Play Dead or Fight Back? What to Do If a Bear Attacks
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"If a bear attacks, play dead." It's one of the most famous pieces of outdoor advice, and it's only half right. Playing dead is the right move in some attacks and a dangerous mistake in others. Here's how park rangers explain the difference.
First, some perspective: bear attacks are rare. Most bears avoid people, and most encounters end with the bear walking away. Making noise on the trail, hiking in a group and carrying bear spray make an attack much less likely in the first place.
The question that matters: why is the bear attacking?
Rangers sort bear attacks into two kinds.
Defensive attacks are by far the most common. The bear was surprised, or it's protecting its cubs or a food source. It isn't trying to eat you. It wants the threat to go away.
Predatory attacks are very rare. The bear sees you as food. Signs include a bear that follows or stalks you, or one that attacks you inside your tent.
The goal is different for each:
- With a defensive bear, you want to show you're not a threat.
- With a predatory bear, you want to show you're not easy prey.
That's why one answer can't fit every attack.
When to play dead
Play dead if you're attacked by a grizzly or brown bear that's acting defensively, for example after you surprised it or got too close to its cubs.
How to do it right:
- Keep your pack on. It protects your back.
- Lie flat on your stomach.
- Clasp your hands behind your neck to protect your head and neck.
- Spread your legs so the bear can't easily flip you over.
- Stay quiet and still until the bear leaves.
- Wait several minutes after it's gone before you get up and leave.
If the attack keeps going even though you're playing dead, the situation has changed. Fight back as hard as you can, and aim for the face.
When to fight back
Black bears: don't play dead. If a black bear attacks, try to escape to a safe place like a car or a building. If you can't, fight back with everything you have, aiming kicks and blows at the bear's face and muzzle.
Any bear that stalks you or attacks you in your tent: don't play dead. These are signs the bear may see you as food. If you're being followed, get your bear spray ready and move toward a car or building if you can. If the bear attacks, fight back with anything you have.
Quick guide
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Grizzly or brown bear, defensive attack | Play dead. Fight back if the attack doesn't stop. |
| Black bear attack | Don't play dead. Escape if you can, otherwise fight back. |
| Any bear stalking you | Don't play dead. Get spray ready, head for safety, fight back if it attacks. |
| Any bear attacking you in your tent | Don't play dead. Fight back. |
"But how do I know which bear it is?"
Not by color. Black bears can be brown, cinnamon or even blond, and grizzlies range from blond to nearly black. Look at the shape instead: grizzlies have a big shoulder hump and a "dished" face, while black bears have no hump and a straighter face. Our guide Black Bear vs. Grizzly shows all the clues.
In a sudden encounter, you may not get a good look. That's another reason to carry bear spray: you can use it without knowing which kind of bear is in front of you.
Before it ever comes to that
Most of the time, the right moves come long before an attack:
- Don't run and don't climb a tree. Bears are faster than you and good climbers.
- Talk calmly and back away slowly and sideways.
- Stand your ground if a bear charges. Many charges are bluffs that stop or turn away at the last second.
- Use your bear spray on a charging or attacking bear.
- Never get between a mother bear and her cubs.
For the full step-by-step guide, read What to Do If You See a Bear, and learn how to carry and use spray in Does Bear Spray Really Work?
I don't want to fight you. I don't even want to meet you. Just give me some space and we'll both go home happy.