Frequently Asked Questions

Although classified in the order Carnivora, grizzly and black bears are omnivores because they eat both plants and animals. Only a small percentage of their diet consists of meat, which includes fish, insects and other mammals—depending on their habitat. Read more about their diets here. 

Unfortunately, when people leave out garbage, pet food, bird seed, and other attractants, bears will eat these too.

There are some distinguishing characteristics to look for to tell these two bears apart, such as the shoulder hump on the grizzly as well as the "dished" (flatter) face. Their ears are different as well, and of course their paws/tracks are different. Notably, color is not a good way to tell the difference between black and grizzly bears. Click here to learn more.

Knowledge about bears and their behavior, and vigilant awareness of your surroundings, are your best defense in bear country. Every situation is dynamic and your reaction depends on a variety of factors including your distance from the bear, the type of encounter, whether the bear is behaving in a defensive or offensive manner, and whether cubs or a valuable food source are involved, among other considerations.

It is best to first avoid an encounter by being aware of your surroundings: avoid recreating at dusk and dawn and in low-visibility areas (like thick brush), make noise, and be in a group. Then, know what to do in an encounter before it happens: practice drawing and using bear spray (by using inert practice cans). Click here to learn more.

Always carry bear spray in bear country and especially in remote areas of grizzly country. Read the bear spray label, make sure it is not expired, have it easily and quickly accessible, and know how to use it. Get an inert can and practice using it before you venture out into bear country.

Studies show that bear spray is more effective in a bear encounter than guns. If there are other people around, guns can pose risks to them. Guns and bullet trajectories are harder to control than properly used bear spray. A person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear spray is used (Dr. Stephen Herrero). Those injured defending themselves with bear spray experienced shorter attacks and less severe injuries than those who chose to use firearms (US Fish and Wildlife Service).

Learn more about bear spray here.

Carry bear spray, have it easily accessible, and know to use it. Know whether bears frequent the area and what species they are. Recreate in groups, make noise, be vigilant. Avoid dawn and dusk. Know what to do if you do encounter a bear. Here are some more tips.

Always keep a clean camp. Don’t leave any food or scented items out if you are not in camp. Never put/keep food or scented items in your tent. Hang food at least 10 meters high (and at least 2 meters from top and side supports), or store it in a bear-resistant container, or as a last resort, in a hard-shelled vehicle or car trunk. Keep your sleeping area, tent and sleeping bag free of food and odors. In backcountry areas, your sleeping area should be 100 meters from food storage and cooking areas. If a black bear comes into your camp, yell, bang pots and pans and try to scare it away. Remember: black bears can be chased off easier before they obtain food. Learn more here.

The answer to this question depends on your dog’s behavior (including how you manage your dog), and the bear’s personality. Keep your dog on a leash or under strict voice control when walking in areas of known bear activity. A mother bear (especially a grizzly) may chase an unleashed dog to protect her cubs. And the dog will probably run back to you for protection creating a situation that’s hard to control.

If your dog is aggressive toward bears (nips their heels as they’re fleeing the scene), the bear’s response will depend on their level of tolerance and just how annoying the dog is being. It is best to avoid this scenario by keeping your dog under tight control in bear country.

Bears will not intentionally attack dogs in an unprovoked scenario, but if the bear is startled or surprised by a dog, they may swat or bite in self defense. A black bear will often flee or climb a tree when disturbed by dogs. A grizzly may not be as accommodating.

To deter bears from your property, you'll need to remove and manage the things that attract bears: secure your trash and other waste properly, don't leave pet foods on the porch, remove bird feeders in summer, glean or replace fruit trees, etc. Keep your property free of anything that smells like food.

Click here to see what attracts bears and how you can secure other attractants that can’t be removed from your property.

Generally speaking you should not feed birds between November 1st and April 1st. It is best to check with your local wildlife agency to see when bears are active in your area. Regardless of the dates specified above, if a bear is active in your community, you should cease all bird feeding activity. Bears that have access to winter feeders will sometimes remain active, visiting the feeder late into December, and sometimes for the whole winter.

If you’ve had feeders up in winter, be sure to put them away come spring, along with any remaining birdseed. Don’t forget to clean up spilt or spent seed from the ground.

NO! People should not feed bears or make food available through improper garbage storage or other attractants. Generally speaking, doing so can increase the likelihood of property damage, human-bear conflicts, or result in escalating “problem” behavior that leads to the bear getting killed. In many states and provinces, purposeful or inadvertant feeding can result in a fine. Rules vary from province to province and state to state. But, the answer is very clear and it is NO!

These types of programs can be highly effective when organized by those who manage the bears. Don’t try this at home!

Throughout history, humans have always been interested in bears. They occupy many places in our culture—from Native American ceremonies to teddy bears.

Bears have a positive impact on our environment and are needed for healthy ecosystems. Because bears need a variety of habitats to thrive, managing habitat for bears benefits many other species. As a result, bears are a good indicator species of healthy wildlife habitat. If a habitat supports bears, it will support many other creatures. This is why bears are considered an "umbrella" species.

The bears themselves affect the ecosystem in a multitude of ways. As predators, they help control deer and moose populations; as scavengers they help clean up carcasses; in their search for insects, they act as nutrient recyclers; and by eating a variety of fruits, they help distribute and sow fruiting trees and shrubs which are used by other animals.

Bears also hold some secrets that are worthy of study such as the ability of pregnant female bears to shut down their digestive and excretory systems and still deliver and nurse as many as six cubs while hibernating. Bears also have significant economic value in many parts of the country; photographers and wildlife enthusiasts all spend significant sums of money in order to view bears.

Bears enrich our lives in many ways and provide many useful functions. Perhaps the most important function is the knowledge that if you live in an area that can support a healthy bear population, that area is also healthy enough to support you.