Clint Emerson, A Former Navy SEAL
You have to expect the best and worst things to happen when you wander in the middle of nowhere. Without a doubt, it’s likely you can encounter any dangerous beasts or fascinating views in the wilderness.
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It is no joke when bears approach us in the middle of nowhere. That’s why it’s important to be prepared in a situation like this. Fortunately, Clint Emerson- a former Navy SEAL shares a few of his life-saving tips to make sure that situations like this could not turn into something more serious.
The Wild Creatures Are Never The Same
Even if you were just casually walking through the neighborhood or hiking and camping in the forest and mountains, the chance of you coming across a wild animal like a bear is slim but still possible.
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Unfortunately, not all animals are harmless. Animals such as bears are capable of harm. Generally, bears can grow as tall as 10 feet, and an adult brown bear can weigh up to 551 pounds. It usually outmatches the size of the average human.
Attack Tales of Bears
Just like any other animal, bears attack if they feel danger around them or when they feel threatened. Most likely, prior to the bears’ attacks, there are hints or signals. For a person that has encountered bears, the signals help them handle the situation.
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In any bear encounter, the bears wouldn’t just pound at you directly. Bears would lower their heads, reposition their ears, stretches out their paws, and would growl at their target before they would strike.
Clint Emerson’s Life-Saving Tips
Typically, bears aren’t sure how to react to humans at first. However, things change when they feel threatened. Here are some tips from Clint Emerson- a former Navy SEAL that could possibly save your life.
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As a well-trained Navy SEAL, he has a few secret techniques and tricks in handling face-to-face bear encounters. These tricks were not just mere tips but are effective safety measures that could save your life.
The Types of Bears
In the United States, most likely, people have encountered three varying types of bears. These are the black, brown, and polar— where it could only be found in cold areas. The first two mentioned bears are most likely to be found in the wild. A person can never tell that bears aren’t terrifying after just one encounter.
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Specifically, black bears aren’t that small. They can weigh anywhere from 126 to 551 pounds and can grow six feet in height for an adult male black bear. On the other hand, the female is smaller compared to male bears. Females can weigh between 90 and 375 pounds.
Survival Book
Clint Emerson published a book named 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition. He has a few ideas about dealing with black bears, so in 2016, the former Navy SEAL published his own survival book that could potentially help a lot of people.
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He literally went through the face of danger in encountering bears. Emerson highlighted the things a person should do when in a face-to-face encounter with these three different types of bears. While black bears are huge, they’re nothing compared to the size of the brown bear’s claw.4
Comparing the Three Different Types of Bears
Emerson’s thoughts about black bears were, “If you run into a black bear on a mountain trail, be grateful for your good fortune. Compared to polar bears and brown bears, black bears are much less likely to attack.” As mentioned earlier, bears attack if they sense a threat.
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Brown bears only attack when provoked but black bears are a bit unpredictable in a face-to-face encounter. It is important to note that they are not vegetarian. However, brown bears and grizzly bears can eat both plants and animal origin or meat. On top of that, they are huge.
Brown Bears
Brown bears alone are considered huge as they can weigh up to an astonishing 1,300 pounds. On the other hand, the grizzies are much smaller, they can only weigh up to 700 pounds. However, although grizzly bears weigh less, they are taller when they stand on their hind legs, reaching over six feet tall!
North American Bear Center
Both species of brown bears are massive and they have animal features that humans wouldn’t want to see in the wilderness. Both browns and grizzlies have the same feature of having very large and curved claws. The claws could actually grow to 3.9 inches down the curve.
Aggressive Bears
Brown bears are truly impressive with their stature and their very long claws. The grizzlies and browns are both rather harmless unless provoked. However, people know brown bears to be more aggressive than black bears.
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However, both the black and the brown bears are nothing compared to the polar bears. Come to think of it, if the brown bears are aggressive more than the black bears, how much more if you came face to face with polar bears.
Polar Bears
Polar bears can be found in the Arctic Circle— the northernmost part of Alaska, unlike the black and brown bears. As we all know, the Arctic Circle is very cold, so to keep warm, polar bears hunt for their meals, such as seals and other sea creatures.
World Footprints
Polar bears can grow up to 1,500 pounds. Compared to the other two types of bears, polar bears are much more huge. In order for them to keep their weights and stature, to keep themselves warm in such a habitat, they chase after seals and any other marine animals.
Humans as a Source of Food
Unlike the black and brown bears, polar bears should not be near humans. Otherwise, humans can be their food. If black and brown bears might leave a person alone, polar bears cannot. Polar bears will most likely consider humans food and hunt them down.
WWF
Comparing the three types of bears, the polar bears are most likely the most aggressive ones in terms of encounters with humans. With humans as seen as a food source, it is of great danger when humans encounter polar bears.
Hunting Humans
Clint Emerson discussed in his book about polar bears and their relationship with humans. “Polar bears are always hungry. And unlike black and brown bears, polar bears will actively track and hunt down humans across their arctic terrain,” he said.
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“Their massive height and heft make them formidable opponents…[Polar bears are] capable of disemboweling prey with a single swipe of their claws.” During hikes and camps, people should avoid certain areas because bears consider those areas a hunting ground.
Increasing Numbers of Bear Population And Encounters
As we all know, there are three types of bears that wander around the United States. It is important to know what to do during a bear encounter. In Yellowstone, from 1872 to 2016, there have only been eight bear-related casualties. However, encounters are becoming more frequent due to the increasing bear population and conservation efforts.
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“Human-bear interactions have become increasingly frequent, as various regulations and conservation efforts have swelled the bear population across North America. Black bear sightings [are] particularly on the rise,” Clint Emerson explained in his book. Although we can appreciate conservation efforts, it’s important to know how to protect yourself.
People More Likely to Get Injured by Tedious Activities
It is a good thing that bears rarely attack. In the book 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition, the former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson stated “Fortunately, bear attacks are very rare in general. You have a one in 2.1 million chance of being mauled, which means that almost any routine daily activity has a greater chance of killing you.”
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If that given probability does not ease the people’s minds to worry, the Navy SEAL also provided things to do to avoid coming face to face with bears. He definitely has tips to keep you safe from encounters!
Noisy Environment
“Activities such as bow-hunting for elk in the mountains of Montana or backpacking in the Yellowstone range will significantly increase your risk of a lethal attack,” explains Emerson. Stay away from noisy streams, bears tend to hunt through those areas.
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It is in fact relaxing to hike alone but it’s not just fun being on a hike with friends, but it also contributes to an individual’s safety. This is due to the reason that bears tend to attack when you’re in silence, they think that you’ll be a threat and might sneak into their territory.
Food Attracts the Bears
It is the nature of humans to get attracted to food, actually, bears get attracted to food as well. It would be great to put away food in food storage for bears. Emerson pinpoint this thought as a crucial tip to keep the bears away.
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Emerson also did include ways to clean up food while camping, he said “Bears have a formidable sense of smell. So when you’re stopped for the night, follow the common-sense strategies of double-bagging and hanging your food.” He continued to explain, saying “Place food, cookware, and utensils at least 100 feet from your tent, and never set up camp near bear scat or tracks.”
Scented Products and Clothing
When camping, it’s not just the food a person needs to be concerned about, bears are very sensitive to scents and smells. “Store any scented products (toothpaste, soap) with food and cooking supplies. Do not sleep in the same clothing you cooked in, as food scents may remain on [the] fibers,” Emerson added.
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Bear spray is now common for campers. For protection, Emerson highly recommended the bear sprays where it is made of red pepper oil. Correct usage, the bear spray scares off a hostile bear from attacking but won’t harm them.
Scaring Off Bears
“Wave your arms around and make noise. Often this strategy will make bears stop in their tracks and run off. But if the bear charges you, this is the moment to use the bear spray. Dispense the bear spray when the bear is within 40 feet,” Emerson said as he discussed this matter in his books.
Bear With US
Another way to scare off bears is by playing dead. However, there are certain ways you can do to protect yourself. Bears also may test the person during encounters, they do fake attacks. In this instance, Emerson suggested standing still, the bear might leave the person alone and ward off.
Playing Dead
No doubt, bears are wild animals, sometimes they are predictable, sometimes they’re not. Sometimes, they directly attack a person. This may sound ridiculous but the best way to handle this kind of encounter is to lie down and play dead.
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In this kind of situation, when you do play dead, there’s a great probability that bears leave you alone and ward off. Playing dead makes them think that “the job is done” and no more threats for them.
Experts Know More
In Emerson’s book, he mentioned playing dead as an effective way to ward off bears. The book also stated how experts believe and agree about the idea of playing dead as a way to get out of a bear-related encounter.
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Emerson said, “If the bear attacks, most experts agree that this is the moment to lie down and play dead.” “You want to convince the bear that it has done its job and effectively minimized the perceived threat you posed,” he continued. Playing dead is a much better way than running.
Protecting Oneself
In keeping oneself safe, a mere play dead would not assure your safety. There is this specific lying-down position for full protection from possible attacks. “Lay flat on your stomach to protect your organs, crossing your hands behind your neck to guard your arteries,” Emerson stated in his book.
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Another effective tactic is to lay in a position of playing dead. “[You could also] curl into the fetal position, covering the back of your neck with your hands,” Emerson stated. The success rate of the playing dead during encounters is 75%.
What Adrenaline May Cause You
It’s natural for humans to feel an adrenaline rush during bear encounters or any other wild animal encounters. Obviously, a man could not just pounce at the bear and fight it. What choice could a man resort to? It seems like running would be the best option. However, outrunning that wild animal would seem to be impossible, especially since it can sprint at a rate of 30 miles per hour.
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Running would only trigger the predator reflexes of the bears. Obviously, if you’d run then they would chase the life out of you. Instead, Emerson suggested walking backward and to the side, still not losing sight of the bear.
Fighting With Any Weapons
“Never turn your back on a bear, and never try to run…Instead [of running], slowly walk away sideways, keeping an eye on the animal so that you can monitor its movements,” Emerson said. Knowing that bears are wild, if the worst thing happens, the best response would be to fight back.
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If a bear pins you down, Emerson said that there’s nothing you can do but fight back. As he says in the book, “fight back with any available weapons: a knife, sticks, rocks, your fists.” Hopefully, bears ward off upon doing so.
Of Course, There Would be Other Tips in Handling Bear Encounters
Given that the bears have a wild nature, people must be prepared in any circumstances. To know how to protect oneself is very important in this course. Of course not just to protect yourself but to scare them away. In this sense, Emerson believed that one of these methods could be effective.
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“Some say that playing dead is more likely to work with the grizzly bear, claiming that the black bears’ less frequent attacks are more likely to be offensive,” he explained about bear sprays. “But all agree that pepper spray is the single best deterrent. One so effective that it has been used successfully by children under the age of ten,” he continued.