Travel Tips for Grizzly Country

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Now let's discuss the topic of noise, including sounds you shouldn't make. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee — which includes representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho Fish and Game Departments — publishes a brochure titled Bear Necessities: How to Avoid Bears that urges people to make noise when traveling in grizzly country.

"Most bears will avoid people and leave an area when they know people are present. Making noise allows the bear to move away before a confrontation occurs. Talking, singing, whistling, yodeling, or wearing bear bells or other noisemakers will all help to let bears know you are coming."

Whistling? Old-time Alaskans called marmots"whistlers," and a grizzly will dig a ton of rock and gravel out of a mountainside to get one fat little marmot that gave a warning whistle and then dove into its den. Whistling in alpine bear country to move away grizzlies is like blowing on a predator call to frighten coyotes. If you're going to make noise in grizzly country, you don't want to sound like one of the great bear's prey species.

A lot of people rely on bear bells. Anywhere you find grizzlies, you'll probably find bear bells for sale. The joke about bear bells is,"How can you tell grizzly scat from black bear scat? You'll find bear bells in the grizzly scat." If you're going to tie bear bells to your pack or your boot laces, be aware that bear bells aren't loud enough to be heard over rushing streams or on windy passes. Wearing bear bells is no guarantee that bears will always hear you coming.

Clap your hands and give a loud "hey bear" when you're coming to a blind corner on a trail. These are noises you always have with you. You can increase the volume and intensity as needed. They help the bear identify you as a human. If you're hiking on a trail that follows along a noisy stream and thick vegetation limits your visibility, make noise. I make noise when I walk through waist-high patches of cow parsnip and other bear foods. I'm especially concerned about surprise encounters with females with cubs, so I say, "Hey mama. Hey mama bear." I also travel slowly. I stop and go, stop and go, carefully looking around each time I stop. I listen for bears. I don't just holler my fool head off. I never assume that mama bear will hear me, let alone that she's going to leave because she hears me.

Incidentally, when you first spot a bear, it's best to assume it's a female with cubs. Young bears don't always stick close to their mother, and, because cubs are small, they're tougher to see.