# How to discourage a bear. (Need answer fast!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533 "2012-07-17T16:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/41 "2012-07-18T11:03:20Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > A golf clap certainly won’t scare a bear! Actually, black bears are pretty timid. The last one I saw in the wild didn’t see/smell me for a few minutes, then I cleared my throat and it took off. A golf clap would likely work as well.😉 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/42 "2012-07-18T12:07:50Z")
I don’t know how to discourage a bear, but I know what cheese will encourage a bear… Camembert. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/43 "2012-07-18T14:40:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > A related question – and this may be good for the OP in case a bear still comes around – is how to escape one. I have heard that one should run downhill, as the bear’s shorter front legs will impede him to some degree. But that may be entirely bogus. Anyone know if this is true? I wouldn’t want to bet my life on that. You’ll run out of gas long before the bear will, and I’ve never seen one have a problem running downhill. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/44 "2012-07-18T15:56:30Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > A related question – and this may be good for the OP in case a bear still comes around – is how to escape one. I have heard that one should run downhill, as the bear’s shorter front legs will impede him to some degree. But that may be entirely bogus. Anyone know if this is true? I’ve heard the problem was that their center of balance is kind of back loaded, which allows them to easily go bipedal if they like. That would make running downhill kind of tricky and may slow them down slightly. But I’ll bet they have more experience running downhill than you do, so even if true, you still get eaten, or maybe run over by a bear rolling down the hill. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/45 "2012-07-18T15:58:15Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > One only cared about the food: he only chewed open cans with meat in them. Then he took a huge dump on the kitchen floor and exited through a new hole in the wall. Are you suggesting the bear read the labels, or was it a case of recognizing the picture on the can? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/46 "2012-07-18T16:06:12Z")
> [@](#): > > How to discourage a bear. Tell him he’s lousy in the sack. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/47 "2012-07-18T16:08:36Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Are you suggesting the bear read the labels, or was it a case of recognizing the picture on the can? This ain’t science, but I’ve heard that there’s a residual odor on cans from the factory and animals tend to pick out what they like that way. Seems unlikely to me since the cans are usually all stuck together in the same cabinet and would share those odors. I think more likely the bear punctured a few cans, and only fully opened and ate the ones he preferred. ETA: Also bears aren’t stupid, he may have recognized the labels from previous raids. Blackjack is smarter than the average bear, but he recognizes the cans of dog food he really likes. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/48 "2012-07-18T18:30:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > This ain’t science, but I’ve heard that there’s a residual odor on cans from the factory and animals tend to pick out what they like that way. Seems unlikely to me since the cans are usually all stuck together in the same cabinet and would share those odors. I think more likely the bear punctured a few cans, and only fully opened and ate the ones he preferred. > > ETA: Also bears aren’t stupid, he may have recognized the labels from previous raids. Blackjack is smarter than the average bear, but he recognizes the cans of dog food he really likes. Bears have a pretty remarkable sense of smell, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they could pick up residual scents that soaked into the paper labels at the factory. Once when I was camping, a bear raided a tent nearby us. The only thing it tried to eat was a cardboard box. Apparently, the box had once held peaches and this was interesting enough that the bear ignored all of the real food just a couple of feet away. (Of course, this bear was noticed and people scared it away before it had time to do a thorough search.) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/49 "2012-07-18T18:58:24Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Make sure the porridge is too hot. This will encourage him to go out for a walk. Then you have to get a little blonde girl to break his chair. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/50 "2012-07-18T19:55:38Z")
> [@Ron Bugundy](#): > > Bear fight! . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/51 "2012-07-18T20:01:10Z")
Here’s a clip of an actual[bear fight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmbAleKTIN4). Warning, it’s pretty grizzly 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/52 "2012-07-19T04:31:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I wouldn’t want to bet my life on that. You’ll run out of gas long before the bear will, and I’ve never seen one have a problem running downhill. > [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve heard the problem was that their center of balance is kind of back loaded, which allows them to easily go bipedal if they like. That would make running downhill kind of tricky and may slow them down slightly. But I’ll bet they have more experience running downhill than you do, so even if true, you still get eaten, or maybe run over by a bear rolling down the hill. Thanks. Guess I’ll just have to shoot the bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/53 "2012-07-19T16:24:32Z")
There is a very good short series right now on _Nature_ on PBS about bears in Alaska. The guy gets up close and personal with browns, blacks and polars throughout the state, including the urban bears in Anchorage. I think you can stream it. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/54 "2012-07-19T16:26:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > There is a very good short series right now on _Nature_ on PBS about bears in Alaska. The guy gets up close and personal with browns, blacks and polars throughout the state, including the urban bears in Anchorage. I think you can stream it. That sounds ominously close to Werner Herzog’s _Grizzly Man_. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/55 "2012-07-19T16:40:39Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > We used to have a problem with rabbits in the garden, so we scattered some mothballs around. Mothballs? What do they smell like? I was never interested enough to hold their tiny legs apart and find out. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/56 "2012-07-19T16:44:00Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That sounds ominously close to Werner Herzog’s _Grizzly Man_. :eek: I think the difference is that the guy from Nature isn’t a complete and total dolt. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/57 "2012-07-19T17:00:12Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I think the difference is that the guy from Nature isn’t a complete and total dolt. Exactly. He does do a bit of gazing soulfully into the distance, but he’s more of a researcher and doesn’t take unnecessary chances. Yet. The next ep is polar bears, and they’re a completely different critter than the well-fed brownies of the coastal areas. The only jarring thing for me, as someone who has traveled pretty much all of the roads in Alaska, is that the locations jump around due to editing. There are some places he’s driving that are completely irrelevant to the voice-over. Otherwise, it’s not bad. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/58 "2012-07-19T18:56:53Z")
Aren’t brown bears just the cutest things? And there is nothing more adorable than baby polar bears. Don’t you just want to hug one? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/59 "2012-07-19T19:11:19Z")
Far Side cartoons keep popping into my head when I read this thread. I want to post some, but the copyright goon squad seems to eliminate every reproduction quality image. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533/60 "2012-07-19T21:22:22Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Aren’t brown bears just the cutest things? And there is nothing more adorable than baby polar bears. Don’t you just want to hug one? Polar bear cubs _are_ adorable. It’s the ultra-predatory, gigantic parents they grow into that give me pause. They’re unafraid of humans (or anything else) and consider them fair prey. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-discourage-a-bear-need-answer-fast/628533.md?page=4)