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Ask A Bear: Scare a Marauding Bear

Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our new weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

by: Bear

Q: While sleeping this past summer, what I thought was a bear entered my camp. After the initial fear passed, I wondered: Should just sit quiet in my tent, or attempt to scare the bear away? —Steve, via email

p.s. I chose to leave the tent and scare the bear away, which turned out to be a tree stump.

A: Wow—that was a close one, Steve. You ever seen a tree stump victim? You'll wish I mauled you instead.

As for me (get used to this answer): It depends. If you know you're in black-bear-only country, you're best off grabbing your flashlight/headlamp so you can safely check out where I am, and then yelling or banging pots and pans to scare me off. That usually does the trick, and you'll be doing me a favor by associating a negative experience with both you and your tasty, tasty food. Don't ever approach me, though—if the noise isn't scaring me away, I'm likely too habituated. I'll probably eat your food, shuffle off, and rangers will deal with me later (gulp).

However, if you're in potential grizzly territory, you should probably stay in your tent and leave me the the hell alone. If I'm a grizzly, I won't scare easily when I get exploratory, and you shouldn't risk the chance of provoking a defensive or offensive attack. Most likely, I'll ransack your food, or simply cruise the scene and leave. Either way, report my presence to a ranger as soon as possible (gulp again—why am I telling you this?).

Of course, your first and smartest line of defense is to keep me out of camp in the first place. Check with rangers about bear activity before you head out, and avoid camps where I've picked up a taste for food and I'm a known visitor. Once you get to camp, employ proper procedures to keep me from messing with your Pop Tarts—park-approved food storage lockers or bear poles are usually best, followed by bear canisters, with bear bags behind those (I'm a black bear, I might know how to get to bear bags—they're practically teaching classes in Yosemite).

—BEAR

Got a question for the bear? Send it to askabear@backpacker.com.

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READERS COMMENTS

If your food is stored away properly (bear canister cans, bear poles, etc.) I see no reason to exit your tent in black bear country since once the bear finds nothing of noteworthy interest relative to food, he or she will move on away from the camp site.

I agree fully with the commenter who wrote earlier on the use of freon air horns to scare black and brown bears. I use these air horns, but I use them "sparingly," such as a quick blast when approaching a creek with loud rushing waters or if I am in thickets of tall alders and feel a sense of presence that a bear is shadowing me. These air horns are extremely loud, with the sound traveling up to one mile away. So, one can see quickly why the horns should only be used sparingly, and why one never hears a ranger recommend the use of an air horn as a bear avoidance device. It would be terrible if hikers in the back country needlessly "blasts" these devices. They are, though, more effective then bear spray.
Posted: Apr 12, 2012 Jerry W Doyle

If a black or grizzly bear were to come at your camp at nite could you use bear pepper spray as well? Or is it better to bang a pot that should be 100 feet away from your tent?
Posted: Apr 12, 2012 Anonymous

Storing your pots and pans in your tent? What sort of idiot are you? You can't possibly make them clean enough in the wilderness.

Get a clue folks, get a bear canister and put all of your smellable in them. There is no other way. Until we all do this, there will continue to be bear problems.
Posted: Sep 12, 2011 Ikan Mas

green crayons
Posted: Sep 10, 2011 Boomerang

When I worked in Prince William Sound, AK in the 80's, USFS personnel carried Freon Air horn as early warning devices on the salmon streams. A blast every 15 minutes would just about guarantee you wouldnt encounter a brown bear (grizzly). If you didn't use them, it was a certainty you would see bears, usually at very close range.
In a NP, you can count on waking everyone in camp, and probably summon a ranger (maybe a good thing.)
In a national forest the rangers will be around in a few days (to check things out.).
Posted: Sep 10, 2011 depier

For years I carried my car keys on a metal ring which was then draped over the handle of a Sierra Club cup. Constant metal scraping and when necessary a really annoying clanging when I shook the entire arrangement like a castanet. Kept it within reach inside or outside of the tent every night,I never had a problem with any critter staying around too long after a good strong shake.
Posted: Sep 09, 2011 Russ

Regarding pots and pans in the tent; if you wash them sufficiently, you can take them into your tent.
Posted: Sep 09, 2011 Andrew

They sell bear poppers in Montana,,,not to be confused with bear pops (or moms). Wonder if they work?
Posted: Sep 09, 2011 Ro

Would hanging a wind chime at night help discourage any visitors?
Posted: Aug 04, 2011 sparky

Or what about some kind of air horn?
Posted: Jul 30, 2011 Dan

what are bear poles and can you rig an alarm system with lines attached to bear bells??
Posted: Jul 30, 2011 kevin

Of course what I thought was a stump was correctly identified by my 4-year old son as a bear. That stump did amble off. He got $20 for spotting a mother & cub together in Glacier.
Distinguishing between black & griz at night could be a problem.
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Argosinu

Yea, but shouldn't my pots and pans be stored well away from my tent?
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Greg

fire crackers start fires! and are way illegal
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 curt

Firecrackers and firearms may chase away the bear but also awaken and seriously disturb other campers for miles around. Some of ''my Scouts'' hang all 'smellables' in odor-proof bags, high and away from all curious, foraging critters. Bear canisters work but are a nuisance to carry except they do make suitable camp-stools in the interim. Cook and sleep in separate areas, too.
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Old Pest Howard

Made me laugh - Most of the bears I see at a distance turn into stumps.
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Jim

Yea, but shouldn't my pots and pans be stored well away from my tent?
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Greg

I've wondered if a small firecracker would work?
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Curious