Should I worry about bears while hiking?

Trail running in bear country is highly discouraged. Trust us — you do NOT want to surprise a bear or provoke an attack. Make noise while hiking. Making noise on the trail can alert a bear to your presence before you have the chance to surprise it.

How often do bears attack hikers?

Carry the Last Resort But, for backcountry hikers, chances of a bear attack drop to just 1 in 232,000, meaning you’re almost twice as likely to be face-to-face with a bear while hiking in the backcountry than you are to go nose-to-nose with a shark at the beach.

What time of year are bears most active?

Bear Behavior Bears are most active during early morning and late evening hours in spring and summer. Mating usually takes place in July. Both female and male bears may have more than one mate during the summer.

How do you deter bears?

The use of strong scent deterrents will help repel bears from trash cans. Spray the area with Ammonia or use a ready to spray repellent product like Expel Natural Animal Repellent Spray. Enclose your compost pile. Open compost piles, especially those that include kitchen scraps, are an irresistible to bears.

What will scare bears away?

To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.

Do black bears roam at night?

Bears are usually active from dawn to dusk, but they may be seen any time of day or night. Bears in many places of high human use have become nocturnal in order to avoid people.

What scent do bears hate?

pine
Bears also dislike the strong scent of pine-based cleaners, but avoid using anything with a fresh, lemony or fruity smell. And never mix bleach and ammonia; the combination produces fumes that can be deadly to both people and bears.

Do lights deter bears?

Lights are good for detecting bears, and may keep them away at first – but over time, bears learn that lights are simply lights and have no adverse effect on them. Even more so, taking a flashlight with you near sundown is an excellent idea, However, lights aren’t great at deterring bears especially in the long term.