We’ve frequently urged folks in bear country to be bear-prepared. That includes carrying bear spray where permitted. Now we get to publish a big disclaimer: Some bears don’t read RV Travel. We surmise this from an experience out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where a bear chased hikers and ignored blasts of bear spray.
Frantic call said bear chased hikers
Sunday evening (August 12), park rangers received a call from visitors on the North Carolina side of the park. The two hikers had a run-in with a bear near Dry Sluice Gap Trail and Grassy Branch.
They told dispatchers that they’d exhausted their bear spray to try to discourage the animal, to no avail. They threw rocks and sticks, too, but no luck.
Park rangers were dispatched to aid the hikers. They found them and escorted them to their vehicle. No mention was made of any injuries they may have suffered, nor were their names released.
Why the scary chase?
Why would the bear be so persistent, even after a dousing of bear spray? “The first few weeks in August are typically a time of stress for bears when they are between food sources,” the Park Service commented in an email to The Charlotte Observer. “Berries have dried up and acorns aren’t yet ready for bears to consume.”
Perhaps the hikers appeared to be an appetizing target to the bear, estimated to have weighed between 100 and 150 pounds. Females weigh about 100 pounds in summer but do their best to bulk up to a couple hundred pounds before winter.
What to do when the bear spray sputters?
So what should you do when bear spray doesn’t work? The two in this story did what they should. “Hikers should stay alert, hike in pairs or larger groups, and be prepared to react appropriately,” the Park Service explained.
They can change direction, shout, and throw “non-food objects like rocks and sticks.” The last resort should be “using bear spray if the predator comes within 20 yards.”
We close with a fun fact from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are roughly two bears per square mile of park terrain. Eat your heart out, Yellowstone. That’s ten times the number of bears in that western park.
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They may not have known how to properly use the spray…many do not. A 10mm as backup is not a bad idea either.
When all else fails, spray some lead.
as long as it’s not a “spray and pray” ventilation attempt…
Yes, and it would have been good to get the “whole story”, especially relative to how the spray was used. I’ve never heard of a bear continuing to advance after being sprayed.
Guess the bear liked spicy food 😋
Two most common mistakes: 1) spraying when the bear is too far away – they must be within 15 feet, which is frighteningly close. 2) spraying too high – aim low, or the bear will run right under the spray.
Note that spraying a cloud between you and the bear doesn’t work – it will be too dispersed by the time the bear gets there.
The best bear protection is to yell whenever you are entering an area where a bear could be. The bear has good hearing, and will usually clear out.
Good info, thanks Gordon !
Use a a powerful stun gun. Noise alone may work. Screw the regulations
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Well, that is an unexpected and unwanted series of events. It seems that Gordon den Otter may have assessed the hikers’ primary problem in using their bear spray. In any case, his comments are instructive. 🙂 I prefer to be in the Smokies in the late fall to early spring. The temperatures are better and sometimes the tourists are less plentiful, so too bears and venomous snakes 🙂 Thanks again, have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 😉