BearWise Articles by Category
Be BearWise Outdoors

If you own a dog and live in or travel to bear country, eventually your dog may encounter a bear. Understanding why some dog-bear encounters end peacefully and others end with dogs and people being injured or killed can help keep people, dogs and bears safe. Bears don’t like to be barked at, chased or cornered. When bears feel threatened and don’t see an easy way to get away from “danger,” their natural instinct for self-preservation kicks in, and the ...
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Fall is the favorite season for many people (29%, according to a recent YouGov survey). Cooler, crisper days, less humidity and a landscape painted in shades of yellow, orange and red all make fall a prime season for many outdoors activities. For bears, fall is “last chance to eat a lot” season as they continue to roam about searching for every bit of remaining food, natural and otherwise. Days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer as the countdown ...
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BearWise Ways to Avoid Encountering Bears Outdoors There are lots of simple steps you can take to discourage bears from getting into your stuff and avoid bear encounters. Teaching bears to associate cars, trails, campsites and people with food doesn’t just put a damper on your outdoor fun. It also creates unnecessary risk for you and your family and can have deadly consequences for bears. Doing your homework and taking some simple BearWise precautions now can help keep people safe ...
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Whether you’re going for a day hike, out for a jog or a bike ride, headed to a campground or just taking your dog out for a stroll, being BearWise outdoors can help you have fun, stay safe and keep bears wild. It’s Better Together Walk, hike, jog, cycle and camp with others when possible. You’ll have someone to share the fun with and pitch in and help out if something unexpected happens. Through the Eyes of Children There’s nothing ...
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Seeing a bear in the wild is an unforgettable experience. If you’d love an opportunity to observe bears, early morning and early evening are good times for viewing and photography. Enjoy bears from a safe and respectful distance. Keep at least 50 yards – that’s ten car lengths, or half a football field – between you and the bear. If your presence causes the bear to change its behavior in any way, you are too close. Through a good pair ...
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Early summer is normally a busy time for bear sightings, but this year some people are seeing more bears than usual. There are several reasons bears roam around in June, but only two reasons bear sightings in your area may be on the rise. Reason #1: There are more people in bear country. The pandemic accelerated one trend that was already well underway: people moving out of cities and urban centers in search of a better quality of life. On ...
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If you’re heading out to get away from it all, chances are good you’re heading into bear country. If you don’t live with bears at home (or even if you do), it’s good to get BearWise before you hit the road. Bears are never on vacation. Bears can’t pack up and get away from people; bears that live in areas that are popular vacation destinations must learn how to make a living while doing their best to avoid both the ...
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