A friend's son recently worked as a park ranger in Yosemite, and he was equipped with bear spray. I have also heard it's good to carry some kind of noise-maker so bears can hear you coming and avoid you.

We had bear spray when we camped in Yellowstone a couple of summers ago. You can’t take it carry on so if you are flying it needs to go in your checked baggage. I did not choose ours as a friend said she would provide it (I was the camp cook).

Plenty of reports and youtube videos with encounter stories. If I was in a remote area, I would want to carry bear spray and a firearm. Do they have mountain lions in that area too?

You might not be able to pack your bear deterrent for flying, so make sure you know where you can buy at your destination.

On hikes I've been stalked by groups of coyote and believe me, you feel real fear when you are alone and have nothing to defend yourself with.

You can take a limited amount properly secured in checked baggage.

I would consult with NFS personnel from the particular area. Bears across the continent have really different behaviors. Yellowstone back country? Bear spray no question. Sequoia? Be sure to hide your kid's car seat to save your car, but don't expect to be eaten.

I mean, yeah, carry bear spray, but knowing if bears in the area have a history of being aggressive will allow you to relax. That is, if it's safe to relax there. :P

Thanks for the input, which makes me feel so much less like a wimp for asking about this. We are driving, so no issues with what we carry. DH didn't seem too keen on the idea of carrying bear spray, but I think I'll get some anyway. I am not onboard with the idea of DH carrying his firearm, and we have not discussed it -- although I will admit that certain scenarios crop up in my mind and I start to re-think that. (I told you -- too many scary movies. Don't get me started on video clips!) And yes, I think there may very well be mountain lions in the area as well.

Last year while hiking in NM, we encountered a little fox sitting still as a statue on the trail a short distance in front of us. He sat straight and tall, and we stopped and just marveled at him. Then he stood up in a very dignified manner and briskly but calmly walked away. Of course, I don't imagine a fox ripping our throats out either, so that's why I enjoyed that brief wild encounter. ;-)

DH did say that he would just forego brushing his teeth before we went out on the trail in the mornings, and he'd chase away any wild thing intent on doing us harm with his "bear-killin' breath." Um, I don't think so, dude.

Pack an extra toothbrush.:)

Park rangers in bad-bear areas will assure you that bear spray is way more effective than unloading a firearm into (or around--how good is your aim when being charged by a grizzly?) a bear. And bear spray is also going to be plenty effective against other nasties, including humans.

We run and hike in the trails all the time and at this time of year there are more bear sightings. They are filling up on human garbage and the last of the berries and then heading up for hibernation. My son saw one on Saturday while hiking and they just waited for him to move. We don't carry bear spray but we do carry a whistle.

A whistle is a two-fer. It will scare the bear (hopefully) but it will also act as a warning for other hikers in the area. You know what we say about bear bells around here - it's a dinner bell for the bears letting them know that dinner is in the area. :)

I have no idea what type of bears are in the area in which you are hiking but you might want to research that because how you react to them will differ depending on the type.

Yes to bear spray. We have it on every hike we do if there is a possibility of bears or moose (who can also do real damage) even in our own woods.

We have had several up-too-close-for-comfort encounters with bears hiking in the North Cascades. We have bear bells on our packs, but if we've seen one we sing.

DH usually sings, "Eat her, not me."

ETA after reading blfenton's post above: We have also been told that for bear bells. A whistle is a good idea. Bells would also warn moose that there are humans close by.

We carry bear spray when hiking. It hangs off of DH's bag so that we anyone can access it without digging. Next time we go, we need to make sure that all of the kids know how to use it, just in case. I'm not sure what the current state of the bears are right now. We had a very dry May and June. July and August were nice and wet but I don't know if it has been enough to produce the food they need. I think bear spray definitely falls into the category of it is better to have and not need than need and not have.

What's that old joke about how to identify bear poop? It's full of bells or something...

There was a recent news article about a little boy attacked by a bear (Yellowstone) who was saved by his parents spraying the bear with repellent. So YES, you'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/bear-attack-injures-10-year-old-boy-in-yellowstone-park/2018/08/23/a340bfde-a732-11e8-ad6f-080770dcddc2_story.html?utm_term=.9f7447518a5e

I think I've posted this before, but my husband was a forester and often worked in remote areas (but hikers would frequent the same areas) and whenever he and his co-worker would come upon a big pile of bear poop on a trail, they'd put a mound of toilet paper on it. They thought they were hilarious!

It's black bears in NM, and I'll read up on their typical behavior. I just read that the U.S. Forest Service recommends that EPA-registered bear spray be carried by hikers in the area where we're going, so that settles that. I also read that if you encounter a bear on the trail, identify yourself as human by talking, singing, basically making human noises, and back away the way you came if possible. If not possible to go back, wait until the bear leaves. (Would you blow a whistle to identify as human?) Also learned that the majority of attacks by both bears and cougars occur when hikers do stupid stuff - like going off-trail and rummaging around in the brush, or trying to feed the animals.

My college sweetheart was killed by a bear in Colorado when he was running (alone) training for a marathon. He came upon a mother bear with cubs, apparently, and he ran—and climbed a tree. Bears, of course, can climb trees.

I was chased by a bear in Sequoia when I was trying to eat a sandwich at our picnic table. I had a sense of something approaching me from behind and saw the bear loping down the hill toward me. My brother was on the other side of the table facing where the bear was coming from and did not even see it before I sensed its presence. I got chased around the picnic table a few times, and then the bear got tired or bored and went to the next picnic table, (I never let the bear have my sandwich). It also has a collar on, indicating that it had done this before. Most people in the campground rattled the lids of their garbage cans or made other types of metallic noise to get the bear to go away. Bears in Yellowstone may be more dangerous.

When going on hikes, I can usually sense when a bear is nearby before it reaches us or vice-versa, and I once turned around on a hike only later to see a mother bear with two cubs behind us. I was very glad I had turned around.

Nice to know about bear spray - I'll get some before I go back to Sequoia or any other bear country. I also will not sleep in tents there anymore.

Ida, every single time we get ready to go on a trip that involves hiking where there are bears, I get the same fears as you. We have been many places where black and grizzly bears are frequently seen, so we do carry bear spray. It’s worth the peace of mind and the investment. At Glacier this summer a can was around $50. We also carry if we aren’t flying and I can tell you DH would not hesitate to use it if his or my life was threatened. The best thing to do is check with the forest service or rangers for any recent bear sightings. We generally avoid those trails if recent sightings have occurred unless they are heavily trafficked and we can feel safe.

I have read a lot about bear behavior, especially since black bears are beginning to migrate into our neck of the woods. Generally they don’t attack unless they feel threatened or think a human is threatening their young. But there is always a chance of a rogue attack. Fall is not a mating season, so in general, it is a ‘safer’ time for hiking as the bears and other wildlife are not as aggressive. Same for elk and moose, although moose are pea-brained and can do some really unexpected things.

Omg, kkay that is terrible. Running from a bear or other predator incites their instinct that you are prey. Bears can run about 30 mph, so humans can't unrun one.

Kkay, I am so sorry. That’s horrible.

Yes! Carry bear spray.

Black Bears are particularly active right now in my state. My late husband used to hike the Appalachian Trail. They're not usually aggressive, but are opportunistic when it comes to picnics..

Yes. Bear spray.

Yes. Make lots of noise if you see one.

Yes. Make yourself appear big (raise your arms, etc.) Don't play dead.

Yes. Don't get between a mama bear and her cubs.

Yes. Bear bells (humor and all) and a whistle to warn others, and to summon help.

I'd give up my sandwich to save myself, but I know that just encourages more of the behavior...but, compared to being mauled...

Yes, running is not good. It has been said that one is meant to roll into a ball and play dead. Popular belief is that a bear made that suggestion.

This story would certainly have ended differently if one of these guys had been carrying bear spray, at a minimum.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/05/21/something-was-wrong-with-this-cougar-animal-that-killed-biker-injured-another-was-emaciated/?utm_term=.3c72a94aa569

Three of us were running in the trails a few years ago and came around a curve to see a bear lumbering down the path come towards us. Two of us turned and ran back while the third one yelled out that we're not supposed to run away. Yea, well, we were ahead of her, that's all that we cared about. Actually we then just slowed down and facing the bear slowly backed away until we went back around the curve and then just moved quickly away.

I did come across a baby bear while running on my street one morning and knowing that mama bear probably wasn't too far away I slowed down and then slowly backed away while always looking around me. In both cases I wouldn't have used bear spray as they weren't being aggressive. I'm not sure that I would be calm and collected enough to use it properly without panicking and that is the key in this type of situation.

Thanks to you all for the very helpful insights. I did order a canister of bear spray yesterday, and read up on how to use it - as well as other precautions to take while hiking in bear country. Definitely wouldn't use the spray on a non-aggressive bear if we just happen to come upon one - but will feel a little better about being armed with it on the miniscule chance that we encounter an attacking animal.

I spoke with my backcountry-savvy brother yesterday, who said the most afraid he's ever been while hiking was on a trail somewhere outside of Colorado Springs. He was in a rocky ravine and spotted a mountain lion on the ridge above, following along. The cat continued to track him for some time, and eventually ran up a tree and watched him from that point for some time before finally coming down and wandering off. I believe he said something along the lines of desperately needing a change of underpants after that encounter!

I think I'll also order a couple of very loud whistles to carry with us. I can think of a couple of different scenarios where one would want to make a lot of noise and call attention to themselves and their location.

We have cougar sightings where we live as well. I've never seen one but we are usually running as a group of 4 or 5 and what we were told by the ranger is that if there are cougar warnings is to run as a bunched up group rather that being strung out in a line. It makes for a larger target for the cats and they may stalk but aren't likely to pounce.

I wish you a fun and uneventful hike. Although I hope you do see some wildlife such as deer.

I meant to say something about the whistles too. They are a very good idea. You can get ‘rescue whistles’, which are very small and very loud, at a lot of outdoor stores. Most come on a ring or small carabiner you can attach to the outside of a backpack. I have a couple and occasionally even use them on a solo run.

I would never run or jog in a forest, especially one known to have bears and/or cougars. I've only seen one cougar, and it was running away from me up a hill, and so it was no threat. It also looked like it was fairly young.

I am extremely attentive to all sounds when in a forest, but I was once surprised by a marmot in Kings Canyon National Park while I was sitting on some rocks beside a waterfall having lunch again. That time I threw my sandwich in the air and screamed to my friends, "Run for your lives!" They all scrambled off the rocks so fast that they thought they were already dead. We were part of a large hiking group, and later that afternoon, someone asked me, "Did you hear about the person who was attacked by a wild animal and had to be rescued by helicopter?" Evidently, the story of my adventure got a bit exaggerated by members of my group. Marmots are not that dangerous, but this one came up so close behind me before I was able to see it, and so it seemed much larger than it really was.