A grizzly bear attacked hikers at Yellowstone National Park this week, killing a man and injuring his wife. The incident is being described as the “first” deadly bear attack in the park in 25 years, but bear encounters are not new to the Yellowstone region. Last summer, a man was killed by a bear just outside of the park limits. I’m experiencing a sense of déjà vu, since I camped at Yellowstone right after last year’s mauling. This is how I coped with the threat of a bear attack.
Ominous signs refer to Yellowstone National Park as "bear country."
I survived Yellowstone in the summer of 2010.
Ordinarily, this would be nothing to boast about. But this summer season was punctuated by a deadly bear attack just outside of the park, a trio of escaped convicts on the run, and a record number of visitors in July.
The triple threat of bears, convicts and crowds did not diminished the appeal of this iconic American destination. But it added to the excitement of visiting a national park known for its untouched landscape, wild animals and implicit dangers.
Yellowstone National Park is beautiful– and deadly.
When bears attack
When my husband and I chose to honeymoon in Yellowstone National Park we knew it would be an adventure. We weren’t interested in the standard honeymoon– Caribbean beaches, Tahitian luxury or Italian villas. We’d already traveled around the world (literally) and were ready to explore the US.
Besides, what could be more exotic to a couple of New Yorkers than camping in the woods without cell phone or Internet service and possibly being eaten by a grizzly bear?
My husband Jake and I set off for Yellowstone after our Manhattan wedding.
In fact, bears were on my mind when I arrived in Yellowstone on August 2.
A few days earlier, on July 28, a family of grizzly bears killed a man and injured two others at a campsite just north of Yellowstone National Park. The victims had been camping at Gallatin National Forest in Montana and were asleep in their tents when the attacks occurred. A few days later, the mother bear was caught and euthanized. Her cubs (who reportedly fed on the victim) were sent to a zoo.
According to news reports, the victims had taken proper steps to prevent bear encounters, like leaving all food outside of their tents.
While deadly bear attacks are not common in Yellowstone, this incident had me on high alert. My fears were not assuaged by the signs posted all over Yellowstone, warning of wildlife attacks.
I quickly drafted a will before setting off on a hike with my husband, who was eager to enter "bear country."
Confusing instructions
I poured over the bear literature provided at the Yellowstone entry gate. The official newspaper, Yellowstone Today, warns visitors to stay 100 yards away from bears and advises hikers to “make loud noises, shout or sing” on trails.
If a bear charges you, the National Park Service recommends standing your ground. And if the bear physically attacks you? Don’t run or climb a tree. You’re supposed to crouch down into the fetal position and protect your neck.
Of course, there are different rules for brown and black bears, and none of the park rangers seemed to agree on the usefulness of bear spray.
My head was throbbing as I tried to sort out the instructions. I was pretty sure that if I did encounter a bear, I would have no idea how to react. And I certainly wouldn’t stay calm if a half-ton beast started to charge me.
When you're scared of a bear attack, camping at Yellowstone counts as an adventure activity!
Hiking in bear country
When Jake (my fearless husband) insisted on hiking in “bear country” on our first day in Yellowstone, I was apprehensive. I pointed out that the Riddle Lake Hike was a in a “bear management area,” according to the hiking trails brochure.
In a clever move, Jake suggested we drive to the trail head and then I could decide whether or not to go on the hike. When we arrived at the parking area I was reassured to see a half dozen cars and a family with small children. If these parents can risk their kids’ lives on a hike, I rationalized, then how could I stay behind?
Still, I insisted on jabbering loudly about bears and celebrity gossip during the entire walk. I occasionally broke into a Lady Gaga song, much to Jake’s embarrassment.
I must have succeeded at annoying the wildlife with my chatter since we did not see any large mammals (excluding a few heartland tourists) and made it to the beautiful lake without incident.
I didn't run into any bears on our hike to this Yellowstone lake.
Close encounter
As it turned out, we didn’t see any bears during our four nights in Yellowstone. However, I did have a close encounter with a bear skin at the Shoshone National Forest information center, just outside of Yellowstone.
A friendly volunteer, Dave Leslie, 78, greeted us in the parking lot and invited us to pose for photos holding a grizzly pelt. He draped it across my torso and positioned the sharp claws against my throat.
We kept expecting Dave to ask for a tip or at least a donation, but after taking our photo he bid us goodbye with a handshake and scurried over to the next group of tourists.
No bears?!
After worrying about bears for the better part of a week, I was actually a bit disappointed we didn’t spot any bears on our Yellowstone trip. It would have been great to see a live grizzly– from a distance, of course.
***
For more information on this destination, visit the Yellowstone National Park website and read our Insider’s guide to visiting Wyoming, the Cowboy State.
Note: This article first appeared in the author’s NY Destinations column on Examiner.com.
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Bears are fascinating but scary creatures. I do have a fear of them and we have our share in California, especially near Tahoe. Thankfully, we don’t have grizzlies but lots of black bears and some with cubs. Just don’t want to cross a bear and there have been many break ins in Tahoe in the last year. It’s quite scary how powerful these animals are.
I don’t want to cross a bear either! I’d be happy to see one from a safe distance… like inside of a car, with windows closed!
LOL, hey I could have sworn I read this post before.. in your old blog! The last photo really rings a bell!! so cute.. u tell a great story woman.. made me terrified of bears! Glad u lived to tell the tale yo;)
Haha, yes, this was a familiar post 🙂 I hope it didn’t make you scared of bears… it’s supposed to convey that you shouldn’t panic because I managed to survive. Oh well!
To make matters more confusing sometimes it is suggested that you fight back. If a bear is attacking you because of cubs then that is when you should play dead. Once the bear realizes you are not a threat it will most likely leave you alone. Hopefully, you are not dead before this realization is made. However, if a bear is attacking you because they see you as a food source, then by playing dead you are just making it easy on them to eat you. Fortunately, most bears do not see humans as a food source.
Black bears so rarely attack that it is not really a worry. A human has a much better chance of fighting off a black bear attack if they do. With a grizzly there is really no chance if they are determined to kill.
In this case the two people surprised the grizzly bear and the cubs. This probably means they were not making enough noise. Experience hikers suggest wearing bells when in grizzly country. If mama bears hear you they will vacate the area.
Great points, Ted. I find the rules for the different types of bears confusing. I’m not sure in the heat of the moment, I would remember whether to run or curl up in a ball. In the attack last year outside of Yellowstone, the mother bear was actually stalking campers as prey (and she ended up being euthanized). Seems like the bears don’t always act as you might expect!
I agree. The natural instinct is to fight. To make things even more confusing, I have heard of people fighting off grizzlys and surviving, so I think it just comes down to luck.
Exactly! And you also hear about people who did everything right and get attacked by a rogue bear. You never know…
Your hand written note was hilarious! Thanks for sharing the tips.
Thanks for your comment! Glad you liked it 🙂
Haha, I loved the note too!
Of course you liked the note– I agreed to give you all of my belongings! 🙂
Leslie, I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island, Canada. The threat of attacks from black bears & cougars was real. An elementary student was nearly fatally attacked while walking to school by a cougar back in the early 90’s. At the start of each school term we used to receive an information session about what to do when encountering wild animals.
Wow- I can’t even imagine. Did you ever encounter a bear or cougar yourself?
I remember one year ski-ing in Lake Louise my wife and I took a walk outside the bear fence into the wilderness. She spent the whole walk petrified about coming across a bear. I explained they were in hibernation still but the whole experience left her with an uneasy feeling. She now checks the information regarding bears wherever we go! Even in Europe.
Great post, Si @thedepartureboard
Si, your wife and I have a lot in common! I’m pretty sure my husband actually wanted to see a bear– he seemed excited by the Bear Country signs, in contrast to my fear…
So funny… I felt the same way after just visiting Yellowstone a week ago. I was really glad we didn’t have any bear encounters, but after I got home I was like.. “Why couldn’t I have just seen one crossing the road while we were driving?” 🙂
Scott and I would do the same thing and talk really loud or sing when we were in an area with no other people around. We were probably paranoid, but I would rather be safe and look like an idiot!
Agreed– it’s better to look stupid shouting than get mauled by a bear. No contest!
I once interviewed a woman whose husband got scalped by a grizzly on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in the late 1940s. It made news all over the US. She was saved from attack by their small dog Boots. Quite a story.
wow, sounds like a close encounter! Did her husband survive?
I did read somewhere it is advisable to hike in groups in bear country and to make as much noise to alert any bear of your presence. I’ve not hiked trails where dangerous animals lurk. That’s the advantage of hiking in Europe, most particularly in Germany.
We were in Yosemite last weekend and the Rangers were on full alert, rabidly enforcing bear and food storage rules. They were citing people right and left…
That’s a bummer that you didn’t have any bear sightings, but wonderful that you got out alive 🙂 I used to go hiking in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains every summer, and there are also tons of bears there. I never had a run-in with one, though I know a few people who have seen them there. I agree that some of the advice on what to do is so conflicting. The other day I read something that said play dead…but then some say stand your ground. So confusing.
You have some fantastic pictures to share with us. I like the last picture with the close encounter 🙂
Thanks! Fortunately, that was the closest I came to a Grizzly during my stay 🙂
I am cracking up on how you wrote a will and handed it to Jake!! You are so funny. you know my brother in law hunts bears? He even has a stuffed baby bear in his living room! A BABY BEAR.