Have you ever come across a bear while running?

I've run into black bears several times, getting pretty close to one this summer (~15 yards or so). The good thing is that they are scared shi*less, just like I am.

I had one of the most terrifying bear encounters ever caught on tape. Warning - this is very graphic:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/eryxAcsTcOA?rel=0

Rock Sock wrote:

The best running advice I ever received was from my college track coach. He said, "whenever you run in the woods, take a slower training partner with you on your run. If you encounter a bear, then try to outrun the bear. You don't have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun your running partner." That was great advice.

I got a laugh out of that. I was running with a group (4-5) in the mountains one time. We rounded a corner and saw three black near cubs. Two were up in the trees and one on the ground. No sign of the mother. One of the cubs fell from the tree with a thud. We didn't stick around to see the mother and took off.

After about five minutes we eventually continued past where the bears were, but it was kind of a scary experience.

I actually saw a porcupine once, I had no idea they lived in my area. I've seen foxes, coyotes, deer, turkey as well.

Yes I was running on a trail surrounded by both sides on forest and came across a black bear on the trail. Once I was within about 10 meters or so of him I realized he was there and he realized I was too and he ran off scared. I just kept going as if nothing happened although it scared me too

absolutely - here in the Blue Ridge they can be a frequent encounter. Almost ran over a little mama in WV Snowshoe area while running down a bike trail. Our black bears are less irritable than northern browns, and more likely to scare off - but if they do decide to challenge, well, the recent news says it all. The browns I've encountered were in Yukon years ago; I moved slowly away, appearing to make no eye contact. Scared the crap out of me - I was scoping out a tree. Some browns climb, some don't. All black bears climb like pros. Nowadays, I usually have my boy-dog w/ me - either an Airedale or my Brittany. (Thing is, the Airedale wants to challenge everything.)

I have crossed paths with bears on trails near Mammoth 3 times in the last 10 years. Unless you resemble a trash dumpster they are not a threat.

Down near Wintergreen Mountain in Virginia. Same run saw a mama bear and 2 cubs from about 20 yards. I wasn't messing with that, as they were literally right next to the trail (single track). Slowly walked backwards for a few minutes and then made my way to a different trail. Literally 10 minutes later on this new trail came across a huge rattler in the middle of the trail. Enough dangerous animals in one day for me!

Gilt wrote: Have you ever come across a bear while running?

Yes, and it did not go well. Who knew that bears weren't into facials?

yeah, i have seen one twice, both in NH.

one was along side a country road, just doing his own gig.

the other time i was doing one of relay races, i don't remember if it was ReachTheBeach/Ragnar or another similar one. I was coming down a country road and a big black bear ran across the road in front of me. he was big and moving fast and didn't even notice, or care, about me.

Not while running, last summer we had a bear run across our property right in front of us sitting in our covered porch eating dinner. He wasn't 20 yards from us. just ran right by.....i kept saying "BEAR"!!!! It was cool.

Running on a trail in Gatineau Park outside Ottawa, Canada, I heard some rustling in a tree and looked up to see two black bear cubs making their way down. They stopped and stared at me. I froze. After a few seconds they came the rest of the way down the tree and gamboled off in one direction. I ran like hell the other way, terrified that their mother was somewhere nearby.

Another time when running with a friend of mine we looked across the trail about 40 yards from us, where an adult black bear was walking through the trees, thankfully headed away from us.

At the 20 mile mark of every long run.

Just south of wintergreen, Jefferson Nat Forest, Peaks of otter area is where my Brittany pup had his first black bear encounter - he froze w/ a "...what the...?" look on his face. I scooped him up and backed off, appearing to have no eye contact.

2 years ago - Mountain Lion. Scary.

ke wrote:

absolutely - here in the Blue Ridge they can be a frequent encounter....Our black bears are less irritable than northern browns, and more likely to scare off

Yep. I live in Western North Carolina. See probably 2-3 bears a week. On easy days in the woods, my husky runs with me, he scares them off usually or at least warns me.

Go bears!

junkyard dog on a trail alongside railroad tracks. It ran out of the gate and ran after me but turned around and happily went back once he was satisfied I was sufficiently scared.

Yeah, don't know what it is, but dogs do something to a bear's sense of well being - even though the bear could destroy them easily. Been thru your area on the AT - definitely bear habitat.