National parks in Alaska created a safety sticker to share steps for avoiding an unwelcome encounter with a bear. 
 
 Avoiding an Encounter 
 
 Following viewing etiquette is the first step to avoiding an encounter with a bear that could escalate into an attack. Keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things you can do. Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special effort to be noticeable if you are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes. 
 
 Bear Encounters 
 
 Once a bear has noticed you and is paying attention to you, additional strategies can help prevent the situation from escalating. 
 
 Identify yourself by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. 
 
 by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. Stay calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by wooﬁng, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws, and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. 
 
 and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by wooﬁng, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws, and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. Pick up small children immediately. 
 
 immediately. Hike and travel in groups . Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears. 
 
 . Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example, move to higher ground). 
 
 (for example, move to higher ground). Do NOT allow the bear access to your food. Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others. 
 
 Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others. Do NOT drop your pack as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food. 
 
 as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food. If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways ; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears. Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase ﬂeeing animals. Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees. 
 
 ; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears. Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase ﬂeeing animals. Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees. Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route. 
 
 the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route. Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub, and never attempt to approach them. The chances of an attack escalate greatly if she perceives you as a danger to her cubs. 
 
 Bear Attacks 
 
 Bear attacks are rare; most bears are only interested in protecting food, cubs, or their space. However, being mentally prepared can help you have the most effective reaction. Every situation is different, but below are guidelines on how brown bear attacks can differ from black bear attacks. Help protect others by reporting all bear incidents to a park ranger immediately. Above all, keep your distance from bears! 
 
 Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD . Lay ﬂat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face. 
 
 If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and . Lay ﬂat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face. Black Bears: If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to ﬁght back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear's face and muzzle. 
 
 If any bear attacks you in your tent, or stalks you and then attacks, do NOT play dead—ﬁght back! This kind of attack is very rare, but can be serious because it often means the bear is looking for food and sees you as prey. 
 
 Bear Pepper Spray 
 
 Bear pepper spray can be an important thing to carry when exploring the back country. It is used defensively to stop an aggressive, charging, or attacking bear. Although it’s used in the same manner you would use mace on an attacking person, bear pepper spray and human pepper spray are not the same. Make sure you select an EPA approved product that is specifically designed to stop aggressive bears. It is not a repellent so do not apply to your body or equipment. Check with your national park to see if bear pepper spray is recommended or allowed for the activities you have planned. Learn more about selecting and using bear pepper spray in this introductory video or by visiting the Using Spray to Deter an Aggressive Bear page on Yellowstone's website. ||||| Sonny Pumphrey was in his driveway in the White Oak community Tuesday afternoon when he says a mother bear and her two cubs showed up. He says the cubs ran off but the mother bear reared up and attacked him. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff) 
 
 A Haywood County man says he battled a bear outside his home and he has the scrapes and bruises to prove it. 
 
 Sonny Pumphrey was in his driveway in the White Oak community Tuesday afternoon when he says a mother bear and her two cubs showed up. He says the cubs ran off but the mother bear reared up and attacked him. 
 
 “She made a charging dead run at me. That sucker was eyeball-to-eyeball to me,” he said. 
 
 Pumphrey says he punched the bear in the nose, but then she dropped down and bit his hip. 
 
 “She kind of shook me a little bit, and I'm still ... I'm hitting her steady on the top of the head just as hard as I could swing, man, for dear life,” he said. “I just continue pounding and pounding and pounding and she’s continuing trying to bite me. And like I said, she got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me. And when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete.” 
 
 
 
 Sonny's wife Betty heard the screams and rushed to his aid along with their little Yorkie, stunned at the sight of a large black bear in their driveway. 
 
 “I saw her stand up and rear her paw back and all I seen was a mouthful of teeth,” she said. “And I just knew he was going to be gone.” 
 
 
 
 The commotion scared the bear off and Betty called 911. 
 
 Pumphrey is OK, but must endure a series of rabies shots after the attack. 
 
 It was an unexpected and unusual attack. The Pumphreys know it could have been worse. 
 
 “We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky,” Betty said. 
 
 “I could have been dead. I could have been really cut up bad,” Sonny added. 
 
 Wildlife officers tracked the bear but were unable to locate it. They say without too much food up high, bears are coming down to lower elevations. 
 
 The Pumphreys advise people to be aware when they're outside. ||||| 
 
 CTVNews.ca Staff 
 
 
 
 
 
 A North Carolina man has survived a black bear attack outside his home by punching the animal in the nose. 
 
 Sonny Pumphrey had a lucky escape on Tuesday afternoon when he went out to his driveway and discovered three bears in his yard. 
 
 It appeared to be a mother and two cubs. But while the cubs ran off, the mom remained. 
 
 "She made a charging, dead run at me,” Pumphrey told local television station WLOS. 
 
 “That sucker was eyeball to eyeball to me." 
 
 Stunned, Pumphrey reacted with reflex and started punching. 
 
 “I hit her right dead on the point of the nose the first shot and when I did, she went down and started trying to bite me right here,” he said. 
 
 “I just continue pounding and pounding and pounding and she's continuing trying to bite me. She got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me and when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete." 
 
 Pumphrey’s wife Betty was inside their North Carolina home about to start dinner when she heard the commotion. 
 
 Going to the front door with their Yorkshire Terrier, Betty was shocked to see a bear attacking her husband. 
 
 "I seen her stand up and rared her paw back and all I seen was a mouthful of teeth,” she said. 
 
 “I knew he was going to be gone." 
 
 The dog started barking and with Pumphrey and Betty screaming, the bear ran off. 
 
 Afraid it may return, Betty got a gun from the house and fired into the woods. 
 
 Pumphrey suffered a bite to his hip and bruises. 
 
 “We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky," Betty said. 
 
 Pumphrey will have a series of rabies shots in the coming weeks, but admits he’s lucky to be alive. 
 
 “I could have been dead. I could have been really cut up bad," he said. 
 
 With files from WLOS
– When it is impossible to escape from an attacking black bear, the National Park Service advises hitting the animal in the face—and it was a strategy that may have saved the life of North Carolina man Sonny Pumphrey. The 78-year-old says he was in his driveway when a mother bear and two cubs showed up, CTV reports. He says the cubs ran off, but the mother reared up and then charged him. "She made a charging dead run at me. That sucker was eyeball-to-eyeball to me," the Haywood County man tells WLOS. He says he "hit her right dead on the point of the nose the first shot," but when he did, the bear dropped down and started trying to bite him on the hip. Pumphrey says he kept hitting the bear and she kept trying to bite him. "She got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me," he says. "And when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete." The bear ran off when Pumphrey's wife, Betty, and their Yorkshire terrier heard the noise and came outside to investigate. Pumphrey survived without serious injury, though he received a bite to the hip and will need to have rabies shots. "We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky," Betty Pumphrey says. (This woman was attacked by a bear less than a week after starting her "dream job.")