How to encounter a black bear safely?

Question

On Friday the last day of camp in the Adirondacks me (i dont want to say names not to get in trouble)a friend from his uncles cabin a good friend of ours from another cabin and two good friends of ours her and her daughter decided to go on a bear hunt so we went down to this lean-to at 11:00 and the one who was leading the expedition was the one with her daughter.It was me the two of them and the other two i was talking about earlier. The one who was leading she brang hot dogs and baked beans and mixed them and we put them in the fire pit 5 feet away from the lean-to we decided to check at a place right next to there they were cooking prime rib fish etc. so we checked up there so the one from his uncles cabin goes 20 feet away from the dumpster and a black bear popped out we were suprised we waited a while and we got spotted by a worker who lived next to the dumpster with others and we had fun while waiting so then we went down and sat in the lean-to and waited for 45 minutes and we talked quietly and couldent help but laugh but we came up with nothing we went with the woman and her daughter to breakfast at a cafe and she said about 3 am she went back down and saw a bear but no pictures then about an hour later we went around for a while ate something and went home. What should we do i have a bright led flashlight our other good friend has a huge 100,000,000 candle watt beam flashlight which lights up for like 50 feet away and our other good friend has a plain flashlight we put chairs in front of us at the lean to and we sat near each other and the nephew of the man whos 15 said he will run if he sees a bear and theres a 7 foot gate thats small width wise and he said he will climb it if the bear sees him i sat towards the back of the lean to we sat near each other in case a bear attacks to try to fend of the bear if it attacks theres one about 300-400 pounds and occasinaly by itself a 100 pound little one so what should we do if when we see one down there when its dark we put a line of chairs in front of us and only put the lights on if we need them give me tips like should we talk quietly and not move its dark in the lean to (of course but thats why we put the chairs in front of us so the bear wont see us and if it does it will have trouble getting in) the lean to is about 12-14 feet wide and 9 feet long to the back to the opening so tell me what we should do if it spots us like that i suggested staying in the back where the bear cant see us but we sit 4 feet from the chairs tell me what to do please

Answer 1

Check if the bear is dead. If it is, you can encouner it safely.

Answer 2

Gah!  Giant Wall of Text!!

Not reading that, but the safest way to encounter a black bear is through plexiglass at a zoo.

Answer 3

Have you ever hear of punctuation?

Stay away from bears  PERIOD !

Answer 4

Go to the zoo and quit putting yourself in harm's way. A wild bear will eat you.

Answer 5

I can't really tell from your post what advice you're after, but by writing that you "went on a bear hunt" and want to know "how to encounter a bear safely", it seems that  you're looking for an encounter with a bear: Don't.

I've spent many years hiking and camping in the Adirondacks high peaks region and have had several chance encounters with bears.  Bears are opportunists, and will prowl around campgrounds looking for a free meal.  They also tend to practice a "live and let live" way of life.  If you are very careful about how you keep and prepare food, and don't sleep with food in your tent, or in clothes that smell like food, you have nothing to fear.  But you should know all of this already: The state is very good about posting bear warning signs and educating the public about camping in bear-prone areas.

For others on this board who might be considering a visit to the Adirondack Park, you should understand that the NYDEC spends considerable time and effort to make sure that aggressive bears are dealt with before they present danger for hikers or campers.

You my friend, are making yourself part of the problem.  If you have a chance encounter with a bear, either on the trail or in a campground, that's one thing, but by seeking to "hunt" bears for pictures or deliberately draw them in with food, you are creating a danger for yourself and others, including the local NYDEC ranger and any hikers or campers in the area.

Answer 6

Your question is way, way too long.  Few people will have the patience to weed through all that peripheral information.  Much too wordy.

When you camp out you MUST put all food away after eating.  Best way to do this is to put it in a "sealed" container and hang this by a rope way, way up in the air over a tree branch.  

Bears, any Bears, no matter how friendly they seem, WILL kill you.  They are extremely unpredictable.  Bears are considered to be the most dangerous animals in the zoo, because they ARE unpredictable and extremely strong.

Do NOT take any chances, and ALWAYS tell someone EXACTLY where and when you're going to be when away.

Answer 7

I'm a cave man and feel absolutely safe encountering any animal as long as I have a hefty club in my hand. Without my club I feel naked and want to climb a tree. But with a club, I feel like King Kong, Terror of the Jungle.

Answer 8

The bear doesn't need to see you it can smell you from farther away than you can see him. He can also see in the dark as well as you see in the middle of the day.

Bears are totally unpredictable.  If the bear is hungry there is not much that will keep him away from what he thinks is food.  That includes woman's makeup(its fat based) and the smell of what you just had for dinner that is still on your breath.  I know of a camper who woke up to a bear straddling the camper while l*****g the camper lips for whatever he ate last. Sometimes its just salt.

If you find a bear with cubs, she will attack anything she thinks endangers her cubs.  It may not be what you think endangers her cubs.  One swipe with her paw and you are missing your head.

If you want to see the bears in the wild, contact someone who has experience with bears and can help you see the bears safely.  This usually means behind the window of a vehicle or from inside a cabin.

I have had hundreds of contacts with bears in campgrounds and in the wilderness.  I know not to look for trouble and know when to leave the area.  Tempting fate or luck is not a good practice with bears.

Answer 9

Approach it slowly and cautiously but try to make some noise.