Recent bear attacks in Glacier and Yellowstone parks highlight why hikers need proper preparation, bear spray and food storage in bear country.
Hiking etiquette rules that should be common sense but apparently need to be spelled out for some peopleNBA Finals ratings surge as the league welcomes Trump, drops woke messaging — but is it sustainable?
Here is how Pat McAfee has surpassed Stephen A Smith as the face of ESPN | Bobby BurackOnly 2 Dodgers players were not wearing a pride hat during pride nightEmbrace of Wemby as face of the NBA proves resistance toward Jokic was always racial | Bobby Burack 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' collapses in second weekend at box office, cementing huge loss for Disney NFL is becoming the NBA: Rams trade for Myles Garrett raises concerns about Superteams, parity and tanking Education Secretary Linda McMahon rips California trans athlete ‘compromise,’ tells Newsom to ‘pick a side’ Jimmy Kimmel says he felt 'defeated' after Colbert show was cancelled, says CBS is using 'made-up numbers' Former MSNBC host Joy Reid says she is no longer a New York Giants fan because Jaxson Dart introduced Trump'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is a prime example that Disney's Star Wars is on life support 'Supergirl' pre-release tracking looks disastrously bad for Hollywood after lead actress' bizarre commentsJD Vance: Iran doesn’t get a ‘dime’ from anyone if they don’t change their behaviorForeigners love America more than Democrats: Sage SteeleWatters: Democrats are downbeat on the fact we won the war, securing peaceBoston police arrest 14-year-old after masked suspects allegedly rob siblings' lemonade standFOX's 'Bear Grylls is Running Wild' preview with Grylls The action-adventure series host joins us for his FOX series, premiering 4/21 with an episode featuring Matthew McConaughey, and shares what’s coming up on adventures this season as stars join him for 48-hour journeys in the wildernessOver the past several weeks, a string of high-profile incidents has put bears back in the national conversation.
A hiker was— the park's first fatal bear attack in nearly three decades. Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later. Yellowstone visitors also found themselves on the wrong end of an encounter with a protective mother bear and her cubs near Old Faithful.year without incident.
Most bears want nothing to do with humans, and most negative interactions are the result of surprise encounters, improperly stored food or people who are wildly unprepared for the environment they're entering. So before you lace up your boots and head into bear country, here are a few things every hiker and camper should know. Most bear encounters happen because neither party knew the other was there until it was too late. You don't need a bear bell.
In fact, many wildlife experts will tell you they're largely ineffective because they aren't loud enough to alert a bear until it's already nearby. Call out"Hey bear!
" from time to time. Chat with your hiking partner about where you’ll get beers afterward. Complain loudly about the incline. Whatever.
The goal is to let the bear know you're coming so it has plenty of time to leave the area before you arrive. , around blind corners and in dense vegetation where sound and visibility are limited. In fact, one of the common threads in several recent bear encounters — including Daniel Crago's grizzly attack in Glacier National Park — was that environmental conditions made it difficult for either the bear or the hiker to hear the other approaching.
A group of hikers is bigger, louder and more intimidating than a lone person walking through the woods. While there's no magic number, hiking with three or more people is often recommended in bear country. If you're heading deep into the backcountry, this is one of the simplest ways to reduce your chances of a negative encounter. Bears aren't just smelling your hot dogs and hamburgers.
They're smelling the toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, sunscreen, beef jerky wrapper you forgot about and the shirt you wore while cooking bacon. A Bear Country sign in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia warns visitors to protect their property and store food properly. In camp, keep your sleeping area, cooking area and food storage area separate. Use bear-resistant canisters or bear boxes whenever they're available.
If you can hang the grub, do it. Wash dishes promptly. Dispose of trash properly. Don't leave food scraps sitting around.
And if you're in serious grizzly country, some experts even recommend changing clothes after cooking before climbing into yourCarry bear spray — and keep it where you can actually reach itIf your bear spray is buried beneath a rain jacket, two bags of trail mix, a first-aid kit and three layers of backpack zippers, it might as well not exist. Keep it in a chest holster or on your hip where you can access it at a moment's notice.
Practice removing the safety clip before your trip so you're not trying to read the instructions during a high-stress encounter. Bear spray isn't something you deploy every time you see a bear in the distance. If a bear is calmly minding its own business 100 yards away, leave it alone and continue creating distance.
If that happens, remove the safety clip, hold the can with both hands, and prepare to spray when the bear is roughly 30 to 40 feet away. Aim slightly downward to create a cloud between you and the animal. If you encounter a bear, don't run I know. This is antithetical to every survival instinct in your body.
And it’s easy for me to say from behind a laptop — while not being stared down by a grizzly. But do not run from a bear. Bears can sprint up to 35 miles per hour. Usain Bolt’s human sprint speed record is 27.78 mph.
You’re not Usain Bolt, and you don’t need me to do that math for you. A bear walks out of a bush full of red berries near people holding bear spray and walking poles at Exit Glacier track in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. If it sees you, remain calm. Stand your ground.
Speak in a calm, firm voice and slowly make yourself appear larger by raising your arms. One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit. Cubs are only fun to watch at Wrigley If you spot a bear cub, congratulations. You are almost certainly much closer to its mother than you'd ever like to be.
Never approach cubs. Never position yourself between a mother and her cubs. And never stop for a photo — no matter how awestruck you are by the adorable danger puppies. The good news is that most bear encounters never escalate to an attack.
But if things do go sideways, the type of bear you're dealing with can influence how wildlife experts recommend responding.are often more timid and more likely to retreat if you stand your ground, make yourself look large and fight back if attacked. In the rare event of a predatory black bear attack, experts generally advise fighting with everything you've got. , on the other hand, are more likely to attack defensively — particularly when surprised or protecting cubs.
In those situations, playing dead may be the recommended response if physical contact occurs andthe attack. The National Park Service guidance is to lie flat on your stomach, hands clasped behind your neck, legs spread to make it harder for the bear to flip you. Of course, the goal is to never find yourself in this position in the first place.
That's why making noise, storing food properly and carrying accessible bear spray remain your best defenses. Bears don't know we come in peace. They don't understand we're just there to get our steps in, snap a few photos and then head home for burgers and a shower. They're simply being bears.
Most of the time, that's not a problem. But a little preparation and a healthy respect for wildlife can make all the difference between a great story to tell and a story that ends up on the evening news.
Please follow us on Google to support us Camping Hiking Wild Nature Camping National Parks
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Dutton Ranch' Is the 'Yellowstone' Spin-off That Actually DeliveredAfter a string of poorly received spin-offs, the Yellowstone franchise found new success with 'Dutton Ranch', which premiered to record viewership and high ratings, revitalizing fan enthusiasm with its focus on Beth and Rip's relationship and strong performances.
Read more »
From Yellowstone to Yosemite, new cookbook reveals recipes inspired by America's most iconic parksJust in time for America 250, the new 'National Parks Cookbook' features 100 recipes inspired by all 63 national parks, connecting regional flavors and culinary traditions.
Read more »
Taylor Sheridan's 4 Non-Yellowstone Westerns RankedGreat Westerns beyond the Duttons.
Read more »
Paramount Series That Was Originally a Yellowstone Spinoff Just Became a Major Netflix SuccessThis particular series, originally developed as a Yellowstone spinoff, is currently dominating the charts on Netflix.
Read more »