| 1 | Never feed them |
It’s a universal law of national parks. Yellowstone’s website clearly states “Never feed bears. Bears that become dependent on human food may become aggressive toward people and have to be killed“, while Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming has a $5000 fine for feeding wildlife, and up to one year in jail.
There isn’t a single national park in the USA or Canada today that allows you to feed bears a peanut butter sandwich or Cheetos, but before World War 2, the exact opposite was true. Yellowstone would host nightly “bear shows”, where both brown and black bears would feed off a rubbish dump, while a ranger on a horse stood just 30 feet away and gave educational bear talks to enraptured viewers. A platform called the “lunch counter” became famous, where viewers could watch bears eat bacon rind from comfortable wooden platforms. A 1920 Yellowstone tourist brochure promised a full course dinner and numerous bear sightings within one hour.
By 1960, hungry bears were tactically positioning themselves in roads to block motorists, who would feed them twinkies and marshmallows. Rangers were getting uneasy, and 1970 was the turning point. Trout Creek dump closed, the last surviving garbage dump in Yellowstone, and bear proof bins were installed in the busier areas. The horrific Night of the Grizzlies in 1967 was the inspiration, when garbage-addicted bears killed two women. Consequently, all American national parks banned feeding at once.
| 2 | Bear-proof storage |
This is part of the same no feeding philosophy. Bear canisters are also called bear-resistant food storage containers (BRFCs). The average container weighs 2-4 pounds and is constructed from tough polycarbon and ABS plastic. They’re normally black and in a tube shape, while the lid is difficult even for humans to unscrew, requiring fine motor skills far beyond the smartest bear (we think). They’re designed to prevent bears from eating human food, becoming addicted, and transforming overnight into “problem bears”, but unlike feeding bears, the rules vary by national park.
In Denali, BRFCs are “strongly recommended”. Anyone who successfully applies for a trekking permit will be handed a free one, which must be returned 48 hours after the trek is over.
Yellowstone, meanwhile, has more relaxed rules on whether BRFCs are necessary, but tough rules on the models; they only allow bear canisters approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. To get committee approval, a bear canister has to survive one test: a night in a zoo with a captive black bear.
In Glacier National Park in Wyoming, bear canisters are “highly recommended”, but all food must be stashed 100 yards away from your campsite, and downwind to boot. If 100 yards downwind is in the empty space above a cliff, then it’s time to find a new campsite. Glacier Park hands out bear canisters for free at the Visitor Information Station, which are specially shaped to fit on a backpack or kayak.
| 3 | Establishing a campsite |
The list of instructions for camping in bear country is very long. Some are pure common sense, such as never camping near a salmon river, no matter how blue and sparkling. Another is to never camp near fresh bear tracks or dig marks in the soil, and to establish camp before nightfall to allow a clear view of whether the area is grizzly central USA.
Most of Yellowstone’s more detailed instructions are about strong scents, and keeping them away from the powerful nostrils of grizzlies. Their website recommends keeping not just food under wraps, but strong smelling soaps, fuel, toothpaste, and suntan lotion. Backpacks containing the food should never be left unattended for more than a few minutes, while the food itself should never be cooked in the tent, or even with sleeping bags draped over people for warmth, in case the smell of food lingers.
Yellowstone recommends that all cooking takes place 100 yards (91 metres) away from the main camping site, and that campers change clothes once they’ve finished dinner – otherwise a bear will burst out of a nearby tree trunk within seconds. Yellowstone’s website advises you to “avoid bringing smelly foods into the backcountry” altogether.
| 4 | Laws about bear spray |
Pepper spray for bears was laughed at in the 1970s, but today, it’s accepted as the best bear deterring tool available. Firstly, one reassuring fact Yellowstone offers is that “you don’t need to be a good shot“. Cans are designed to release a cloud of gas which the bear cannot run through without agonising stinging, provided by the hot pepper compound capsaicin. But the website does recommend serious practise. You need to learn to unscrew the top, press the button, and adjust for crosswind. You don’t need to be Clint Eastwood, sure, but you need to aim in vaguely the correct direction.
Speaking of the wild west, another recommendation is a must: keeping your canister in a quick draw holster, rather than a backpack. A bear won’t politely wait for a fair duel. Another common sense recommendation is checking the expiry date, but one which you wouldn’t expect is keeping your bear spray away from 120F heat. The reason: the cans have a tendency to explode! The natural pressure required for the gas propulsion is to blame.
Something which any ranger will tell you is to never use your bear spray like an insect repellent, spraying it around the campsite as a deterrent, because ironically, the aroma can actually attract bears. Despite arguments by some rangers, bear spray isn’t mandatory in Yellowstone, but it is mandatory on certain Canadian trails. In July 2011, Lake Minnewanka Trail near Banff promised a court appearance and a $25,000 fine to groups where at least one person wasn’t carrying.
If you’re worried about using bear spray then check out Yellowstone’s official guide.
| 5 | Secrets to know |
Good news for firearm fanatics – it’s legal to carry a rifle in Yellowstone Park. But the bad news is that it’s illegal to fire it. Hunting is banned altogether in Yellowstone, let alone targeting an 800 pound grizzly bear. There are no national parks in North America where firearms are actively recommended for stopping bears, and in Canadian ones, they are banned outright.
Rucksacks are another important piece of equipment. Specifically, the Yellowstone website says to never remove them! It’s a solid barrier between a bear’s claws and the skin on your back, and could save your life. You should also “pick up small children immediately“, and “make yourself looks as large as possible” if a bear is sighted, possibly by moving to higher ground, or converging into a big huddle to resemble a strange-looking rival bear.
Good at impressions? Then never try to copy a bear’s noises. Yellowstone rangers say this is more likely to trigger an assault. Instead, the website recommends low tones at a consistent volume, to convince the bear that you’re not a threat.
Not everything is about fear and panic. Denali’s website has a section on how to find bears, such as scanning the horizon for strange anomalies that catch your eye, and looking further up the mountain during summer where they search for squirrels.
The main US National Park website even takes time to dispel the old myth that bears can’t run downhill: “Grizzlies can swim, run up and downhill, and sprint up to 40 miles per hour“. Apparently, this old wives tale is so pervasive that the government is forced to pay salaried workers to counter it!
| 6 | How to avoid bears |
Being the responsible park operator that it is, Yellowstone tells you how to avoid bears in the first place rather than dodge a 5000 pound grizzly already charging at you. Firstly, their website advises you to never travel by yourself, citing statistics that 91% of bear assaults happened to lone hikers. Groups of 3-4 are the optimal.
Visitors should also shout loudly at intervals, to alert the bear to their presence. If you can’t think of anything off the top of your head, then Yellowstone recommends the age-old “hey bear”. This is particularly important on windy days or by loud streams, which might muffle your natural talking – the goal is to alert the bear to your presence, to give it a chance to scamper. On the other hand, Yellowstone Park recommends strongly against bear bells, a popular piece of equipment. According to statistics, “they are generally not considered effective at preventing surprise encounters“, particularly in foul weather.
Avoiding night, dusk and dawn is another key, as “that’s when grizzly bears are most active“. They also recommend staying away from carcasses. Even if there’s no bear in sight, it could be lurking in the undergrowth, and the strong smell is sure to attract a bear eventually. They advise sticking to established trails – you might guess that bears would use these easy transport tunnels, but grizzlies know that they’re human turf.
| 7 | What to do if you see one |
The first step, according to Yellowstone’s website, is to not panic and run around screaming like a headless chicken. First of all, if it’s a distant bear, you should take a long detour downwind of the bear before it’s powerful nostrils suss out what’s up. Don’t panic if the bear stands on its hind legs, because “it’s probably trying to gather information about you rather than being aggressive“.
You’re advised to remember the difference in mannerisms between an aggressive bear and a mother protecting its cubs. A defensive bear will slap the ground with its paws, clack its teeth and stick out its lips, warning you to stay away. Here, you should back off slowly, and never turn around and run at high speeds. This will trigger the bear’s hunter instinct, and it’s impossible to outrun a bear with 4 working legs anyway. Yellowstone recommends against playing dead if a defensive bear is simply standing and watching you – backing off is the solution.
Meanwhile, the signs of a curious or predator bear tend to be a raised ears and head, rather than its head stooped. This bear won’t slap its paw, bark, hoof or use other threats. There will be a visible lack of panic in its mannerisms. In this case, most National Park websites advise you to scoop up your food and belongings, and yell loudly at the bear with your friends to deter it. According to Yellowstone, “it may retreat once it realizes you’re human“. This is the time to ready your bear spray canister.
| 8 | Attack strategies |
The bear is now charging at high speeds. There’s no time to unlock your phone and type “help, a bear is attacking me” into google. Yellowstone’s attack advice still varies between a defensive bear and an aggressive one. With a mother defending cubs, they recommend keeping your spray on hand, but holding your nerve, because “the bear is likely to break off the charge or veer away“.
Most defensive bears are trying to scare you away. If the bear keeps charging, then this is when the old “play dead” strategy comes in. Because a protective mother bear sees you as a threat rather than food, she may give up after the first few swipes. The consistent recommendation is to lie on your stomach, with your hands on the back of your neck. Once the mother bear leaves, Yellowstone says to wait for several minutes before moving, because she could be gathering her cubs.
If you’re unlucky enough to encounter Swipey the Predator Bear, then Yellowstone is clear: “Fight back as if your life depends on it, because it does“. Firstly, aim carefully and unleash your bear spray canister, at the range of 20-30 feet. If the bear simply runs through the gas cloud, then don’t play dead, because this bear is hungry and will not give up. In fact, the lower the threat, the easier he’ll feel his lunch is. Use rocks, sticks, fists – any weapon available.
| 9 | Car assault |
Back in 2015, a video went semi-viral of a bear trying to break into a car while a man and his family sat inside. At first, the man shouts “get in the car”, before spending 3 minutes sitting there while the curious looking grizzly presses its nose against their windscreen. Eventually, the grizzly calmly gives up and walks into the bushes.
Earlier in the video, the father says “if that grizzly wanted to, he’d be in here”, but according to Yellowstone park, he actually did everything right. US National Parks strongly recommend against getting out of cars if a bear is nearby. It sounds like common sense today, but in the 1940s and 50s, before the notorious night of the grizzlies happened in 1967, smiling rangers watched on while families gathered around “friendly” bears and fed them scraps of their picnic (video).
Noise is good according to Yellowstone: “If you honk your horn, then the bear reacts to that and will likely move away from the vehicle“. This statement was a response to a May 2018 incident when a grizzly bear played with a car’s antenna. Yellowstone considers the sanctuary of a car to be safe, as bears won’t break through the glass unless they’re desperately hungry and a strong aroma of food is pulling them in.
| 10 | Trees as a refuge |
That said, Yellowstone’s view on trees is exactly the opposite. Grizzly bear adults are inferior tree climbers to black bears, with their perfectly shaped wood-digging claws. Climbing a tree will work sometimes, like with George Favier in California in 1858, who watched his 4 friends be devoured at their campsite from the safety of a high branch. But the Yellowstone Park website is very clear: “In most cases, climbing a tree is a poor decision“.
A brown bear can easily climb trees if the desire is there, and if it’s a predatory bear, that desire could be you. Climbing a tree is smarter to avoid a defensive mother bear, but as Yellowstone points out, when was the last time you climbed a tree? It might be harder than you remember. The website warns of fatal foot grabbings: “People have been pulled from trees before they can get high enough to get away”.
The mere act of frantically climbing might trigger a brown bear’s hunter instinct. Denali National Park has similar views, stating in 2013 that 3 of 23 recent grizzly attacks involved a grizzly pulling someone out of a tree. In August 2020, the National Park Service which overseas all 63 of them made their views clear on Facebook: “Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees. Do NOT push down a slower friend (even if you think the friendship has run its course)“.
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