What to do if you meet a bear in the forest?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

This animal lives almost everywhere where there is a forest zone. What to do if you meet a bear? If a person is not a professional hunter, do not try to kill the beast. There are few chances for that. And the fact that he will become furious and try to attack is a lot.

What to do if you meet a bear? Danger

By nature, bears are not super-aggressive creatures. He can attack if he is caught in a trap, sick or injured, while guarding prey, or in the event of a sudden appearance of a person, which causes fear in the bear. In the absence of these reasons, the bear itself will try to retreat from the meeting place. Do not try to set up tents on bear trails, as these animals move along them. Do not attract the attention of the bear by the smell of leftover food - dispose of it in any way possible. Do not hang provisions on a tree, do not stop near animal carcasses, rotten fish.

Bear behavior

The beast can stand on its hind legs, start snorting, growling, undermining the ground, which indicates that he wants to show,who is the boss here. The desire of the bear to attack is evidenced by the hair raised on end, standing ears and a direct look at the enemy. He will literally fly up to a person on all legs, after which he can stand on his hind legs to strike. Therefore, to the question: "What should I do if I met a bear?" - you can answer that first of all you need to assess its condition. The low speed of approaching a person indicates the uncertainty of the beast.

The Greatest Danger

The biggest danger lies in wait for a person when meeting with a she-bear. And also with an animal that you met suddenly. What to do if you meet a bear? Don't try to run! In the case of the presence of a backpack or any other things, throw them away from you to arouse bearish curiosity, which will help you either leave or climb a tree in these seconds or minutes. Adults do not climb them. But this is in the most hopeless situation, since the bear will climb a low tree. It will not climb on a thick and high one, but, seeing a running person, it can sit and wait under a tree for a long time. You can also freeze in a prone position (legs are tucked up, hands cover your face and neck), pretending to be dead (trying not to breathe) - the beast will most likely leave without causing harm, or scratch it a little. Get up after waiting a while, because the bear might not have gone far, but hide for the purpose of observation.

Meeting in the forest

Moving through the forest, carefully observe the anthills, the presence of scratches on the bark of trees,broken young growth of trees. For paw prints, the presence of excrement, torn stumps, etc. But what to do if you meet a bear in the forest? Remember that he is the master here. Do not try to run - it will catch up anyway, leave, as far as possible, calmly diagonally, without turning your back on the beast. He knows his boundaries, and if they are not violated, then most likely you will calmly leave. If the meeting cannot be avoided, stand facing the beast, but do not try to look into his eyes, scream, yell and yell. If the bear is watching you, and the ears are laid back, do not try to make any movements. Begin a gradual retreat after the beast's gaze is withdrawn.

Meeting in the forest seasonal

In the spring, bears wake up after hibernation and become dangerous. Especially - bears with cubs. From you - no threat to the side, first of all, cubs, and also no aggression towards the she-bear. This is understandable.

What to do if you meet a bear in the forest in summer? In July-August, they have a mating season. At this time, males become aggressive, which is especially evident if there is a female within the radius of his sense of smell and touch, which may not yield to males in aggression. This season, young growth can also attack, but competent actions in this season will quickly scare it away. Follow the advice above, shout, sing, raise your hands or a stick above you and wave them, but do not throw yourself intobear. If you have weapons or firecrackers - shoot in the air. Basically, in the summer there is a lot of food. Bears, as a rule, do not attack for no reason. Bears that have accumulated fat over the summer become more docile in autumn.

In winter, you can meet a connecting rod bear in the forest with some probability. This bear does not have time to eat during the summer, which causes his winter wanderings. The rods are very dangerous. Since there is no food, meeting them is fraught with danger. What to do if you meet a bear in the forest in winter? As you move, look for footprints in the snow. If bearish signs are found, turn off this path.

Bear attack

Next. What to do if you meet a bear and it attacks? This is where the struggle for existence takes place. Therefore, when attacking, you need to give the maximum possible rebuff. Aim at the eye sockets if possible, preferably with sharp objects. If it is impossible to strike in the eyes, one should try to kick in the stomach. The blow to achieve the required effectiveness must be direct. The right blow to the face can cause hemorrhage and fracture of the cervical vertebrae. According to some researchers, a direct blow to the nose is most effective. If you have a gun and know where to shoot for sure, and if it is impossible to take other actions, use this opportunity to save your own life.

Regional features of bears

In different regions, meeting with this beast is fraught with different dangers. Yes, bears. European part of our country, Carpathian, Central Asian, Caucasian and Belarusian are distinguished by a more or less peaceful disposition. The highest frequency of attacks is noted in the Far East, in Eastern Siberia, the Amur and Irkutsk regions, in Buryatia and Primorsky Krai. The most aggressive animals live in Japan. What to do if you meet a bear in the forest in the north? You need to follow all the previously given advice, try to retreat without turning your back on the beast.

Simple rules for avoiding a bear

It's easier to avoid the beast than to frantically remember what to do later. So, following these simple rules will help you avoid meeting a bear:

• move through open areas and light forests, where you can see the beast in advance and prevent a meeting with him;
• avoid the bear trails, which are two parallel rows of holes about 20 cm apart from each other;
• try to avoid willow and elfin cedar - the preferred habitats of bears;
• these animals can be near water bodies, catching salmon;
• try to move in groups of several people - the likelihood of a bear attack decreases;
• if you linger in the area of bears for the night, it is better to light a fire that will scare away the beast;
• after each meal, it must be disposed of so that odors do not attract hungry bears;
• move through the forest or mountains noisily, but do notscreaming. An animal nearby will hear an extraneous sound, and most likely will leave this place;
• do not visit places with burdock and tall grass;
• h alts should be arranged only in open areas with good visibility;
• try not to move around the supposed habitats of bears at night;
• if you're not going hunting, don't take your dog with you. She can attract the beast by barking, or when she meets him, she can rush at the bear, which will only make him angry;
• don't try to take a picture with the beast, the bear won't appreciate your selfie addiction.

If you still met with the beast, but it does not show aggression, but only curiosity is visible, you need to act according to the circumstances - either slowly retreat, or try to scare it away using the methods described above. The bear has poor eyesight, but at close range you do not need to look him directly in the eyes, he will regard this as aggression.

When meeting with a bear, you need to try to keep your cool and clarity of thought. Remember that if the animal sees a confident person, he will most likely prefer to leave. Do not try to imitate a bear growl, it is unlikely that the bear will understand you.

These rules apply to any area where you can meet the beast. In particular, they are also applicable when answering the question: “What should you do if you meet a bear in the taiga?” In this situation, it is better to take lighting devices with you: flashlights, cameras with a flash to blind the animal for a while andtry to move away during this time.

Meeting at the mountain

Next moment. What to do if you meet a bear in the mountains? If you are at the foot and the beast is dangerous, you can try to hit it and escape. Climbing the mountains. Otherwise, the rules of conduct are the same as those listed in the article above.

In closing

Let's return to the question asked at the beginning of the article: "What should I do if I meet a bear?" All the advice given here should be taken into account. But remember that none of them guarantees the safety of life. The most important thing is to keep your cool, not to try to come into conflict with the bear. If possible, leave, stepping back diagonally.