[Naturefreak]

If you met a bear in the woods , what would you do ?

[Indie'sOK]

I'd run up and hug the bear and then try to ride it like Brick on "Anchorman"

No, not really.

[Yoda]

Depends on what kind of bear. We only have black bear where I live. I have seen two bear in the wild. The first time I was a teenager and I was about a hundred yards from the bear and I just stopped and watched for a bit then quietly left. I don't think the bear ever saw me.

A few years back my then husband and I were at a shooting range and I was walking downrange to look at my target and I heard a bear growl. I was about twenty-five yards away from the bear that was behind the brush near a creek. I walked back to the shooting stand and we packed up our guns and went home.

I expect I would find it more than unbearable.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

I expect I would find it more than unbearable.

groan...

[VickiesPath]

What color is the bear?

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by VickiesPath

What color is the bear?

Brown.......

[thine_self_untrue]

Prepare to be eaten. Though I am not quite sure how one prepares to be eaten... guess I'll figure it out when and if the need arises.

[novack]

I was once told a nasty story at Boy Scouts about some young boys awakening a hibernating brown bear who then went on a ten day rampage through town eating children and such. Dunno if that's realistic or not though.

Regardless, I think I'd try my hardest to not attract it's attention. Whatever that involves.

[VickiesPath]

Originally Posted by Babysteps

Brown.......

Well, that gives me odds in my favor. If it was black, they are the most dangerous. And if it was white, that would mean I was an idiot for being at the north and/or south pole and deserve to be eaten by a polar bear. But I digress.

I'd walk away slowly, never turning my back. If I was particularly fast, I'd climb the nearest tree very, very quickly. But odds are i'm gonna get killed so I'd probably be praying real hard, first and foremost.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

I would hope very very sincerely that I was at the Bear park that Indie went to for her birthday...I think it was you Indie...I can never be too sure with my memory...so I may also have forgotten that bears are at times dangerous and unwittingly made myself main course

My family likely would bear a grudge.

[Naturefreak]

I think the turn slowly and walk away is the best thing to do according to the vote.

[vjdragonfly]

It would depend on the type of bear . . . if it was a black bear I would make noise, but if it was a grizzly I would curl into a ball and kiss my but good-bye. LOL

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by Rhiannonsmoon

I would hope very very sincerely that I was at the Bear park that Indie went to for her birthday...I think it was you Indie...I can never be too sure with my memory...so I may also have forgotten that bears are at times dangerous and unwittingly made myself main course

Yes it is In Michigan, depending where you are, you can have black bears in your backyard! I've read that black ones aren't the most dangerous - that would be grizzly or brown. In the upper part of the Lower Peninsula there are bears walking through the woods and occasionally come out onto the highway! Ahh I love Michigan (for the scenery, not the economy)

[splitz]

Offer it a bowl of porridge?!!!

[Hippie]

Black bears--according to NY State Dept Environmental Conservation:
1. Do not make eye contact----huh. It's instinctual. They have beady eyes.

2. Make yourself look bigger---hard to do in a porch chair

3. Back away slowly---ditto-hard to do in a porch chair.

4. Do not feed. Put lids on garbage cans. Do not hang out bird feeders.---But what do you do when bear takes the chicken off the hot grill?

[El-ahrairah]

Give it a hug and share my picnic food with it of course

Found this on Yahoo Answers:

Welllllll, I would ask if it would like to buy a TimeShare from me.

HEY!

Would YOU like to buy a TimeShare from me?




Myself, I'd probably ask him if its true if he really wipes his butt with rabbits because the poo doesnt stick to their fur?

Probably get some tea and buiscuits and have a deep chat with it about the life and the universe.
Seriously though, with me being me, i'd probably freeze, and if i managed to unfreeze in time, i would run, probabaly into something, solid.

[lonegael]

Well, black bears tend to attack because they are hungry, so playing dead you be a BAD idea (like saying , bite me! Please!) when I ended up nose to nose with a black bear, I walked quietly away, and it followed me all the way back to camp. After a while it got bored with my sister's screaming and went away. I hear that grizzlies attack mainly for territorial reasons, so playing dead is the better option with them. I hope I never have to find out. HUggs, big strong BEARHUGGGSS to all!

[Shadowghost]

I would simply walk slowly away, keeping the bear in sight at all times. Chances are good that any bear in the wild will know you're there before you know the bear is there, and bears normally avoid humans when they encounter them in the wild. The only time you should worry about seeing a bear is if you happen to surprise the bear, or accidentally come near a female with a cub. But in any case, running is the absolute last thing you want to do in any encounter, as a grizzly bear can run as fast as a horse at full gallop. The best thing to do would be to stay calm, avoid looking the bear in the eyes, and pray for the best!!