Popular Mechanics - USA (2020-07)

(Antfer) #1

eyes open. In 2018 the course had eight confirmed visits by
grizzlies—its annual record—resulting in a few interrupted
rounds but no close calls. It’s a workable relationship.


I could relate to Lennemann’s surprise at seeing a
bear. Though at the time I lived outside West Gla-
cier, smack in the middle of that recovery zone,
it took a literal wake-up call for me to develop the
proper neighborly rapport with the grizzlies: The guttural
growl of R.D., my shepherd-Akita mix, snapped me out of a
dead sleep. Stepping over him on the landing, I clicked on
the light and stared through the window onto my porch—
into the eyes of an adult grizzly licking my barbecue grill
three feet away. Startled, the bear dashed away as quickly
as I stepped back, but that rush beat the devil out of any
cup of coffee.


WHAT TO DO


IF YOU SEE A


GRIZZLY


▲ One of Glacier
National Park’s
more than 300
grizzlies.


▶ Glacier
campsites have
a pole to hang
attractants.


“Most likely they’re going to
go the other way,” says Wayne
Kasworm, grizzly bear biologist
with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service. “They don’t want
anything more to do with us
than what we want to do with
them.” But you should have a
plan for when an encounter is
unavoidable.

MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN
Talk (don’t yell) to alert the bear to
your presence as you slowly back
out of the area. If a bear is too
close or doesn’t leave, do not run—
that signals that you’re prey.

CARRY BEAR SPRAY AND
KNOW HOW TO USE IT
“Most charges come from 50 feet
or less. That [takes a bear] 1.6
seconds,” says Neal Wedum, retired
Glacier National Park ranger. Be
prepared to deploy bear spray by
practicing pulling it from the holster
and flipping off the safety (in an
outdoor area) so it becomes an
instant reaction. Carry the can in
the same place on your belt or pack
so you reach for it without thinking.

SPRAY IF CONTACT IS IMMINENT
Aim low, and spray even when the
bear is beyond the can’s range
(about 30 feet) since they will
run into the cloud. If that doesn’t
stop a grizzly, Kasworm says, “play
dead.” Curl up or lie flat on the
ground, protecting your neck and
other vulnerable areas.

Grizzly bear
prints are
shorter and
wider than black
bear prints.
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