Interesting Run Today
.... "What are you suppose to do with a bear, do we try to out run it?" My smart ass couldn't resist, "I don't have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you!" I don't think he found it that funny, but I did.
'Without a Paddle' - This movie depicts perfectly that scenario!!! I would of said the same thing =)
... "I don't have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you!..."
That is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long while! Glad you made it back, for your sake and mine!
Stephen
I'm not sure about this, but I think you are SUPPOSED to make lots of noise to alert a bear of your presence in order to avoid a confrontation. This sure is a change from the usual "I am scared of open water swimming" thread. The worst wildlife I have come across is armadilloes.
Taper Naked
wow, scary. and really funny quip!
i think i read somewhere that bears cant run very fast downhill. that obviously only works if you are running up a hill and bump into bear.
______
Why? Many people have asked me... to test my limits ... and to push beyond them.
wow, scary. and really funny quip!i think i read somewhere that bears cant run very fast downhill. that obviously only works if you are running up a hill and bump into bear.
That may have been the Runner's World article from a few years back. Turns out it was a bogus study: they were using the same bear in tests over an entire morning w/o hydration breaks, and it started to cramp up after some intervals when they had it chase various vehicles before the trail session. Brutal.
Since we don't know what kind of bear it is:
Top speed of: Black Bear: 30mph (Pennsylvania game commission)
Brown Bear: 30-35 mph (California state game commission)
Grizzly: 35mph with bursts to 50mph (NPS)
These aren't cars (no 0 to 30 baloney). They can reach top speed immediately.
You guys aren't out running ANY bear!
How can you tell the difference between a Grizzly and a Brown Bear:
When you see the bear, get up a tree as quickly as possible. If the bear climbs up the tree and pulls you screaming to the ground, it's a brown bear. If it knocks the tree over and drags you screaming into the underbrush...it's a grizzly.
i've got so many bear stories...I don't know where to start.
Glad you weren't lunch!
"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com
Since we don't know what kind of bear it is:
Top speed of: Black Bear: 30mph (Pennsylvania game commission)
Brown Bear: 30-35 mph (California state game commission)
Grizzly: 35mph with bursts to 50mph (NPS)
These aren't cars (no 0 to 30 baloney). They can reach top speed immediately.
You guys aren't out running ANY bear!
How can you tell the difference between a Grizzly and a Brown Bear:
When you see the bear, get up a tree as quickly as possible. If the bear climbs up the tree and pulls you screaming to the ground, it's a brown bear. If it knocks the tree over and drags you screaming into the underbrush...it's a grizzly.
i've got so many bear stories...I don't know where to start.
Glad you weren't lunch!
Did you say 'bare' stories? ;-)
'Nothing to it, but to do it!'
Some bare stories...
Some bear stories...
but, no bare bear stories!
"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com
'Without a Paddle' - This movie depicts perfectly that scenario!!! I would of said the same thing =)
Exactly, I don't think the guy had seen the movie. Maybe that's why he didn't see the humor in it. As the bear and I were staring at each other I thought about me in the fetal position with the bear carrying me around by my fuel belt. Funnier thing is that when faced with the situation the first thing I thought of was "Without A Paddle".
Actually, I ran into the bear 2 miles north on the Santa Fe trail from where a woman was chased by an American black bear: http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=291238
Here's what the article says to do:
* These bears are generally timid and do not like confrontation. (That's good, I'm sure we can talk out our differences.)
* When seeing one, do not run, back away slowly and talk to the bear. (I backed away like I was suppose to, but damn it I forgot to talk to it, that's probably why it got pissed and left, it just thought I was anti-social)
* If it attacks, fight back. Wildlife experts say the bear will typically back down. (Hold on! They want me to fight a F#%*ing BEAR!!!! Sure, as soon as I get done wrestling with a great white shark, then I'll kick the bear's ass.)
I'm thinking I saw the same type of American black bear, the one I saw looks just like the picture of the bear in the article. It was just sitting there on its butt and I would guess was probably about 6 ft tall sitting down.
"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." Lance Armstrong
In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny spoken to Elmer Fudd:
When confronted by a grizzly bear, lie flat on the ground and play dead.
or maybe having a bear chase me would be a good way to pick up my tempo pace.
I think this is a great logic! Carry a jar of honey while you're at it :)
**Pain is weakness leaving the body**
*Smile, it does a body good*
i am so glad there aren't bears in texas... the only thing i'd have to worry about is coyotes and mountain lions lol. i am seriously glad you didn't get eaten though
Carry a bear stick......
oh just what i wanted to read before leaving on a trail running adventure....
The worst wildlife I have come across is armadilloes.
Usually just armadillos around here also, but last weekend I rode up on 3 raccoons. One ran away and 2 stayed and made a strange growl/hiss type sound at me. I figured worse case I could punt one just as far as I could punt a large house cat, but since there were 2, the other might bite me.
Glad you didn't have to test any of your bear survival tactics. I've heard of people surviving after fighting a bear, but I've never heard any survivors say they ran down a hill, climbed a tree, or played dead.
How can you tell the difference between a Grizzly and a Brown Bear:
When you see the bear, get up a tree as quickly as possible. If the bear climbs up the tree and pulls you screaming to the ground, it's a brown bear. If it knocks the tree over and drags you screaming into the underbrush...it's a grizzly.
Now THAT'S funny. But of course, I haven't testing this observation, so get to it and let me know how it goes!
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
* When seeing one, do not run, back away slowly and talk to the bear. (I backed away like I was suppose to, but damn it I forgot to talk to it, that's probably why it got pissed and left, it just thought I was anti-social)
* If it attacks, fight back. Wildlife experts say the bear will typically back down. (Hold on! They want me to fight a F#%*ing BEAR!!!! Sure, as soon as I get done wrestling with a great white shark, then I'll kick the bear's ass.)
Ain't nothing worse than a dude who won't hurl insults as he's being eaten! "It's just a flesh wound! Come back her! I'll bite your leg off!"
Some dude tried wrestling a Bull shark around here a few years ago. Just jumped off the dock and onto the shark's back. Shark won. What a wuss ;)
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
I have seen black bears many times when runnin or hiking. We have a cabin in vermont and they come in our yard (or, more accurately, the cabin is in THEIR yard). Usually they run away when they see you, but sometime I've had to yell at them. One time we were out in the yard. We were building the house and one was very close by, so my partner picked up the circular saw, turned it on and let it rip, RRRREEEAAAAAAHHHH! The bear beat it.
I've seen bears (of the black variety), cougars, and bobcats near our old house in Washington. Usually they just run off if you make noise and back away slowly. Sometimes the bears have gotten too used to being around humans and they get bolder. I believe that fighting back would be effective, most animals do not want to get injured, especially hunters like cougars, because they know they will then starve to death. That's why even small dogs are very effective at scaring off cougars. Luckily, when I lived near that much wildlife I always ran with my dog.
Here, the most dangerous things are big flocks of turkeys crossing the road on steep downhill sections of my bike rides. We also have 'coons and big mean-ass possums. There's nothing you can do to scare off a possum, I even had one attack my tire once!
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
There's nothing you can do to scare off a possum, I even had one attack my tire once!
I thought they were supposed to play dead? :)
I'm not sure about this, but I think you are SUPPOSED to make lots of noise to alert a bear of your presence in order to avoid a confrontation.
Yep, you want to make noise so you don't surprise them, but since the bear already knew you were there and went on his way, probably not a huge deal. The idea of making noise to alert bears is why people wear bear bells. But as we used to ask the tourists in Alaska: "Do you know how to tell the difference between Moose poop and Bear poop? ...Bear poop has bells in it."
Turns out that joke may have merit, listened to an Alberta bear expert talking about backcountry bear awareness and he was saying that the bells actually make the bears curious and seek out the sound to investigate.





















So I'm out running on the local trail today for my long run. I'm in the middle of my tempo section of the run so my focus is on my running and not necessarily my surroundings. I come blazing (relative term) around a corner and come within 25 meters of a brown bear just chilling on the trail. I looked for bear cubs and didn't see any so I was hoping no to get eaten alive. We spend about 30 seconds staring at each other as I slowly back pedal and it finally decides it doesn't want to mess with me so it walks off into the woods.
I had just passed a guy walking on the trail so I went back to warn him and give the bear some time to wonder off before I went running by. We walked by trying not too much noise and he asks, "What are you suppose to do with a bear, do we try to out run it?" My smart ass couldn't resist, "I don't have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you!" I don't think he found it that funny, but I did.
Anyway, thought I would share my experience. I'm going to have to brush up on my ninja skills in case I see the bear again, or maybe having a bear chase me would be a good way to pick up my tempo pace.
"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." Lance Armstrong