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| The bear truth
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| Not all bears are cute and cuddly; some just look big and hungry
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 | | CENTRAL OREGONIAN | | Ron Raasch |
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Everybody loves Smokey the Bear and many kids even sleep with Teddy Bears, so why have bears received such bad press over the years?
Perhaps it's because they have sharp teeth and claws and could have us for dinner anytime they please. Of course, the grizzly bear is more ferocious than the common black bear.
For those who don't know the difference between the two, here's some simple advice. If you find yourself in a position where a bear is chasing you, climb the nearest tree. If the bear comes up after you, it's a black bear. If the bear pulls the tree out of the ground and shakes you out, it's most likely a grizzly.
Another way to tell if there's a black bear or a grizzly bear in the area is to observe its droppings. If there are berries and grass in the scat, it's probably black bear. If there are tiny bells in it and it smells like pepper spray, it's probably grizzly.
One place you're guaranteed to see grizzlies is Denali National Park in Alaska. On one visit there, my wife and I hoped to see a variety of wildlife, including bears. According to a ranger we talked with, no one has ever been killed by a bear in the park but there have been a few attacks. The only recent attack she cited occurred when a grizzly nipped off the end of someone's finger. This sounded reassuring enough for me, so we headed into the park.
To get into the park's backcountry you must take one of the tour buses. You simply tell the bus driver to stop if you want to get out and hike. I believe we were the only ones on our bus who opted for a "walk in the park." We followed a closed road for a few miles then headed off into the tundra.
Stopping on a grassy knoll for lunch, I noticed fresh bear sign all around. Large chunks of ground were torn up and the exposed dirt hadn't even dried yet. The knoll overlooked a beautiful valley of stair-step beaver ponds. What caught my cautious eye was the associated tangle of tall willows, a great place for a hungry grizzly lying in wait for some tasty tourists.
Everything seemed to be going just fine until my wife spoke the following words: "Let's go down there."
My first thought was: "Are you crazy? Fresh bear sign, great bear habitat, miles from anything resembling civilization, we'll be eaten alive!" Instead, I said: "Sure, let's go, it looks like a neat place." I just couldn't bring myself to say no. After all, I was the man of the family. I had to be strong, show no fear. If I showed any sign of weakness, my wife or even a bear may attack.
So, off we started. We got no farther then a few hundred yards when we looked up and saw a big grizzly approaching about 400 yards off, no doubt wanting to get back to the task of ripping up his ground or anything he found in his territory. I raised the binoculars for a few seconds to get a look at the great beast that would soon be tearing me from limb to limb.
What a sight it was - muscles quivering, thick brown hair standing on end, saliva drooling out the sides of the mouth - yeah, I was scared! The bear however, appeared strong and sleek - the king of his domain.
Seeing a bear on the Discovery Channel is one thing. Seeing the large carnivore in person with only the clean tundra air separating you is quite another. I'm not sure if the bear saw us but when it went into a small ravine, we turned and started in the opposite direction at a brisk walk.
A few minutes later, we rounded the grassy knoll and looked back to see the same bruin still a couple of hundred yards off. It felt like we were being stalked and a thought occurred that we may have to revert to the fetal position if the bear got any closer. Eventually the bear either tired of the low-speed chase or found a good berry patch.
I believe the park's official statement on a bear encounter goes something like this: If you see a grizzly, don't get off the tour bus! Stay aboard with the rest of the frightened passengers. But if you do have suicidal tendencies and feel the need to head out into the grizzly-infested tundra, take the following precautions:
Make noise so any bears will be aware of your presence. Consider wearing a bear bell. I believe they mean dinner bell.
Avoid direct eye contact with the bear. I guess they can read the fear in your eyes and realize that you know that they know they can eat you.
Make yourself look bigger. Pull out my lunch and start eating?
Back away slowly. This is a relative statement. How 'bout 25 mph?
If the bear charges, there's a 75 percent chance it's only a false charge. If a bear runs full-bore at me, isn't that the definition of a charge? And what about that other 25 percent?
However, in the event this is a real charge, lie in a fetal position and remain as quiet as possible. Yeah, right. Ignore the slobber dripping in your face and the sound and feel of your tearing flesh and crunching bone.
If you don't fight back at first, the bear will tire and wander off. Unless of course he gets his fill of you first.
If the bear doesn't wander off, your last chance may be to turn over and fight back. Smack him in the nose as this is the most tender and vulnerable part of his face. At this point, it also wouldn't hurt to reach deeply into your bag of cuss words and pull out some of the choicer ones. Whatta ya got to lose?
Perhaps all these bear stories are the reason I still wake up in the night to the slightest noise, sometimes even while camping. If you are heading into grizzly country, I suggest picking up the latest book on the subject titled "How to Outrun a Grizzly" by the French author Claude DerriŠre.
Scott Staats is a Prineville resident, whose column, "Out and About," appears in several publications. He can be reached at: falcon@crestviewcable.com |
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