Bears are some of the coolest animals alive and having Yogi and Boo-boo running around on your homestead might seem exciting. But, are bear dangerous?
Yes, bears can be very dangerous animals. In fact, they can not only damage your fruit and berry crops, they can also destroy your beehives and even attack you or your loved ones. While the latter is rare it still happens every year in America. Thankfully, there are ways to limit your risk of being attacked if you have bears roaming your homestead.
How dangerous are bears?
According to Wikipedia, from 2000-2017 there were at least 47 bear attacks from Alaska to Arizona and from California to New York. The circumstances and victims were surprisingly varied. They were not just hikers in the woods. I listed a few below to give you an idea of how varied these attacks were:
- May 21, 2000 – Glenda Ann Bradley, a 50-year-old female, was attacked and partially consumed by a mother black bear and a cub, 1.5 miles upstream from Elkmont, Tennessee.
- August 18, 2001– Adelia Maestras Trujillo, a 93-year-old female, was killed by a black bear in here home in Maro, New Mexico after the bear broke through a glass pane to gain entry into her house.
- August 19, 2002 – Ester Schwimmer, a 5-month-old female, was taken from her stroller, which was near the porch of her family’s vacation home. The black bear carried her in its mouth to the woods. She died of neck and head injuries.
- June 17, 2007 – Samuel Evan Ives, an 11-year-old male, was grabbed from a family tent in American Fork Canyon in Utah, and mauled to death.
- August 6, 2009 – Donna Munson, a 74-year-old female, from Ouray, Colorado had been repeatedly warned by wildlife officials about feeding the local black bears. After a bear was injured in a fight with an older and bigger bear, Munson left food out to help the injured bear. The older bear came back to Munson’s property, forced its way past a wire fence, and mauled and ate Munson.
- July 25, 2011– Lana Hollingsworth, a 61-year-old female, was attacked by a 250 lb black bear while walking her dog at a country club in Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ. Nearly a month later and after eleven surgeries, she died from a massive brain hemorrhage, which doctors believe was a result of the attack.
- June 18, 2017 – Patrick Cooper, a 16-year-old male, was chased and mauled to death by a bear while running in the Bird Ridge trail race in Indian, Alaska.
When are bears most dangerous?
Bears can be dangerous at any time if you surprise them, especially grizzly bears with their cubs. However, black bears are actually most dangerous when they are hungry.
It has been thought that most bear attacks are perpetrated by mama bears protecting their cubs. While this may be true for grizzly bears, a new study in the Journal of Wildlife Management reveals that lone male black bears are actually more dangerous.
The study says, “The common belief that surprising a mother bear with cubs is the most dangerous kind of black bear encounter is inaccurate, … Instead, lone male black bears hunting people as a potential source of food are a greater cause of deadly maulings…”
The study also revealed that fatal attacks were most numerous in August when black bears are shifting into overdrive to put on weight for the winter. Most attacks occurred during the day, with about 60 percent of them in the backcountry and 40 percent closer to communities.
How to keep bears off your homestead property
One of the best ways to keep bears off your homestead is to eliminate smells that attract them. Don’t give them a reason to be there.
- Bird feeders: Regularly clean up debris beneath bird feeders. Put away your bird feeders in early spring (April 1) and don’t put them back up until mid-November. Bring hummingbird feeders in at night.
- Pet food: Feed pets indoors when possible, and store pet food indoors. If you feed animals outside, bring food dishes in at night.
- Garbage: Put garbage out shortly before pickup time. Store garbage in a bear-resistant trash can or storage area. Double-bag to reduce odors. Regularly clean and deodorize cans with bleach.
- Grills: When cooking meat on the outdoor grill, don’t leave your food unattended. Thoroughly clean your grill after use, including the grease can and drip tray. Clean up spills on your deck or patio. Store the grill in a garage or shed when not in use.
- Compost: Don’t add pungent items such as meat, melon rinds, or sweet-smelling foods to your compost pile. Regularly turn the pile and add lime to reduce odors.
- Fruit trees and berry bushes: Harvest fruit from fruit trees and berry bushes as soon as it’s ripe. Pick up fallen produce frequently; rethink planting more fruit trees or berry bushes.
- Beehives: Protect beehives with electric fencing.
- Other: Even non-food items can attract bears. Take scented items, such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap, or candles indoors when not in use.
If you can’t eliminate the smells that attract bears to your property you could try to block the bears’ access to your property with a good electric fence rated for bears.
However, if fencing your entire property is not practical, there are some more economical options for protecting specific locations within your property, mentioned below.
How to keep bears from damaging your property and breaking into your home
Here are additional ways to help prevent bears from entering your garden, home, and garage.
- Infrared motion detector water sprinkler: These sprinklers are designed to humanely scare off all kinds of animals, including bears. They are battery operated and hook up to a normal garden hose. When they detect movement in the area they will spray water and make a loud noise to scare off the animal.
- Motion-activated barking dog alarm: Some of these alarms actually use radar so they can detect motion behind solid objects, such as fences and garage doors. An unseen barking dog could convince the bear to try an easier target.
- Motion-sensor lights: These lights help startle any kind of intruder, even the two-legged variety.
- Electric fencing: Install electric fencing around your fruit trees, gardens, compost piles, and beehives. Electric fencing will give bears a shock but doesn’t harm them. If you don’t have a power source near the area you want to fence-in, you could choose one of the solar-powered models.
- Bars on windows: Bears can easily push their way through screens and glass windows to get inside your house, but steel bars on your windows will stop them. If you decide to go this route make sure to install “bugler bars” that have a quick release feature so you can get out of your house in an emergency.
What to do if there is a bear in your yard
What to do if there is a bear on your property
If you live in bear country there is a strong likelihood that you may see a bear in your yard from time to time. I highly recommend that you first call the local authorities to get their advice. But, if you haven’t done that yet, here are some general guidelines that might help.
- You may not need to do anything. The bear may just be passing through on his way to your neighbor’s house who hasn’t followed the tips above. Just enjoy him from a distance.
- If the bear is a nuisance to you or damaging your property, you should call your local wildlife department for assistance.
- If it is a real emergency and you feel your life might be in danger you should call 911 for help and try to repel the bear with all legal means possible.
Here are some tips from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife on what to do if you have a close encounter with a bear. First, stop, remain calm, and assess the situation.
- If the bear seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it’s not looking in your direction. Continue to observe the animal as you retreat, watching for changes in its behavior.
- If a bear walks toward you, identify yourself as a human by standing up, waving your hands above your head, and talking to the bear in a low voice. Don’t use the word bear because a human-food-conditioned bear might associate “bear” with food, since people feeding bears often say “here bear.”
- Don’t throw anything at the bear and avoid direct eye contact, which the bear could interpret as a threat or a challenge.
- If you cannot safely move away from the bear or it continues moving toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, yelling, and staring the animal in the eyes. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder and raise and wave your arms to appear intimidating. The more it persists, the more aggressive your response should be. If you have pepper spray, use it.
- Don’t run from the bear unless safety is very near and you are absolutely certain you can reach it (knowing that bears can run 35 mph). Climbing a tree is generally not recommended as an escape from an aggressive black bear, as black bears are adept climbers and may follow you up a tree.
What to do if a bear attacks you
According to the US National Parks Service, your responses to a bear attack should be very different depending on whether you are attached by a black bear or a grizzly bear.
- Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face.
- Black Bears: If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle.
If any bear attacks you in your tent, or stalks you and then attacks, do NOT play dead—fight back! This kind of attack is very rare but can be very serious because it often means the bear is looking for food and views you as its prey.
How to tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear.
- Color: Grizzly bears are usually brown but black bears can be any share from blond to black. So, if the bear is black in color it is most likely a black bear but if it is brown it could be either.
- Body: Grizzly bears have a large hump on their shoulders and the rump is lower than their shoulders. Black bears don’t have this shoulder hump and their rump is usually higher than their shoulders.
- Face: A grizzly bear’s face is dished in between the eyes and tip of the snout and its ears are short and round. A black bear’s face profile is straight from between the eyes to the tip of its muzzle. Its ears are taller and more oval shaped and can appear to be very prominent on the head.
- Tracks: A grizzly bear’s toes are close together and form a fairly straight line and claw marks are often visible in the tracks. A Black bear’s toes are separated and fairly arched and claw marks do not always show in the tracks.
I truly hope this article has been helpful to you! If you have enjoyed it, why not consider sharing it on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter? That would be totally awesome and I’ll give you a virtual hi-five for it!!
Hope you have a really great day and keeps:)ing!
