# Mountain Biking Bear Hazard



## Cycleops (8 Aug 2019)

A mountain biker in Canada found himself in an altercation with a bear and almost lost but was saved by a penknife;
BBC News - 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49186379


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## Drago (8 Aug 2019)

Fair dinkum, keeping the bike between yourself and the aggressor is a classic defensive tactic. Good think he had a knife and 5 forestry workers in his jacket pocket.


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## fossyant (8 Aug 2019)

It happens - google it. My mate had an encounter when in Canada


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## raleighnut (9 Aug 2019)




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## classic33 (9 Aug 2019)

raleighnut said:


>


Just as well there's non over here.


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## steveindenmark (9 Aug 2019)

I wouldn't have to "think" about cycling away from it. If possible, that must be the first line of defense.


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## Drago (9 Aug 2019)

Same here. I dont know how fast bears can run, but I'd wager it's not as fast as I can ride when I'm sheeting myself!


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## Cycleops (9 Aug 2019)

steveindenmark said:


> I wouldn't have to "think" about cycling away from it. If possible, that must be the first line of defense.


That's what I thought, I would have just got out of there quick.
Put me in mind of that scene in The Revenant;


View: https://youtu.be/GOlVRHsVzE4


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## graham bowers (9 Aug 2019)

Drago said:


> Same here. I dont know how fast bears can run, but I'd wager it's not as fast as I can ride when I'm sheeting myself!



Quite fast, seemingly:

http://www.speedofanimals.com/animals/grizzly_bear


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## steveindenmark (9 Aug 2019)

graham bowers said:


> Quite fast, seemingly:
> 
> http://www.speedofanimals.com/animals/grizzly_bear


But it may not necessarily follow if you ride away.


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## fossyant (9 Aug 2019)

They can out run you on your bike in a straight line.


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## fossyant (9 Aug 2019)

Bit nearer home...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5AN0jRzPMI


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## Profpointy (9 Aug 2019)

fossyant said:


> Bit nearer home...
> 
> 
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5AN0jRzPMI





'kinell ! Mind you I would have cycled on a good bit further before stopping


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## Profpointy (9 Aug 2019)

Isn't the advice to grab some dung and rub it on the bear's nose ?

What if there isn't any dung ?

Don't you worry about that !


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## Drago (9 Aug 2019)

Is it a sprig of garlic or a crucifix for deterring bears?


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## Profpointy (9 Aug 2019)

A friend of a friend had a polar bear sit on his tent - both were geologists doing fieldwork in Greenland. 
He just kept very quiet keeping away from the bear-bum shaped indent into his tent till the bear fortunately wandered off.


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## Drago (9 Aug 2019)

Profpointy said:


> A friend of a friend had a polar bear sit on his tent - both were geologists doing fieldwork in Greenland.
> He just kept very quiet keeping away from the bear-bum shaped indent into his tent till the bear fortunately wandered off.



Good grief. I'd have had a hard time not shooting it under those circumstances!


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## Profpointy (9 Aug 2019)

Drago said:


> Good grief. I'd have had a hard time not shooting it under those circumstances!



I have it on good authority that shooting the bears is considered very bad form and you'd have a lot of explaining to do and / or fines.
And the done thing is first to use a flare pistol - the bang and flare will frighten the bear and maybe singe his fur a little but not kill or seriously injure him.
Shooting it in the arse from inside the tent is more likely to get it very cross indeed !

The chap did tell me another story. Apparently if the bear wanders into your camp the technique is to bang saucepans and make a lot of noise and everyone else is supposed to come out of their own tents and do the same and between you, you can drive them off. Whilst it may all be bluff it does allegedly work - a bit like those Masai lads nicking a kill from the lion pride if you've seen the youtube clip. Anyway a chap did this and the bear started backing off whilst he advanced banging his pans. He turns round looking for everyone else and found he was on his jack jones ! The bear then stopped and started coming back. I don't quite know how it was resolved but no one was eaten and no bears were shot so it worked out somehow


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## Drago (9 Aug 2019)

I'm sure shooting bears is considered bad form, and I wouldnt recommend it as a sporting endeavour. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to carry a large bore rifle for defence against polar bear attack in such areas.

Conversely, having your head bitten off by one (and polar bears can do that, they're that big) is also rather bad form. In any case, you have to be alive to answer to a judge.

Your friend has calmer nerves than me, is all.


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## Profpointy (9 Aug 2019)

Drago said:


> I'm sure shooting bears is considered bad form, and I wouldnt recommend it as a sporting endeavour. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to carry a large bore rifle for defence against polar bear attack in such areas.
> 
> Conversely, having your head bitten off by one (and polar bears can do that, they're that big) is also rather bad form. In any case, you have to be alive to answer to a judge.
> 
> Your friend has calmer nerves than me, is all.



I understand they do have a rifle as well as the flare pistol, but I gather his lot at least have never needed the rifle though have certainly seen bears closer than you'd like


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## fossyant (9 Aug 2019)

Just showed the article to a lad at work that lived out there (a bit further south). He had something similar, flying round a bend and there was a bear in the trail munching vegetation. He stopped abruptly and just stood there in shock. The bear huffed after a few seconds and ambled off. He said he had to sit down for a few minutes to pull himself together.

Despite the bears, he said it was better than the part of Australia he was in due to the risk of very poisonous snakes.

All we have to worry about in the UK is the odd sheep and occasional badgers.


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## Threevok (9 Aug 2019)

We have some very vicious slow worms around these parts


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## ColinJ (9 Aug 2019)

fossyant said:


> All we have to worry about in the UK is the odd sheep and occasional badgers.


And goats... 

I got attacked by a goat once when out for a walk! It reacted rather aggressively to me encroaching on its patch. I tried talking to it to calm it down, *BUTT* it wouldn't listen!


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## Nibor (9 Aug 2019)

fossyant said:


> Just showed the article to a lad at work that lived out there (a bit further south). He had something similar, flying round a bend and there was a bear in the trail munching vegetation. He stopped abruptly and just stood there in shock. The bear huffed after a few seconds and ambled off. He said he had to sit down for a few minutes to pull himself together.
> 
> Despite the bears, he said it was better than the part of Australia he was in due to the risk of very poisonous snakes.
> 
> All we have to worry about in the UK is the odd sheep and occasional badgers.


We have hunted everything dangerous to extinction apart from hoodies and BMW/AUDI drivers.


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