Bear Safety:
Welcome to summer! The season of warm air and humidity is flying by as it seems to every year. Summer is the time of year to get outdoors and try new things in nature that you may not have tried before such as camping, biking, hiking, swimming, or going on a picnic. While all these hobbies are fun, there is a chance that you may not be the only one who enjoys a nice picnic basket full of goodies, and they might not be as friendly as Yogi and Boo-Boo.
Our safety topic this month is about bears, how to prevent an encounter, and some ways you can protect yourself from bears and other friends of the forest.
Like our foresters and field staff, bears are very active during the summer months. They have just given birth to their cubs and need to start putting on calories after the long winter of hibernation to prepare for the next winter season. Bears can commonly be found on trails, in berry patches, roaming about the forest, and sometimes in urban areas looking for some easy snacks that us humans leave out.
There are some easy practices to help prevent bear sightings that you can do both at home and while in the forest.
- LNT- Leave No Trace
- This means clean up after yourself as if you were never there.
- Do not leave food or trash unattended as this will attract bears and many other critters.
- Instead store your food in your vehicle or pack it out with you.
- Do not feed the bears or any wildlife for that matter.
- Once wildlife adjusts to humans feeding them, they often do not go back to relying just on berries or natural food sources.
- This can also cause them to seem or act aggressive when they do see a human again as they want free snacks.
- Make lots of noise while in the forest to let bears and other wildlife know you are there.
What to do if you see a bear and it will not go away:
- Do not run! Running from a common predator only shows that you are scared and that you are weak.
- Carry bear spray on you in a place of easy access such as on your belt or strapped to a vest. While you may not need to use bear spray, it is good to have it handy in case you do run into an aggressive bear.
Act bigger than the bear by putting your arms in the air and talk to the bear to let it know you see it. Stay calm in this moment. Showing lots of anger and aggression might cause the bear to go into fight instead of flight.
Every Steigerwaldt field employee is provide with bear spray and receives bear spray training.
How to use bear spray:
- Keep your bear spray in an easy to access location.
- Remove the safety clip that protects the actuator tab that activates the spray.
- If possible, try to position yourself where the wind will not blow the bear spray back at you, however, in an emergency this might not be possible.
- Point your bear spray slightly downward as normally the bear’s face is closer to the ground rather than straight out.
- To activate bear spray, push down on the tab on top of the canister when needed. Remember to use the spray wisely as it is high pressured and will run out.
- For more info on how to use your bear spray, read the directions and precautionary statements on the can.
Bear spray can be used on other wildlife that pose a threat to you; however, you may not have the same results as when it is used on a bear. It is also a great idea to practice wearing your bear spray on you so you can adjust to it and figure out what the best location for it is.
Enjoy your summer activities and get out into the great outdoors! Just remember to do a little homework on the area you will be visiting and bring your bear spray.
Have a great summer!
~Nate Loeffler, Forester
