You’re walking your dog in SC and you see a bear. Here’s what to do to avoid trouble, experts say

It’s time to think about what to do if you are walking your dog and you come upon a bear.

Or a bear comes into your yard and your dog is outside, like what happened to a Pickens woman some years ago when her miniature schnauzer was carried off by a bear. (He lived and is still fine today.)

But some folks are not so lucky. Wildlife data has shown about half of bear-dog encounters end in the dog or the owner being injured and sometimes killed.

South Carolina has not recorded a human fatality from a bear attack. They are found throughout the state but in higher concentrations in the Upstate mountain region and the lower coastal plains.

The No. 1 thing experts say to stay safe is to keep your dog on a leash.

“A much higher percentage of dogs that get into confrontations with bears are seriously injured or killed when dogs are off leash,” Bearwise says. “The people who try to rescue a dog are also more seriously injured.”

BearWise, developed by state agency bear biologists, is now a program of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Biologists say black bears are not by nature confrontational or aggressive. They’re just looking around for some berries or fish or even your trash if all else fails.

But if confronted, as dogs are wont to do, a bear will defend itself and protect her cubs.

Dogs like to bark for whatever reason and bears assume it’s a threat. Bears run for short distances pretty fast — biologists say like an Olympic sprinter.

“Dog vs. bear seldom ends well for the dog,” Bearwise said. “If you are very unlucky, the dog will realize it has picked a fight it can’t win, turn tail and run back to you. If the bear gives chase, you and the dog become one big problem. The bear needs to be neutralized so it can feel safe again.”

Bear encounter tips

Here’s what Bearwise says to do if you’re out walking your dog.

• Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
• Stay alert; music and phones are distracting.
• Avoid walking at dawn, dusk or at night in areas with known bear activity.
• If you see a bear, turn around and leave.
• Don’t let your dog bark at, harass, chase, or corner a bear.
• If your dog gets into a fight with a bear, don’t try to rescue it. You will get injured. Instead, use your bear spray.
• Here are other suggestions for harmonious living with dogs and bears.
• Feed pets indoors.
• Keep your dog on a non-retractable leash even if you’re just going to the car.
• Install motion-activated security lights. Check the yard and bang on your door before you let your dog out.
• If you see a bear, bring your dog inside. Don’t allow it to bark at or harass the bear, even from inside a fenced yard.
• Pet doors should open into completely enclosed areas; some bears can squeeze through openings as small as nine inches high. Cubs (and other critters you don’t want in the house) can fit through even smaller openings.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says bears will come into your yard if there is easy access to garbage cans, bird feeders, pet food, barbecue grills and smokers, pets and small livestock such as goats, rabbits, pigs, and chickens, livestock feed, compost piles, beehives and fruit and nut trees and bushes,