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• Try to keep your distance from bears if possible.
• Make noise when hiking to avoid accidently sneaking up on a bear.
• If you see a bear at a distance, shouting will USUALLY scare it away.
• If shouting does not scare it off, back away slowly. Do not turn your back to the bear. Turning and running can stimulate the bear's natural hunting instincts.
• Avoid cubs or coming between a mother and cubs.
• When camping, use bear resistant containers like the Bear Bag to store food away from your campsite. Do not store food in your tent.
• Another alternative is too double pack your food into plastic sealable bags. A bear's sense of smell is far greater than your's. Two bags will reduce food odors.
• Do not approach an injured animal.
• The National Park Service now recommends carrying pepper spray into the backcountry.(I can't 100% confirm that info, but I read it somewhere.) This causes no permanent damage to the animal. This is generally for areas that contain grizzlies, and is often not considered necessary in other areas.
• Laying face down with hands and fingers interlaced to protect your head and neck is prefered if attacked by a Grizzley.
• Keep legs spread apart to help prevent being rolled over exposing your more vulnerable abdomen.
• If the bear rolls you over, try to use the momentum to roll back over face down.
• Wearing a pack, even when dayhiking, can provide some buffer between you and the bear.
• I recently heard if attacked by a Black Bear you should fight back with everything you have. Their nature is TYPICALLY to run away. However, we prefer the pepper spray once again.
• You can carry along a few basic firecrackers that should frighten the animal when detonated. Remaining calm enough to access and light them will vary on an individual basis.
• You can climb a tree to escape a Grizzley, but not a Black Bear. The Grizzley’s claws cannot support their weight. However, it would be wise to choose a very substantial tree, and you would need to climb high enough to avoid the grizzley's reach which can be up to 10 - 12 feet.
• You can usually check with the area Ranger Station for current bear sightings, locations, and tips they may have.

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