Quote:
Originally Posted by Robhu
The running part was told to me by a cousin in W.va. I didn't think it was very good advice.
You shouldn't run from a bear, either down hill or up hill.
The experts say (according to Readers Digest) to back away slowly and not to make eye contact. Making eye contact is considered a hostile gesture by wild animals. And even some domesticated animals that don't know you.
Just wanted to clarify that running from a bear is not the thing to do. Probably should let my cousin know about that.
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Yeah, as far as I can tell, running is not a good idea. I remember reading somewhere that for brief periods bears can run at something like 30 mph, so even if you're a real athlete, you're not going to outrun them.
Thanks for mentioning the eye contact thing.
In my earlier post I said to talk loudly if you see a bear, which is the advice I've seen in a number of places; but I've also seen advice that says to talk in a normal voice. I don't know which is better. But the main point of the talking, I think, is that it is a good idea to let the bear know that you're human. There aren't too many things that bears have to be afraid of, after all, except for us. So unless someone has been feeding the bear and getting it accustomed to being around humans, it will probably want to stay as far away from human contact as possible.
One thing you can do when you're in bear country is to either keep talking or singing a tune, or you can wear a bell. This will warn a bear that you're around, and the bear will probably just leave before you're even aware of its presence. (Of course, this technique presents some problems if you're quietly creeping through the forest trying to see other creatures--which is why, one day, I probably will be eaten by a bear.)
Something I forgot to mention earlier is that if you see a bear and the bear seems unaware of you, you should back away slowly and quietly. If you're lucky, it won't know you were there. And whether or not the bear sees you, you should always give the bear as much room as possible--don't approach it and don't crowd it. (Not that many people would--although I suppose there are always a few.) If the bear is reacting to you in any way (looking toward you, etc.) then you are too close and you should back away slowly.
Also, in the extremely unlikely event that you are charged by a bear, the experts say to stand your ground, because there is a good chance that the bear is bluffing and that it will veer off or stop, at which point you should slowly back away. (I have to admit that I would find it **very** hard not to run if a bear were charging at me--unless, of course, I was paralyzed with fear. But, if it does charge me, and we're standing there face to face, I will definitely try not to look it in the eyes. Actually, at that point, my eyes will probably be closed.)
Anyway, now we all know what to do the next time we see a bear in downtown Scranton.
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