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All Encounters Articles
If you’ve been watching the news this week you no doubt came across the report of a bear attack near Timmins, Ontario resulting in serious injuries to a 30-year old man, the death of his dog, and the resulting death of the bear. The story is horrible as it is rare and we’re thankful the story didn’t end with the man’s funeral.
As an advocacy group for bears it is difficult for us to hear these stories and they remind us of how important our role of educating people in bear country is to the peaceful co-existence of humans and bears. At the Get Bear Smart Society we believe humans and bears can safely and respectfully coexist and we also believe it takes some intentionality.
Bear pepper spray is the most effective means of repelling an attacking grizzly or black bear in a non-toxic, non-lethal manner. Although common sense might suggest that guns would provide greater personal protection, research and experience indicates that human-bear encounters that do not involve firearms are less likely to result in injury to a human or bear.
Ghost Grizzlies and Other Rare Bruins features stunning photos of Ghosts and other rare varieties, such as Basalt, Ebony, and Lava grizzly/brown bears. It also shares the adventures of two Ghost grizzly cubs. Finally, it teaches you expert techniques for identifying the variety, sex and age/maturity of a bear, as well as how to recognize bears as individuals.
Warning Calls You Can Make to Avoid an Encounter - the 30-minute MP3 that could save your life.
Living in Bear Country provides practical advice on minimizing problems with bears in the places that people live. It shows how a few simple adjustments to your daily routine can reduce the risk of property damage and human injury from bears.
Working in Bear Country is a 20-minute video that provides detailed information specific to people working in bear country. It is especially relevant to industry managers and supervisors responsible for the safety of workers.
This 27-minute program contains important information on how people can reduce their chance of encountering a polar bear and how to best respond if they do meet a bear.
Encounters with bears rarely lead to aggressive behaviour and attacks are even rarer. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to bears, but these tips.
Jun 16, 2009 — Web Page: Online Store
Bear Smart Stuff for Sale
Jun 16, 2009 — Web Page: Behaviour
Understanding bear behaviour is an essential part of creating safe environments for both bears and people.
Despite our best efforts to bear-proof our homes, businesses, communities and campsites, sometimes they show up anyways. When they do, there are several ways to warn you of their presence, keep them from receiving unwanted food rewards or actively teach them where they're not wanted
Can we co-exist with black bears? The residents of Hemlock Farms, Pennsylvania suggest we can.
Encounters with bears rarely lead to aggressive behaviour and attacks are even rarer. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to bears, but these tips.
Bear Safety Essentials: Keeping Encounters Positive and Free from Conflict
Staying Safe in Bear Country, Working in Bear Country and Living in Bear Country provide important information to help reduce human injuries and property damage from grizzly and black bears throughout North America while also reducing unnecessary bear deaths.
Abstract: The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the largest carnivore in Turkey and has been legally protected since 2003. However, increasing levels of conflict between brown bears and humans have been reported for several regions, especially for Artvin in northeastern Turkey. We documented the conflict in an attempt to understand human attitudes and responses and evaluate existing and potential damage prevention techniques. The study was conducted within landscapes at different scales, ranging from a core area defined by a large valley system to the whole of the Artvin Province. Data on close encounters, injuries, and damage caused were collected through government records, published literature, and open-ended interviews with the local people. On more than two-thirds of close encounters recorded, no harm occurred to bear or people. Bear attacks on humans were rare and only occasionally led to non-fatal injuries. Nevertheless, several bears were shot and killed in the study area during the study (2002–2005), apparently as a consequence of damage experienced by farmers. Interviews indicated a widespread belief that bears have become more of a problem. Bear damage was reported mostly in late summer for field crops and orchards and in spring for beehives. Precautions taken by
villagers relied mostly on locally available technologies and varied in effectiveness against bears. We propose that introduction and implementation of modern techniques of exclusion such as portable electric fences around valuable resources (e.g. bee yards), improvements in bear awareness, and effective cooperation among various stakeholders would reduce human–bear conflict to acceptable levels in the region.
We present a comprehensive look at a sample of bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. We analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (Ursus arctos; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (Ursus americanus; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, 50 (69%) involved brown bears, 20 (28%) black bears, and 2 (3%) polar bears. Red pepper spray stopped bears' undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Of all persons carrying sprays, 98% were uninjured by bears in close-range encounters. All bear inflicted injuries (n¼3) associated with defensive spraying involved brown bears and were relatively minor (i.e., no hospitalization required). In 7% (5 of 71) of bear spray incidents, wind was reported to have interfered with spray accuracy, although it reached the bear in all cases. In 14% (10 of 71) of bear spray incidents, users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71). Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country.
A must read guide for every bear viewer and anyone else who might face close encounters.
This is a comprehensive look at bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. The authors analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (Ursus arctos; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (Ursus americanus; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, red pepper spray stopped bears’ undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):640–645; 2008)
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