knew I would likely run into bears but I didn't think I would in my first solo hike. On Monday, I had a busy day and decided to squeeze in a hike. It's August, there was no rain predicted, it was a clearly marked trail that was also relatively short, etc., but just before I reached the summit, I noticed this big black thing about 50 feet in front of me. It was the profile of a bear's head. I think it was male because of its size. It noticed me and scooted off. After he disappeared, I tried using as deep a manly voice as I could to give him further warning and then I continued up to the summit and all was fine. I plan to continue hiking the Catskills and sometimes solo. I'm not a morning person so there will be times that I will be descending later in the afternoon, possibly even early evening. I'm well equipped and love the night woods, but I think I might run into more bears.

Here's the thing - I respect their space and keep as much distance as possible and I feel strongly that it is extremely unlikely a black bear would attack me. Anybody have any experiences/knowledge about dealing with black bears? Someone suggested pepper spray so that sounds reasonable just in case I run into an ornery bear on a bad day but otherwise, I think I'm OK. Non judgmental feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.

mommabear said:

It's sort of ironic that my name here is mommabear but I have a question regarding bears. When I hiked the 46, I ran into a bear on Big Slide on my way down. I was hiking solo and it was later in the afternoon. The bear and I had a conversation and he eventually left. When I decided to go for the Catskill 35, I knew I would likely run into bears but I didn't think I would in my first solo hike. On Monday, I had a busy day and decided to squeeze in a hike. It's August, there was no rain predicted, it was a clearly marked trail that was also relatively short, etc., but just before I reached the summit, I noticed this big black thing about 50 feet in front of me. It was the profile of a bear's head. I think it was male because of its size. It noticed me and scooted off. After he disappeared, I tried using as deep a manly voice as I could to give him further warning and then I continued up to the summit and all was fine. I plan to continue hiking the Catskills and sometimes solo. I'm not a morning person so there will be times that I will be descending later in the afternoon, possibly even early evening. I'm well equipped and love the night woods, but I think I might run into more bears.

Here's the thing - I respect their space and keep as much distance as possible and I feel strongly that it is extremely unlikely a black bear would attack me. Anybody have any experiences/knowledge about dealing with black bears? Someone suggested pepper spray so that sounds reasonable just in case I run into an ornery bear on a bad day but otherwise, I think I'm OK. Non judgmental feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.

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If you are not backpacking, your biggest risk with bears is startling them, especially a mother and cub, which I have had the "pleasure" of doing on a solo hike. Mama bear (not you) was on her hind legs and the cub shot about 30 feet up a tree. I suggest using a bell on your pack if you are worried about it. If they hear or smell you, they're usually gone. The mother and cub never heard me coming. Eventually we worked it out peacefully.

Hiked 17 years in the Cats, never had a negative bear experience. Laurie, most her life. Ditto.

Pepper spray - Are you going to carry it, or have it clipped to your hip/pack? Otherwise, never mind. Also, if it's windy, what then?

Raven said:

I suggest using a bell on your pack if you are worried about it. If they hear or smell you, they're usually gone.

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Reports suggest that bells are less effective than voices. In one informal experiment, the experimenters rang a bell and got no response from a bear. They then snapped a twig and it instantly became alert.

To the OP:
You might consider reading: "Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance" by Stephen Herrero.

Herrero reports that compressed-air boat horns are effective in the context of hiking near a noisy stream.

Doug

I have encountered wild black bears on my AT corridor section in the past frequently. Wild black bears that are not human habituated, tend to run first and don't hang around. I usually walk in the same road that I walk out later I the afternoon so if I have had a bear encounter in the morning I usually give a few blasts of an ACR whistle when walking back through. ACR whistles are used by boaters and they are loud and definitely don't sound natural. If I was in area where bears are human habituated, like towns and campgrounds, I would be far more concerned but in the woods I expect black bear encounters are rarely dangerous.

We finally saw a black bear after decades of hiking in the Catskills fairly close to the start of the trail up Slide Mountain. I guess the bear was curious about us and we were curious about the bear and it was exciting and a little scary, but the bear ran off into the woods after a bit. We didn't make any noise, just watched it. We've also camped at some of the leanto's and haven't been bothered by bears.

Hello All,

I often "click" my poles together when I feel that I am in an area that is likely to result in surprising a bear (thick vegetation, blueberry bushes in an area that is rarely travelled, etc).

My two bear encounters occurred while solo hiking at a rapid pace. The first was on the Blueberry Ledge on Whiteface (NH) and the second was approaching the North Summit of Pawtuckaway (also NH).

Many people disregard the advice of Bear Grylls after his fall from grace but his "Hey Bear!" strategy validates the informal data DougPaul mentions. When I came around a turn and realized I was staring at the rear end of a black bear I simply said "Hey Bear" and clicked my poles. The bear scurried off at a frantic pace and luckily for me, it was not a cub and mamma situation.

A surprised Black Bear is indeed a dangerous bear. A hungry grizzly is something I would rather sneak by

Z

thank you so much all of you for your replies. I do tend to hike solo and to be honest, as a woman, I am more afraid of two-legged animals than four-legged. One of the things I love about hiking solo and later in the day/evening is the difference in the woods - the sounds are different- it seems like everything is amplified or for that matter, maybe just clearer. A friend of mine suggested I get a can of mace and I think that's what I should do - just in case I run into an angry bear on a bad day. One of the wonderful things about hiking in the northeast is the gentleness of the wildlife. I appreciate your feedback and would love to hear more first-hand bear stories and ideas. Thank you . . . and . . . I'll keep you updated!

PS The first thing I thought about when I saw the bear was "my camera" but he moved too fast!

Mommabear. Get a gun dog bell and attach it to your pack. Not one of the little 'tinkle' bells, a good size one that bird hunters attach to the collars of their pointers. It should pretty much guarantee you'll never see a bear unless it's intoxicated on fermented berries. My Lab, Bookah, wore one her whole life. Springtime for bear cubs, autumn so hunters could hear her coming, year 'round so I could tell where she was on trails and especially 'whacks. Now my Lab pup, Toby, wears the bell. Same reasons.
If you remain concerned, forget about the mace you buy for protection against 2 legged 'critters'. Those little lipstick sized canisters don't have the range or capacity to assure that you'll dissuade a bear. Pick up one of the bear spray canisters they use in grizzly country. The size of soup cans with a 50ft range and hook it on your belt. But I'm guessing a good sized bell will keep you from seeing bears and most other wildlife.

Bells and pole clicks make sounds that a bear may or may not associate with a human. (It may only associate bell and pole sounds with humans if it has prior experience with them and humans.) In contrast, a bear is more likely to associate a voice with humans... ("Hey Bear!" is a traditional thing to say while walking in bear country or after sighting a black bear.) While bells and pole clicking may be better than nothing, talking to yourself is likely a better defense. Hiking in groups (stay together where visibility is poor) is another good defense. Also pay attention to the direction of the wind--bear's noses are far better than their eyes.

Momabear:
In the East, hiker injuries caused by bears are very rare. Black bears have a natural fear of humans and will generally flee or climb trees to escape but may lose it if they become habituated. If we are careless with our food storage, they will learn to associate us with food and may lose their fear of us. (They generally want our food, not us...) However, there are rare exceptions where they will view humans as prey... (If they actually attack you, fight back.) This advice only applies to black bears--grizzlies should be treated differently.

I will repeat my suggestion that you read Herrero--your questions will be answered in far more detail than any answers you will get from this website.

Note: Grizzlies are only found in the West. NW black bears are reported to often be more aggressive than eastern black bears.

If you still fear eastern bears while hiking solo, carrying bear spray may be the best strategy. It is also very effective on dogs and 2-legged creatures... You will have to carry it on your hip for it to be effective because you may need to use it on very short notice.

Doug

I'd rather take my chances then listen to dang gun dog bell all day . A dog on a leash is good company/"protection".
As mentioned: Pepper Spray will deter more than bear, but point it down wind.
We've got a big male in the neighborhood and we're on the same schedule, early morning and mid evening. Never a problem.
I've always been more concerned with rabid animals in the woods or neighborhood.

Chip said:

A dog on a leash is good company/"protection".

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A dog can go either way. It may detect the bear before its owner, but its barking can antagonize the bear. And off-leash dogs have been known to lead a charging bear back to their owners resulting in an attack on the owner...

Doug

If my old lab, Bookah, or new Lab puppy, Toby, were hike-on-leash dogs, I wouldn't bother with a bell.

DougPaul, animals know what sounds are native to the woods and what sounds are not. A loud gun dog bell is not a sound they associate with anything in nature and is likely the reason I've never seen bears close up except when I'm hiking sans pooch.

When I hike with people I don't know, I ask if the bell bothers them and act accordingly or avoid them if I think the bell is important due to bear proximity, bushwhack, or hunting season.

Forget black bears. The critter we all should be afraid of in these parts is the mama spruce grouse. I have been charged more times than I can remember and have heard stories of actual attacks. These flippin' birds freak me out more than any bear!

I think I've seen 12 black bears up close. Yelling at them almost always works, if it does not you may be between a cub and momma, consider going around the bear. Only one bear I yelled at didn't leave, this was on Falling waters trail when you take the left turn after all the water. I simply picked up a good stick and chucked it at him, scoring a direct hit. He then ran away. Not sure if I recommend that or not to be honest. lol.

summitseeker said:

A surprised Black Bear is indeed a dangerous bear. A hungry grizzly is something I would rather sneak by

Z

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A surprised black bear is virtually never a dangerous bear, even a sow with cubs that takes a run at you.

A dangerous black bear is a bear that made up its mind to eat you while you were unaware of its presence. This is the bear that won't stop coming and that you must fight with everything at your disposal to persuade it you're not worth the risk of being injured - from the bear's perspective.

A surprised brown/grizzly is potentially a very serious threat. Absent bear spray or a firearm of sufficient stopping power and skill way beyond that of even experienced bear hunters, your best choice in the event of a charge is to roll up in a ball, protecting your head, neck and abdomen, and let it bite you a few times until it decides you're no longer a threat. Stay put for a very long time after it leaves. Many people have survived this way. Some don't, sometimes because they get up too soon.

A brown/grizzly that has decided to eat you will do just that, and if it has a grip on you, you're going to die and be eaten.

Read Herrero. Pay attention to what he says.

This is a recent, classic example of what triggers an attack by a surprised brown/grizzly and how to survive it.

Woman mauled by brown bear on Cordova hiking trail describes attack

sardog1 said:

A surprised black bear is virtually never a dangerous bear, even a sow with cubs that takes a run at you.

A dangerous black bear is a bear that made up its mind to eat you while you were unaware of its presence. This is the bear that won't stop coming and that you must fight with everything at your disposal to persuade it you're not worth the risk of being injured - from the bear's perspective.

A surprised brown/grizzly is potentially a very serious threat. Absent bear spray or a firearm of sufficient stopping power and skill way beyond that of even experienced bear hunters, your best choice in the event of a charge is to roll up in a ball, protecting your head, neck and abdomen, and let it bite you a few times until it decides you're no longer a threat. Stay put for a very long time after it leaves. Many people have survived this way. Some don't, sometimes because they get up too soon.

A brown/grizzly that has decided to eat you will do just that, and if it has a grip on you, you're going to die and be eaten.

Read Herrero. Pay attention to what he says.

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Well, apparently I had some bad advice, probably from Bear Grylls.

I would rather alert a Black Bear to my presence as it is likely to move along rather than be confrontational. Here in NH a black bear is not typically regarded as a thing "that (makes) made up its mind to eat you while you were unaware of its presence". The last confirmed fatal attack was over 200 years ago.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/faqs_black_bears.htm

With that track record I will continue making my presence know to bears rather than worry about a rogue bear. With all due respect a charging momma bear is something I wouldn't take lightly.


Z

The risk of harm from a charging black bear mother has been shown to be negligible.

This is from an earlier edition of Herrero's work. Maybe Doug or someone else can provide the updated reference.

"Sudden encounters with black bears, even mothers with cubs, almost never lead to injury - further evidence of the bears' tolerance for human beings. In a sudden encounter the black bear's behavior is different from the grizzly's. When a wild black bear suddenly encounters a person, it will frequently charge toward the person, swatting the ground with a front paw or making loud, blowing noises. Although such actions may make your palms sweat and your legs shake, they are rarely followed by an attack."

To my knowledge, this has not been refuted since the original publication. It has been reinforced by other researchers.

sardog1 said:

A dangerous black bear is a bear that made up its mind to eat you while you were unaware of its presence. This is the bear that won't stop coming and that you must fight with everything at your disposal to persuade it you're not worth the risk of being injured - from the bear's perspective.

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Fortunately predatory attacks by black bears are pretty rare.

However, there are several reported instances where fighting back during an attack was the wrong strategy. Herrero reports several cases where a mother with cubs attacked but stopped when the human played dead. These were defensive attacks (even rarer than predatory attacks) similar to many grizzly attacks.

The moral is that no single defense strategy is absolutely guaranteed to protect one during a bear attack...

Read Herrero. Pay attention to what he says.

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Hear! Hear! (or should I say "Read! Read!")

Doug