They are omnivores, a small portion of their diet is comprised of meat. We see lots of videos of bears hunting and catching fish because its exciting, is a bear eating berries off a bush exciting, not really, but that and other foraging behavior is basically what they do.
The term "apex predator" is misleading. We are not food to most bears. The vast, vast majority of bears in the backcountry (where they have not been fed by people and have not tasted honey walnut granola) want nothing to do with human beings. A small number of them may be curious (mostly black bears in my experience), and a tiny, tiny fraction of them act as predators towards humans. Being afraid of bears is like being afraid of water. Learn to swim, don't be stupid, and the chances of getting hurt or killed go down way below the risk you run of being involved in a life-altering car collision on the way to the store.
Everyone should have a healthy fear of Apex predators, and with their ever changing environment. Bears are unpredictable and what works with one probably won’t work with all.
It's a good point to have a healthy fear of them. I probably didn't make that point well enough, but that should have extended into the point about being aware of your surroundings. That fear should drive that awareness and caution when hiking, especially in low visibility areas. Granted, the ones I come across typically don't come into conflict with humans and development since they are commonly in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and therefore are still completely wild. However the ones that do have at least one run-in or two with human conflict will act in more unpredictable ways, which can be problematic. Thank you for helping with those points that I forgot to mention!
@@FreeRoamingPhoto yes exactly, studies show that many animals have been changing set behaviors and patterns. Environmental encroachment , decreasing food sources, and climate change. My daughter is an archeologist and had worked in Yellowstone National park, and others. She noticed that bears are losing their natural fear of humans, and Bear attacks have risen drastically in the past decades. And in some instances even using bear spray set them into a rage, causing them to attack. I believe many Apex predators are changing / deviating from known behaviors because of climate change that is now at warp speed. It’s a pretty scary scenario, to think what will their conditions will be in the future and what will their behaviors be like in five - twenty years.
@@kelleywarriors7091 the "climate change" is rapidly occurring because of atmospheric aerosol spraying from military and commercial jet liners. Nanoparticles of Aluminium, Silicon, Barium, Strontium etc. have worked their way into the brains of humans and the entire food chain, as these nanoparticles are electrically conductive as is required for geoengineering, who knows how these particles which now permeate the soil and water is affecting the brains of other Apex predators besides humans. Like those tigers in India that have become extra aggressive due to their only source of river water being contaminated with excess Salt...
Sadly, today, I don't go out and about in a major city without a firearm (legal - here).. I also don't go into Apex predator territory without one. Hope to never use it! BUT I'm not about to be defenseless against anything, or anyone.
I don't need to be afraid of bears but I do need to respect them, I do need to keep a clean camp and I do need to keep bear spray close... This is an excellent video.
When working on my land in bear country I keep Metallica queued and ready. If a bear comes around I hit play. If you think music doesn't affect bears, you have never seen one running away in terror from "The Four Horseman". Also you should ALWAYS be scared of bears. Even a 150 lb. sow can easily rip a big man apart. I have lived my life around bears. Your advice works in general but there are exceptions to every rule.
Lol I do the same.. I keep my speaker connected to my phone and have something LOUD ready to play anytime.. Bears, coyotes, moose, they all go the other way when the drums & screaming starts lol
@@sergeanttibs6345 I scared the hell outta my buddy last fall doing it🤣 I saw a black bear, he didn't see it. I hit play & I believe it was some behemoth song that was playing.. Something with a deep, LOUD growl scream lol. Bear took off though! My buddy said "no surprise they run, they probably think it's a friggin dinosaur coming through the woods" 🤣 and especially up here in the mountains, the echo prob sounds insane!!
Yes, 60 years in the wilderness for me. I have had at least 100 bear encounters. Yes common sense and your message here has worked for me. I only took my bear spray out 1 time. Yes it was an encounter with a black beR and 2 cubs, but did not have to spray her. Calmness and moving away, gave her and the cubs a way to exit. Thanks for sharing
@@michaelholt8590 please cite who they were and scientific references to cases. Without that your comment is less than useless. Steven Herrero's book is a must read.
@@martinep6293 There is a channel here called "Scary Bear Attacks" that tell the stories of real, documented bear attacks. Several are of so called bear experts that end up learning more than they ever know. Several were found with their empty can of bear spray.
Read Mark of the Grizzly. Every grizzly bear attack survivor in that book says the attack happened so fast there was no time to deploy bear spray or draw a firearm. Most of them say they were not even aware of the bear until it made contact with them. If you see the bear and the bear sees you from a distance that would allow you to get prepared or react, chances are you are not going to be attacked. It’s the bear you don’t see that will kill you.
I live in bear country.. If you don't want to carry a gun or bear spray that's your prerogative but I have a family. I know what bears can do. U make it sound like UR gonna get killed U cant stop it so dont try lol This is the problem and why Ted Bundy killed so many women . The atmosphere in America was submit if you're attacked submit you will be raped hopefully they will let you go they just want that if you fight you will make him mad and he will kill you... But guess what EXPERTS told those women to submit to attacker so U can live. The women used this trusted advice. U know how Ted BUNDY was caught??? A woman fought for her life. She DIDNT COMPLY . SHES ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE SHE FOUGHT. That professional advice should have had experts sent prison . Reputations should have been scarred & trashed. But they shrug it off. Whoops we were wrong. Yes u should fight NEVER go to second location
Naw, read actual reports of every grizzly attack. There've been dozens of encounters that allowed the person enough time to use bear spray or a firearms.
I've had at least a dozen encounters with bears growing up in the mountains. Never had an issue, just followed the simple steps: pay attention, wear something you can open up to make yourself look bigger and always make noise so you never startle them. Also helps to talk loudly if you do run into one. Every bear I've run into has run away. They might sniff at you and perk their ears up and stare at you, but if you're respectful they will absolutely leave you alone. Bear spray should be carried as well just in case the worst case scenario happens and one approaches. Just wanted to add some details to all the great advice in this video. Thanks brotha!
@@FreeRoamingHiker Deeply humbled by the fact and way you responded to me man. Thank you for releasing such a concise video, any dangerous animal deserves and ultimately demands our respect. It's best to love wild animals from a distance for both their and our safety
@@FreeRoamingHiker could not agree more. Would you be interested in doing a zoom call dialog at some point? I know that is completely out of the blue, but it could be interesting. I grew up in the backwoods of the Appalachian mountains so I may have something to share. Either way, I really appreciate your approach to your videos. All the best man
@@theflyingcrud Didn't mean to leave you hanging! I was actually trying to figure out a good time but I'm having a pretty busy winter - hence the lack of new videos lately - so I haven't been able to come up with a good time yet. I would be interested though! Just a matter of finding the right time.
❤ Any wildlife- especially Bears deserve RESPECT in THEIR NATURAL HABITATS- the problem with humans ! they DON'T understand they're going through these animals only homes !!
Some people have just happened upon a bear on a trail and were attacked because they were in the wrong place and time and encountered the wrong bears. Also, “bears just want to be left alone,” is patently untrue. They need to eat and they’re territorial. They will predate you if they’re hungry enough and they will defend themselves, their young, or their territory or their recent kill cache if they see you as a competitor/scavenger.
If you play music on the trail you won't hear the charging bear !! So you won't see your death coming. I agree , don't play music. Don't muffle your own senses. But you NEED to have a fear of bears !! Dont pretend theres nothing to be afraid of. You NEED bear spray , bear poppers , and a large caliber FIREARM !! Keep all food in scent locking bear bags or bear boxes !! Use common sense !! Don't make yourself an easy meal !!
The bear that is predatory is rare, but you won't see them, they will be sneaking up behind you or get ahead of you to ambush you out of cover. They go for the throat; you will have your throat crushed and that will be it. You probably won't even know what happened.
@@extramile734 There are many people eaten by grizzlies that believed as you do. The differences between a bluff charge and a predator's ambush. I'm guessing you don't hike in bear country much.
I'm telling you, I've had one sneaking around me and my son. We walked probably a half mile on a fire road and never knew it was with us. The only thing was a weird feeling of something watching us. Suddenly it charged away from us and that's when we noticed it. It was only a few feet away!
Was only in Glacier Park 3 times, saw grizzlies each time. Closest was mother and cub about 50 yards off of a trail, 2 along a river, one on what my sister said was the most traveled trail " so don't worry we won't see a bear. Had a black bear walk between our tent and the fireplace were we were standing. Had one challenge neighbors for their food and won. Had to scare one from near my parked car so I could get in and pick up the rest of the family.
Yeah, we get why YOU don't want music on the trail, it's rude and ineffective, also a whistle won't do much either, and I'm sorry, but saying "Hey bear" just a little louder than normal will NOT scare a bear away - if you encounter a bear and you want to scare a bear away use an air horn. Yup it's loud, but it WILL scare a bear away - there are lots of US Forest Rangers who put the air horn on their belts. (I'm sure YOU won't like it since you like the sound of nature - but if one encounters a bear that seems unimpressed with your "hey bear" - that should do the trick most of the time and you won't have to hurt them with bear spray).Of course the statistics say you'll survive your hike most of the time, however, to not worry about a bear when you're in their backyard is not only stupid, it's insulting to the bear. Native Americans lived amongst bear for eons - and in California before the grizzly bear went extinct there - when the Spanish arrived - the indigenous people begged for help in culling the bear population. The Spanish noted that not only were the bear attacking humans on the regular (not skittish at all) almost all the native Americans had deep scars from bear attacks and told of many fatalities among their tribes over time. Bears, although not nearly as populous as in the 1500s in the continental States, still kill two people a year in the continental US. Bear attacks can come out of nowhere because BEARS ARE WILD. All bears can be dangerous, but oddly because it's the smaller of the species, especially with the Black Bear - which can be much more aggressive, stalk and can look at humans as fuel. The native Americans had a healthy fear of bear - to not fear them is to not respect their immense power.
I think you misunderstood the whole point of the video. Of course a healthy respect for bears is mandatory whether you're hiking among them or watching them from a roadside. This video is intended for people doing basic day-hikes in bear country where even benign bear encounters themselves are extremely rare. These are all tips that both the forest service and the national park service both highly recommend. And you're right, saying "hey bear" doesn't scare away a bear, but it does alert them to your presence before you're too close, thus avoiding a surprise encounter. As a result, the whole point of this video was to inform people not accustomed to day-hiking in bear country that they don't need to be worried about every bend in the trail or shadow behind a tree, thus hiking in complete fear, as you recommend. Similarly, while neither of us really know what Native Americans were actually thinking 400 years ago, it's a safe bet that they had a healthy fear of certain animals when they found themselves in close proximity, but it's highly unlikely that they lived their entire existence in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety simply because grizzlies might have been in the area. You say I'm stupid for thinking otherwise, but given how rarely I see bears while I'm hiking, whether in Grand Teton or Yellowstone's backcountry, and given that statistics on unfortunate encounters are remarkably low, to me it seems like a waste of a day out to hike mile after mile in a state of fear, when the whole point of hiking is to feel the opposite. However, if that's what you prefer, that's totally up to you, but to call someone stupid for enjoying their hike, while simply assuming that they don't respect the animal they've spent over a decade studying, photographing, reading about, and observing is pretty low.
Thanks for your very rational video. I hike alone in black bear country, 10 to 15 miles per day. There are plenty of bear tracks in the mud after the rain, likely quite a few bears around me. I still have to see a bear. I make sure they can hear me coming, the ususal "Hey bear" gets old after a few miles, more often I just talk to the bear, tell them stories, laugh out loud to the BS I come up with, it can be a bit of a travel journal and I record some of it. I hit stones with the tree branch I use as a treking pole. RE increase in bear sttacks, hypothesis most likely IMO, the increase in people out to "experience nature". Most people I have seen in campgrounds and a few on trails (very short distances) are not trained or physically fit, and have done zero readings/research on bear behavior. They do not seem to realize that nature is the bear's home and under those conditions the bears is 10 times smarter than they are. They owe the animals RESPECT, it is not Disney land or a zoo. This is the case for a large majority of campers, ignorance and/or lack of concern. Re campground: I leave nothing outside my van, no need to make a bear feel he needs to go check out what is there. I never cook in my van, or eat there.
People are naive about wild animals as it is & your into (“you really don’t need to worry about encountering a bear when you are in bear country.”) feeds that false sense of, “oh, aren’t they cute” mentality.. It wasn’t long ago that a female camper was killed by a bear in Montana. Then there’s the teen & his mom in bear country, where mom was killed. After first seeing the bear, the kid, wanted to turn around, but NO, mom refused. I think people should be prepared and be VERY afraid of bears. You never know when they have cubs with them.
see statistics, bears have a lot of catching up to do if compared to people killing, harming other people, bears where living around my yard, i could say, they behaved better then most people do this days,
I live in Alaska and I always carry bear spray and a Glock 20 just in case the spray didn't work. Haven't encountered one yet but I don't take any chances.
I’ve had a lot of bear encounters over the years. Never had to use my bear spray. My experience is they are more interested in forging for food than me. I always make noise and hike in groups when possible. Good vid. 👍👍
That was pretty good; I wonder if my hiking pole banging on rocks is loud enough to warn a bear. I doubt it, so I turn Hello Bear into a song. BTW, he needs to talk about how to react a black bear versus grizzly attack.
I Just watched four videos of people who got eaten alive by grizzlies.Plus just listened to hunter Steve Isdahl talk about How fast and how lucky a person had to be to get off a perfect cool headed shot as an 600-800 lb bear is charging with an unbelievable speed... Im going to listen to your advice though..
It's true though.. you never know where an animal may pop up & I've came across many bears in areas they "weren't supposed" to be.. especially if they're hungry & trying to gain their weight for winter..
why ? i had them living near the house, one was like royality, sunbathing at times on the driveway, when i wanted to drive out she moved reluctantly, she loved watching me work, i did camp out lots, never had a problem, not even in Alaska, i rather dont camp out in very dry periods, risk of forest fire and bears can become hungry due to failed berry crops ?
@@ertsixbarf you just happened to get lucky ! Some bears don't care about people at all as long as they're not starving & know the person isn't a threat to them. We have black bears that will camp out on my property with their babies because they know they're safe here, as long as they behave lol. But, if I were to bring my dogs for a walk around the mountain and happened to get too close, mama would absolutely attack us without hesitation. Where I am, the most dangerous time is mid-late fall to beginning of winter when they're in hyperphagia & looking for anything they can eat.
@@mikefrost1312 yes, i do realize when they get to my place they kind of know me already, like the birds nesting around the barn, they know me, but yes, in other locations i am a stranger, i could so far avoid being to close,
Giving bears the respect they deserve and being aware of your surroundings are actually the best ways to avoid unfortunate encounters with bears. Sorry you disagree with my advice, but you really should reconsider. Both the park service and forest service would agree.
There’s a couple of different ppl here on yt that hand feed bears around their houses. One of them is an orphaned cub, maybe 7-8months. The other ppl feed older bears. That cub will be a yearling soon. The guy was petting it but the bear didn’t seem to appreciate that part. They don’t know what petting is! He even tried to kiss it when it stood on 2 legs. (He’s a tall guy). Unreal.
Great video! I thought that playing music would be the best way to deter bears i didn’t think about how it would affect other hikers and my own situational awareness
Good advice. Just pray your bear is not predatory and your bear spray works. It only takes one bear who acts outside the box and breaks your bubble. But by then it may be too late. The powers that be allow 4x the active ingredient used in bear spray to be used on humans. We wouldn't want to harm the bear.
Mike, enjoyed your video on Grand Teton. For a three day backpacking trip, is there a trail(s) you recommend? Considering Paintbrush but was concerned it might be too short for three day excursion. Thank you for the great videos.
My pleasure and thank you for the kind words! If you're looking for a 3 day backpacking trip I'd highly recommend the Teton Crest Trail. It's usually free of snow and peaking with wildflowers around early August. Hopefully that coincides with your visit, but if not let me know and I can recommend a backup.
I discovered and tracked a female mountain lion in SW Michigan back in 2018.My first interaction came just minutes after finding her paw prints on the beach. As we headed back to the parking lot she spotted one of my dogs (who happens to resemble a small deer so closely I've had several deer mistake him) and jumped off her perch and started stalking him. I couldn't believe it was the mountain lion and began to enter the woods to see if I could scare up a deer. The mountain lion went silent but my dogs dug their feet in and wouldn't go any further. We were probably no more than 20-30 feet from her but she halted her stalk after seeing me and my other dog. A case of mistaken identity I believe. Very long story short, I had 7 interactions with her over the next 5 months as a result of trying to verify her presence to our DNR with a photo (I wanted them to put up warning signs in the park and do some research on her - they wouldn't even though one of their rangers had a close encounter that I verified an hour later - she was sunning herself on a sand dune about 140 yards off the beach). I only got really close to her twice after the initial encounter only because I did not recognize the location as a den site at first. In the first case she blasted up the side of ravine perpendicular to me, I think to lead me away from her kit. In the second case, she just gave me a low growl. After that I made sure I stayed at least 50 yards away from where I thought she might be. We never had a problem. In fact, she and her kit once followed me down a trail through a meadow in broad daylight with clearly no intention of harming me. They are so skittish about humans they'll just run away and hide unless they are sick, hurt or too old to hunt (which is why I wanted our DNR to do research on her - this park gets 10-20,000 visitors a year, none of whom are aware that mountain lions might be there). Also, avoid the wilderness at dusk and dawn alone. That's when they usually hunt. Do that and you'll never have a problem.
So I saw a momma and cubs (2) while walking my dogs... ran across the trail and into the woods on opposite side.... 2 years later abouta mile from the original location I was walking dogs and got about 30 yards from one of the cubs ( alone already) he got startled..... ran parallel to us past us across the trail ( about 20ish mph ) and thru a thicket like it had a tunnel there.... It would take me half a day to get thru there with a tractor..... he went thru itlike it was the entrance to the batcave!
Great tips....The half eaten food thing is very real. What you don't want is bears associating humans as a source of treats. They become problem bears, and problem bears usually end up being destroyed. I grew up in black bear country here in Canada. My few encounters with bears were the sight of their butts as they are running off. Usually never saw them until you hear that branch crack and you see them running off. They really are very skittish. ps I love the photo at 6:56 Look at their little feet. Omg so cute.
Difference between being afraid and healthy respect. Timothy Treadwell can tell you what it's like not to be careful around bears. Oh that's right he can't because he was torn apart and eaten. Spray is OK as long as you have a good firearm handy.
Grizzly bears scare me, black bears not so much, they are extremely skittish. My best safety tip is to get to know the animals so you know how to react when you encounter them. Most wild animals want a confrontation even less than you do. People are way too scared of animals. If you spend half your time in nature and half your time in the city, you are hundreds of more times likely to die in the city. Which brings me to a good point, it's often the fear reaction that gets people in trouble. Stay calm, and the animal will usually stay calm. And don't taunt animals like an idiot. Most of the bites from rattlesnakes and other reptiles around here are because people are messing with them. It is actually amazing how few fatalities there are from animals, considering that almost every one of them over a third your size can kill you easily. Just show them the proper respect and understanding everything will be fine. The more time you spend in nature, the lower your chance of dying. Driving to the trailhead is by far the most dangerous part of going on a hike.
I was stalked by a predatory black bear in the GSMNP back in 2015. I had beached my boat at the mouth of Hazel Creek on Lake Fontana. So I start fishing up the creek and had gone about 1-1.5 mile up the creek when the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I spot a bear up in the woods out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t try to scare the bear off, I didn’t look up at him, I got my pistol ready in my hand and started walking normally back down the creek to my boat. That bear paralleled me from about 30-50 yards up in the timber, depending on the terrain, ALL the way to my boat. He was matching my pace step for step. I knew the bear might charge down the bank at me at any second. My legs were twitching to run but I grew up on a horse farm and had a lot of conditioning from an early age to remain calm around animals. I’ve thought about this a great deal and believe that conditioning is the reason I was able to will myself to remain calm. I tried to concentrate on how every step was getting me closer to my boat and not the bear. It was the longest damn walk of my life! When I finally got to my boat and climbed in, I let it drift out into the channel and just sat there quietly having an aneurysm from all the adrenaline pumping through me.
@@wasidanatsali6374 horses can be bad, all animals can smell when your afraid, smell what mood your in as well, trying to milk cows in a hurry will result in chaos/disaster, pretend you have a sea of time and its a peace of cake, but did get attacked by the bull one day, the last cow i picked up happened to be in heat, how fast i was pinned by a very mad bull against the wall, unbelievable, luck had it i am tall and he pinned me good but on upper legs, NOT to get into panic is a must....only one escape...30 feet away was a high fence, a 6 ft high fence....i screamed in his ear and yes, did get loose....i have no idea how i get so fast over that fence dont even remember,....working with bigger animals is a risk ? but so worth it, yes, it teaches us to stay calm no mater what
Past experience with an unpredictable predator is not a good predictor of all future experiences. The bear spray is effective against bluff charges or curious bears too close but if a sow bear think you are harming it's cubs or if the black or brown bear has decided to predate upon you the spray is not a reliable deterrent.
life is taking risks, if its not that bear, you might find a snake crossing your path, happened to me and was almost on my feet, i think in the cities you have more danger then we do out in the country, statistics prove this, i do avoid the back country with extreme droughts, forest fires, and may be hungry bears, other then that, i am glad i did see what i did, i avoid cities, full of cars, and yet another mac D ? no thanks
one thing i always try to remember in bear country is to wipe off any delicious gravy i may be slathered in, or bbq sauce, BEFORE encountering the bear. Afterwards it just might be too late.
As you saw in the video, I stress having plenty of respect for bears, and list plenty of ways to act around them so that you don't put yourself in unfortunate situations with them. Everyone should have a healthy fear of apex predators, but that fear shouldn't overwhelm your entire hike, which is the point you saw me make.
Indeed, though I agree with 95% of what you say, it’s dangerous to not fear bears and other dangers of the outdoors. A healthy degree of fear, not irrational fear, is prudent and wise. Though a bear attack is rare, they do occur and they are vicious attacks when they happen. Knowing this and being prepared can save your life. Carrying bear spray, poppers, and in some instances a gun can keep you safe. I’ve had times in my life with a false sense of security and almost died. Don’t be paranoid, but be prepared for bad experiences in the wild!
Well there's some irony for you! While we're on the subject through, Timothy Treadwell did successfully live with bears for a good 14-15 seasons. What he did wrong was stay longer that last season than he usually did. Unfortunately, the salmon run was low that year which made the bears extra competitive. This put him in a losing situation.
@FreeRoamingHiker He did. But every year that passed, he got more and more complacent. The fact that he knowingly stayed longer then he should have. Camped on the bear trail, and saw a bunch of new bears he hasn't seen before, showed that he stopped respecting the bears and taking them seriously. If he stayed smart, he would have left already. But sadly, he got too comfortable and complacent and stopped respecting the risks he was taking...and in the end, he lost his life. What's worse is he took the life of his gf along with him.
@@GrumpyKay Definitely a great point not to get complacent around bears. No matter how much I see them on the trails here, I always have a healthy respect for them am always cautious. Complacency is not a good thing to have going around any bears, no matter how familiar you are with them.
How can you say that bears don't harm people.l Three boys just got killed in I Ontario Canada about 2 or 3 hours ago, By a Black Bear, He tore their throat out. I live in Montana we have a lot of Grizzly Bears here, And they kill a lot of people. We also have a lot of big Mountain Lions that kill people here too.
I can't speak to the specifics of isolated incidents, as tragic as they are, yet this was the first black bear fatality in that park in over 100 years, which still makes attacks incredibly rare in that region. Likewise, grizzlies especially should always be treated with respect, which I hope I convey well enough in the video. Even still though, while attacks do tragically happen, they're nearly always the result of someone doing something they shouldn't have been doing, something also discussed in the video. This video also isn't intended to give people permission to go sneaking around off trail and through remote areas, something else I hope comes across. Instead, this video is more for people hiking along at least relatively popular trails where bear attacks are virtually nonexistent. Hope that helps and thank you for commenting!
Simply put, dumbing down the threat is bad advice, though this man has a lot of good tips as well, at least for the amateurs... Here in the USA Americas we have the luxury of being able to carry pistols and long guns, especially in bear territory...You'd almost be looked on as a fool in Alaska if you were not carrying.
@@FreeRoamingPhoto Are you current with attacks, especially the ones the National Park Service prefers not to comment on? There's a HUGE uptick.. Even with Polar Bears... I'm not gonna go down the "global warming" road, but it is a thing, and it is effecting a LOT, temperature wise, currently... Especially bears... Curious...Would you hike and camp in and all through Glacier NP with only bear spray?
I'd definitely go out backpacking in Glacier with bear spray. I have friends up in the area that have hiked and backpacked every trail in the park numerous times and millions of other people do it every year. The same basic principles remain the same, plus a few more for overnight stays. I didn't get into camping or backpacking in this video, but I would make sure anything at all I was carrying that had a scent was locked away in a bear canister that I'd stash away from my tent, which is what the advice I'd give on that topic would reflect. Thank you for commenting and I appreciate the conversation!
@@FreeRoamingHiker i did a coarse survival and hunting, its long ago was in Canada, it mentioned not to use strong scented soap/make up, no problem for me, cooked on woodfires so everything did smell like smoke, garbage i burnt and also i did burn out the thin cans, i lived in Canada from 1978 till 2000, camped out a lot, also in Alaska, never bothered to take a gun along nor bear spray, i do hate to disturb wild life, i rather avoid the back country during very dry periods, forest fires comes in mind, i had a small dairy farm in the woods, and yes, of coarse bears around, only one problem bear steeling a calf, it was shot by fish and wildlife, that was it in all those years, it was much easier then i ever could imagine living with wildlife, like moose, a mountain lion, etc, my cows did know when it was close, some evenings no way they wanted to leave the barn, some nights that big cat was very noisy, sure waked me up, so did the wolfs at times, in spring wood peckers used the metal roofs to make a noise that beats any alarm clock, wildlife was not so wild after all, if you like to hear more, contact me,
great video....I have had one bear encounter in the Green Swamp in Florida and dense jungly terrain is a fact so it can be easy to walk up close to bear and not even be aware there is one around the corner..also in a case like that you are in close distance which means the bear spray may hit you as well.
Thanks for the upload. Please forgive me as I disagree with much of what you said. Before you throw a gauntlet as some sort of a challenge I wish to let you know I have 30 years experience around dangerous game. I worked Teton National park ( Jenny lake area) and Kodiak Island Alaska. I understand bear behavior quite well. I actually only fear moose more than bears. But nevertheless respect both tremendously. But thank you once again anyways.
had a small farm in interior BC, 3 moose did visit my hay stack every morning, all winter long, i did pitch hay while they eat, was often close enough i could touch them, well, they are big and not pets....at first they reluctantly moved when i came around but soon no more, one summer i did have 3 mule dear grazing with the cows, soon they did loose their fear for me, soon they ignored me totally, the next summer a mountain lion moved in my area, no more dear, never did see it but the cows did not want to move out of the barn in the eve, at times, some nights the weird screaming sure did wake me up so it must have been close, in all those years i had only one problem bear, it stole a calf, took off with it, fish and wildlife came out to shoot that bear, once a bear hunt lifestock they will do it again,
Late last century I ran into (not literally) a grizzly Mom with a cub deep into Glacier National Park. She raised up fully about 40 yards below us on the trail sniffing the air in our direction. Like she trusted her nose more than her eyes. When she dropped back to all fours she kind of drove her cub up into the forest above the trail and we lost sight of them and never saw them again. I stood there slack jawed with a camera around my neck. (Pre cell phones) and took Zero pictures of the Bear. Lol. Doh!!! 🤦🤷🐻✌️
Sounds like an incredible experience regardless! And at least you were present enough to remember so many great details. But i get it - I'd probably be kicking myself too! 😅
Very good points. I often get hair spray and bear spray confused though. He said bears learn they have to share the trail with other HUMANS. The human bears I guess.
I hope no one looking at this video now thinks he/she can: hike alone in bear country, carry food/camp out. There are too many accounts of bears attacking people who were not playing music, not takings photos and were attacked by a bear coming out of the bush. There are plenty of places to hike where there are no bears, do it at your own risk.
I've come across bears several times hiking and gotten one of two reactions: either they turn and run the other direction or they just go about their business and ignore me.
I dont get it.... and this is just my observation, but there's documentation on so many people being mauled, killed and/or consumed by bears. Then there's 1,000's people gone missing, without a trace (their likely demise being to bears, cougars or wolves, absent hypothermia. You're always at risk even if you are on the good side of the stats.
I can't believe that I just heard you say not to take a selfie with a bear. I'm assuming you're saying that because people actually do it. I'm really at a loss of words right now.
That would certainly be effective, but only if it's used in emergency situations. It also might not buy you as much time as bear spray, but could still be an effective enough alternative.
You don’t really ha be to fear most apex predators. Most animals fear people because we’re loud and walk on two legs. You should for sure respect and avoid them but most of the time they’ll avoid you.
How many people commenting here know TWO people who barely survived Grizzly Bear maulings? These animals are highly unpredictable and if your numbers up you’ve had it. I watched a bear rip a 5 gallon plastic pail apart like it was a styrofoam cup.
Preaching to the choir...Thanks for the great common sense narrative. In my experience, bears are generally either afraid of or indifferent to people. They're either foraging or resting. People aren't part of that process.
Everyone always thinks oh it's an elephant you couldn't sneak up on them you know incorrect maybe 13000 pounds but you can walk right up on them by accident because they have 1-foot' of padding each one of their feet
You’re encouraging people to become part of the statistics. You should always have a way to defend yourself. This is a predator a wild animal. I think your video should be taken off-line. If a bear is hungry enough in desperate enough, it will think of anything else food that is the truth. To tell everyone they shouldn’t be afraid at all is absolute insanity.
I do have a question, although it's not about bears in the wild. I live in Canada in bear country and there were two incidents that left me wondering how they could be handled. The first was when a guy came home from work and found a bear in his kitchen eating marshmallows. The second and more scary of the two was when a couple came home to find a mother bear and two cubs in their home,,, they had entered through the dog door during the time when bears should be hibernating. In both situations the bears came back. If you can't easily back out of your home, how would you deal with this kind of thing? The news stories didn't give any helpful info...the stories were just short clips. By the way I love the shots you took of the bears in their habitat!!!
Unfortunately those are cases where the bears were likely fed, and thus, not exhibiting their normal wild behavior anymore. In those cases use whatever means necessary to get out of the house safely and call the authorities. If they're in the same area, find out how they're getting human food, causing them to seek out more, and put an end to it, whether through legislation or getting businesses to cooperate.
i dont think mama could enter through the dog door, it must have been the cubs, animals will flee the way they came, so best is, walk around the house, leaving the place where they came in through wide open, start bounching on the windows, screaming with a low voice, a horn will help, noise they hate, they will leave in a hurry, climb the first tree they find, if that is close to the house, stand your ground, keep a 20 ft away from that tree and continue making as much noise as you can, till they get down and move away, they will most likely not return, this works for black bears, never had them inside but i dont want them on my porch so i did chase them off with lots of noise, once you start out, continue, dont show fear, they know they where on my territory so that helps, never ever feed them, get to friendly, had one bear living on the place, never was a nuisance, but yes, mating time, that s when others show up, also it helps to pie outside at times, specially around the chicken coop, i only lost a few chickens over the years, had plenty of wildlife around, incl a mountain lion, never saw but some nights that screaming sure did wake me up, that, and other times wolfs crying, then again coyotes, pfff, they say the woods are quiet ? woodpeckers, using the metal barn roofs by sunrise, an alarm clock you cant turn off, still, never want to live in a city
You should try to avoid getting within 100 yards of a bear. How far is 100 yards? An adult black bear may only stand 2.5 feet, from ground to shoulder, but still be big enough to be a danger. At 100 yards, the vertical height of such a bear will cover half a degree of arc. Hold your finger out with your arm fully extended. One finger will cover two degrees. If the height of the bear starts to cover one fourth of your finger width, consider yourself close enough. If it's a big brown bear, 5 feet tall at the shoulders, you might still be 200 yards away, but maybe you still shouldn't get any closer. You can test yourself with a parked car. If it is four feet tall, you will be getting within 100 yards of it when the car covers about a third of your finger width. Is it 100 yards away? Pace it out to check. Better to be careful than real fast because you won't be fast enough.
Bears are Apex predators if you're making noise you're running the risk of them coming to check out who's making the noise. Can you say for sure you don't smell like grease or food from breakfast because in order to think you're going to walk into bear country with no issue it's really stupid but keep in mind that bears have 7 times the nose that a bloodhound has and I own the bloodhound I know how good their smell is so I think it's really fucking stupid to tell people to not worry if you're in bare country because I live in their country in Arkansas
New subscriber here...no one will answer my question, but I'm being completely serious...could a flamethrower take down a bear? Or would you just get mauled by a bear that's also on fire? I'm talking about a big bear here. I'm thinking that you could use it first as a deterrent. If the bear still doesn't get the idea, you light him up. Didn't cave men use torches to scare off bears?
From a completely hypothetical perspective, a flamethrower probably would be effective, but carrying one on a day-hike you've got two challenges: carrying one practically with all your other gear; and not starting a forest fire. So from a realistic practical standpoint, it's not worth bringing, but from a purely hypothetical standpoint, it would probably deter a bear.
I'm sure it would work great, if you manage to haul a flamethrower into bear country for some odd reason. I think a high caliber revolver is a better bet.
@@imaginedmountains2311 Thanks for your reply! I wonder how many people holding torches it would take to fend off a bear. Does fire freak out a bear? Does a bear fear fire enough to run away?
In theory bears are afraid of fire but not always. I'm a hunting guide and at our remote camp we've had bears stroll right through camp with a fire blazing and all the woodstoves burning. We even had a little black bear break into the cook tent one evening and burn both its front paws on the woodstove. We heard it bawling its head off running away, then saw the muddy paw prints on stove. Pretty funny in hindsight but the point is bears do whatever they want.
I’ve run into bears several times. I made some video on it. Search TH-cam with my name & words like Yellowhead highway, Prince Rupert, Banff, Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek.
I appreciate all the great advice and thank you for your respect of bears . I never thought about how music messes up communication for the smallest of creatures, and I absolutely agree with you on this. The only side note I could add to all the real good advice you gave is that it is also extremely common and safe to silently move thru the forest, thru thick bear habitat, alone and purposely in that manner. Hunters do it al the time .
Some bears are just predatory. You never really know why a human becomes murderous. Bears are the same way. They're not always predictable. I know of numerous people who have been tracked by a black bear for miles. Some ended in death - most not. But anyone claims that they can predict all bear behavior is not being honest.
Don't be fine with black bears either. There are far too many cases of them attacking humans for predatory reasons vs defensive reactions and protecting cubs.
city people with guns ? its to often way to often people are the ones misbehaving, have seen it all, people feeding bears, leaving garbage, walking up to bears and their cubs for selfies, to name just a few things....no wonder some do get attacked,
💥💥 Dude I literally just watched the video about somebody hiking in Bear Country and he got mauled and killed by a bear, so why would you make a video talked about why you don't need to be afraid while hiking in Bear Country what is wrong with you? are you trying to get people killed
Bear maulings, and especially killings are incredibly rare. It's very unfortunate and sad when it happens, but the odds of it happening are ridiculously low, and there are many factors that might contribute to that outcome. Without being at the event itself, it's hard to say what exactly went wrong, but he would have had to have done something you're not supposed to do around a bear. So no, I'm not trying to get people killed, I'm trying to educate them on how to behave around a bear. I hope that at least came through when you watched the video. Also consider that most TH-cam videos like that are designed to simply scare and shock you.
When hiking/backpacking in bear country, you don't need to "fear" bears, you need to respect them, be informed on their behavior, and be aware of your surroundings. Also proper camp procedures, ie, attractant storage and camp cleanliness.
And whatever you do, Never Never think safety by taking along a firearm and have it ready to use as a last resort. We don't want to show any disrespect to Yogi or nature by pointing and firing a gun at it when it charges us humans if our bear spray or other defensive methods fail. And yes, things can go wrong, and Yogi has been documented to charge, kill and eat people regardless of what they did on the trail including using bear spray.
Only 2 kind of bears I am not afraid of; Teddy bears, and bears in zoos. Bears like any other wild animal are unpredictable, and also apex predators
Absolutely. Even tame, they can kill just by having a grumpy tantrum or by mistake.
They are omnivores, a small portion of their diet is comprised of meat. We see lots of videos of bears hunting and catching fish because its exciting, is a bear eating berries off a bush exciting, not really, but that and other foraging behavior is basically what they do.
Yeah it would be the worst way to die
The term "apex predator" is misleading. We are not food to most bears. The vast, vast majority of bears in the backcountry (where they have not been fed by people and have not tasted honey walnut granola) want nothing to do with human beings. A small number of them may be curious (mostly black bears in my experience), and a tiny, tiny fraction of them act as predators towards humans. Being afraid of bears is like being afraid of water. Learn to swim, don't be stupid, and the chances of getting hurt or killed go down way below the risk you run of being involved in a life-altering car collision on the way to the store.
@@sligo405 😂
Everyone should have a healthy fear of Apex predators, and with their ever changing environment. Bears are unpredictable and what works with one probably won’t work with all.
It's a good point to have a healthy fear of them. I probably didn't make that point well enough, but that should have extended into the point about being aware of your surroundings. That fear should drive that awareness and caution when hiking, especially in low visibility areas. Granted, the ones I come across typically don't come into conflict with humans and development since they are commonly in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and therefore are still completely wild. However the ones that do have at least one run-in or two with human conflict will act in more unpredictable ways, which can be problematic. Thank you for helping with those points that I forgot to mention!
@@FreeRoamingPhoto yes exactly, studies show that many animals have been changing set behaviors and patterns. Environmental encroachment , decreasing food sources, and climate change. My daughter is an archeologist and had worked in Yellowstone National park, and others. She noticed that bears are losing their natural fear of humans, and Bear attacks have risen drastically in the past decades. And in some instances even using bear spray set them into a rage, causing them to attack. I believe many Apex predators are changing / deviating from known behaviors because of climate change that is now at warp speed. It’s a pretty scary scenario, to think what will their conditions will be in the future and what will their behaviors be like in five - twenty years.
@@kelleywarriors7091 the "climate change" is rapidly occurring because of atmospheric aerosol spraying from military and commercial jet liners. Nanoparticles of Aluminium, Silicon, Barium, Strontium etc. have worked their way into the brains of humans and the entire food chain, as these nanoparticles are electrically conductive as is required for geoengineering, who knows how these particles which now permeate the soil and water is affecting the brains of other Apex predators besides humans.
Like those tigers in India that have become extra aggressive due to their only source of river water being contaminated with excess Salt...
Sadly, today, I don't go out and about in a major city without a firearm (legal - here).. I also don't go into Apex predator territory without one. Hope to never use it! BUT I'm not about to be defenseless against anything, or anyone.
I don't need to be afraid of bears but
I do need to respect them,
I do need to keep a clean camp and
I do need to keep bear spray close...
This is an excellent video.
Nothing to worry about in bear country sounds like some famous last words to me.
😹😹😹
Timothy Snackwell
Reminds me of “hold my beer and watch this”…..
Naw, it's realistic. He didn't say don't be prepared, he said not to worry.
When working on my land in bear country I keep Metallica queued and ready. If a bear comes around I hit play. If you think music doesn't affect bears, you have never seen one running away in terror from "The Four Horseman". Also you should ALWAYS be scared of bears. Even a 150 lb. sow can easily rip a big man apart. I have lived my life around bears. Your advice works in general but there are exceptions to every rule.
Lol I do the same.. I keep my speaker connected to my phone and have something LOUD ready to play anytime.. Bears, coyotes, moose, they all go the other way when the drums & screaming starts lol
@@mikefrost1312 when you turn the music off there's a deafening silence lol no wildlife for miles around!
@@sergeanttibs6345 I scared the hell outta my buddy last fall doing it🤣 I saw a black bear, he didn't see it. I hit play & I believe it was some behemoth song that was playing.. Something with a deep, LOUD growl scream lol. Bear took off though! My buddy said "no surprise they run, they probably think it's a friggin dinosaur coming through the woods" 🤣 and especially up here in the mountains, the echo prob sounds insane!!
@@mikefrost1312 hilarious!
@@mikefrost1312
Yes, 60 years in the wilderness for me. I have had at least 100 bear encounters. Yes common sense and your message here has worked for me. I only took my bear spray out 1 time. Yes it was an encounter with a black beR and 2 cubs, but did not have to spray her. Calmness and moving away, gave her and the cubs a way to exit.
Thanks for sharing
Best comment I've gotten on this video. Thank you!
Sorry. I know too many "bear experts" who ended up as bear shit.
Don't go into bear country simple are they not in a nature reserve with fences!
@@michaelholt8590 please cite who they were and scientific references to cases. Without that your comment is less than useless.
Steven Herrero's book is a must read.
@@martinep6293 There is a channel here called "Scary Bear Attacks" that tell the stories of real, documented bear attacks. Several are of so called bear experts that end up learning more than they ever know.
Several were found with their empty can of bear spray.
Read Mark of the Grizzly. Every grizzly bear attack survivor in that book says the attack happened so fast there was no time to deploy bear spray or draw a firearm. Most of them say they were not even aware of the bear until it made contact with them. If you see the bear and the bear sees you from a distance that would allow you to get prepared or react, chances are you are not going to be attacked. It’s the bear you don’t see that will kill you.
I live in bear country.. If you don't want to carry a gun or bear spray that's your prerogative but I have a family.
I know what bears can do.
U make it sound like UR gonna get killed U cant stop it so dont try lol
This is the problem and why Ted Bundy killed so many women . The atmosphere in America was submit if you're attacked submit you will be raped hopefully they will let you go they just want that if you fight you will make him mad and he will kill you... But guess what EXPERTS told those women to submit to attacker so U can live. The women used this trusted advice. U know how Ted BUNDY was caught???
A woman fought for her life. She DIDNT COMPLY . SHES ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE SHE FOUGHT.
That professional advice should have had experts sent prison . Reputations should have been scarred & trashed. But they shrug it off. Whoops we were wrong. Yes u should fight NEVER go to second location
Naw, read actual reports of every grizzly attack. There've been dozens of encounters that allowed the person enough time to use bear spray or a firearms.
I've had at least a dozen encounters with bears growing up in the mountains. Never had an issue, just followed the simple steps: pay attention, wear something you can open up to make yourself look bigger and always make noise so you never startle them. Also helps to talk loudly if you do run into one. Every bear I've run into has run away. They might sniff at you and perk their ears up and stare at you, but if you're respectful they will absolutely leave you alone. Bear spray should be carried as well just in case the worst case scenario happens and one approaches. Just wanted to add some details to all the great advice in this video. Thanks brotha!
Excellent advice! Thank you for commenting!
@@FreeRoamingHiker Deeply humbled by the fact and way you responded to me man. Thank you for releasing such a concise video, any dangerous animal deserves and ultimately demands our respect. It's best to love wild animals from a distance for both their and our safety
@@theflyingcrud Absolutely agree with you. Bears, like all wildlife, deserve an incredible amount of respect.
@@FreeRoamingHiker could not agree more. Would you be interested in doing a zoom call dialog at some point? I know that is completely out of the blue, but it could be interesting. I grew up in the backwoods of the Appalachian mountains so I may have something to share. Either way, I really appreciate your approach to your videos. All the best man
@@theflyingcrud Didn't mean to leave you hanging! I was actually trying to figure out a good time but I'm having a pretty busy winter - hence the lack of new videos lately - so I haven't been able to come up with a good time yet. I would be interested though! Just a matter of finding the right time.
❤ Any wildlife- especially Bears deserve RESPECT in THEIR NATURAL HABITATS- the problem with humans ! they DON'T understand they're going through these animals only homes !!
I used to live where bears came around the house. I would sing "Teddy Bears' Picnic", and when I hit the high notes, they would run away.
Thank you so much. This was very clear and hopefully you have saved someone’s life.
Thank you and I hope so too! I'm glad you found it helpful.
Good sensible advice. I add carrying a 10mm doublestack.
Indeed.
Some people have just happened upon a bear on a trail and were attacked because they were in the wrong place and time and encountered the wrong bears.
Also, “bears just want to be left alone,” is patently untrue. They need to eat and they’re territorial. They will predate you if they’re hungry enough and they will defend themselves, their young, or their territory or their recent kill cache if they see you as a competitor/scavenger.
Also, bears kill 1-2 humans every year.
If you play music on the trail you won't hear the charging bear !! So you won't see your death coming. I agree , don't play music. Don't muffle your own senses. But you NEED to have a fear of bears !! Dont pretend theres nothing to be afraid of. You NEED bear spray , bear poppers , and a large caliber FIREARM !! Keep all food in scent locking bear bags or bear boxes !! Use common sense !! Don't make yourself an easy meal !!
The bear that is predatory is rare, but you won't see them, they will be sneaking up behind you or get ahead of you to ambush you out of cover. They go for the throat; you will have your throat crushed and that will be it. You probably won't even know what happened.
Bears don't sneak, they charge, sometimes as much as a mile away.
No, now you are just making things up. A bear sneaking? 😂
@@extramile734 There are many people eaten by grizzlies that believed as you do. The differences between a bluff charge and a predator's ambush. I'm guessing you don't hike in bear country much.
I'm telling you, I've had one sneaking around me and my son. We walked probably a half mile on a fire road and never knew it was with us. The only thing was a weird feeling of something watching us. Suddenly it charged away from us and that's when we noticed it. It was only a few feet away!
They eat you alive usually.
Was only in Glacier Park 3 times, saw grizzlies each time. Closest was mother and cub about 50 yards off of a trail, 2 along a river, one on what my sister said was the most traveled trail " so don't worry we won't see a bear. Had a black bear walk between our tent and the fireplace were we were standing. Had one challenge neighbors for their food and won. Had to scare one from near my parked car so I could get in and pick up the rest of the family.
"Bears are harmless party animals. Trust me on this." Timothy Treadwell
Yeah, we get why YOU don't want music on the trail, it's rude and ineffective, also a whistle won't do much either, and I'm sorry, but saying "Hey bear" just a little louder than normal will NOT scare a bear away - if you encounter a bear and you want to scare a bear away use an air horn. Yup it's loud, but it WILL scare a bear away - there are lots of US Forest Rangers who put the air horn on their belts. (I'm sure YOU won't like it since you like the sound of nature - but if one encounters a bear that seems unimpressed with your "hey bear" - that should do the trick most of the time and you won't have to hurt them with bear spray).Of course the statistics say you'll survive your hike most of the time, however, to not worry about a bear when you're in their backyard is not only stupid, it's insulting to the bear. Native Americans lived amongst bear for eons - and in California before the grizzly bear went extinct there - when the Spanish arrived - the indigenous people begged for help in culling the bear population. The Spanish noted that not only were the bear attacking humans on the regular (not skittish at all) almost all the native Americans had deep scars from bear attacks and told of many fatalities among their tribes over time. Bears, although not nearly as populous as in the 1500s in the continental States, still kill two people a year in the continental US. Bear attacks can come out of nowhere because BEARS ARE WILD. All bears can be dangerous, but oddly because it's the smaller of the species, especially with the Black Bear - which can be much more aggressive, stalk and can look at humans as fuel. The native Americans had a healthy fear of bear - to not fear them is to not respect their immense power.
I think you misunderstood the whole point of the video. Of course a healthy respect for bears is mandatory whether you're hiking among them or watching them from a roadside. This video is intended for people doing basic day-hikes in bear country where even benign bear encounters themselves are extremely rare. These are all tips that both the forest service and the national park service both highly recommend. And you're right, saying "hey bear" doesn't scare away a bear, but it does alert them to your presence before you're too close, thus avoiding a surprise encounter. As a result, the whole point of this video was to inform people not accustomed to day-hiking in bear country that they don't need to be worried about every bend in the trail or shadow behind a tree, thus hiking in complete fear, as you recommend. Similarly, while neither of us really know what Native Americans were actually thinking 400 years ago, it's a safe bet that they had a healthy fear of certain animals when they found themselves in close proximity, but it's highly unlikely that they lived their entire existence in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety simply because grizzlies might have been in the area. You say I'm stupid for thinking otherwise, but given how rarely I see bears while I'm hiking, whether in Grand Teton or Yellowstone's backcountry, and given that statistics on unfortunate encounters are remarkably low, to me it seems like a waste of a day out to hike mile after mile in a state of fear, when the whole point of hiking is to feel the opposite. However, if that's what you prefer, that's totally up to you, but to call someone stupid for enjoying their hike, while simply assuming that they don't respect the animal they've spent over a decade studying, photographing, reading about, and observing is pretty low.
Thanks for your very rational video. I hike alone in black bear country, 10 to 15 miles per day. There are plenty of bear tracks in the mud after the rain, likely quite a few bears around me. I still have to see a bear. I make sure they can hear me coming, the ususal "Hey bear" gets old after a few miles, more often I just talk to the bear, tell them stories, laugh out loud to the BS I come up with, it can be a bit of a travel journal and I record some of it. I hit stones with the tree branch I use as a treking pole.
RE increase in bear sttacks, hypothesis most likely IMO, the increase in people out to "experience nature". Most people I have seen in campgrounds and a few on trails (very short distances) are not trained or physically fit, and have done zero readings/research on bear behavior. They do not seem to realize that nature is the bear's home and under those conditions the bears is 10 times smarter than they are. They owe the animals RESPECT, it is not Disney land or a zoo. This is the case for a large majority of campers, ignorance and/or lack of concern.
Re campground: I leave nothing outside my van, no need to make a bear feel he needs to go check out what is there. I never cook in my van, or eat there.
Very well said! Thank you for the comment!
I keep my bear spray right behind my model 29.
Thanks for the video sir. Very informative and useful!
Thank you for commenting and glad you found it helpful!
I can't believe that someone would wear headphones while hiking trough bush!
People are naive about wild animals as it is & your into (“you really don’t need to worry about encountering a bear when you are in bear country.”) feeds that false sense of, “oh, aren’t they cute” mentality.. It wasn’t long ago that a female camper was killed by a bear in Montana. Then there’s the teen & his mom in bear country, where mom was killed. After first seeing the bear, the kid, wanted to turn around, but NO, mom refused. I think people should be prepared and be VERY afraid of bears. You never know when they have cubs with them.
see statistics, bears have a lot of catching up to do if compared to people killing, harming other people, bears where living around my yard, i could say, they behaved better then most people do this days,
I live in Alaska and I always carry bear spray and a Glock 20 just in case the spray didn't work. Haven't encountered one yet but I don't take any chances.
thanks bro for the tips
You bet! Glad you found it helpful!
I’ve had a lot of bear encounters over the years. Never had to use my bear spray. My experience is they are more interested in forging for food than me. I always make noise and hike in groups when possible. Good vid. 👍👍
Exactly!
That was pretty good; I wonder if my hiking pole banging on rocks is loud enough to warn a bear. I doubt it, so I turn Hello Bear into a song. BTW, he needs to talk about how to react a black bear versus grizzly attack.
I Just watched four videos of people who got eaten alive by grizzlies.Plus just listened to hunter Steve Isdahl talk about How fast and how lucky a person had to be to get off a perfect cool headed shot as an 600-800 lb bear is charging with an unbelievable speed...
Im going to listen to your advice though..
Some good advice, here. BUT, always be afraid of bears. Also a good thing to remember when you're in Yellowstone park. Don't pet the fluffy cows. 😉
Thank you for informing me that you don't like to hear music in the woods.
Tell that to the people that were killed by bears. I just watched video after video where hikers were killed.
Evolutionary process gradually eliminate the idiots who put headphones while hiking in bear country
Nice video, thanks !
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it
I carry a Machete, 10mm Glock 20, Bear Spray and a Ka-Bar knife and a Marine Klaxon Air Horn
"Technically they could be anywhere"
what a terrifying sentence
It's true though.. you never know where an animal may pop up & I've came across many bears in areas they "weren't supposed" to be.. especially if they're hungry & trying to gain their weight for winter..
why ? i had them living near the house, one was like royality, sunbathing at times on the driveway, when i wanted to drive out she moved reluctantly, she loved watching me work, i did camp out lots, never had a problem, not even in Alaska, i rather dont camp out in very dry periods, risk of forest fire and bears can become hungry due to failed berry crops ?
@@ertsixbarf you just happened to get lucky ! Some bears don't care about people at all as long as they're not starving & know the person isn't a threat to them. We have black bears that will camp out on my property with their babies because they know they're safe here, as long as they behave lol. But, if I were to bring my dogs for a walk around the mountain and happened to get too close, mama would absolutely attack us without hesitation. Where I am, the most dangerous time is mid-late fall to beginning of winter when they're in hyperphagia & looking for anything they can eat.
@@mikefrost1312 yes, i do realize when they get to my place they kind of know me already, like the birds nesting around the barn, they know me, but yes, in other locations i am a stranger, i could so far avoid being to close,
I got in a fight with a grizzly once, Now he is lying on my office floor, Not dead, Just scared to move.
Hahaha! Awesome
good job, chuck norris!
This is another guy who probably will be bear dinner in the future.
Giving bears the respect they deserve and being aware of your surroundings are actually the best ways to avoid unfortunate encounters with bears. Sorry you disagree with my advice, but you really should reconsider. Both the park service and forest service would agree.
Someone that never goes to bear country
You're something of an obnoxious jerk, aren't you?
There’s a couple of different ppl here on yt that hand feed bears around their houses. One of them is an orphaned cub, maybe 7-8months. The other ppl feed older bears. That cub will be a yearling soon. The guy was petting it but the bear didn’t seem to appreciate that part. They don’t know what petting is! He even tried to kiss it when it stood on 2 legs. (He’s a tall guy). Unreal.
That all sounds pretty infuriating! Some people shouldn't even be allowed around bears or any wildlife.
The few times I've run across bears on the trail, they ran away so fast. A mother with cubs is probably the biggest problem
Same experience for me. But yeah, mother with cubs is always good to avoid.
Great video! I thought that playing music would be the best way to deter bears i didn’t think about how it would affect other hikers and my own situational awareness
Thank you and glad it helped! The best audio to deter a bear is a natural human voice. That's plenty to make them aware of your presence.
Good advice. Just pray your bear is not predatory and your bear spray works. It only takes one bear who acts outside the box and breaks your bubble. But by then it may be too late. The powers that be allow 4x the active ingredient used in bear spray to be used on humans. We wouldn't want to harm the bear.
Mike, enjoyed your video on Grand Teton. For a three day backpacking trip, is there a trail(s) you recommend? Considering Paintbrush but was concerned it might be too short for three day excursion. Thank you for the great videos.
My pleasure and thank you for the kind words! If you're looking for a 3 day backpacking trip I'd highly recommend the Teton Crest Trail. It's usually free of snow and peaking with wildflowers around early August. Hopefully that coincides with your visit, but if not let me know and I can recommend a backup.
Thanks for the informational is it possible for you to also do one on mountain lions
Good idea! I can certainly work one up. Thank you for commenting!
I discovered and tracked a female mountain lion in SW Michigan back in 2018.My first interaction came just minutes after finding her paw prints on the beach. As we headed back to the parking lot she spotted one of my dogs (who happens to resemble a small deer so closely I've had several deer mistake him) and jumped off her perch and started stalking him. I couldn't believe it was the mountain lion and began to enter the woods to see if I could scare up a deer. The mountain lion went silent but my dogs dug their feet in and wouldn't go any further. We were probably no more than 20-30 feet from her but she halted her stalk after seeing me and my other dog. A case of mistaken identity I believe.
Very long story short, I had 7 interactions with her over the next 5 months as a result of trying to verify her presence to our DNR with a photo (I wanted them to put up warning signs in the park and do some research on her - they wouldn't even though one of their rangers had a close encounter that I verified an hour later - she was sunning herself on a sand dune about 140 yards off the beach). I only got really close to her twice after the initial encounter only because I did not recognize the location as a den site at first. In the first case she blasted up the side of ravine perpendicular to me, I think to lead me away from her kit. In the second case, she just gave me a low growl. After that I made sure I stayed at least 50 yards away from where I thought she might be. We never had a problem. In fact, she and her kit once followed me down a trail through a meadow in broad daylight with clearly no intention of harming me. They are so skittish about humans they'll just run away and hide unless they are sick, hurt or too old to hunt (which is why I wanted our DNR to do research on her - this park gets 10-20,000 visitors a year, none of whom are aware that mountain lions might be there). Also, avoid the wilderness at dusk and dawn alone. That's when they usually hunt. Do that and you'll never have a problem.
I don’t worry about bears out hiking because I always got my 10mm best friend with me at all times.
So I saw a momma and cubs (2) while walking my dogs... ran across the trail and into the woods on opposite side.... 2 years later abouta mile from the original location I was walking dogs and got about 30 yards from one of the cubs ( alone already) he got startled..... ran parallel to us past us across the trail ( about 20ish mph ) and thru a thicket like it had a tunnel there.... It would take me half a day to get thru there with a tractor..... he went thru itlike it was the entrance to the batcave!
that sounds like a train when they to that, seen it, wow
Great tips....The half eaten food thing is very real. What you don't want is bears associating humans as a source of treats. They become problem bears, and problem bears usually end up being destroyed. I grew up in black bear country here in Canada. My few encounters with bears were the sight of their butts as they are running off. Usually never saw them until you hear that branch crack and you see them running off. They really are very skittish.
ps I love the photo at 6:56 Look at their little feet. Omg so cute.
Thank you for all the kind words and the helpful additions!
Difference between being afraid and healthy respect. Timothy Treadwell can tell you what it's like not to be careful around bears. Oh that's right he can't because he was torn apart and eaten. Spray is OK as long as you have a good firearm handy.
Grizzly bears scare me, black bears not so much, they are extremely skittish. My best safety tip is to get to know the animals so you know how to react when you encounter them. Most wild animals want a confrontation even less than you do. People are way too scared of animals. If you spend half your time in nature and half your time in the city, you are hundreds of more times likely to die in the city. Which brings me to a good point, it's often the fear reaction that gets people in trouble. Stay calm, and the animal will usually stay calm. And don't taunt animals like an idiot. Most of the bites from rattlesnakes and other reptiles around here are because people are messing with them. It is actually amazing how few fatalities there are from animals, considering that almost every one of them over a third your size can kill you easily. Just show them the proper respect and understanding everything will be fine.
The more time you spend in nature, the lower your chance of dying. Driving to the trailhead is by far the most dangerous part of going on a hike.
Well said!
I was stalked by a predatory black bear in the GSMNP back in 2015.
I had beached my boat at the mouth of Hazel Creek on Lake Fontana. So I start fishing up the creek and had gone about 1-1.5 mile up the creek when the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I spot a bear up in the woods out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t try to scare the bear off, I didn’t look up at him, I got my pistol ready in my hand and started walking normally back down the creek to my boat. That bear paralleled me from about 30-50 yards up in the timber, depending on the terrain, ALL the way to my boat. He was matching my pace step for step. I knew the bear might charge down the bank at me at any second. My legs were twitching to run but I grew up on a horse farm and had a lot of conditioning from an early age to remain calm around animals.
I’ve thought about this a great deal and believe that conditioning is the reason I was able to will myself to remain calm. I tried to concentrate on how every step was getting me closer to my boat and not the bear.
It was the longest damn walk of my life! When I finally got to my boat and climbed in, I let it drift out into the channel and just sat there quietly having an aneurysm from all the adrenaline pumping through me.
@@wasidanatsali6374 horses can be bad, all animals can smell when your afraid, smell what mood your in as well, trying to milk cows in a hurry will result in chaos/disaster, pretend you have a sea of time and its a peace of cake, but did get attacked by the bull one day, the last cow i picked up happened to be in heat, how fast i was pinned by a very mad bull against the wall, unbelievable, luck had it i am tall and he pinned me good but on upper legs, NOT to get into panic is a must....only one escape...30 feet away was a high fence, a 6 ft high fence....i screamed in his ear and yes, did get loose....i have no idea how i get so fast over that fence dont even remember,....working with bigger animals is a risk ? but so worth it, yes, it teaches us to stay calm no mater what
This is great advice.....only if the Bear ain't hungry ........
Past experience with an unpredictable predator is not a good predictor of all future experiences. The bear spray is effective against bluff charges or curious bears too close but if a sow bear think you are harming it's cubs or if the black or brown bear has decided to predate upon you the spray is not a reliable deterrent.
life is taking risks, if its not that bear, you might find a snake crossing your path, happened to me and was almost on my feet, i think in the cities you have more danger then we do out in the country, statistics prove this, i do avoid the back country with extreme droughts, forest fires, and may be hungry bears, other then that, i am glad i did see what i did, i avoid cities, full of cars, and yet another mac D ? no thanks
one thing i always try to remember in bear country is to wipe off any delicious gravy i may be slathered in, or bbq sauce, BEFORE encountering the bear. Afterwards it just might be too late.
This video approved by all Bears.
This free roaming hiker will become a statistic if he’s not afraid of bears.
As you saw in the video, I stress having plenty of respect for bears, and list plenty of ways to act around them so that you don't put yourself in unfortunate situations with them. Everyone should have a healthy fear of apex predators, but that fear shouldn't overwhelm your entire hike, which is the point you saw me make.
@@FreeRoamingHiker this sort of people people should not visit the woods, the bears loved the last tourists please send more....
Indeed, though I agree with 95% of what you say, it’s dangerous to not fear bears and other dangers of the outdoors. A healthy degree of fear, not irrational fear, is prudent and wise. Though a bear attack is rare, they do occur and they are vicious attacks when they happen. Knowing this and being prepared can save your life. Carrying bear spray, poppers, and in some instances a gun can keep you safe. I’ve had times in my life with a false sense of security and almost died. Don’t be paranoid, but be prepared for bad experiences in the wild!
This came up in my recommends after a Timothy Treadwell video.
If only Treadwell had followed these precautions, alas.
Well there's some irony for you! While we're on the subject through, Timothy Treadwell did successfully live with bears for a good 14-15 seasons. What he did wrong was stay longer that last season than he usually did. Unfortunately, the salmon run was low that year which made the bears extra competitive. This put him in a losing situation.
@FreeRoamingHiker He did. But every year that passed, he got more and more complacent. The fact that he knowingly stayed longer then he should have. Camped on the bear trail, and saw a bunch of new bears he hasn't seen before, showed that he stopped respecting the bears and taking them seriously. If he stayed smart, he would have left already. But sadly, he got too comfortable and complacent and stopped respecting the risks he was taking...and in the end, he lost his life. What's worse is he took the life of his gf along with him.
@@GrumpyKay Definitely a great point not to get complacent around bears. No matter how much I see them on the trails here, I always have a healthy respect for them am always cautious. Complacency is not a good thing to have going around any bears, no matter how familiar you are with them.
Thanks for the exellent advice. !
My pleasure and thank you for the comment!
How can you say that bears don't harm people.l Three boys just got killed in I Ontario Canada about 2 or 3 hours ago, By a Black Bear, He tore their throat out. I live in Montana we have a lot of Grizzly Bears here, And they kill a lot of people. We also have a lot of big Mountain Lions that kill people here too.
I can't speak to the specifics of isolated incidents, as tragic as they are, yet this was the first black bear fatality in that park in over 100 years, which still makes attacks incredibly rare in that region. Likewise, grizzlies especially should always be treated with respect, which I hope I convey well enough in the video. Even still though, while attacks do tragically happen, they're nearly always the result of someone doing something they shouldn't have been doing, something also discussed in the video. This video also isn't intended to give people permission to go sneaking around off trail and through remote areas, something else I hope comes across. Instead, this video is more for people hiking along at least relatively popular trails where bear attacks are virtually nonexistent. Hope that helps and thank you for commenting!
Simply put, dumbing down the threat is bad advice, though this man has a lot of good tips as well, at least for the amateurs... Here in the USA Americas we have the luxury of being able to carry pistols and long guns, especially in bear territory...You'd almost be looked on as a fool in Alaska if you were not carrying.
@@FreeRoamingPhoto Are you current with attacks, especially the ones the National Park Service prefers not to comment on? There's a HUGE uptick.. Even with Polar Bears... I'm not gonna go down the "global warming" road, but it is a thing, and it is effecting a LOT, temperature wise, currently... Especially bears... Curious...Would you hike and camp in and all through Glacier NP with only bear spray?
I'd definitely go out backpacking in Glacier with bear spray. I have friends up in the area that have hiked and backpacked every trail in the park numerous times and millions of other people do it every year. The same basic principles remain the same, plus a few more for overnight stays. I didn't get into camping or backpacking in this video, but I would make sure anything at all I was carrying that had a scent was locked away in a bear canister that I'd stash away from my tent, which is what the advice I'd give on that topic would reflect. Thank you for commenting and I appreciate the conversation!
@@FreeRoamingHiker i did a coarse survival and hunting, its long ago was in Canada, it mentioned not to use strong scented soap/make up, no problem for me, cooked on woodfires so everything did smell like smoke, garbage i burnt and also i did burn out the thin cans, i lived in Canada from 1978 till 2000, camped out a lot, also in Alaska, never bothered to take a gun along nor bear spray, i do hate to disturb wild life, i rather avoid the back country during very dry periods, forest fires comes in mind, i had a small dairy farm in the woods, and yes, of coarse bears around, only one problem bear steeling a calf, it was shot by fish and wildlife, that was it in all those years, it was much easier then i ever could imagine living with wildlife, like moose, a mountain lion, etc, my cows did know when it was close, some evenings no way they wanted to leave the barn, some nights that big cat was very noisy, sure waked me up, so did the wolfs at times, in spring wood peckers used the metal roofs to make a noise that beats any alarm clock, wildlife was not so wild after all, if you like to hear more, contact me,
great video....I have had one bear encounter in the Green Swamp in Florida and dense jungly terrain is a fact so it can be easy to walk up close to bear and not even be aware there is one around the corner..also in a case like that you are in close distance which means the bear spray may hit you as well.
Yikes! That happens with wind blowing the wrong way too. Glad you made it out safe!
Thanks for the upload. Please forgive me as I disagree with much of what you said. Before you throw a gauntlet as some sort of a challenge I wish to let you know I have 30 years experience around dangerous game. I worked Teton National park ( Jenny lake area) and Kodiak Island Alaska. I understand bear behavior quite well. I actually only fear moose more than bears. But nevertheless respect both tremendously.
But thank you once again anyways.
May I ask why you are more afraid of moose than bear? Thanks
You accurately noted "I worked Teton National Park . . . and Kodiak Island Alaska," but conveniently omitted "as a male prostitute. "
Have you ever seen a moose close up? They are terrifying killing machines that are not scared of anything
But you have to admit that the bears don't see you as prey, or attacks would be happening constantly.
had a small farm in interior BC, 3 moose did visit my hay stack every morning, all winter long, i did pitch hay while they eat, was often close enough i could touch them, well, they are big and not pets....at first they reluctantly moved when i came around but soon no more, one summer i did have 3 mule dear grazing with the cows, soon they did loose their fear for me, soon they ignored me totally, the next summer a mountain lion moved in my area, no more dear, never did see it but the cows did not want to move out of the barn in the eve, at times, some nights the weird screaming sure did wake me up so it must have been close, in all those years i had only one problem bear, it stole a calf, took off with it, fish and wildlife came out to shoot that bear, once a bear hunt lifestock they will do it again,
Late last century I ran into (not literally) a grizzly Mom with a cub deep into Glacier National Park. She raised up fully about 40 yards below us on the trail sniffing the air in our direction. Like she trusted her nose more than her eyes. When she dropped back to all fours she kind of drove her cub up into the forest above the trail and we lost sight of them and never saw them again. I stood there slack jawed with a camera around my neck. (Pre cell phones) and took Zero pictures of the Bear. Lol. Doh!!! 🤦🤷🐻✌️
Sounds like an incredible experience regardless! And at least you were present enough to remember so many great details. But i get it - I'd probably be kicking myself too! 😅
Very good points. I often get hair spray and bear spray confused though. He said bears learn they have to share the trail with other HUMANS. The human bears I guess.
How did you manage on point two to go from what to do to say don't!
Don't take selfies with bears? Wow.
Yes, except for Smokie the Bear. Although you should first ask for permission.
I hope no one looking at this video now thinks he/she can: hike alone in bear country, carry food/camp out. There are too many accounts of bears attacking people who were not playing music, not takings photos and were attacked by a bear coming out of the bush. There are plenty of places to hike where there are no bears, do it at your own risk.
more places with bears, and they visit towns at times too, for many years i did just fine,
My firearm helps me stay calm in bear country ;) and my Rottie/ Akita mix
I've come across bears several times hiking and gotten one of two reactions: either they turn and run the other direction or they just go about their business and ignore me.
Exactly what a normal wild bear does. I've had the same experience.
I dont get it.... and this is just my observation, but there's documentation on so many people being mauled, killed and/or consumed by bears. Then there's 1,000's people gone missing, without a trace (their likely demise being to bears, cougars or wolves, absent hypothermia. You're always at risk even if you are on the good side of the stats.
Thanks
I can't believe that I just heard you say not to take a selfie with a bear. I'm assuming you're saying that because people actually do it. I'm really at a loss of words right now.
Sadly, it is a thing. I'm horrified it actually has to be said as well.
Idiots literally set their children on wild bears backs in national parks to take photos
Don't hike in bear country is the best advice I can give
Stupid advice. Good advice would be "don't hike ALONE in bear country."
They can be anywhere and it's better to have it and not needed than needed and not have it..
What about carrying a bear air horn, Amazon sells a 130dB one for $15
That would certainly be effective, but only if it's used in emergency situations. It also might not buy you as much time as bear spray, but could still be an effective enough alternative.
Good point thanks
You don’t really ha be to fear most apex predators.
Most animals fear people because we’re loud and walk on two legs.
You should for sure respect and avoid them but most of the time they’ll avoid you.
How many people commenting here know TWO people who barely survived Grizzly Bear maulings?
These animals are highly unpredictable and if your numbers up you’ve had it.
I watched a bear rip a 5 gallon plastic pail apart like it was a styrofoam cup.
Preaching to the choir...Thanks for the great common sense narrative. In my experience, bears are generally either afraid of or indifferent to people. They're either foraging or resting. People aren't part of that process.
Exactly! It's incredible how misunderstood they are.
Everyone always thinks oh it's an elephant you couldn't sneak up on them you know incorrect maybe 13000 pounds but you can walk right up on them by accident because they have 1-foot' of padding each one of their feet
You’re encouraging people to become part of the statistics. You should always have a way to defend yourself. This is a predator a wild animal. I think your video should be taken off-line. If a bear is hungry enough in desperate enough, it will think of anything else food that is the truth. To tell everyone they shouldn’t be afraid at all is absolute insanity.
I'll share the only DO and DON'T you need.
DO ------------ stay out of bear territory.
DON'T ------ go into bear territory
Hey, Davey Crockett was so tough “he killed him a bear when he was only 3”❗️
I do have a question, although it's not about bears in the wild. I live in Canada in bear country and there were two incidents that left me wondering how they could be handled. The first was when a guy came home from work and found a bear in his kitchen eating marshmallows. The second and more scary of the two was when a couple came home to find a mother bear and two cubs in their home,,, they had entered through the dog door during the time when bears should be hibernating. In both situations the bears came back. If you can't easily back out of your home, how would you deal with this kind of thing? The news stories didn't give any helpful info...the stories were just short clips. By the way I love the shots you took of the bears in their habitat!!!
Unfortunately those are cases where the bears were likely fed, and thus, not exhibiting their normal wild behavior anymore. In those cases use whatever means necessary to get out of the house safely and call the authorities. If they're in the same area, find out how they're getting human food, causing them to seek out more, and put an end to it, whether through legislation or getting businesses to cooperate.
i dont think mama could enter through the dog door, it must have been the cubs, animals will flee the way they came, so best is, walk around the house, leaving the place where they came in through wide open, start bounching on the windows, screaming with a low voice, a horn will help, noise they hate, they will leave in a hurry, climb the first tree they find, if that is close to the house, stand your ground, keep a 20 ft away from that tree and continue making as much noise as you can, till they get down and move away, they will most likely not return, this works for black bears, never had them inside but i dont want them on my porch so i did chase them off with lots of noise, once you start out, continue, dont show fear, they know they where on my territory so that helps, never ever feed them, get to friendly, had one bear living on the place, never was a nuisance, but yes, mating time, that s when others show up, also it helps to pie outside at times, specially around the chicken coop, i only lost a few chickens over the years, had plenty of wildlife around, incl a mountain lion, never saw but some nights that screaming sure did wake me up, that, and other times wolfs crying, then again coyotes, pfff, they say the woods are quiet ? woodpeckers, using the metal barn roofs by sunrise, an alarm clock you cant turn off, still, never want to live in a city
You should try to avoid getting within 100 yards of a bear. How far is 100 yards? An adult black bear may only stand 2.5 feet, from ground to shoulder, but still be big enough to be a danger. At 100 yards, the vertical height of such a bear will cover half a degree of arc. Hold your finger out with your arm fully extended. One finger will cover two degrees. If the height of the bear starts to cover one fourth of your finger width, consider yourself close enough. If it's a big brown bear, 5 feet tall at the shoulders, you might still be 200 yards away, but maybe you still shouldn't get any closer. You can test yourself with a parked car. If it is four feet tall, you will be getting within 100 yards of it when the car covers about a third of your finger width. Is it 100 yards away? Pace it out to check. Better to be careful than real fast because you won't be fast enough.
Bears are dangerous. They’re wild animals. Carry a firearm large enough to kill one if you have to. If you hate guns, don’t go in the forrest.
Do you carry a gun and if so what kind ?
So if I met one person I know them all correct?!
Forgot the rule where you carry a large caliber pistol at the ready.
Bears are Apex predators if you're making noise you're running the risk of them coming to check out who's making the noise.
Can you say for sure you don't smell like grease or food from breakfast because in order to think you're going to walk into bear country with no issue it's really stupid but keep in mind that bears have 7 times the nose that a bloodhound has and I own the bloodhound I know how good their smell is so I think it's really fucking stupid to tell people to not worry if you're in bare country because I live in their country in Arkansas
New subscriber here...no one will answer my question, but I'm being completely serious...could a flamethrower take down a bear? Or would you just get mauled by a bear that's also on fire? I'm talking about a big bear here. I'm thinking that you could use it first as a deterrent. If the bear still doesn't get the idea, you light him up. Didn't cave men use torches to scare off bears?
From a completely hypothetical perspective, a flamethrower probably would be effective, but carrying one on a day-hike you've got two challenges: carrying one practically with all your other gear; and not starting a forest fire. So from a realistic practical standpoint, it's not worth bringing, but from a purely hypothetical standpoint, it would probably deter a bear.
@@FreeRoamingHiker Thanks for your reply and Merry Christmas!
I'm sure it would work great, if you manage to haul a flamethrower into bear country for some odd reason. I think a high caliber revolver is a better bet.
@@imaginedmountains2311 Thanks for your reply! I wonder how many people holding torches it would take to fend off a bear. Does fire freak out a bear? Does a bear fear fire enough to run away?
In theory bears are afraid of fire but not always. I'm a hunting guide and at our remote camp we've had bears stroll right through camp with a fire blazing and all the woodstoves burning. We even had a little black bear break into the cook tent one evening and burn both its front paws on the woodstove. We heard it bawling its head off running away, then saw the muddy paw prints on stove. Pretty funny in hindsight but the point is bears do whatever they want.
If you see a bear with cubs. Just turn around.
This advice is SPOT ON .
Respect , common sense , silence .
Isn’t that the way we should always behave wherever we are ..?
One day this guys gonna get eaten
I’ve run into bears several times. I made some video on it. Search TH-cam with my name & words like Yellowhead highway, Prince Rupert, Banff, Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek.
I appreciate all the great advice and thank you for your respect of bears . I never thought about how music messes up communication for the smallest of creatures, and I absolutely agree with you on this. The only side note I could add to all the real good advice you gave is that it is also extremely common and safe to silently move thru the forest, thru thick bear habitat, alone and purposely in that manner. Hunters do it al the time .
Some bears are just predatory. You never really know why a human becomes murderous. Bears are the same way. They're not always predictable. I know of numerous people who have been tracked by a black bear for miles. Some ended in death - most not. But anyone claims that they can predict all bear behavior is not being honest.
.... Would that telephoto lese work for a sasquatch???
A-asking for a friend...
Just basically stay out of bear country....then...no problems with bears...
Then you miss some pretty incredible hikes! But definitely a valid point.
@@FreeRoamingHiker Jes ' don't wanna end up as bear scat...😁
I'm fine with Black bears. grizzly's scare the shit out of me.
Don't be fine with black bears either. There are far too many cases of them attacking humans for predatory reasons vs defensive reactions and protecting cubs.
No selfie!!! But what if the bear wants a selfie? He runs away and comes back with his camera.
Reasons to not be afraid of bear in bear country 1. Be aware 2. Have bear mace 3. Have a fire arm big enough to Blow its face off in one shot 🤷🏾
city people with guns ? its to often way to often people are the ones misbehaving, have seen it all, people feeding bears, leaving garbage, walking up to bears and their cubs for selfies, to name just a few things....no wonder some do get attacked,
💥💥 Dude I literally just watched the video about somebody hiking in Bear Country and he got mauled and killed by a bear, so why would you make a video talked about why you don't need to be afraid while hiking in Bear Country what is wrong with you? are you trying to get people killed
Bear maulings, and especially killings are incredibly rare. It's very unfortunate and sad when it happens, but the odds of it happening are ridiculously low, and there are many factors that might contribute to that outcome. Without being at the event itself, it's hard to say what exactly went wrong, but he would have had to have done something you're not supposed to do around a bear. So no, I'm not trying to get people killed, I'm trying to educate them on how to behave around a bear. I hope that at least came through when you watched the video. Also consider that most TH-cam videos like that are designed to simply scare and shock you.
When hiking/backpacking in bear country, you don't need to "fear" bears, you need to respect them, be informed on their behavior, and be aware of your surroundings. Also proper camp procedures, ie, attractant storage and camp cleanliness.
@@timriggs8651 Excellent advice and great points that I forgot to mention! Thank you for posting!
Stay in Philadelphia then, why don’t you.
@@trishbirchard1270 I don't live in Philadelphia dummy
I’m not afraid of bears.
Mind you I live in Australia where we only have Koala Bears 😂
Wow, is this true? I mean you guys got poison eveything down there. Snakes, Bugs, sheep. Didn't notice the bears didn't want to kill me
And whatever you do, Never Never think safety by taking along a firearm and have it ready to use as a last resort. We don't want to show any disrespect to Yogi or nature by pointing and firing a gun at it when it charges us humans if our bear spray or other defensive methods fail. And yes, things can go wrong, and Yogi has been documented to charge, kill and eat people regardless of what they did on the trail including using bear spray.