Bully Dem Bears

Don’t actually bully the bears–a match up like that wouldn’t yield very favorable results. However, the subject of this week’s post addresses a very important aspect of backcountry travel: the bear call.

Adrienne and I were chatting about bear safety the other day and I was shocked to learn she never had the chance to belt out a good bear call on her course. As a graduate of NOLS Alaska (holla back, AKW’s!), the bear call, or Benevolent Bear Bullying as I like to think of it, holds a special place in my heart.

First, a little background. A bear call can be any loud noise made by you, the hiker, to warn bears of your presence. Most people employ their vocal chords, although you could use pots, pans, a kazoo, or one of those New Year’s Eve horns. That would be obnoxious, though, so maybe don’t. When hiking in the backcountry, be sure to call out if you see signs of bears such as tracks or scat, if there’s low visibility such as in fog or evening light, or if you are hiking upwind (a bear won’t be able to smell you coming). It’s a polite method of intimidation, hence benevolent bullying, and serves to prevent any surprise confrontations.

You can make just about anything into a bear call, but here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling.

– Yell out ugly items of clothing from your childhood. Just imagine the satisfaction of hearing “PINK SEQUIN LEGGINGS!” or “DAFFY DUCK SWEATSUIT!” reverberate in the wilderness around you.

– Sing the Bare Necessities as loud as you possibly can. It’s a tribute to bear wisdom.

– Mournfully call out “HEY-OH,” and draw out the “oh.” Think fog horn style.

– Yell good party themes, like “Fancy Pants!” “Space Jungle!” or “Politically Correct Cowboys and Indians!”

Hopefully this has enlightened a few more people about the pleasures of bear calling. Have fun, be safe, and let us know if you come up with any other great calls.