Alaska Fishing and Hunting Guides Directory
Alaska Safety In Bear Country
Alaska is bear country and if you plan on visiting Alaska and being in the outdoors you will need to understand how to travel in bear country. Bears are very curious animals and will investigate just about anything since they have no real natural predators. When traveling in bear country you will need to take certain precautions in order to avoid a negative bear encounter. Here are the top things we suggest you understand before traveling into the Alaska wilderness.
Alaska Bear Country Travel Tips -
1. Wear bear bells or other noise makers to warn bears you are approaching. Bears do not like to be surprised and will react unpredictably when scared. Some bears run away and others just attack what scared them. When hiking or traveling in bear country during the morning and early evening hours use extra precautions. Stop and give a good shout once in awhile, let the bears know your coming down the trail. If you are being quiet hoping to see some wildlife you may scare a bear, which is not what you want to do.2. Keep food and other attractive smelling items in sealed containers that retain the smell. Do not wear cologne or other products that may attract bears.
3. Do not make camp by a trail. Bears use trails to get from place to place just as we do and the trail you camp near may be a trail commonly used by bears during evening hours.
4. Do not prepare your food where you sleep. Prepare your food about 100 yards away from your campsite. Always prepare your food where you can see for a distance of at least 50 yards in all directions. This will give you time to move away if you see an approaching bear. Also, prepare and consume your food at least 1 – 2 hours before you go to sleep and clean up everything well. This may mean the difference between being awake when a curious bear approaches and being asleep.
5. If a bear does approach do not run, this will invite the bear to chase after you and the result is the opposite of what you originally wanted. If the bear is at a reasonably safe distance, back off slowly as to not draw its attention. If a bear is not at a reasonably safe distance stand your ground, wave your arms and talk to it. This may help the bear recognize that your human and it may walk away. If there are other people with you, stand close together and make yourselves seem to be a more formidable opponent. Do not scatter and scare the bear it may attack one of you. If a bear continues to approach and begins an attack play dead. After a short time, if the bear continues to attack, fight it with all you have.
6. Do not camp next to a running stream. Bears use the streams as a place to find food they also travel from place to place using the sides of the streams as trails. Also, if the stream is running and you can hear it, this reduces your ability to hear an approaching bear. If the stream is running quickly and making a lot of noise, you could get out of your tent and be face to face with a bear without ever hearing it.
7. Store your food at least 100 yards away from where you sleep. Do not keep any food in or around your tent or campsite. Store it high in a tree or in bear proof containers. Some campsites in Alaska have bear proof containers along side the campsite, when possible use these containers. Oh, and that candy bar you take inside your tent could be what the bear is looking for… bears have an excellent sense of smell.
