• just dumb enough to try.
      • Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:45AM
      • just dumb enough to try.
      • My friend and I are having this debate about whether it is possible to outrun a grizzly bear. Given a hypothetical situation where you are forced to flee from a grizzly in the wild, is it possible to escape. My friends stance is that any condition and on any terrain a grizzly will catch you no matter what! He says that grizzlies are Superior to humans in every athletic aspect, I know a grizzly bear has a much higher top speed than a human (30+ mph) but my argument is that humans are more agile and have better acceleration than bears.. For instance i find it possible, that if being chased, you can zig and zag and give your self a chance to escape, But constently forcing the bear to stop and change directions, i dont think he can reach his top speed to track you down... I was wondering what everyone else thinks, and if anyone has had any first hand encounters or stories of escaping from a bear by plain outrunning the thing...

        for example, if you threw barry sanders into the wild with a bear in his prime, i think barry sanders could juke the shit out of the bear and get away but constently changing directions and accelerating away ... I know Barry Sanders is a one of a kind human athlete, but i'm just trying to prove that it is possible, how unlikely it may seem.
    • I know!
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:52AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • I know!
      • Hide behind a really big tree and, when he tries to go around to get you, run around to the other side. All day, baby...
    • nowayjose
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:53AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • nowayjose
      • no way. humans are less agile than bears and have way way worse acceleration. think about how low a bear is (relative to it's size) with that center of gravity and the 4 legs thing you are toast. have you ever tried to catch a dog? same thing, they can "out-juke" you in a second.

        maybe if you had an 800 meter head start the bear would get tired before you did. that's your only chance.
    • please try...
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:54AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • please try...
      • A grizzly bear can weigh from 300-1000+ lbs.
        A grizzly bear can travel 300 yards in 15 seconds if her cubs are threatened.
        A grizzly bear can take a hung food bag 10 feet high.
        grizzly bears evolved in tundra and that is why it is adapted to go very fast as opposed to the black bear.
        even though it evolved in the tundra it will still destroy barry sanders while running through the woods.
        Grizzly Bears have better acceleration, and are much more agile in the woods then a human...

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

        And this is information from the NOLS Wilderness Guide.
    • Speeve
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:55AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • Speeve
      • No, it is not possible to outrun a grizzly bear who is chasing you. Your only hope in this situation is to get in its face and act like you are a more ferocious predator. Thanks Bear Grylls!
    • no chance
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:55AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • no chance
      • Sorry, I think you lose this argument. I've seen a video where a bear runs down a deer, despite the fact the deer has a head start and is trying to juke it. I did a quick search for the video on youtube but couldnt find it. Maybe someone else has seen it and can post it. If it can take down a deer, its fair to say a human has no chance.
    • Lazy Llama
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 9:59AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • Lazy Llama
      • just dumb enough to try. wrote:
        for example, if you threw barry sanders into the wild with a bear in his prime, i think barry sanders could juke the shit out of the bear and get away but constently changing directions and accelerating away ... I know Barry Sanders is a one of a kind human athlete, but i'm just trying to prove that it is possible, how unlikely it may seem.
        So is Mike Vick. See where I'm going here?
    • just dumb enough to try.
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:00AM - in reply to no chance
      • just dumb enough to try.
      • i saw that on animal planet, it wasnt a deer it was a baby elk... the one where he tries to jump over a fallen a tree and messes up and then the bear destroys him with a bite to the neck ...i saw that too ... so looks like the consensus is 0% chance? i mean not even like 5% chance for the best athletes in the world?
    • Yogi
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:05AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • Yogi
      • just dumb enough to try. wrote:
        i saw that on animal planet, it wasnt a deer it was a baby elk... the one where he tries to jump over a fallen a tree and messes up and then the bear destroys him with a bite to the neck ...i saw that too ... so looks like the consensus is 0% chance? i mean not even like 5% chance for the best athletes in the world?
        Reminds me of the old joke, whoe point is, you dont have to be faster than the bear, just faster than your friend.

        So always go camping with friends.
    • Mandingo
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:20AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • Mandingo
      • I was running in the bush with a couple of buddies and we came upon a black bear. four miles later the loop took us back to the same area and saw it again with two cubs. We moved over to the out trail and it had moved over trying to get away from us. All of a sudden I went from 3rd to the front with my buddies turning around. We sprinted like mad. I don't know how long it chased before it went back, I didn't look.
        Several factors come into play: wild animals are very good on their terrrain. I've seen deer fly through solid bush and streams; it's quite incredible. The front legs of a bear are shorter so you have a better chance on the downhill. Working in your favour is a huge shot of adrenlene which would help. A grizzly is much bigger and faster than a black bear and if he wants you, he will get you. THe running away will just get him more juiced up.
        YOur only chance is that it loses interest.
    • Teddy Bear
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:31AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • Teddy Bear
      • You really aren't supposed to run away from a bear in the first place, unless of course you want to be chased. Bears aren't out to eat humans, so there's not much of a chance that one will come after you unless you give it a good reason. Just keep an eye on the bear, make yourself look as tall as possible (don't crouch down), and slowly walk away. No, you really can't outrun a grizzly bear. I'm sure you already knew all this, but were trolling, so if all else fails...

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keZOfvMKQro
    • RyanLD
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:31AM - in reply to just dumb enough to try.
      • RyanLD
      • Well theres never a 0% chance, because its happenend, generally speaking its because the bear is just scaring you away from something and uninterested in takin you down. One thing i have to mention is that no you cannot beat any bear running downhill, forget it, that is 100% myth. I would say the only time you are ever going to get away from a grizz that is chasing you is if you have sufficent time to climb a tree that is about 6inches in diameter with branches big enough for you to stand on/grab, to enable climbing, and you also have to be able to hold on. If you can get up this tree about 15ft and can hold on real tight you might just make it. Grizzlies are poor tree climbers due to their very long claws(relative to blacks) and would not be able to climb up a tree of a small diamter trunk. However they are extremely powerful animals and could shake the tree like youre on the end of a fishing rod.

        Best thing to do is be prepared, have bear mase, or a rifle to protect yourself, hike with a bell. If you don't surprise a bear the vast majority of the time you arent going to have incident. If a Grizz looks like its going to charge you, lay on your stomach and cover the back of your neck and don't move, likely it will come up and check you out, maybe paw you around a bit and leave you. This is not the case with blacks, they are scavengers and playing dead makes it easy. Blacks can be intimidated if you 'look big' by holding up branches and getting fellow hikers to gather around with arms up and bags etc.

        That was long winded. In short, No you cannot out run a Grizzly on foot, unless there are special circumstances like climbing the perfect tree, or say jumping off a cliff into water.

        Ryan
    • bearologist
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:32AM - in reply to grizzly adams
      • bearologist
      • you can no more out run a bear than you can outrun an airplane taking off from a treadmill

        but you can out swim a grzzly bear, head to water and dive and swim out away from it

        bears can jump 10 feet off the ground from a standstill, more like 15 from a running start, so climbing a tree is a bad idea unless you can get 20 feet up fast and out on a limb

        i recommend against it, and since it is unlawful to interfere or harass a grizzly you would not want to commit a felony against wildlife either
    • H2O girl
      • RE: Is it at all possible to outrun a grizzly bear? 8/8/2007 10:40AM - in reply to grizzly adams
      • H2O girl
      • The area I live in is major bear habitat. If a black bear is coming for you you need to fight for your life. Grizzlies are more complex and you need to make a desicion about the situation, grizzlies may bluff charge you based on trying to protect territory (a kill or cubs) or they might just be a bit frightened. They charge at you full tilt and then turn on a dime. The best thing to do is back away slowly and don't turn away, if a grizzly sees you as threat you can play dead but be careful because there's another situation where playing dead will get you killed. A curious bear is a predatory bear, they're not scared of you the behaviour is more of a slow steady approach, nothing seems to stop it, it just keeps coming, this is when you show aggression back, throw stuff,yell, bear spray- anything. The one situation that's completely out of your control is if you happen to scare a bear by coming around a corner and it's completely surprised, then anything could happen, if it just swipes you in the neck you'll probably die. That's why it's important to make noise on trails, sing and call out especially on winding trails where you know there might be bears. To try and outrun one is impossible, they're good swimmers too.