Living with wildlife: Bear edition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The vandal climbed into the back seat of a local family’s car as they cast their fishing rods at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Hillberg Lake.

With a perceived viciousness – possibly fueled by hunger – the miscreant, a local black bear, clawed at the vehicle’s interior.

Enter Erica McDaniel, a recreation specialist and bear awareness class instructor with the Outdoor Adventure Program.

McDaniel was out teaching an all-terrain vehicle safety course when she noticed the mother in distress.

“She had four or five kids with her, and I could tell they had never been around a bear before,” McDaniel said. “I feared they would turn and run, or do all the things you’re not supposed to do – [things] we all do the first time we encounter a bear.”

The bear, having come up empty in its search, exited the vehicle and disappeared into the brush.

As service members and families move to Alaska – often in a season when bears are at their most active – knowing what to do in a chance encounter becomes particularly important, McDaniel said.


Things to keep in mind when exploring The Last Frontier:

Be bear aware and don’t ever go recreating by yourself, McDaniel said. When hiking or camping, if you see bear tracks or bear scat, change your path of travel. If you bring bear spray, know how to use it and keep it on you. Don’t leave it on the shore, or in the vehicle.

Make lots of noise as you hike, she said. Project your voice by either singing or talking loudly. Bears are naturally shy creatures and are not going to come toward you if you’re making noise.

“Paying attention to your surroundings is very important,” McDaniel said. “Which seems silly to say, but in Alaska we are always in bear country.”

If you come across a bear and it doesn’t notice you, stay calm, she said. Keep the bear in your line of sight. If the bear is far enough away, walk around it. You want to give them space, she said; most of the time they are just as scared of us as we are of them.

Don’t turn your back on a bear, or run, McDaniel said. Running from a bear will trigger a predatory instinct and they will want to chase you.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game suggest people either play dead or fight back if a bear makes contact. Pay attention to the bear’s body language – it will indicate if the bear is acting defensively or is in search of food.

Most bear attacks are a defensive response of a surprise encounter, or a female protecting her cubs, according to the ADF&G. Lie flat on your stomach with your legs spread for stability. The attack will likely end when the bear realizes you are not a threat.

A bear that has been calmly focused on you and makes contact, or breaks into a tent or home is likely fueled by hunger. While rare, the best response for this attack would be to stand your ground and fight back without restraint. Use rocks, sticks or other things in your surroundings to aide in your defense - concentrating on the bears face or muzzle.

Keeping bears away from human food is perhaps the most important thing we can do to prevent confrontations with bears, according to the ADF&G

McDaniel recalled her first bear encounter while camping in the Sierra Nevada as a rebellious youth.

“Kids think they’re cool when they do things they’re parents tell ‘em not to,” she said. “I snuck candy into my tent with my sister. We thought it would be cool to stay up late and eat candy. We ended up falling asleep with food in our tent. Sure enough, we had a bear come to our tent at night. We could hear him sniffing around. He swatted at the tent. ... We screamed, which was good because it scared the bear. From then on I have not taken food into my tent.”

Feeding bears, even carelessly through the improper disposal of waste, is illegal and can result in a hefty fine, or worse yet, a confrontation.

“Going to camp grounds you see food wrappers and hotdogs left out on tables,” McDaniel said. “And [people] get mad when a bear comes to their camp … If you’re going to keep food in your vehicle, keep it closed and locked. If you’re going to keep food on you, know it’s on you. If you’re fishing the bears might come toward you because they know you have food.”

For more information, visit the ADF&G website at www.adfg.alaska.gov

People with JBER access can attend the bear awareness class hosted by the Outdoor Adventure Program. Contact the OAP for dates and times at 552-4599.