Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear?

So you're saying more people are attacked while singing? What studies show that? I'm interested...

I always thought the advantage a downhill affords the human is the bear's impeded agility to change direction- that a good "juke" results in the bear rolling right past you. I have seen films where the bear definitely is slowed by the sloped terrain when chasing prey.

I'll give you the short answer and the long answer:

No and no.

oops that pic belonged to another thread.

So a couple of weeks ago my wife went on a walk with my son (18 mo) when 20ft in front of them walked a black bear. She turned around and hightailed it down the hill back to the cabin where I met her. I told her that I am glad she is back safe but that was pretty studid to run. Her response was that she thought she was toast but that she could make it far enough so that she could push the stroller so that it would go by the cabin and I would see it. Pretty scary.

H2O girl wrote:

So you're saying more people are attacked while singing? What studies show that? I'm interested...

as you will see there are actually a lot of bear attacks

2 deaths by grzzly on average a year

and more by black bear

Some of these posts are so ignorant it's unbelievable. You can't outrun a bear in any terrain at any distance. This includes black bears. They are fast, agile and have tremendous endurance.

If two people were together and they both started running, obviously the slower person would be eaten first. However, if one of them started running and one of them laid down on the ground, would a bear be more inclined to chase the running person than to bother the person who wasn't moving?

I live in northern canada, in a valley where every summer grizzly bears and black bears feast on the abundant buffalo berries at the lower elevations. Our community lost a good friend to a grizzly two years ago since that moment pretty much everyone who spends time and recreation on the local trails has been involved in a community effort to raise awareness about safety in bear country. I would hardly ever go for a run in my area without my bear spray, unless I was in a group of 4 or more. there's been a website started in our locale where you can see if there have been any bear or wildlife ativities before you head out. that is just the situation where we live and I can imagine it would be the same in some communities in the U.S. as well. So for you to say that singing on the trail would actually attract a bear got my attention because the wildlife biologists who speak in our community and in our schools says the opposite, that making noise and singing could prevent the element of surprise. It seems that you have no scientific evidence to support that statement but I don't care about being right or wrong I just want to be safe and encourage others to be safe.

I live in Rio and a giant brown bear with bees in its mouth and wearing a hockey mask ran after me. Fortunately I saw an airplane on a tread mill and jumped in and flew away.

DeGaull wrote:

I live in Rio and a giant brown bear with bees in its mouth and wearing a hockey mask ran after me. Fortunately I saw an airplane on a tread mill and jumped in and flew away.

Yes, but what would you have done if the plane wouldn't take off? Good post, though.

The best suggestion I've seen is the one about getting a big tree between you and the bear. I'm not sure if it would work for a bear, but it is definitely effective to ward off an attack by an elk. (Don't laugh, they do sometimes attack.) Since nothing else would work, that one might at least be worth a try.

I am a former National Park Service Ranger, I am referring to NPS incident reports and studies (that would now be 10 years old at least). So they may be wrong, and so may I. However, our experience suggests that grizzlies may be deterred by giving them notice that you are present (by talking, banging the brush, singing, etc.) but that black bears are stalkers. If you are in a group of people singing may make sense, and it is up to you, but if you are hiking alone it can sound to predators like the distress call of wounded prey (not because of bad singing, just because the pitch of human voice and it is an unexpected sound to wildlife). A lot of additional research has been done over the years I am sure and if the people suggesting singing know what they are doing then listen to them. Based on my experience and knowledge, which is significant but I am not a biologist, I would never sing as a means to deter predators. We carried firearms always in backcountry (warning: I am not suggesting this in national park property as it is illegal if you are not a ranger). Trust me, if you are upwind they know you are there before they can hear you they can smell you over a mile away. And they can hear your footsteps about as easily as your voice. So sing if you want, I am not giving advice to anyone other than respect nature and know that there are no rules that bears live by. Good luck.

What about if you saw the bear and were presented with a rock climbing wall right in front of you and got to around 15 feet before the bear reached you? Can bears climb rock climbing walls?

I think this settles it, no singing for me.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6931439.stm

August 4, 2007: Bear confronts Whitesnake singer

Rock star David Coverdale has been confronted by a black bear at his home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Writing on his website, the Whitesnake singer said the bear broke into a guest bedroom on Wednesday morning.

Whitesnake's hits include Here I Go Again and Is This Love

Coverdale, 55, recounted how he ran at the animal with an air horn canister and scared him into the garden.

The British singer, formerly of Deep Purple, said bear attacks had become a "daily worry" and that authorities had warned he may have to move out or stop singing.

....

an indian could do it but no one else could

yeah, I thought it seemed a bit outdated.

yeah you being the know it all woman canuck and all you are really up to date on treadwell's research

YES! it would get dq'ed for running outside its lane

please try... wrote:

I think the 300 yards in 15 seconds to protect their cubs is enough information.

And this is information from the NOLS Wilderness Guide.

And I think the NOLS Wilderness people need to re-do thier math. 300 yds in 15 seconds is 43mph, while most citations indicate that a grizzly bear's top speed is only 35mph. Which means that it will eat you in 19 seconds, not 15.