Bear Safety While on the Trail

With the recent news that the National Park Service is requiring all overnight hikers to carry and use a bear canister for their food in Rocky Mountain National Park (click here to read more), we thought we would take the time to put together some safety precautions you can follow when hiking in the wilderness.

Use a bear canister to store all food and toiletries. Even inedible items like deodorant have a scent that may attract bears. Keep all food, toiletries, and garbage in the canister at all times, unless you are preparing your food. Read more about packing a bear canister.

Carry bear pepper spray. While federal regulations prohibit bear spray in parks outside of Alaska, many park superintendents override that ban and permit the use of bear spray in their park. Always check with park authorities on the use of bear spray, and if permitted, learn how and when to use it, and carry it with you.

Hike in a group and make your presence known. Except during breeding season, black bears are generally shy animals and will avoid human contact. Grizzly bears are less shy than black bears, though.

Hike only during daylight hours and stay on the trail. Bears are most active during the early morning and cool evening. During the day they will seek refuge under the shade of dense underbrush.

Bottom line? A fed bear is a dead bear. After bears gain an interest in human food, they will search it out and this leads to aggressive bear behavior. Aggressive bears are a threat to human safety and will have to be removed or destroyed. By following the above precautions, you can avoid a run-in with a bear while on the trail.