What to Know About Alaskan Bears
With the end of heli skiing season at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, we are looking towards summertime in Alaska. A lot of tourists travel to Alaska in the hopes of seeing Alaskan bears. It is important to be prepared and knowledgeable about Alaskan bears in case you stumble upon one when you aren’t exactly looking for it.
Alaskan bears
Alaska.org has put together a great page of information on Alaskan bears and how to handle a bear encounter. Below are a couple of key points from Alaska.org:
Where You’ll See Them
Bears travel along to the same paths that people do—trails and the banks of rivers, good for quick fishing stops. Bears might be found walking through brush, through—a big reminder to make noise if you’re in thick brush.
What Bears Want
Your food, your hunting kill, your fish, even your trash. Otherwise, they just want to be left alone. Bears tend to be shy unless they feel threatened. Mama bears get furious if they think you’re too close to their cubs.
Other than their color, you can spot some differences between brown bears and black bears. Brown bears tend to be larger, and have a hump near their shoulders. Black bears, meanwhile, are known for their long, “Roman” noses. Here is a picture of bear scat (as in, poop).
If You See a Bear
- Make calm noises. Talk normally, clap your hands, sing—anything that sounds human. Don’t mimic bear noises.
- Don’t run—bears don’t like sudden movements (plus, they can run faster than you). They can also outpace you when climbing trees or swimming.
- Back away from the bear to stay out of his comfort zone. If you can, walk upwind, too, so the bear catches your human scent.
- Don’t make eye contact—bears consider that aggressive.
Click here to read more bear information on Alaska.org. Also, be sure to check out Alaska.org to learn more about the different animals you may encounter in Alaska.
Be sure to check out Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s Dates & Rate page to start planning your summer vacation to Alaska now.
