Climbing a Tree to Survive a Grizzly Isn’t the Best Idea, Outsiders Say

During the latest in a series of run-ins between hunters and grizzlies, a Montana hunter attempted to climb a tree from a female bear with two large cubs.

It didn’t work.

The man ended up shooting and wounding the bear, which was later finished by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) agents.

Climbing a tree is a natural flight response, until you realize that bears are pretty awesome too.

Climbing a tree to avoid a bear attack may not work, Wyoming Game and Fish Large Carnivore Specialist Dan Thompson told Cowboy State Daily.

“Both species of bears (grizzlies and black bears) can climb trees, black bears actively climb trees as a defense mechanism,” he said. “Grizzly bears can climb trees because they basically do whatever they want.”

Prominent Wyoming outdoorsman Paul Ulrich, who frequents the backcountry, said he doesn’t consider climbing a tree to escape an angry bear a good option.

“The theory that grizzlies can’t climb trees is exactly that – it’s a myth,” he said. They are not as agile as black bears, but they can certainly climb a tree.

“Trying to climb a tree is about as good an idea as walking across a smooth country with a bag full of bacon.”

Still, Ulrich gave the Montana hunter the benefit of the doubt.

“When it gets hot, survival instinct kicks in, and I’m sure that’s what happened in this case,” he said.

Montana Grizzly Rally Goes Bad

A Montana hunter was south of Hidden Lakes in the Gallatin Range on Saturday when he encountered a female grizzly and cubs “at close range,” FWP reported.

“The hunter climbed a tree to avoid the bear, but the bear charged the hunter,” according to the department. “The hunter shot and wounded the bear in the tree. The hunter stayed in the tree while the wounded bear was still nearby.”

The hunter contacted 911 and reported his condition and location. Wildlife officials later arrived by helicopter and euthanized the injured bear.

“FWP staff did not see cubs or tracks from the air or ground. The area was flown several times during the incident. The bear killed was confirmed to be an adult female,” the agency reported.

FWP did not release the name of the hunter, who was not injured. Nor did the agency say whether he shot the bear with a hunting rifle or a sidearm.

To Go Up Or Not?

Thompson said questions about climbing trees to escape bears come up frequently.

He said that there is no chance of a person climbing a bear.

However, in some cases, climbing a tree can provide a good place to protect yourself.

“Although I have not tested it, it is a reasonable assumption that a bear (black bear or grizzly) can outrun a human in a race, but as in all things there are special circumstances in which ‘ climbing a tree can be useful; especially if you had time and you knew you could get off the ground and have bear spray and face it if the bear decided to come after it,” he said.

Such a situation is briefly illustrated in a Bear country safety video produced by Canadian bear experts, which Wyoming Game and Fish uses for its Bear Wise Wyoming program.

Grizzly biologist Frank van Manen also told Cowboy State Daily that climbing a tree from a bear can work, but only under certain conditions.

“Climbing a tree can be a very effective tactic when encountering a grizzly bear but, as usual, there are exceptions,” he said. “The behavior of the bear is another factor as well as the type of tree.

“A tree can get away just fine if the bear isn’t overly aggressive and doesn’t try too hard to get to the person in the tree.”

It’s a different story with a grizzly bear, said van Manen, a conservation biologist with the US Geological Survey’s Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Group.

“With an aggressive, already injured bear, for example, the size of the tree and its shape are more important: being able to quickly climb the tree is important, and the lack of low branches will help reduce the ability of the tree. to encourage the bear to climb up,” he said. “One advantage of using a tree as a means of escape is that one can use bear spray effectively if the bear were to try to climb. “

There is one more thing to be aware of if you are trying to escape from a tree.

He said: “It’s true that one thing you can think about when you run into a tree is that you may have to wait a while before the bear leaves you alone.”

Ulrich said the hunter was lucky to have a gun, “and hopefully he also had bear spray”.

He said he had a gun and bear spray in grizzly country.

Situational awareness is also important, Ulrich added, because whenever possible, it’s best to avoid contact with grizzlies altogether.

Carry Trouble Everywhere

There have been several serious confrontations between grizzlies in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho this year, some of which ended with hunters shooting and killing the bears.

A debate has arisen as to what handguns are best for bear protection.

It has also sparked debate about whether hunters choose guns over bear spray in situations where some think bear spray would have been a better choice.

Archery hunter Landon Clement, who used a 10 mm rifle to shoot and kill the attacking grizzly last month in the upper Green River Basin, he told Cowboy State Daily that he thought bear spray would not have worked in his situation.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.