I have been really restless in the city lately and am thinking of going camping again before it starts to get super cold. I was thinking of just going someplace close (although I would love to go to Maine again) and I was looking up information about bears... this is what the informative Maryland DNR website has to say:
What should I do if I encounter a bear?
Should you encounter a bear at close range, speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice. STAY CALM and don't run. Remain upright and back away from the bear. Avoid direct eye contact, as the bear may perceive this as a threat. Again, give the bear plenty of room. Don't crowd the bear's personal space.
My question is, What should one say to the bear when speaking to it in a calm, assertive voice? Is it recommended that one speak to the bear? or is it just that if one were so inclined to speak to a bear, this is how it should be done?
They also say:
Black bears may exhibit some unique behaviors when they feel their personal space is being threatened. A crowded bear may huff or make a woofing noise at the threat. They may also swat the ground, pop their jaws, or even bluff charge the perceived threat. When a bear bluff charges, it may stop several yards or just a few feet short of the threat. Remember not to run. Stay calm. Remain upright and back away from the bear.
My question is, What if the bear ISN'T bluff charging? There goes my head start. I don't think I am very happy with that information. I'm not too worried about bears, but if I were? oh boy. The website doesn't even give reasonable information... such as: Should I store my food in a bear box while camping? Yay though it is usally a good idea, in a lot of areas it really isn't necessary. How prevalent are they in the area... Do I need to store non-food things like my sunscreen in smell proof containers?
I'm either not going to see any wildlife at all... or I am going to get gobbled up by a bear. If the latter happens, at least you won't ever have to read my 72 million word entries any more.
Posted by at September 12, 2004 08:53 AMI'll go at this from both sides...
1) Bears - you're going to be extremely unlucky in the middle of nowhere to come across a bear in MD. No one I know has ever come across one outside of Montana. If you're worried about it, carry pepper spray and put all your food in a smell-proff container hung 11' high in a tree.
2) Close by - have you been to Annapolis Rocks? It's near Frederick, there is a nice 2-mile uphill hike to the camp spot, there is some really fun beginner-friendly climbing there, and the camping is on top of the cliff face, facing west, which lends itself to really awesome sunsets. The only downside is you can occasionally hear some engine noise from the 75-80 Dragway when they are racing. It's close, it's fun, there is a cool hidden freshwater spring, and the fiercest animal you'll find is a climbing bum wanting your food and your booty.
Posted by: Chris at September 12, 2004 11:06 PMHas Terrapin Tables taught us nothing about how to deal with bears? If you run into a bear, give them 36 beers, a trampoline & enjoy the show.
Posted by: John at September 13, 2004 12:44 PMOn the bear topic, to echo Chris, in all the hiking I ever did in the Mid-Atlantic, I never worried about bears at all. Just kept my food in my pack overnight. But the bear bag's good advice if you are going to be somewhere where there are bears, like somewhere out west. And you should set up your tent far away from the bear bag and the area where you cooked/ate.
As far as advice on what to do when you run across a bear, the talking is good advice, since it's the sound of your voice that deters the bear from attacking. If a bear does attack, the appropriate response is dependent on what type of bear it is. For black bears, you're supposed to try to fight back. If you play dead, it'll just start eating you. If it's a grizzly or a polar bear (neither of which you're likely to come across in the mid-Atlantic or north-east), your best bet is to play dead. Hopefully it'll lose interest and go away. They're just too big for a person fighting back to have any effect on them.
Annapolis Rocks is fun. So is Black Rock, which I'm pretty sure is in the same area. There's also another place north of Frederick that I can't remember the name of, but Chris may know it (Cunningham Falls, maybe). There's a pretty big boulder field going up a hill, there. Technically, you're not allowed to camp there, but I've done it several times, and there's plenty of evidence of other people camping up there.
i can play dead, if by play dead you mean faint due to fright
Posted by: roy at September 13, 2004 05:34 PM