How to stay safe in bear country — and protect yourself against an attack

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - It's camping and hiking season, which also means, it's bear season.

"I am certain there are probably bear encounters that occur almost every day in Idaho," said James Brower, Regional Communications Manager for Idaho Fish and Game.

Fortunately, those encounters are mostly peaceful, and we haven't had any fatalities in the gem state, but you always have to be prepared — that includes knowing what to do to avoid coming across a bear and what to do in case of an encounter.

First line of defense: bear spray

"The main thing is to make lots of noise," Brower said. "So you don’t wanna scare a bear, you don’t wanna surprise them, you wanna make them aware of your presence. When they know that you’re coming, most of the time they’re going to skedaddle and get out of there, they don’t wanna be near or by us."

Brower suggests hiking in groups, avoiding hiking at dawn or dusk, and always staying alert. And most importantly — carrying bear spray.

"The best thing to have with you at all times is bear spray," Brower said. "That's the key component. You wanna have it with you, you wanna have it readily accessible. I like to carry mine on my hip. One of the reasons for that is I can use it right there where it is, it's about at the bear's eye level."

Brower says bear spray is meant to be used with two hands. "Pull that safety catch and spray away."

Bear spray ranges from $30–$40. You can also buy a training canister to practice with. Bear spray can shoot 20–30 feet and will come out in a cloud, rather than a straight line like pepper spray. But it does have the same ingredient as pepper spray, so do NOT apply it on yourself as you would insect repellant.

If the bear keeps charging you, Brower says to keep spraying. The bear spray is meant to get into the bear's nose and eyes and confuse its senses.

Once the bear gets the spray in its eyes it will probably be pretty blinded, so Brower says to step out of the way and let the bear run past you. Once it's gone, hike out as fast as you can. If you come across anybody else on that trail, let them know that you just sprayed a bear so they can turn around and go the other way.

What to do if you don't have bear spray with you

Don't rely on rhymes you may be learned in grade school, such as, "If it's brown, lie down. If it's black fight back." Brower says that is NOT accurate.

Instead, you need to determine whether it's a predatory attack or a defensive attack.

"If it's a predatory attack, no matter what kind of bear it is, you have to fight back, because they want you dead in that kind of situation," Brower said. "What happens most of the time is a defensive attack, and that's where a bear is defending a food source, or protecting cubs and young, or protecting their space."

Again, bear spray is your first line of defense in any attack. But in the case of a defensive attack where you do not have bear spray with you, you need to play dead.

Rather than curling up into a fetal position, Brower suggests lying flat on your stomach with your hands behind your neck and your legs spread out wide. The bear wants to attack the vital organs, such as the stomach and head, to neutralize the threat, so staying on your stomach while protecting your neck and head with your hands will help prevent that. If the bear flips you over, try to get right back on your stomach.

It's also important to hold still and not make noise — Brower says screaming will only further the attack.

So before you head out on your next hiking trip, make sure you have a plan.

"Just think about it. 'What am I going to do if I encounter a bear?' And if you've already prepared for that and already decided what you're going to do, then you're more likely to do that in the moment."

For more information and safety tips, you can visit usda.gov.