This video while long does a great job teaching you how to act in active bear territory.
The TLDW is: -
My chance at pedantry! Also, some black bears are brown, and some grizzlies are black. If you live in overlapping territory, it may be easier to know them by shape... but if you're close enough to discern shape, you're already in a bad spot.
I've heard the best way to tell the difference is to check your pants. If you crapped your pants it's probably a grizzly.
Ooh bear facts! My favorite bear fact is that there is no grizzly bear species. Sure, there's regional genetic variation, but they are all genetically brown bears.
What they are named for is the grey hairs on their pelt, which are caused by the stress of malnutrition. This is why they are so much more aggressive than the other bears: they are literally starving because there is not enough calories in their environment to keep so many land sharks happy and healthy.
Great video!
https://youtu.be/1KWSJ3piSfM?t=2003
We tried (bear spray) on polar bear and they run like crazy.... They are scaredy cats, if I had to be stuck with any bear it would be a polar bear.
Part of me wonders if the gunshot helps whether it would be worth the trouble to carry an air horn.
Maybe, but really when you are in bear territory, and close to areas where bear congregate (rivers being one), just a few loud claps and a couple of loud "HEYS" is good enough to flush most bears.
So are polar bears considered more dangerous and aggro than grizzlies? I mean it wouldn’t be too crazy, particularly since it’s probably rare to encounter one, compare to grizzlies. But just had never really heard that.
Polar bears, because of their location, see everything as food. Black bears and grizzlies, while omnivores, are more specific.
And I feel like I have to say this to counter this weird perception online: black bears and grizzlies do not hunt humans. They generally don't like humans and will stay away. But carry bear spray.
Polar bears don't find food as readily as Grizzly bears. If a Grizzly hesitates on a salmon, it'll find another salmon.
If a Polar hesitates on a penguin, it could starve.
Your point is correct, but for accuracy’s sake penguins live in the Antarctic and polar bears live in the Arctic.
Gotcha so the idea is they’re just gonna give it a shot and try to eat you, regardless, because the stakes, they are high?
To be fair, in a moral sense, they should absolutely try and eat every human they can get their claws on; we have done a bang up job on making their habitat and food sources disappear.
Their habitat has also shrunk so much, and their population dwindled so much, that they have gotten fairly inbred and that is causing more aggression and insanity.
There is also a female polar that keeps breeding with grizzlies, and those offspring are consistently more aggressive and dangerous.
because the stakes, they are high?
I also heard it's because a typical polar bear has never encountered anything that moves that isn't food.
So they don't have any mental category for "moving things on the ice I should flee from" or even "moving things on the ice that isn't totally delicious".
Brown bears and black bears see you as a potential threat.
Polar bears see you as food.
Polar bears will most likely hunt you, even if they don't immediately attack. They are terrifyingly good at it.
My sister lives in Alaska. The locals say that you can tell if you're in grizzly territory by checking any bear poop you find. If it contains bells and smell like bear spray, you know there are grizzlies nearby.
When I visited Alaska, they said you should always take the sights off your rifle. That way it doesn't hurt as much when the grizzly shoves it up your ass.
My first instinct was "small, will probably run into the nearest tree at light speed" but I did some reading and they common thought without much science behind it is that sun bear are pretty fuckin aggressive and even tho they're small, they'd still probably fuck your shit up.
Lul, yes, indeed.
"The smallest bear" but still just a lewder wolverine.
And with a fancy necklace.
I've actually heard that with black bears the best method is to ditch it in central park with a bicycle.
But what if I was out falconing with friends, had a dinner at a super bougie steak house go late, and REALLY have to get to the airport? Surely THAT makes it less insane?
Ursaring, Pangoro, and Beartic are all weak to Fighting. So, just make sure you've got your Lucario at hand and Calm Mind-ed up, and pummel them with Aura Sphere. That way, you can also keep your distance.
(Yes, I know Pangoro is a panda and not a black bear. But, uhm, uh... shut up!)
Strangely applies to American police, too
Edit:
upon reflection, this sounds like I think white cops are better. What I meant to say is that the white cops are just gonna shoot you so gg.
Sir, You were almost mouled to death, You are lucky You only lost one arm. Why the hell, did You try to punch that bear? I saw it in a meme once...
Response to a bear attack depends on the type of attack, not the type of bear.
If it’s a defensive attack, play dead. If it’s a predatory attack, then fight back.
If it's a defensive attack then stop being offensive towards bears. If it's a predatory attack then start being more offensive towards bears.
What do you think would be the most offensive thing to say to a bear? Or maybe there’s a hand gesture or something that’s really taboo?
I just want to be prepared in case I ever need to know.
"Your momma is my rug"
Or possibly
"DJ Vance's couch is made out of your momma. Allegedlys"
What do you think would be the most offensive thing to say to a bear?
"There's nothing but lite beer left in the cooler."
Black Bears mostly want a nice berry, or a poorly placed bear cooler.
Most Black Bear attacks seem to be because, in their mind, they're buying time for their cubs to run away.
An average Black Bear is not looking for a prolonged fight. They're still quite good at if, if they get the idea they need to.
So the prevailing wisdom, for Black Bears, is do whatever it takes to avoid them. But if attacked, do whatever it takes to make the bear think twice about whether they really want to fight. Because unlike Grizzlies and Polar Bears, a Black Bear may well change it's mind.
The real answer for a black bear is make yourself look as big as possible, back away slowly, and tell it to fuck off in a deep voice. If it charges you it's hopefully feinting, but if not whack it right in the snout with whatever you have.
https://youtu.be/v6iDtvGbIOU (Polar Bear vs Walrus Colony)
If your going into polar bear country bring along your pet walrus to protect you