Advantage: Bear.

2 things:

1) That shot by the dad was a shot of shots.

2) I think the stand up, wave, and yell followed by a run away probably didn’t do anything to help discourage the bear from attacking. At the same time, the bear may have been going to attack anyway and the play dead routine has got to be a tough one in that situation.

Here’s what the Art of Manliness says about surviving a grizzly attack:

• 1. Carry bear pepper spray. Experts recommend that hikers in bear country carry with them bear pepper spray. UDAP bear pepper spray is a highly concentrated capsaicin spray that creates a large cloud. This stuff will usually stop a bear in it’s tracks.
• 2. Don’t run. When you run, the bear thinks you’re prey and will continue chasing you, so stand your ground. And don’t think you can out run a bear. Bears are fast. They can reach speeds of 30 mph. Unless you’re an Olympic sprinter, don’t bother running.
• 3. Drop to the ground in the fetal position and cover the back of your neck with your hands. If you don’t have pepper spray or the bear continues to charge even after the spray, this is your next best defense. Hit the ground immediately and curl into the fetal position.
• 4. Play dead. Grizzlies will stop attacking when they feel there’s no longer a threat. If they think you’re dead, they won’t think you’re threatening. Once the bear is done tossing you around and leaves, continue to play dead. Grizzlies are known for waiting around to see if their victim will get back up.

No one is allowed to send in the “pepper spray and bells” joke. That was funny the first couple dozen times I heard it. The hundred or so more recent times, it’s been beginning to get a little stale.

Tags: WY

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am and is filed under How To, Hunting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.