Tote-n-Float Pacific Northwest Adventures

Bear Bait: 1994, Sun Valley, Idaho. A 42 year old female homicide detective with the Portland Police Bureau is visiting friends. It is a beautiful Spring day, and she decides to spend the night in a tent on the friend's deck. The deck is attached to the house and the back door is unlocked. In the middle of the night, she hears shuffling, as something big is pushing against the tent and tearing at the canvas. She screams, but the aggression continues. She looks out the flap and sees a bear biting through the tent wall. Freaked out, she bolts out the tent door and into the house. The bear has destroyed the tent, and eventually leaves. Her hame is Susan. How do I know the story is true? She was my wife. After this incident Susan was affectionately nick-named "Bear Bait."

Predatory black bears are extremely dangerous. In his booklet, Don't Get Eaten, Naturalist Dave Smith writes:

"There have been a number of cases of black bears preying on campers at night. In some instances, the bears grabbed people sleeping under the stars. In other cases, the bears ripped into tents and went after occupants. Black bear predation on humans at night is rare, but it does happen. The bear's intent is to make a meal out of a human." (2008, 19-20)

In this case, don't play dead, but fight back. Go for the eyes, nose and ears. If you don't drive the bear away, it will kill you and eat you.

I hope I've got your attention. Please read on.

Black bears are not all created equal. We divide them into five categories, from least dangerous (1) to most dangerous (6).

1. Typical black bears
2. Curious black bears
3. Habituated black bears
4. Food-conditioned black bears
5. Black bear's with cubs
6. Predatory black bears

Typical Black Bears: If you startle a nearby black bear, it will almost always run away or climb a tree. I saw this on Augsperger Mountain in 2007 when we startled a bear near a bend in the trail. The bear bolted for the nearest tree and scampered up it like a squirrel. If a black bear is aware of your presence in advance, it will typically walk off in another direction or hide.

Curious Black Bears: Bears eat everything you, your pets or your cattle eat, and they investigate everything. Curious black bears may or may not be dangerous. It all depends on whether or not they have also been habituated or food-conditioned.

Habituated Black Bears: "Habituation" occurs when wild animals get used to being around people. They're wild, but they've learned to tolerate humans. Habituated black bears are not tame, and they are not harmless. Stay out of their way.

Food-conditioned Black Bears: People who feed bears put other hikers and campers at risk. Once bears associate food with people, these bears develope an entitlement. the expect ot be fed on cue. If this does not happen as expected, and a bear is turned down or yelled at, it may get angry. Food conditioning combined with habituation leads to dangerous confrontations between bears and people. Food-conditioned, habituated grizzlies have a history of killing and eating people.

Female Black Bears with Cubs: A black bear with cubs is not interested in eating you, but only in protecting the cubs. If you stumble into this situation, stand your ground and then slowly retreat. Play dead if you are attacked. (This is the only time you should play dead with a black bear.)

Predatory Black Bears: Danger! Predatory bears have no fear. They approach people they intent to eat in silence. They are bold, and might stalk a person lke a cougar. They will even use cover and attempt to circle behind their target. A predatory bear gets close, rushes in, and grabs you. There are no warnings. Fact: "Black bears that prey on people are usually healthy. They're not malnourished. They're not injured. Few wild bears or captive bears have ever been diagnosed with rabies, and it hasn't been a factor in attacks." (Don't Get Eaten, 12)