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How to Survive a Bear Attack
Co-authored by Hannah Young and Eric McClure Download Article
Co-authored by:
Last Updated: August 9, 2023 Fact Checked
Hannah Young
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Outdoor Education Expert
Wondering what you should do if you run into a bear in the
wild? The good news is that bears typically want nothing to do with people. Even if Co-authors: Updated: Views:
123 August 9, 2023 640,844
you do happen to confuse or surprise a bear and they end up attacking, bear spray
will quickly send them running away. The bad news is that your survival odds drop
dramatically if you forgot your bear spray in the car. Regardless, we’ll break down 82% of readers found this article helpful.
everything you need to know about preventing bear attacks, scaring them off, and 79 votes - 82%

surviving in the event that the worst happens. Click a star to add your vote

Anonymous
Jun 20
Things You Should Know
"My friend was attacked by a bear when he
was at summer camp! Although he did die,
this article is a great reminder..." more
Make lots of noise, make yourself appear as big as possible, and stand your
More success stories Share yours!
ground if you encounter a bear.
Bring bear spray when you go camping or hiking. Spray any bears that approach
you to send them fleeing. Quizzes

If you don't have bear spray, play dead if you encounter a grizzly bear or brown
bear. Fight back against attacking black bears.
Rest assured, bear attacks are extremely rare. Most bears actively avoid human
beings.
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Keep your cool and remember the bear is unlikely to attack. Most bears
actively avoid humans. If you’ve encountered a bear, there are two potential
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or something like that, or it smells food you’re carrying. Once it realizes
you aren’t prey, it won’t attack.
If you stumbled on the bear by accident, it may be as surprised as you
are. Don’t jump or dart away, though. That will only excite the bear further.
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If you make a run for it, the bear’s instinct will be to chase you. Once the
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the opposite direction though, the bear’s natural desire to hunt for food may kick
in and lead them to take off after you. Stand tall, don’t turn your back, and fight
the urge to flee.[2]
Most bears can run over 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). For context, most How to How to
people can run 6–8 miles per hour (9.7–12.9 km/h). In other words, you’ll Solve a Rubik's Light a Fire in a
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never outrun a bear.[3]
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You may have heard that bears can’t run downhill. This is a popular myth,
but there’s no truth to it.[5]

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Sing, shout, or start chatting away to show them you’re human. A bear’s How to How to
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that you aren’t food. In fact, your voice should send the bear running scared. Serious Compass
Bears do not have any desire to be around people, so this may be all you need to
do to get back to being bear-free.[6]
If you happen to be holding something noisy, like a pot, bang it repeatedly
while you talk, sing, or shout.
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The bigger you look, the more likely the bear will be too scared to attack.
The bear doesn’t know what you are or what you’re doing, but the bigger you can Persuasion
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appear, the more intimidating you’ll be. Put your arms up and get on your tippy- Character Am I Your Folks to Say
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on top of it to appear bigger.[7]

If you’re wearing a jacket, pull the bottom corners up over your head and
wave it back and forth.
At this point, the vast majority of bears should be scared off and begin
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The bear may think kids are prey, so get them off the ground. This also has
the added benefit of making you look larger and confusing the bear, which only
further contributes to the bear understanding you aren’t edible. If you don’t pick
any kids up, the child may dart away and cause the bear to pounce.[8]
Continue talking and making noise while you pick any children up.
If you have a super young child who doesn’t realize what’s going on, sing
a children’s song. Maybe they’ll help you scare the bear by singing along.

6 Stand your ground if the bear charges at you. Download Article

Bears may sprint at you momentarily to see if you’ll run, but don’t react.
When bears are spooked, they will often bluff an attack by charging at the target
for a moment or two to see how they’ll react.[9] If the bear is far off and it charges
towards you and then stops, just stand tall and keep doing what you’re doing.
The test charge is an indicator what you’re doing is working.[10]
A black bear may stomp their feet or growl loudly instead of charging.
If you see a bear stand up, it’s not a sign that they’re going to attack.
Bears just do this when they’re trying to sniff the air to orient themselves.

7 Use your bear spray if you have it. Download Article

If the bear moves towards you, spray it to send it fleeing away. If the bear
gets within 60 feet (18 m), remove the safety clip on your bear spray, aim the
nozzle slightly below the bear’s face (bear spray billows upwards), and spray the
bear. Continue spraying until they flee. This is the most effective way to survive if
a bear attacks.[11]
Once the bear flees, leave the area immediately by travelling in the
opposite direction—preferably the way you came.
You should always bring bear spray with you when you go hiking or
camping.
Purchase bear spray at any outdoor store, national park gift shop, or
online.
When you’re outdoors, always keep the bear spray close to you in an
easily accessible area. Many hikers keep the spray clipped on to their
backpack straps.

8 Move away slowly if the bear doesn’t leave. Download Article

If they just sit there staring, shuffle away extremely slowly. If you’re dealing
with a bear who isn’t intimidated by your antics but also isn’t approaching, it may
just keep looking at you (or go about its normal business). If this happens, move
sideways at a slight angle (to avoid tripping) as you backpedal away from the
bear. Slowly get out of eyesight and then carefully and quickly get out of the
area.[12]
Moving at an angle also won’t accidentally give the bear the impression
that you’re running away, which will trigger a chase.

Play dead if you’re attacked by a brown/grizzly

9 bear.
Download Article

Lie down in the fetal position to prove you won’t hurt them. Brown and
grizzly bears tend to only attack if they feel threatened or they’re surprised. If one
of these bears approach you and you’re unlucky enough to not have bear spray
on you, lie down, tuck your knees to your chest, and cover your head. The bear
is likely going to wander off once they realize you aren’t going to hurt them.[13]
If you do have bear spray, continue to spray the bear as it gets close and
aim for the eyes. That’s always going to be a better option than playing
dead.
Do not get up right away—wait 2-3 minutes until you no longer hear the
bear. The bear is likely to hang out for a minute to confirm that you’re not
going to get up and attack.
Remember the phrase, “If it’s brown, lie down.”

10 Fight back if you’re attacked by a black bear. Download Article

Black bears won’t give up if you play dead, so don’t even bother. If you don’t
have bear spray and a black bear starts charging at you, throw rocks at it, toss
your belongings at it, and shout. If they get even closer, hit them in the eyes or
nose, and do your best to shock or stun the bear to send them fleeing. Playing
dead just won’t trick a black bear into leaving you alone, so there’s no point.[14]
If you do have bear spray, use that instead of trying to physically fight the
bear.
Black bears are like bullies. They’ll often give up if you show them you’re
willing to fight back.
You can remember to fight black bears with the motto, “If it’s black, fight
back.”

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What should you do if you encounter a bear in the wild?

Turn around and run as fast as you can.

Stay calm and make lots of noise.

Lie down and play dead.

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Tips

Many people believe that shooting a bear is just as effective (or better) than bear
spray. It’s not. In fact, it’s not even remotely close. Bear spray is way more
effective. A bullet may only injure a bear, which will only upset them further.[15]

If you see a bear cub but no mother, move away quickly and start talking or singing
so that the mother knows you’re leaving. Bears will always defend their cubs and
the mother will always be nearby, so don’t linger.[16]

Traveling in groups can minimize the odds a bear attacks you.[17]

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References

1. ↑ https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-9087.pdf
2. ↑ https://blog.nwf.org/2013/12/5-myths-about-bears/
3. ↑ https://bear.org/quick-black-bear-facts/
4. ↑ https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/bears/faqs
5. ↑ https://blog.nwf.org/2013/12/5-myths-about-bears/
6. ↑ https://blog.nwf.org/2013/12/5-myths-about-bears/
7. ↑ https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/bear-encounter/
8. ↑ https://kjzz.com/news/utah-family-with-three-young-children-comes-face-to-face-with-black-
bear-while-hiking
9. ↑ https://above.nasa.gov/safety/documents/Bear/bearspray_vs_bullets.pdf

More References (10)

About This Article

Co-authored by:
Hannah Young
Outdoor Education Expert

This article was co-authored by Hannah Young and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure.
Hannah Young is an Outdoor Education Expert with more than three years of experience. She
specializes in educating others on backpacking and hiking, land ethics and best practices, and
wilderness Restoration. Hannah earned a BS in Earth Systems from Stanford University. This
article has been viewed 640,844 times.

Co-authors: 123
79 votes - 82% Updated: August 9, 2023
Views: 640,844

Categories: Featured Articles | Wilderness First Aid

In other languages:

Italiano: Sopravvivere all'Attacco di un Orso Français: survivre à une attaque d’ours

Русский: выжить при нападении медведя Bahasa Indonesia: Menyelamatkan Diri dari
Português: Sobreviver ao Ataque de um Urso Serangan Beruang
Español: sobrevivir al ataque de un oso Nederlands: Een berenaanval overleven
Deutsch: Den Angriff eines Bären überleben

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