Bear and man spook each other

[markodochartaigh]

1. People see a brown colored bear

and assume it's a grizzly. This is a good example of a brown colored black bear. There is no shoulder hump and the ears are longer in black bears.

But it's not necessary to get close to bears to know which kind is about. Of course the first rule of being around bears is not to surprise them and provoke a defensive response. It is a good idea to wear small bells on your clothing, also keep bear spray handy.

And to know if the bears in the area are black bears or grizzly bears look for bear poop. Black bear poop has bits of rabbit fur and berries in it. Grizzly bear poop smells like pepper spray and has little bells in it.