Once hiking just west of Yosemite, my dog took off running down the trail towards some young black bear cubs. I called her back (best recall moment ever, BTW). Great, now I've got a dog on a leash that was chasing some cubs maybe 200 feet away with no idea where the mother was. That was really scary for about 30 seconds. Then, we walked a bit off the trail away from the cubs as they both scrambled up a tree. We sat down and decided to take a break and have lunch while the mom sorted it all out. After about 5-10 minutes we heard the mother call to the cubs who scrambled down the tree and ran off. About 10 minutes later we continued on down the trail.berkeman said:
That reminds me of the movie "Revenant", which has scene involving a similar situation but a far less pleasant outcome. I wish I'd never watched that movie.berkeman said:
I would not have the first clue, city boy from England and these stories give me nightmares.berkeman said:
LOL. In my day of backpacking near Yosemite, we had a similar rule about hanging up your food in the trees. You didn't have to hang it up well enough to keep the bears from getting it, in fact that was often impossible, but you did have to hang it up better than the other backpackers did. That wasn't as hard as it sounds, Yosemite had a lot of inexperienced backpackers and the smartest Black Bears on the planet, people-wise.hutchphd said:
Never having lived in mountain lion country... is there some reason why throwing many decent size rocks at the "kitty" (while still retreating) would have been a bad idea?pinball1970 said:
Watching the video I kept thinking, “why doesn’t he just throw a load of rocks at it?”strangerep said:
Rather, bears feels the wolf in dogs. And while bears are individually stronger, they are loners. On the other hand, wolves hunts in packs - and sometimes they do hunt (smaller) bears.DaveE said:
Bending down to pick them up you look smaller and less dangerous.strangerep said:
In my back yard (a cub, I think):phinds said:
The last time I was in Yosemite, I was camped in my VW van at Tuolumne Meadows, near the east-side entrance. A group camped nearby had their food cooler perched on one of the camp tables, which I thought was a really bad idea. Sure enough, the next morning, that cooler was on the ground, all torn up, with remnants of their food wrappers strewn all around.JT Smith said:
No doubt from humans driving their cars into them, which can do great damage to the vehicle and driver, not to mention the deer. I've never heard of a deer attacking a human.JT Smith said:
I go on long backpack trips in the Washington Olympics and Cascades. I don't see bears much in the Cascades, but frequently see black bears in the Olympics. On one trip alone, we saw eight bears, although they were off in the distance. When I do see one, I make a lot of noise, and they invariably run away. I would not place myself between a mother bear and her cubs, though.JT Smith said:
I've said this before -- the way you can tell black bear scat from grizzly scat is that black bear scat has a peppery smell. Grizzly bear scat has those little bells in it.phinds said:
It is not common, but it happensMark44 said:
Local guy was taking out his garbage and didn't notice a deer standing there (they are well camouflaged). Got kicked and broke some teeth (but they were just implant$).Mark44 said:
I wouldn't count this as an "attack" by a deer. If you startle a wild animal, it's liable to panic. I've heard of people being attacked by elk -- a well-known case out my way (but back in the 30s) involved a guy in the wilderness who had found an elk rack that had been shed, and was carrying it back to his camp. A bull elk saw him and may have thought it was a rival bull, and ran at him, causing the guy to incur a dislocated shoulder. The fellow's name was Herb Crisler, who later filmed a Disney documentary, "The Olympic Elk," which came out in the 50's.Keith_McClary said:
A similar story. In Wisconsin, dontcha know.Mark44 said:
Also stupid hunters. They shoot the deer, then walk up to it thinking it's dead. The deer gets up and attacks.Mark44 said:
If you encounter a bear, the most important thing to do is to remain calm and avoid making sudden movements. Slowly back away from the bear while facing it, and give it plenty of space to escape. Do not run or climb a tree, as bears are fast and can easily outrun or climb after you.
If a bear approaches you, it is important to stand your ground and make yourself look as large as possible. You can do this by raising your arms and making loud noises. If the bear continues to approach, use bear spray or any other deterrent you may have and continue to back away slowly.
To prevent a bear encounter, make sure to properly store all food and scented items, such as toiletries, in a bear-proof container or hang them at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet away from the tree trunk. Avoid hiking or camping alone, and make noise while hiking to alert bears of your presence.
If a bear attacks you, your first priority should be to protect your head and neck. Use any available deterrents, such as bear spray or rocks, to try to make the bear retreat. If the attack continues, play dead by lying on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck and your legs spread apart to prevent the bear from flipping you over.
Some signs that a bear may attack include making loud noises, swaying its head, or charging at you. These behaviors may indicate that the bear feels threatened or is defending its territory. It is important to remain calm and slowly back away while facing the bear in these situations.
