You Nothing will guarantee your safety in bear country, but knowledge of bears and proper behavior greatly reduce your risk. For years people have believed that the one thing predictable about bear behavior is that it s unpredictable. But Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists disagree.
Bears have reasons for doing things.
He has 18 years experience studying bear and human encounters. Hechtel s job has placed him in potentially dangerous situations numerous times, but he doesn t tell gruesome stories of being attacked, mauled, swatted or stomped. Because of his understanding of bear behavior, Hechtel is able to use simple, respectful tactics and avoid dangerous encounters. People who have many years experience dealing with bears often have few, if any, life-threatening encounters to report. One example is Sandy Jamieson, an Alaskan bear guide for 30 years.