Class gives tips on staying safe in bear country (hint: carry pepper spray)

It's safe to assume that people can avoid bear encounters if they stay out of a bear's natural habitat. Since that's likely not to happen in Southeast, a BearFest safety course offered advice on staying as safe as possible when enjoying the outdoors.

Last Wednesday at the gun range, Robert Johnson used his 32 years of experience at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to instruct six people on how to negotiate their way out of a face-to-face occurrence with a bear, and when pepper (bear) spray should be used.

According to a report by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services covering 2000 to 2017, 74 bear attacks resulted in 68 people being hospitalized and 10 being killed in the state. In most instances, it was because a sow perceived a threat to her cubs. Seven of the fatalities were caused by brown bears, while black bears were the cause of the other three.

"Brown bears and black bears are wired differently. I try to never let my guard down against black bears," Johnson said. He likened the interactions to playing cards. Brown bears, he said, will let you know what they are going to do based on their body language, "but black bears have the perfect poker face. You never know what they're up to."

Johnson said black bears under 200 pounds are generally the ones responsible for people being injured or killed because they are typically dominated by other bears and are trying to put on weight before the winter. "Then they become predatory on people."

Because of their superior senses, bears can sometimes detect a human before the person realizes a bear is in the vicinity.

"Their noses are a hundred times more sensitive than the best dog's. Some of them can see as well as a human being," Johnson said. "I've been spotted up in the alpine (by a bear) two miles away."

But, just like humans, bears can have poor eyesight and diminished smelling and hearing. A person coming around a blind corner on a trail can quickly take a bear by surprise, putting it into an attack posture. Knowing how to respond can help a person negotiate enough distance to let the bear go on its way.

The first thing people should do is make noise.

"You make noise when you walk. You talk. You say, 'Hey, bear!" especially if it's windy or raining," Johnson said. The noise will give a bear notice that people are in the area, allowing it time to distance itself.

Second, pepper spray should be at the ready instead of packed away, and people should carry two cans - one for the trek in and one for the return trip if the first one gets used.

"You'll hear somebody was mauled," he said. "'I didn't have time to get my pepper spray. It was in my jacket.' If they do get to it and they deploy it, if they say it didn't work, I want to know what the expiration date is on that can because I'll bet you it's expired."

Johnson said it's important to store pepper spray in a cool place and to keep an eye on the expiration date. The spray will lose its effectiveness over time. People should also be familiar with the smell of the spray, so if a can develops a leak they can get rid of it quickly.

If possible, people should also travel in large groups for strength in numbers, and to make more noise.

In the case of a bear encounter, Johnson said squaring your shoulders and raising your arms is a good practice, but people should never lock eyes with a bear, who will see that as a challenge. Instead, turn the gaze downward, and slowly back away, never run.

"A lot of people will tell you to raise your arms and make lots of noise. That's great," Johnson said. "The part they don't say is you don't want to engage it. You don't want to lock eyes with that bear. As soon as you square up your shoulders, no matter what else you're doing, and you stare at that bear, that means, 'I'm willing to fight you for dominance.'"

Johnson said in his thousands of encounters with bears, he's never had to kill one in self-defense. He also carries a gun with him, but believes that should always be a last resort.

Even before using pepper spray, which contains 2% capsaicin - the active ingredient in chili peppers - Johnson said people need to make sure the bear is actually going to charge. The animals will typically stop 20 to 30 feet away from a perceived threat, especially if they are protecting food they just buried.

During last Wednesday's class, Johnson acted the part of a bear while attendee Sarah Sedgemore pretended to be a hiker on a trail. Johnson the bear emerged from the brush surrounding the upper gun range, grunting and surprising Sedgemore. He demonstrated the common behaviors a bear in such a situation will make. Eventually, he charged Sedgemore, who sprayed him with fake bear spray - a can of Febreze.

Ironically, many bears love the smell of pepper spray, Johnson said. If a surface has been sprayed with it, bears will roll in it. It's when their olfactory is wide open and they're in a rage that the spray works as a repellent, since the spice irritates their senses. Bears should be about 7 feet away when sprayed, otherwise, it won't have the same efficacy.

David Jellum, a new resident in Wrangell, was grateful for the information.

"I just moved up here a few months ago, and it's good to hear information from people that aren't the internet and random people," Jellum said. "I do plan to go hunting and fishing."

Johnson said last Wednesday's group was probably one of the smallest he's instructed during BearFest, but he's still grateful to share his knowledge if it helps keep people safe. Even though bear populations vary from region to region and some can seem more people-friendly, Johnson said the most important thing for people to learn is to never let their guard down.

"It's easy to let your guard down around them, but you can't because every time I've done that, they've reminded me," he said.