Oh no! There’s a bear. Now what?

Fishing for salmon in Alaska will inevitably place you in bear country. How should you act and what should you do if you come into near proximity to a bear.

That depends!

If you’re fishing from a boat on a river or even a lake and you see a bear, that in and of itself should not be cause for alarm. The fact you’re in a boat already has you spatially protected unless you’re right up on shore. If you are a little too close, simply start your engine and gently back the boat out into the river current or away from the lake shore. Chances are the bear will be as surprised as you are and you might find yourself in a good position to take some photos.

Bank or shore fishing is a fish of a different color. Here are some general guidelines on how to act if you are travelling on foot in bear country. First, make noise while you travel. I like to talk out loud, even if I’m by myself, and since my voice carries, bears are alerted to my presence for a good distance around me. Simply knowing a human being is in the vicinity will usually deflect a bear off in another direction. Also, don’t carry highly scented food with you. A BLT sandwich or a shore lunch of freshly caught fish cooked in bacon grease can serve as quite an attractant to a hungry bear.

Second, always travel in groups if at all possible. Two or more people make more noise and, in the event of an encounter, numbers count. Third, and this is my considered opinion, avoid travelling on bear trails with fresh sign, especially along salmon streams during spawning. Stay out in the open as much as practical; bears may be resting or eating their catch in tall grass or thick brush without your knowledge. The bears will be fishing in their efforts to bulk up prior to their winter hibernation, so why go looking for a problem?

If you come across an obvious bear food cache, leave the area the way you came in an orderly but quick manner. Don’t run — that will only potentially trigger a chase and possible attack if the bear spots you.

An encounter with a sow with cubs is a very unpredictable situation. Similar to the cache scenario, if you see a cub, on the ground or up in a tree, stop moving and retreat the way you came in. Be vigilant as you travel through bear country.

What should you do if you, in fact, do come face-to-face with a bear? Stop advancing in the bear’s direction and slowly retreat. Hold your arms up, slowly waving them and talk loudly to the bear. The larger you appear to the bear the better off you are. If everyone in your group acts the same way, shear numbers can be intimidating to a bear with any previous negative experience with humans.

What’s better, firearms or bear spray, for personal protection? I have and carry both. You’ll see a lot of anglers carrying a sidearm like a large-caliber revolver or semi-auto pistol. Some will carry a shotgun loaded with slugs or buckshot and others will carry a rifle in a caliber suitable to dispatch a bear if needed.

The plain truth is that the majority of folks relying on a firearm as bear protection cannot shoot the gun accurately enough under the high stress of a bear charge to stop the bear or even make a fatal hit. Bear spray is a very short-range defensive tool and can be very effective if the user knows how to spray the contents properly. With bear spray, you really need to be conscious of wind direction. As with everything, practice with your chosen defensive tool prior to putting your life on the line using it.

The Fish and Game folks have information available offering tips and techniques for being in bear country. Check their website at: www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.bear or call or stop in at a Fish and Game office and ask to speak with a biologist.

Don’t travel in fear of bears, but maintain a healthy respect for them.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This column is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman or its parent company, Wick Communications. You can leave Delo a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.