Bear knowledge shared at Grange

Brent Hudson of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, returned to the Whitepine Grange last week to share his experience with bears. Hudson spoke about his experiences while working as a bear guard in Alaska. Several people showed up to listen to stories about dealing with black and brown bears, as well as the animals’ differences.

Hudson also talked about how to identify a bear’s intentions by their body language. “If a bear is bluffing, his ears will be up and the bear will be making a huffing sound as well as salivating. But if it is the real deal, the bear will have ears pinned back and he will be coming at you,” he said.

He spoke about how the late Timothy Treadwell spent 13 years with the brown bears in the Katmai National Park. Treadwell was a filmmaker and environmentalist who chose

to study the bears' habits and felt safe staying among them. Despite advice from officials and violations from the National Park Service (NPS), in the fall of 2003 Treadwell along with his girlfriend, Amy Huguenard, decided to extend their stay. “The bears were in hyperfacia mode,” Hudson said. “That is when the bears begin to feed vigorously for the winter.” He also stated that Treadwell was good at reading the bears. But Treadwell’s reasoning for delaying their departure was unknown.

On October 5, 2003, Treadwell and Huguenard were both dragged from their tent. A 28-year-old male bear’s stomach was later found with what officials believed to be Treadwell and Huguenard’s clothing and remains, according to the NPS website.

The bear guard’s services and wilderness safety guides in Alaska work as contractors for various companies ranging from pipeline companies to filmmakers, photographers, federal and state agencies to name a few, according to the Kenai Backcountry Adventures website.

Hudson said knowing what to use for self defense is key in scaring the bear off and staying alive. “If a bear can smell you, hear you and/or feel the sting, this chases them away.” He explained what he feels are the correct firearms to use in a life or death situation. A self defense killing of a bear can get you fined, according to Hudson. He said that, “a man in Idaho shot a bear that was coming near his children in the backyard.” Hudson said Fish and Game were understanding but Fish Wildlife and Parks fined the shooter $20,000.

“Grizzly bears also prefer to attack at night, whereas black bears are more apt to attack during the day. Day attacks by grizzlies are usually defensive attacks,” Hudson said.

According to the Alaskan Bear Guard website, the guards protect people from bears and bears from people. Knowing how to handle yourself day or night can prevent encounters.

Hudson also said that bears are “habituated” in areas such as river banks to allow photographers and production companies to safely film bears in the wild. Brown bears are

often filmed while catching fish. Hudson said it is the guard’s job to facilitate a safe environment for this process. Other forms of habituation involve bears and garbage cans. This is not a good situation, Hudson added.

After suffering an attack, while unarmed, by a 10-foot brown bear in Alaska, Hudson retired from the guard business and has made it his mission to educate others about bear

safety. “I only had to kill a bear once,” Hudson stated regarding his 37 years of experience in the Alaskan wilderness.