Can bears climb trees? Oh yes they can! There have been all manner of individual persons over the decades who thought bears, as big and heavy as they are, can’t climb trees. And so, when a bear was chasing one of those individual persons, well then that person climbed up into a tree in order to get above the bear, and away from the bear.
Oops. Didn’t work. It has been reported that most people who climb up into a tree in order to get away from an aggressive bear … well, those people end up dead.
Best thing to do? Carry bear spray with you. Either the commercial stuff or, as I do, wolf urine in a spray bottle. Wolf urine doesn’t smell real good (I’ve smelled it!), but besides smelling bad to us humans, it REALLY doesn’t smell good to bears … or to deer, or coyotes, or raccoons, and even to dogs, and even to agressive bull elk (who will run from the smell of wolf urine), or to other predators out there in the woods or on the prairies. The wolf seems to be the top of the food chain … and its urine seems to deter pretty much everyone else on the food chain … including humans. That stuff stinks!
What reminded me of all of this was a video I recently watched. Becca Wood takes and edits and shares hundreds of videos of wildlife from her travels in mostly the western USA, but also worldwide in many countries. She’s amazing. Here is a LINK to her YouTube list of videos.
And here is her video that shows how simple it is for a bear to climb a tree.
When friends visit my travel trailer, either when it’s at my home or when I’m out camping, I sometimes offer them a whiff of my wolf urine. Everyone has declined that experience except one friend of mine. And I’m not sure she has ever recovered. Ok, yes, she’s fine but she sure then understood why other mammals might have a negative reaction to wolf urine.
I’m healthy and strong. But I’d like not to feel the need to climb a tree if there’s a bear in the area. Any time I’m out in the woods by myself, I carry my spray bottle of wolf urine. They say to point it at the bear and spray and SPRAY! But if the bear continues towards you, then spray the wolf urine on yourself! You may smell really bad when you get back to your RV/tent/home … but at least you will get back.
I love wolves. 🙂
Indeed bears climb trees. What a great video. I’ve now watched a few others of hers. Fun stuff about wolf urine, hadn’t heard of it, but if it works who cares how you smell! 🙂
Exactly! 🙂 Thanks Susan.
Wonderful video. I watched a couple others of hers too, will watch more. Interesting about the wolf urine. Do commercial bear sprays have wolf urine in them?
Commercial bear spray does not have wolf urine in it. They are chemical based as far as I know. And, they don’t always work, especially for an injured bear or a mother bear with cubs. And commercial bear spray does not work (so I’m told) on elk or cougar or bison or other mammals. I’m no scientist about all of this Ben, but that’s what I read on the labels of commercial products and what I’m told by people I trust who live and work “out there”. Good question!
Yes to wolf urine! I can’t remember, Ann, but I think either I told you about that or maybe you already knwe about it and I supported that purchase. Wolf urine is carried and used commonly in Montana, it’s very well known to farmers and hunters here. It deters just about anything that might want to eat you! ha! 🙂
Super video, she sure knows her stuff.
Tim, I can’t remember either. But I think either you told me about wolf urine … or maybe I asked here in the blog if anyone knew about it, and you did! Either way, I have you to thank. I bought some and tried it out on a neighbor dog who was peeing on my lawn (I didn’t spray it on the dog, just on the lawn before the dog arrived) … KIII YIIII YIII! That dog ran fast as it could away from my lawn and has never been back. Good test, eh? 🙂
Stink-O! I’ve smelled wolf urine. It works! 🙂 I’ve carried it for years on back country hiking adventures. And I’ve been watching Becca’s videos for years too. She’s super.
I’ve smelled it too, Steve … and I can quote you … “Stink-O!”!!! 🙂
Whoop, I can smell it from here! 🙂
Yes, lovely videos. I’ll be watching more of hers too.
Ok, that’s the wolf urine you smell, and not me ok? I took a shower!! 🙂
Fun stuff.
Not so much of bear country around here, but I do camp in areas that have bear boxes to put your stuff. I suppose that means there are bears there! I never ever have any food in my tent, nor, really, after I read about it, anything with any scent whatsoever. I would not be climbing a tree to get away either…of COURSE bears can climb trees! Mom often puts the little ones up the tree when she thinks there’s danger. One of the down sides of camping in a tent is thinking about bears.
Oh yeah, if there are bear boxes then there are bear. But you knew that, Dawn, you were just pulling my leg. Wow, I never thought about the folks who are in tents (some with kids) in the campgrounds where I’ve camped where there are bear boxes, especially in spring when moms are out with their new-born cubs. I’ll pay more attention in the future. If someone needs help, they sure would be welcome to temporarily spend time inside my trailer (or my big white truck).
You stay safe please. Sounds like you do. But please do.
Yes bears climb trees. Just as other folks here have already said. And yet we’ve heard friends of ours say that bears don’t or can’t climb trees because of how big and heavy they are. Well, I hope a bear isn’t chasing one of our friends! ha! I remember the conversation here 2-3 years ago between you Tim-in-Montana and Ann about wolf urine. Hubby and I looked that up online back then at the time and it sure is true. Wolf urine is BETTER than commercial bear spray. If we were still Rv-ing, we’d buy wolf urine, but here in southern Arizona there aren’t too many bears.
Wonderful videos of Becca Wood!! We’re starting at the beginning and will take months or years to work through them but they are spectacular.
Me too Marge. I’ve started at the beginning of Becca Wood’s videos and I’m working my way through them. There are some truly stunning ones!
Nebraska reportedly has no bears! But maybe one or two have crossed those dotted lines and interloped into our state without proper authorization. 🙂
I love her videos, will keep watching them.
Oh, yes I think the State of Nebraska passed a law that bears can’t cross the state line. 🙂
Extraordinary videos. Great find. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Lisa. 🙂
When we read your conversation here with Tim a few years ago, where he recommended wolf urine over commercial bear spray, I talked with a good number of friends and neighbors who had lived in bear country further north than we do in British Columbia, Canada, and asked them about wolf urine. They all swear by it. They all carried it and still carry it when out in the woods, for bear and elk and cats and moose. Two of the people I talked with still live in small enough towns that bears and moose come into town on occasion. They say lots of people carry wolf urine during bear season, especially in the spring when momma bear has cubs with her. Yes, better to smell like wolf pee than to be dead.
BUT, the question remains, how do the people who sell wolf urine collect it? Yikes. 🙂
Fantastic videos from Becca Wood.
Jim
Oh, even if Tim in Montana hadn’t recommended wolf urine (which made me switch in a heart beat) … then if Canadians swear by it, then there would also be no doubt in my mind whether to buy wolf urine or not. And yes, it will deter moose too.
Oh, great question, Jim, about how the urine is collected. I looked that up before I bought it. The urine is collected from wolves that are in captivity. The wolves are gently anesthetized and the urine is “extracted”. Wolves in captivity get regular veterinary care anyway, so the urine is collected then, but the websites I read say that captive wolves are “very gently” anesthetized even in between vet treatments and the urine is extracted. When I first thought about someone trying to collect wolf urine, I sure hoped someone wasn’t following a wolf around with a bucket in hand asking the wolf to pee in the bucket. Yikes!
Hey, Ann, we City folk don’t get too many bears here in Portland but your wolf urine is welcome here. It will scare away the coyotes, right? We do get them occasionally.
Here’s my address and phone for your travels to Portland. I assume you won’t publish them. See you soon!
Hi Elaine, when a reader types a comment, it automatically gets posted unless the software app holds it as possible spam. I just now happened to re-check the comments on this blog post and found your info. Have deleted the phone number and address, but I have saved them in my address book for future use. When I come visit, I’ll be sure to bring the wolf urine. 🙂