09-04-2009, 05:58 PM
I agree with Idaho Bob 100%. Too many people try to portray bears as ruthless killers or teddy bears. I think they fall into the middle. Bears will be Bears. They have diffrent temperments. There is no sure way to scare off a bear. As a general guide, black bear intend to kill you. Brown / Grizz beat you up until it deems you not a threat.
I have had alot of success putting my arms up in the air (makes you look bigger) and yelling. Mock charges are well, fake. They seem serious but then veer around you or stop and stand up to get a better look at you. I had a black bear stalking me two years ago out side of fairbanks. I was back in the woods a good bit looking for my buddies moose camp. I stopped for lunch and noticed a black bear in the valley walking twards me. I just packed up and started walking. After 30 minutes or so I saw the bear behind me again. I got out into a clearing a made a halfcircle then went up and sat on a hill and looked over the clearing. Sure enough the black bear walked my trail. At that time it was clear that we are going to have a confrontation. I stopped and waited for the bear. I wanted to scare the bear off my trail so I could continue. It showed up, stood up and then charged. It didn't pop it's jaw or give any warning signs. I was uneasy to say the least. I shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the mid back. Lucky for me the second bullet broke it's spine. I got knocked over my its momentum and then I shot the bear again in the head. I thought it was a smaller bear but she was starved and had a larger head. I skinned it and removed the head for alaska fish and game (didn't have a bear tag). Fish and Game later deemed it to be a DLP (defence of Life or Property) and cleared me of any wrong doing.
On a side note. Moose season was a bust that year. Got to love tag soup.
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I have had alot of success putting my arms up in the air (makes you look bigger) and yelling. Mock charges are well, fake. They seem serious but then veer around you or stop and stand up to get a better look at you. I had a black bear stalking me two years ago out side of fairbanks. I was back in the woods a good bit looking for my buddies moose camp. I stopped for lunch and noticed a black bear in the valley walking twards me. I just packed up and started walking. After 30 minutes or so I saw the bear behind me again. I got out into a clearing a made a halfcircle then went up and sat on a hill and looked over the clearing. Sure enough the black bear walked my trail. At that time it was clear that we are going to have a confrontation. I stopped and waited for the bear. I wanted to scare the bear off my trail so I could continue. It showed up, stood up and then charged. It didn't pop it's jaw or give any warning signs. I was uneasy to say the least. I shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the mid back. Lucky for me the second bullet broke it's spine. I got knocked over my its momentum and then I shot the bear again in the head. I thought it was a smaller bear but she was starved and had a larger head. I skinned it and removed the head for alaska fish and game (didn't have a bear tag). Fish and Game later deemed it to be a DLP (defence of Life or Property) and cleared me of any wrong doing.
On a side note. Moose season was a bust that year. Got to love tag soup.
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