Another Burden to Bear

Patricia Sommers was having a great race. Until she met the bear. “It was my first 100-miler,” Sommers says, recalling the Haliburton Forest Ultra of September 2000. “I was keeping a good pace, the weather was good and my husband was waiting for me at the 75-mile turnaround.” One mile shy of the aid station, Sommers heard a noise. “It was 11 at night and it was pitch black,” she explains. “There was a cliff on one side of the trail and I could hear a large animal crashing down the hill. I hoped it was a moose, but it wasn’t. It burst onto the path 100 meters ahead of me.”

Sommers pointed her headlamp at the animal. An adult black bear rose up on its hind legs and roared.

***

With the return of warm weather, and the increasing popularity of trail running, Sommers’s frightening scenario is likely to play out more and more often in Canada’s bear-rich forests. Many runners may find themselves wondering, “Am I crazy to be doing this?”

The answer, according to Bart Hillhorst, is no. Hillhorst is a forestry technician with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, meaning he spends a lot of time dealing with problem bears. “There’s always a danger with animals of this size,” he says, “but in general, black bears are programmed to be scared of humans. Ninety per cent of the black bear’s diet is vegetation, consisting mainly of grass, berries and nuts. The other 10 per cent is meat, but that’s mostly larvae and ants. The reality is, bears don’t like dealing with people. It’s not in their personality.”

Statistics back this up. Since the early 1900s fewer than 70 deaths in North America have been attributed to black bears. Mind you, that’ll be cold comfort if you actually meet a bruin in the forest. “When you see a bear on the trail, your first reaction is to be scared,” Hillhorst says.  “That’s perfectly natural, but fear is the wrong thing to show a bear. You want to be calm. You want to look at the bear and figure out her situation. What’s the bear doing? Is it aware you’re there? Is it feeding on something? Are there cubs nearby? Then you can figure out your best response.”

One of the smartest things you can do, Hillhorst says, is research the area where you plan to run. Parks Canada, Fish and Wildlife and Environment Canada are all good sources of information. Better yet, talk directly to local forestry officials. “Bear conditions change from season to season and even month to month,” Hillhorst says. “For instance, around here, in central Ontario, black bears generally feed on meadow grasses in April, but by August, if there’s been enough rain, they’ll have moved on to berries at the side of roads.”

According to Dr. Stephen Herrero, professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Calgary, “Once you know what the conditions are, then it’s just a matter of risk tolerance.” Herrero, who wrote the book, Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, advises runners to assess information about bears in the area where they plan to hit the trails. “There is risk associated with bears,” he says, “so you have to decide if you’re comfortable with that. I’m a runner myself and I love running in nature, but there are some places in North America where I wouldn’t dare run right now.”

If you do decide to lace up in bear country, you can take several steps to increase your safety:

Don’t surprise the bears

“Run at a more leisurely pace than you otherwise might, so you won’t surprise the animals,” Herrero suggests. “Bears hate surprises – that’s a major cause of aggressive behaviour, especially with grizzlies.”

Watch for bear tracks

“Keep an eye out for bear tracks, spoor, fresh diggings, torn up logs and scratched trees,” Herrero says. “If you see any of those, find another place to run, or proceed with extra caution.”

Make some noise

“Above all, make lots of noise,” Herrero says, “particularly when you’re running in dense forest, or rounding blind corners.”

Don’t repel yourself

Carrying a can of bear repellent doesn’t hurt, Bart Hillhorst says. Just be sure you know how to use it.  “When you’re staring at that bear, and your heartbeat is racing, and the wind is blowing, how good do you think your aim is going to be?” Hillhorst says. “Bear spray is good because it gives you confidence, but practise using it a couple of times before you head out.”

***

Happily, Patricia Sommers didn’t need bear spray. She instinctively backed away from the bear, while admonishing it to “Go away!” Eventually the bear obliged. “When I finally reached the 75-mile turnaround, I sat down and cried. I was so happy to be alive. My husband hugged me and told me he thought I should get up and finish the race. So I set back out again with my pacer, a young guy, a really good sport. He and I shouted and sang all the way to the finish line.”

While Sommers placed first in her age division, her finishing time of 26 hours, 21 minutes wasn’t as fast as she’d hoped. “At first I was really mad at the bear for slowing me down,” she says, “but then I remembered that it wasn’t his fault. I was the one intruding, not him.”

What to do if you run into a bear:

Even if you follow the precautions listed above, you may still run into a bear. While no single strategy is guaranteed to work in all situations, you can minimize your risk by doing the following:

Don’t run

First, keep your distance from the bear and remain calm. Don’t run away. In most cases, if you make some noise, the bear will leave.

Back away

Don’t be surprised if, as happened to Patricia Sommers, the bear rises up on its hind legs. Bears are curious animals, and often stand up to get a better view, or to catch your scent.  Back away slowly and speak in a firm voice.

Give some space

A bear that swats at the ground, swings its head from side to side, snorts or huffs, pops its jaw, or bares its teeth is likely stressed and is asking for more space. Give it to her. Bears may also bluff their way out of an encounter by charging, then turning away at the last second. Stand your ground.

Facing the predatory bear

A bear that follows you, circles or cuts you off is likely displaying predatory behaviour. This is more common in black bears. Face the bear and act aggressively. Throw rocks and sticks.

If a bear charges:

If it’s a black bear, stand and fight. Grab the closest stick and bash him across the nose. Throw things. If you’re carrying bear spray, use it. Any of these actions may convince the bear to leave you alone.

If it’s a grizzly bear, play dead. Protect your face and the back of your head and neck with your arms. The typical grizzly attack happens as a result of surprise, so non-aggressive behaviour generally works.

David Carroll is an avid trail runner from Toronto.