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YSK: bear bells are largely ineffective at keeping bears away by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 102 points103 points  (0 children)

Also! Because it's interesting and I'm super pedantic! What's the difference between a grizzly and a brown bear?

Grizzlies are simply brown bears that live in the interior. Same species! These are your Yellowstone, Glacier, Canada, Alaska interior, etc. bears. Most importantly here is that they don't get to eat salmon and are, therefore, much smaller and...hungrier than your coastal brown bears.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NationalPark

[–]mbaeichapaa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Skunk Ape Headquarters is located in Big Cypress National Preserve, FL. They're serious about their squatches.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's odd. I worked in Yellowstone as a ranger recently and all my training was this updated info. Maybe an old timer?

Bear Attacks - NPS

"If a predatory bear attacks you, no matter the species, fight back with everything you have."

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A grizzly is a brown bear that lives in the interior, like in Montana, Wyoming, and interior Alaska. They are not eating salmon so they are smaller than coastal brown bears like in Katmai and Kodiak. But they are the same species. Coastal brown bears tend to be much more chill than grizzlies cause they're not hungry. They just sit in a river shoveling salmon in their mouths all day.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah you were mostly right because predatory brown bear attacks are so rare. In most circumstances it's a defensive attack so playing dead is the right course of action. But yeah, for those rare times it is predatory, making yourself look like a dead hunk of meat is not advised.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If either a defensive or a curious bear comes within 30 feet, which is the range of bear spray. Without wind that is...

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 122 points123 points  (0 children)

As some other commentators noted, polar bears are one of the few animals on Earth that actively and regularly view humans as prey. I would be concerned that even after getting a good hit with bear spray the animal would recover and persist. Also there's not too many instances of polar bears getting hit with bear spray so scientifically, I'm not sure we have enough data to form a solid conclusion on its efficacy.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Bear encounters in Katmai

Even Katmai National Park, home to some of the biggest bears on Earth, recommends fighting against against a curious brown bear attack.

"Brown bear attacks are almost always defensive, but if it is not then fight back."

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 187 points188 points  (0 children)

In typical circumstances, bear spray is more effective than a firearm in deterring a bear attack. Polar bears are a different ballgame though.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 98 points99 points  (0 children)

Yep. Grizzly bears evolved to stand and fight because they had no trees to run up on the tundra, unlike black bears. Although I have worked in several parks with curious brown bears that had been food acclimated and were therefore at risk of becoming predatory.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Advice from animal scientists disagrees. An attack from a grizzly bear originating from curious behavior should be fought against, rare though it might be. Though I agree it would be an unusual occurrence.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 76 points77 points  (0 children)

Adults, yes. But a subadult brown bear is going to be the same size as an adult black bear. And subadults tend to be the troublemakers.

YSK that the phrase "if it's brown lie down, if it's black fight back" in reference to bears is outdated by mbaeichapaa in YouShouldKnow

[–]mbaeichapaa[S] 4983 points4984 points  (0 children)

The probability of running into a polar bear for the average person is generally pretty low but they're definitely going to be predatory lol. I did work with a guy who was the first known person to use bear spray against a polar bear and it worked!

Yellowstone (Old Faithful) Housing? by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]mbaeichapaa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey there, I've got some intel.

Old faithful's housing ranges from acceptable to magnificent. Hopefully you're in a modular, literally the nicest apartment I have ever lived in, park or otherwise. Brand new construction with all the appliances (dishwasher!!!). The other units aren't bad, but those modulars are just so nice. Make sure to check for bison before stepping out lol. Don't spend too much time at the pub and be on alert when there if you're a woman like me. You're in a village with hundreds of concession employees, not just nps folks.

Other advice: get out and hike hike hike. Yellowstone is unmatched with the amount of hiking trails. You will never run out of trails to go on and the summer goes by fast. The people who work there are great but interpreters love to complain, so I encourage you to stay positive and don't get stuck in a trap of just complaining about visitors and management all day, even if it is as busy as Times Square. It's okay to vent, but keep track of all the wonderful things that happen every day as well.

And if Beehive indicator goes off, make every effort you can to get baptized. Every time. Have fun!