Bear Safety in Beavers Bend Cabin Country

Like much of southeastern Oklahoma, Cabin Country is home to black bears. We want to clue you in on some bear-y useful tips on what (and what not) to do if you encounter a bear, and how to prevent them from snooping around your cabin. Hint: it’s almost always food-related.

A little black bear 101.

American black bears are Oklahoma’s only native bear species. With a sophisticated diet of berries, nuts, honey, grass, small mammals, and whatever is left out in your unsealed garbage, these omnivores are non-aggressive, but nosy and hungry. 

Most bear encounters in human spaces happen at night. But if they’re successful in their food scavenging, they may get bolder and give you a surprise visit during the day. 

A surprise drop by is no joke. These bears can smell food a mile away, and there’s not much that will stop them from poking around if an alluring aroma is nearby.

One man’s trash is another bear’s treasure.

And an alluring aroma to a bear could literally be your garbage. To prevent bears from knocking on your door (or knocking down your trash bins), here’s what to keep in mind:

Do’s

• Do keep your garbage in a container with a latched lid. Bears can open unlatched lids. 
• Do clean outdoor cooking grills after each use.
• Do lock your car and roll up the windows. Bears can easily open unlocked car doors.

Don’ts 

• Don’t leave your trash piled up next to the dumpster outside. If it’s full, keep it inside until you can dispose of it correctly. 
• Don’t leave pet food outside.
• Don’t toss banana peels, apple cores, or sandwich crusts along trails or around your cabin grounds.

Can your dog and bears be friends? Well, not quite.

According to Bearwise, dogs are involved in more than half of all reported incidents between humans and black bears. 46% of these result in dog injuries and deaths, and 62% of these reported human injuries. Yikes.

If black bears are non-confrontational, what’s the deal? They will absolutely protect their food and cubs. They don’t like to be chased but can run faster than an Olympic sprinter if provoked, and they don’t like to be cornered. So you can imagine why an unleashed dog chasing and barking at a bear can only mean more trouble. 

We want you and your pup to be protected, so here’s what every dog owner should know:

• Leash up whenever you’re outside. Even if you’re going from the cabin to the car. This is single-handedly the best thing you can do for you and your dog’s safety. Most reported incidents involving a dog, a black bear, and a human include an unleashed dog.
• Take a quick survey around a yard before letting your dog out, especially at night.
• Don’t let your dog bark at, chase, or corner a bear.
• If you see a bear while walking your dog, turn around and leave.
• Use bear spray if your dog gets into a fight with a bear.

Think of it this way: the only thing worse than a bear charging at your dog is a bear charging at your dog who is running, tail between its legs, straight towards you.

Scaring a bear is caring.

If you encounter a black bear snooping around your dumpster, your vehicle, or anywhere within your cabin grounds, don’t offer it food or try to get it to stick around for a selfie. Follow these steps instead:

1. First, make sure you’re safe and that the bear has an escape route. A cornered bear is more likely to charge.
2. If those two things are true, the best thing you can do for yourself, your cabin mates, and future guests of the cabin is to make noise to scare it away. Blow a whistle, yell, clap your hands, bang pots, honk a car horn. 
3. If the bear approaches you, do not run. Remain calm and use bear spray to deter it.

If you leave your cabin door unlocked and return to find a bear rummaging through your fridge, do not go inside and try to lure it outside. Call 9-1-1.

Bear with our wild neighbors

Thank you for doing your part to keep Cabin Country fun and safe for all. 

Want to become a bear safety expert? Bear Wise has everything you need to know about vacationing (and straight-up living) in bear country.