But the deer are adept at hiding themselves in brush, so hikers must be very patient and vigilant to catch a glimpse. This hawk's binocular vision allows it to find mice, rabbits, and ground squirrels to eat. These hawks have been known to attack rattlesnakes when other prey is not available. Though they are called black bears, they are often cinnamon brown in the Sierra. They are omnivores, eating vegetation, honey bees, fish, small mammals, birds, and, unfortunately for campers, anything remotely smelling like food in ice chests, garbage cans, and cars.
Visitors can easily scare off bears by banging pots and pans, yelling, or blowing whistles.
They are not usually dangerous or aggressive, though there is always a danger when a mother bear and her cubs are in the area. The mother bear could misinterpret any movement as a threat to her cubs and defend them. This is a very rare situation and injuries from bears or bear attacks are uncommon in the Sierra. The Hoover's many backcountry locations are an advantage, because black bears in the backcountry do not have as many opportunities to raid camps as those in busy places such as Yosemite National Park to the west. They simply do not learn to become as bold as bears in busier places.