Don't run screaming and yelling from a bear?

[Liberal_in_LA]

Couple fleeing possibly triggered grizzly mauling


A fatal bear mauling in Yellowstone National Park was possibly triggered by the California victim and his wife screaming and yelling as they ran from an approaching grizzly mother with cubs, according to investigators.

New details in the July 6 mauling emerged Tuesday as authorities released 911 recordings and documents related to the attack on 57-year-old Brian Matayoshi and his wife, Marylyn.

Hikers who reported the attack can be heard on the 911 recording saying they heard screaming and animal noises from the direction of the encounter. A short time later, a lone female voice was heard calling for help.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, park officials said the Matayoshis responded correctly when they encountered the bear along the park's popular Wapiti Lake Trailhead. But following a two-month investigation, bear researchers and wildlife agents concluded the couple's harried, 173-yard retreat after they encountered the bear may have played a role.

"What possibly began as an attempt by the bear to assess the Matayoshis' activities became a sustained pursuit of them as they fled running and yelling on the trail," the investigation team report said.

The couple was not carrying bear spray, mace-like canisters of pressurized pepper spray that park officials advise hikers to carry for self-defense.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/09/20/national/a111953D10.DTL#ixzz1YWosbtX3

[Blue_In_AK]

1. In Alaska we are taught that it's okay to scream and yell

at a black bear, but if a grizzly comes after you, you should roll up in a ball, protect your head as best you can and play dead.

[hunter]

2. I wonder if rolling onto your back and exposing your belly like a submissive dog would work?

I don't think most grizzlies are out to make a meal of people.

No, no, I do not want to do this experiment, but maybe if you clearly let momma grizzly know you are not a threat, she might leave you alone.

[roguevalley]

3. Blue is right about black bears. They will hunt you. Scaring up a

griz is different unless they are old and can't hunt thus they are hungry or just pissed. Most of the time they will bat you around if you play dead. Running is a sure way to die.

[ljm2002]

4. No.

The whole point of rolling up in a ball is to protect vital organs. Bears are not dogs, dogs will back off when fighting if the other one goes all submissive. Bears, not so much. Roll up in fetal position and stay quiet and hope they'll lose interest, but if not, you still may survive by doing this. There have been cases, I remember a preacher up in Montana who got mauled but survived by using this technique.

As far as grizzlies being out to make meals of people, they won't go out of their way to do so. But they've always been known as an aggressive species of bear, hence the name.

[Booster]

5. Nah, she'd get suspicious when she smelled what was in your

pants. Them bears are smart.