Hi, there. My name is Stephens Harper
I'm a Ranger with the National Park Service
in Alaska at Wrangell St Elias National Park and Preserve.
(background music) It's best known as a stunning landscape
of vast mountains and huge glaciers
But it's also home to black and grizzly bears.
More and more people are living
working and recreating in Alaska than ever before.
As a result, a steady rise
in the number of bear encounters has occurred.
This video will hopefully help teach
you how to avoid encounters.
It will also help teach you
how to properly react during an encounter
based on the bear's behavior.
Background Music
We're going to be talking about Bear Safety today.
It's really important
if you're traveling through Wrangell's
because a lot of what you see behind me is bear country.
We have black bears
and we have grizzly bears.
The difference between black bears
and grizzlies are numerous factors.
Color is not a good thing
to try and determine
whether or not you are looking
at a grizzly vs. a black bear.
black bears can come in multiple colors
from brown to almost blonde to jet black
grizzly bears can also come in a variety of color phases.
black bears are quite a bit smaller than grizzly bears.
they typically have a more dog like face
with a longer straighter snout
and much larger ears
as opposed to a grizzly bear
that has a much blockier, heavier head
with in proportion much smaller ears.
The other differences are that
black bears have no prominent shoulder hump.
When you're looking at the profile of a black bear
usually what you see
is the rump or the rear end of the bear
sticks up higher than the shoulder.
As opposed to a grizzly
who has massive shoulder muscles
used for digging
and has a much more prominent
shoulder hump.
Some of the other differences
between black bears and grizzlies
are that grizzlies
have more of a dish like face.
When you look at
their face in profile
its more concave
versus black bears
are more convex
or straight in profile.
(Background voices) Coming through!
So to avoid surprising Bears
when walking into an area
that has decreased visibility
You want to make sure to stay
close together as a group
and really pick up your volume
before you enter thick brush or forest.
(Background - footsteps, twigs cracking, mosquitoes buzzing)
Whoa! guys, bear!
Let's group up
Easy
Easy Bear! Easy does it!
Stay there!
Let's get the pepper spray out
Okay!
Easy bear
Be cool, bear!
Whoa! bear!
It's alright Whoa! bear! Easy does it...
Stay there. It's alright...
Alright. Looks like its going away...
Nice work guys...
When you're walking out of the brush
or wooded area, into open country
if you have good visibility in all directions
you don't need to make nearly as much noise
as you did back in the woods
But if you're looking out across the landscape
and you see undulations in the territory
make sure to make noise when you come up
to those gullies or draws
because it could be hiding a bear...
(Background - footsteps)
So, if you're out in open country
and you see a bear at a distance...
The first thing you need to do
is stop, stand your ground
let the bear know you are human
and gather your other hiking mates together
Group up. Make sure that you are in a nice tight group.
If the bear approaches
curiously or in an aggressive manner
you need to make sure
that you ready your deterrent
get your pepper spray out
and as the bear approaches closer
let it know that its gotten as close
as you want it to be.
Ramp up the amount of noise you're making
Yell at it...
Step charge at it...if you want to
and be prepared to deploy your pepper spray.
It's coming a little closer
lets ramp it up
HEY! HEY! WHOA BEAR! HEY!
Its coming on 3....lets STOMP
1, 2, 3
HEY! WHOA BEAR! COME ON! WHOA!
So if you're stepping out of the woods
and you encounter a bear
What's the first thing you do?
You, STOP!
You gather together
and you let the bear know you're human.
So..Hey bear. Whoa bear!
calmly speak to the bear.
Hopefully that's going to deter it right there
It'll probably turn around and run off.
If it doesn't...
If it comes closer to you
make sure that everybody is
working in unison
Hey! Ok, guys. Let's get our bear pepper spray out.
We might have to pepper spray this bear.
If that bear gets any closer folks...
We're going to start making a lot more NOISE
Alright! HEY BEAR! WHOA BEAR! GET OUT OF HERE BEAR!
Just know that the effective range
of bear pepper spray is out to 30 feet.
So if you do need to deploy
your pepper spray
make sure that bear is within
that effective range.
So setting up a camp in bear country
is a lot different
than when you're not in bear country.
It's really important to make sure
that you separate where you're sleeping
from where you're cooking and eating
and from where you're storing your food.
Hey guys! Where do you think we should cook our food tonight?
We're supposed to go downwind...
So, probably about 300 feet, that way
maybe...
And then...for food storage
we're supposed to go
triangular...300 feet, maybe that way.
That sound good?
Yeah! that sounds good
Alright!
(background strong winds)
Typically, if the territory allows
you should set up a triangle.
Where you have your sleep tent...here
your cook tent... here
or food area, preparation area
and your food stored
in a separate location.
You want to make sure that
the wind is not blowing the scent
of your cooking
towards your sleeping area.
So that if a Bear does smell your food
its not drawn to where your sleeping at night.
Critically important is proper food storage.
Bear resistant food containers
are readily available.
The National Park Service
lends them out
free of charge at Wrangell St- Elias.
And there are no trees
in most of the area
to hang food and keep it high enough
to where Bears can't reach it.
Proper Food Storage is really
one of the more important things.
Bears have an incredible sense of smell
and they will seek out anything
in their environment
that smells different than what they normally come across.
Including your lip balm,
your hand lotion
and of course your food.
Bear resistant food containers
are available at all the National Park Service Visitor Centers
at Wrangell St-Elias.
And you should take advantage of that.
Because not only is it really smart
but its also a regulation.
Statistically 90% of all 'Black Bear' attacks
were from Black Bears that had obtained
food from humans in the past.
This is called 'Food Conditioning'.
When a Bear gets food from people
it associates all other people
with the possibility of getting
a 'free lunch'...
This is 'Bear pepper Spray'
in a side holster.
Its really easy to get to
you just simply lift up on the strap
pull the 'Pepper Spray'
straight out...
I want to show you something here
on the side of the label.
You can see the expiration date
on this can, 2017.
You want to check that before
you go in the field.
The expiration date really does matter
of these.
Right here on top
is the safety clip.
Slide it back with your thumb
and then you're ready to spray...
HEY BEAR! GET BACK BEAR!
(spray noise)
If you're attacked by a bear
that's acting defensively
such as during a surprise encounter 231
or a bear thats protecting its cubs
or food...
You don't want to fight back.
You want to go to the ground
PROTECT YOURSELF
PROTECT YOUR HEAD
PROTECT YOUR NECK
PROTECT YOUR BELLY
CURL INTO A BALL
IF YOU HAVE A PACK...
PULL IT UP...LIKE THIS.
So that its protecting
the back of your neck.
And remember 'DON'T FIGHT BACK'.
The thing is we want to make sure
that the bear understands
that your'e not a threat.
If you're attacked by a bear
that's acting aggressively
vs. defensively...
You want to FIGHT BACK.
If you're knocked to the ground
you want to use everything you have.
If you can get to your Pepper Spray. USE IT.
But if not
Punch! Kick!
Grab Sticks! Grab Rocks!
Remember if the bear is
acting DEFENSIVELY
you DON'T want to fight back.
If the bear is
acting AGGRESSIVELY...
You want to FIGHT BACK
with everything you have.
I hope this video
has been helpful and educational
and not freaked you out
too much.
Because honestly bear attacks
are incredibly rare.
You're much more likely to be attacked
by a dog than you are a bear.
So don't become 'bearanoid'.
Just remember what you've learned
in this video. Go out enjoy your National Park 276
and have a good time.
MUSIC