"Bear spray doesn't always work."
October 4, 2016 4:28 PM   Subscribe

"Legs are good. Internal organs are good. Eyes are good. I just walked out three miles, now I gotta go to the hospital." Man finds bear and two cubs - or bears find man - in Montana. So of course he [warning, blood, gore] films a reaction video.
posted by Evilspork (47 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Holy crap. Unsafe for people who don't want to see bone sticking out of a bear bite on someone's arm.
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:46 PM on October 4, 2016 [3 favorites]


Out in cabin country in Ontario years ago, I had the dubious pleasure of flipping though a book on bear attacks. Many of them were survivor's accounts, and the common detail that sticks in my mind is the description of what teeth on bone, especially the skull, feels and sounds like.
posted by figurant at 4:53 PM on October 4, 2016 [5 favorites]


I just can't conceive of stopping to video instead of, you know, focusing on talking to your loved ones.
posted by corb at 5:03 PM on October 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


Sorry, my fault, I missed that, I had heard the audio but didn't watch the full video. I'm contacting the mods to update the warning now.
posted by Evilspork at 5:11 PM on October 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


Anyone even sort of fascinated by this should watch the documentary Grizzly Man. Do not ever mess with a bear.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 5:12 PM on October 4, 2016 [8 favorites]


Do not ever mess with a bear.

LOOK I SAID I WAS SORRY PLEASE DON'T BITE ME
posted by Evilspork at 5:15 PM on October 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


I think it is fascinating, but yeah--may be a bit much for the tenderhearted.

There is a movement to reintroduce Grizzlies to the Sierra Nevadas in California.
posted by Kafkaesque at 5:18 PM on October 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


Well, it's a vivid piece of media that will stay with me, so now I'll probably remember how to handle a bear attack.
posted by amtho at 5:23 PM on October 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


He should have known better. You don't just hollar "hey bear" every 30 seconds and expect it to work, I don't see any evidence that he was carrying bear bells or something else to make continuous noise. You know, the way you do WHEN YOU'RE IN BEAR COUNTRY.

I am glad he didn't shoot her, and I hope this encounter doesn't cause F&W to harm her or her cubs.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:24 PM on October 4, 2016 [5 favorites]


Actually, he behaved correctly according to the experts by making noise and also carrying bear spray, which he deployed, but the bear charged through the spray.

Unfortunately, if you surprise a bear around a corner with its cubs or cache, sometimes an incident just can't be avoided. I mean, short of not ever going into the woods, not living in Montana or not having grizzly bear around. There have been more human-bear incidents lately here (I'm in Montana) partially because the grizzly population has been rebounding pretty well. And given the ridiculous tourist behavior in Yellowstone towards the wildlife as of late, it was a relief to see that this guy acted appropriately despite being attacked; that the bear was responding normally and not in a preying-on-humans fashion (so will not be put down) and that the guy is mostly OK (enough to post on social media!)

Also, bear bells are very discounted as a bear deterrent so leave the bells at home and bring some bear spray and keep it somewhere where it is easily deployable. And be careful around corners, brushy areas, etc. I think most people here who go into the non-town spaces just see possible bear encounters as a risk you take by being in Montana and still having those fantastic creatures roaming around.
posted by branravenraven at 5:42 PM on October 4, 2016 [25 favorites]


He should have known better.

There's always gotta be somebody...
posted by Flashman at 5:51 PM on October 4, 2016 [5 favorites]


"How do you tell the difference between black bear scat and grizzly scat?"

"Grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper."
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:58 PM on October 4, 2016 [63 favorites]


Saw screenshot of video, opted not to watch video. People are weird, man.

Also I might be a hypoctite, because it now occurs to me that the one time I saw a bear in person I did stop to take a picture of it before getting the heck away. On the other hand, it was like a 100 yards away and not looking at me or headed in my direction. Maybe I'm just not tough enough for Montana. Call me an old milksop, but I find having a compound fracture tends to focus my attention squarely on getting to the hospital, do not pass go, do not collect 200,000 followers.
posted by Diablevert at 6:15 PM on October 4, 2016 [3 favorites]


I just can't conceive of stopping to video instead of, you know, focusing on talking to your loved ones.

I can't assume he didn't and have had related a rationalization that a social post consolidates what effort a loved one would be tasked to inform others-- e.g., He's okay, and this is all we know for now. Don't be an olds, corb.

But I want to winge: Resistance is Futile FaceBook pop-ups should be labeled.
posted by lazycomputerkids at 6:23 PM on October 4, 2016 [3 favorites]


Shouting 'bear' or pretty much anything else in a deep voice every thirty seconds and then using bear spray is in fact the appropriate bear tactics (learned from friends working in the BC backcountry where there is the highest density bear population in North America). Evidence suggests that bear spray is more effective than guns, but it's difficult to test. Bears generally do not want to interact with humans and they have very good ears, but less good eyes, so yelling out regularly is considered the best tactic in bear country.

Bear bells aren't considered very effective (and I've been told by people who work in the backcountry that they can become bear attractants because they can be associated with food.)
posted by raeka at 6:26 PM on October 4, 2016 [8 favorites]


Other than noise and bear spray, your other best bet is traveling in groups. My only encounter with a bear (black, mama, two cubs, way far away on a firebreak, we quickly skedaddled in the other direction) was in a group with bear spray and enthusiastic shouters, and I'm quite happy to keep it at that. Unfortunately, it's not always possible for everyone in bear country.
posted by figurant at 6:32 PM on October 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


Man, I couldn't hack that. Three miles? Damn.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:33 PM on October 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


I live in Bozeman and once this hit the local news I kinda figured it would spread around. His video is just so captivatingly calm. It's also had me thinking about my own risks since I spend so much time running, alone, in the mountains all around the area and have seen bears on frequent occasions. (Never a grizzly though, and I do carry bear spray.)

It's hard to say how risky that is: this whole place is "bear country" and just about a month ago there was one making repeat visits to my back yard, right here in town. You do what you can.

And yeah, Fish Wildlife and Parks has taken this opportunity to remind everyone of correct behavior in a bear encounter, which this guy performed 100% right. And they've been emphasizing that when you make sound it should sound like a human, so "Hey Bear" is even the exact phrase they teach; bear bells are useful for annoying other people and that's about it. But part of why they're re-teaching everyone is that there is just a bunch of bad info and old wives' tales floating around, even "reliable" sources still have bad bear advice. You can buy bear bells at REI, ferhevinsake.

Also, from what they've reported so far, FW&P considers Momma Bear to have been doing her thing ok too, so they closed the area until hibernation season and probably won't be trying to relocate, zoo-ify, or kill any bears because of this.
posted by traveler_ at 6:45 PM on October 4, 2016 [31 favorites]


Saw a bear in the wild once. Went hiking on a really easy trail in New Mexico. Bear warning signs all over. Had a nice hike, then headed back to the car. In the parking lot, a bunch of rangers were surrounding a huge pine tree, telling everyone to get out, fast. There was a little baby bear cub probably 30 feet up in the tree. Saw him, but the rangers were saying mama was nearby and get the hell out. Which we did.

So I saw a baby bear almost by accident, then had to leave for everyone's safety. They must have been tracking these (not grizzly) bears, because you could only faintly see that it was a baby bear up in the tree, and you never would have noticed it if the rangers hadn't pointed it out.

I have a friend who had his tent slashed open by a bear in the middle of the night because he forgot to remove some banana peels from his backpack. This was in the Rockies somewhere where many people camp at the same time. He didn't want to litter, so he kept the peels then forgot about them. Apparently, this campsite gets visited by bears all the time so you have to put any and all kinds of food in a lockbox away from where everyone sleeps. He got fined, and his tent was ruined, and he was happy to pay the fine and said he learned a huge lesson.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 6:47 PM on October 4, 2016 [4 favorites]



It's a bad time of year to be in the woods in grizzly country, really: Grizzly Bear Attacks Hunter Near Dubois, Wyoming
posted by blicero at 6:56 PM on October 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm not happy to hear of people getting injured, but FFS, you want to go out into the wilderness and kill things? That's risky behavior, and I won't care if you intentionally go and do stuff like that. Part of the whole appeal of man vs. nature is that nature might win. Sometimes it does.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 6:59 PM on October 4, 2016


I imagine being in shock played a large part in making the video.


Also come on, wouldn't you want to document that?
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 6:59 PM on October 4, 2016 [9 favorites]


I just can't conceive of stopping to video instead of, you know, focusing on talking to your loved ones.

He was miles away from cell service.

Also worth noting that he was hiking up Bear Creek. Wonder how it got that name.
posted by JackFlash at 8:35 PM on October 4, 2016


Just finished two bear-claws.
Eyes okay, legs are good, stomach...?
Will post video soon.
posted by blueberry at 8:40 PM on October 4, 2016 [10 favorites]


Moose. Now those bastards are scary to find around a curve of the trail...
posted by RolandOfEld at 9:50 PM on October 4, 2016 [4 favorites]


Comedian Mike Birbiglia's encounter with a bear, animated.
posted by BicycleFace at 10:05 PM on October 4, 2016 [4 favorites]


> I don't see any evidence that he was carrying bear bells or something else to make continuous noise.

Back in Denali, we called them dinner bells.
posted by mochapickle at 10:17 PM on October 4, 2016 [9 favorites]


He should have known better. You don't just hollar "hey bear" every 30 seconds and expect it to work, I don't see any evidence that he was carrying bear bells or something else to make continuous noise. You know, the way you do WHEN YOU'RE IN BEAR COUNTRY

The popular wisdom now is that bells are ineffective as a bear deterrent and a continuous noise does little to get a bear's attention. You want to make loud and abrupt noises at regular intervals. This guy did what you're supposed to. However, when he first saw the bear in the meadow, he should have snuck away quietly instead of holler at the bear. Unless the bear spotted him first and began acting aggressively before he could make a move.
posted by Beardsley Klamm at 10:28 PM on October 4, 2016 [7 favorites]


So of course he [warning, blood, gore]

Now that's a trigger warning
posted by C.A.S. at 1:21 AM on October 5, 2016


There is a movement to reintroduce Grizzlies to the Sierra Nevadas in California.

I was in Yosemite a couple weeks ago, and was talking about this with one of the park workers and a naturalist; they all think this plan is ridiculous because

1. The kind of grizzly that was native to the Sierra Nevada is extinct, and the grizzly they're trying to introduce is a totally different species, and

2. The grizzly can roam about 150 miles in a day in search of food, which basically takes them out of the Sierra Nevada and into a neighboring town, and how long do you think that's going to sit well with the people there?

Didn't see any bears when I was there, but I did set out on one hike and saw a sign posted that they'd seen a mountain lion in that area recently. I will admit that that news caused me to cut my hike a little bit shorter than I'd planned.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


From my experience backpacking in bear/grizzly country, traveling with at least two people and talking the whole time is a VERY effective wildlife repellent. You can see scat all over the trail, hear from other (solo) hikers that they saw some, but you will not see hide or hair of anything larger than a squirrel.

Whether this is desirable or not is up to the individual.
posted by corb at 5:11 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


Unfortunately, traveling in a group doesn't always work.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 7:17 AM on October 5, 2016


Moose. Now those bastards are scary to find around a curve of the trail...

And even if you run the corrosive venom they spit from their fangs will burn through your clothing.
posted by Evilspork at 7:47 AM on October 5, 2016 [8 favorites]


Also good to know your season -- you are more likely to encounter a bear in the springtime in the evening than in the middle of the day in the summer. Having a (well-trained) dog can help.
posted by ageispolis at 8:32 AM on October 5, 2016


Moose. Now those bastards are scary to find around a curve of the trail...

A Møøse once bit my sister...
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:42 AM on October 5, 2016 [8 favorites]


"Unfortunately, traveling in a group doesn't always work."

Actually, it does. As long as you can run faster as your friends...
posted by yoyo_nyc at 8:46 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]


Part of the whole appeal of man vs. nature is that nature might win

This is ridiculous. Hunters eat what they kill, it's not some fatalistic roll of the dice. What on earth are you talking about?!
posted by Dark Messiah at 9:26 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]


I almost died once on a canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness when I rounded a bend in fairly shallow water and found myself exactly between a big-assed mama moose and her cub. Mama was un-thrilled to meet me, to say the least. What ensued was a full-on death chase, with me paddling as though my life depended upon it, which it did, and mama moose snorting and lathering inches behind my canoe. I sailed out into deeper water and downstream from the moose with no time to spare. I hauled ass out of there and didn't look back. About thirty minutes later, I found a little sandy shore and pulled off to the side. I then fell into a deep, shock- and endorphin- induced state of sleep that lasted about two hours: Best. Fecking. Nap. I ever had. Hands down.
posted by Bob Regular at 9:39 AM on October 5, 2016 [14 favorites]


My sister once bit a møøse...wait, no, sorry, she bit some mousse.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:30 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


Paddle faster, I hear banjos.
posted by Evilspork at 10:58 AM on October 5, 2016


Shouting 'bear' or pretty much anything else in a deep voice every thirty seconds...

[emphasis mine] You can't leave us hanging like that. What are the things you shouldn't shout in a deep voice every thirty seconds to keep bears away?
posted by The Tensor at 11:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]


Moose playing banjoes.
posted by tavella at 11:13 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


"Legs are good. Internal organs are good. Eyes are good. I just walked out three miles, now I gotta go to the hospital"

A well-earned saaalute to Todd Orr for being cool while being partially eaten. It's nice to be witness to true grit.
posted by uraniumwilly at 11:21 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


What are the things you shouldn't shout in a deep voice every thirty seconds to keep bears away?

TOP 5 REJECTED THINGS TO SAY TO KEEP BEARS AWAY:

5. "I'm gonna harass me some cubs!!"

4. "I rule, bears drool!"

3. "Come at me, bear-o!"

2. "Dinner is served!"

1. "I've got lots of Chaaaar-minnnn!"
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:38 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]


Go Pack Go!
posted by AFABulous at 11:59 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]


Actually that'll just make you more likely to be attacked.
posted by AFABulous at 11:59 AM on October 5, 2016


Fortunately I won't have to worry about encountering powerful Bears here in Chicago for at least a few more years.
posted by srboisvert at 12:36 PM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]


« Older 6 Gifs of Amazing Buster Keaton Stunts   |   Send in your seconds, see if they can set the... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments