Play Dead, Back Away or Fight? What to Do if a Brown Bear Comes at You
The right response depends on the kind of bear and the kind of encounter. Getting it straight before you leave the trailhead is what counts.
Bear attacks are rare. Millions of people hike, fish and camp in bear country every year without trouble, and most never see a bear at all. In Yellowstone, the National Park Service puts the chance of being injured by a bear at about one in 2.7 million visits. Bears do not hunt people as a rule. They avoid us when they can.
The trouble comes in a small number of close encounters, and nearly all of them follow the same script: a person walks up on a brown bear that did not hear them coming, and the bear defends itself, its cubs or its food. How the person behaves in the next few seconds matters a great deal.
The advice for those seconds is specific, and it is not the same for every bear. What works with a brown bear, which includes the grizzly, is wrong for a black bear, and the old sayings about running downhill or climbing a tree are wrong for both.
What follows matches the guidance given by the National Park Service and by state wildlife agencies in Alaska and the northern Rockies. Read it at home, when you are calm. It is very hard to learn on the trail.
Read all the way to the end. The last section covers the one bear you should never play dead for.
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First
1. Know which bear you are looking at
Did you know this?Two kinds of bear share much of western North America, and the right response to an attack depends on which one you face. Brown bears, called grizzlies inland, live in Alaska, western Canada and parts of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. Black bears live in about 40 states, including all of those.
Do not go by color. Black bears can be black, chocolate, cinnamon or blond. Brown bears run from pale straw to nearly black. Size misleads too, since a big black bear outweighs a young grizzly.
AdvertisementLook at the shape instead. A brown bear has a distinct hump of muscle over the shoulders, which powers its digging. Its rump sits lower than the hump. In profile its face is dished, curving inward between the forehead and the nose, and its ears are short and round. Its front claws are long, two to four inches, and only slightly curved.
AdvertisementA black bear has no shoulder hump, and its highest point is the middle of the back or the rump. Its face makes a straight line from forehead to nose, its ears are taller and more pointed, and its claws are short and sharply curved for climbing.
RememberHump, dished face, long claws: brown bear. No hump, straight face, tall ears: black bear. Color tells you nothing. -
Before
2. Do not surprise one
Did you know this?Most brown bear attacks are defensive. The bear was startled at close range, or it was guarding cubs or a carcass. Prevent the surprise and you prevent most attacks.
AdvertisementMake noise. Talk, call out or clap every so often, and more often where a bear might not hear or see you: beside rushing streams, in thick brush, on windy days, on blind corners and in berry patches. The human voice works best. Small bells are too quiet to count on.
Travel in a group. The National Park Service recommends hiking in groups of three or more, and attacks on groups of that size are very rare. Stay together, and keep children close and in the middle. Hike in daylight, since bears are most active at dawn, at dusk and at night.
AdvertisementWatch for signs: fresh tracks, droppings, torn logs, dug-up ground. If you smell something dead or see ravens gathered, leave the way you came. A bear on a carcass will defend it.
Leave the dog at home, or keep it on a short leash where dogs are allowed. A loose dog can find a bear, provoke it and then run straight back to you with the bear behind it.
AdvertisementIn camp, cook and store food at least 100 yards downwind of your tent. Keep all food, garbage, toothpaste and other scented items in a bear-resistant container or a food locker, or hung at least 10 feet up and 4 feet out from the trunk. Never keep food in a tent.
RememberCarry bear spray on your belt or chest strap, not in your pack, and make sure every adult in the group has a can. -
At a distance
3. Stay calm and back away
Did you know this?Most sightings are at a distance, and the bear either has not noticed you or does not care. Keep it that way. The National Park Service asks visitors to stay at least 100 yards from any bear. If the bear has not seen you, back away quietly the way you came and give it a wide berth, or wait for it to move off.
AdvertisementIf the bear has seen you, do not run. Running can trigger a chase, and a brown bear covers ground at 30 miles an hour or more, uphill or down. No person can outrun one.
Instead, stand still for a moment. Take your bear spray out and remove the safety clip. Speak to the bear in a low, calm voice so it can tell you are a person and not prey. Then move away slowly and sideways, which lets you watch the bear and your footing at the same time. Bears do not read a sideways movement as a threat. If the bear follows, stop and hold your ground.
AdvertisementDo not scream, do not make sudden movements and do not stare it down. Pick up small children at once. Keep your pack on, and never drop food to distract the bear, because that teaches it that approaching people pays.
Never get between a mother and her cubs, and if you see a cub alone, assume she is close.
RememberDo not run and do not climb a tree. Brown bears and black bears can both climb, and a bear will reach the tree long before you are out of reach.Advertisement -
Body language
4. Read what the bear is telling you
Did you know this?Bears are easier to read than most people expect, and a few signals tell you how the encounter is going.
A bear that stands up on its hind legs is not about to attack. It is trying to see and smell you better. A standing bear is a curious bear. Keep talking calmly and keep backing away.
A bear that is uneasy shows it. It may huff, woof, pop or clack its jaws, yawn, drool, lower its head, flatten its ears or swat the ground with a front paw. All of these mean the same thing: you are too close. This is a warning, and the correct answer is more distance, given slowly.
AdvertisementA defensive bear is one you have surprised, or one with cubs or food. It looks agitated and noisy. It wants you gone, and it will usually stop once it no longer sees you as a threat.
A predatory or curious bear behaves very differently, and it is far less common. It is quiet and intent. It approaches steadily with its head up and ears forward, follows you, circles or keeps returning. A bear that comes into your tent at night belongs in this group. This bear is testing you, and it calls for the opposite response: stand tall, shout, look as large as you can, and be ready to use your spray and to fight.
AdvertisementA bear on its hind legs is asking a question. A bear with its head low and its ears back is giving an answer.
RememberNoisy and agitated means defensive: calm it down and give it room. Silent and following means predatory: stand up to it. -
A charge
5. Stand your ground
Did you know this?A charging brown bear is one of the most frightening things a person can face, and the correct response goes against every instinct. Do not run. Stand where you are.
AdvertisementMany charges are bluffs. In a bluff charge the bear comes with its head and ears up, often in big bounding leaps, puffing itself up to look larger. It then stops short or veers off to one side, sometimes only a few yards away. It is trying to scare you off, and running is the one thing that can turn a bluff into a real attack.
AdvertisementIn a committed charge the bear comes low and fast, head down and ears pinned back. You will not have time to tell the two apart with confidence, and you do not need to. The response is the same.
Hold your ground. Keep your pack on. Have your bear spray in your hand with the safety clip off and pointed at the bear. Keep speaking in a calm, firm voice. If the bear stops, wait until it has settled, then begin backing away slowly again. A bear may bluff more than once before it leaves.
AdvertisementIf the bear keeps coming, use your spray.
RememberStanding still is what stops most charges. The bear wants the threat to end, and a person who holds their ground and then slowly leaves has ended it. -
Bear spray
6. How to use it, step by step
Did you know this?Bear spray is a pressurized can of red pepper extract that fires a cloud of irritant 25 to 35 feet. It inflames a bear's eyes, nose and lungs for long enough to let you leave, and it does the bear no lasting harm. Wildlife agencies recommend it as the most effective tool for stopping an aggressive bear.
AdvertisementBuy a can labeled for use on bears and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, holding at least 7.9 ounces. Personal pepper spray is not a substitute. Check the expiry date before each season.
Carry it where one hand can reach it in two seconds: a belt or chest holster. A can inside a pack is of no use.
When a bear charges, follow these steps. First, pull the can from the holster and flip off the safety clip with your thumb. Second, hold it firmly, in both hands if you can, and aim slightly downward, toward the ground in front of the bear, because the cloud rises. Third, when the bear is about 30 feet away, roughly two car lengths, press the trigger for a burst of one to two seconds, so the bear runs into the cloud. Adjust for a crosswind. Fourth, if the bear keeps coming, spray again and keep spraying until it turns. Fifth, once it does, leave the area promptly at a walk. Do not run.
AdvertisementA can empties in about seven or eight seconds, so use short bursts. Never spray it on tents, packs or people as a repellent. The dried residue can actually attract bears. Do not leave a can in a hot car.
RememberPractice drawing the can and removing the clip until you can do it without looking. In a charge you will have about two seconds.Advertisement -
Contact
7. Brown bear: play dead
Did you know this?If a brown bear or grizzly makes contact in a defensive attack, play dead. Do it at the moment of contact or just before, not while the bear is still at a distance.
Drop to the ground and lie flat on your stomach. Clasp your hands behind your neck, with your elbows covering the sides of your face. Spread your legs apart so that it is harder for the bear to roll you over. If it does flip you, keep rolling until you are face down again. Leave your pack on. It protects your back.
AdvertisementThen stay still and stay quiet. This is the hardest part. Struggling and screaming tell the bear the threat is still alive. A defensive bear is not trying to eat you. It is trying to remove a danger, and most such attacks end quickly once the person stops moving.
When the bear stops, do not get up. Bears often move off a short distance and watch. Wait several minutes, until you are sure it has left the area, before you move. Then go for help.
AdvertisementThere is one firm exception. If the attack goes on and the bear begins to bite and feed instead of leaving, it is no longer defensive. The same applies to any bear that stalked you or that attacks you in your tent. Fight back with everything you have: rocks, sticks, a knife, your fists and feet, aimed at the face.
RememberStomach down, hands behind the neck, legs spread, pack on. Stay still until the bear is truly gone, and fight only if the attack persists.Advertisement -
The exception
8. Black bear: do not play dead
Did you know this?Black bears are smaller, shyer and much more numerous than brown bears, and they attack far less often. A black bear that feels threatened usually runs or climbs a tree. A mother black bear with cubs will bluff and blow but very rarely presses an attack.
Because of that, when a black bear does attack a person, it is more likely to be predatory. Playing dead is the wrong response. It gives the bear exactly what it wants.
AdvertisementIf a black bear approaches you, stand your ground, make yourself look large, wave your arms and shout at it in a deep, firm voice. Use your bear spray if it comes within range. It works on black bears too. Do not run and do not climb a tree, since black bears are expert climbers.
If a black bear attacks, try to get away to a secure place such as a car or a building. If you cannot, fight back with any object you can reach. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear's face and muzzle. People have driven off black bears with rocks, sticks and bare hands.
AdvertisementThe same rules about prevention apply. Most black bear problems begin with food, so store it properly and never feed a bear, by accident or on purpose.
RememberBlack bear attack: do not play dead. Get to a car or building if you can. If you cannot, fight back and aim for the face.
The short version
Prevention is nearly everything. Make noise, hike in a group of three or more, keep children close and dogs leashed or at home, store food and scented items properly, and carry bear spray where you can reach it. Stay at least 100 yards from any bear you see.
If you meet a bear at close range, never run and never climb a tree. Speak calmly and back away slowly and sideways. If it charges, stand your ground and fire your spray when it is about 30 feet away. If a brown bear makes contact in a defensive attack, lie on your stomach with your hands behind your neck and your legs spread, and stay still until it has gone. If any bear keeps attacking, stalks you or comes into your tent, or if a black bear attacks, fight back with all you have.
Rules differ a little from place to place, so check the specific advice for the park or forest you are visiting before you set out, and ask a ranger about recent bear activity. Then go and enjoy it. A bear seen at a safe distance is one of the great sights of the American outdoors, and with a little preparation that is how nearly every encounter ends.
Last updated . This article is for general information. Wild animals are unpredictable, so follow local wildlife and park guidance.
