One fear that most campers or hikers have while in the woods is stumbling across a bear. So it is no surprise that you are about to gain information on what to do if you were to encounter a bear.
While visiting Red River you will most likely see some wildlife that includes bears. Remember that you are in their home and you must be careful and respectful of their home. The biggest threat to bears is habitat loss, and thanks to us humans we aren’t helping. When we build new homes we are taking away the homes of wildlife. So it isn’t a bad idea to carry bear spray on you while hiking or walking around town. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you and your family are visiting any mountain town.
A few things to keep in mind and remember for when you see a bear is to never run. Running away may cause the bear to chase you. It is also important that there is no food left in any vehicle or to keep food in coolers. A bear’s sense of smell is so good that they can smell food as much as three miles away! Bears can also smell the carcass of an animal, upwind, as far as 18 miles away! You should consider packing your food in OPSACK odor-proof bags. These bags are 17,000 times more odor proof than normal ziplock bags and can reduce the chance of finding your food all over the place from a bear raid while you were sleeping.
-You see a bear, but the bear doesn’t see you
It is important to keep away from any bear you may see. You may be lucky enough to see one from your vacation rental, but be sure to not make any noise or bother the wild animal. Although bears are cool to look at, it is in your best interest to keep your distance from them and stay quiet. You may want to turn around and head back from the way you came so that you can gain greater distance between yourself and the bear.
-You see the bear and he sees you
Most bear attacks are defensive in nature so even if it sees you, keep your distance and try not to draw attention to yourself or those around you. You may want to make your presence known, but do not yell. Raise your arms in the air slowly and wave them up and down. By doing this it makes you look bigger and may scare the bear away. Gather anyone around you and slowly back away into a house or car.
-Surprise a bear!
It is very unlikely that a bear will sneak up on you because they have such good senses, and most times they will leave the area before you even see them. However, a bear may be drawn to you if you have food. Your main focus is to be seen, but not threatening to the bear.
Your best bet is to keep all food put up and take your trash in one of the secured brown dumpsters, which are located only in town, and away from where you are staying. If you are camping, it’s a good idea to keep your campsite active. Generally, bears show up to campsites because it is vacant and they can smell food. Be aware of your surroundings and take precautions before heading into the mountains.
Hummingbird Feeders
If you are at a vacation rental that has a hummingbird feeder, either take it down if it has nectar in it, or if it is empty simply don’t refill it. The sweet nectar is a favorite among the bears in the area. Just like their distant cousin, Winney the Pooh, they have a weakness for the sweet stuff.
If you see a bear enjoying the treat that was meant for the tiny birds, leave it alone and be quiet. They tend to leave after they see there is nothing else to eat in the area and will go look elsewhere.
We want our guests to enjoy all that nature has to offer, but we also want you to be safe and aware.
