What to do if a Missouri black bear attacks

The probability that you’ll ever have to ward off an aggressive black bear in Missouri is near zero.  

That’s because, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, they’re “generally a shy, non-aggressive species.” Missouri is now home to more than 1,000 black bears. They’re concentrated in the deep woods of the southern third of the state. They play a valuable ecological role: They keep small-animal populations in check, tidy up forests by eating carrion, and also eat a ton of fruit, thereby dispersing seeds. 

And their presence here is actually a conservation success story. These once-abundant mammals were nearly extinct in Missouri about a century ago, but thanks in part to reintroduction efforts by Arkansas, the population has since rebounded, to the point that there’s even a limited bear-hunting season. Such predation, by the way, almost never goes in the opposite direction. One study found that from 1900 to 2009, there were only 14 fatal black-bear attacks across the entirety of the lower 48 states. 

But recently, in a stretch of just a few weeks, there were two fatal attacks in the Ozarks. One was in Newton County, Arkansas and the other in Franklin County, Arkansas—both in the northwest quadrant of that state. In the latter case, authorities determined that the 70-pound juvenile bear responsible had been malnourished and suffering neurological issues; in the former case, one official surmised that the bear-assailant had developed a taste for human food at the campground where the incident occurred. 

Bears that get used to human food are dangerous because such habituation can lead them to overcome their fear of people and then grow defensive about food that’s near people—a recipe for violence, says the MDC. Those bears are so volatile, in fact, that wildlife managers hunt them down and kill them as a matter of policy. As their saying goes, “A fed bear is a dead bear.” 

Thankfully, this is rare, because campers tend to follow the BearWise guidelines: They make sure that any food, toiletries, and trash are stored not in their tents but rather in locked cars, in bear-proof canisters, or strung up high between trees. But what if a habituated bear approaches you? 

Try Hazing First

First, a disclaimer: Bears live in the woods. That’s their home. They’re supposed to be there. Any time you surprise a black bear while you’re out hiking, mountain biking, or trail running in the woods, the advice from the National Park Service is to de-escalate. Refrain from running. Wave your arms and speak to the bear calmly and slowly. Especially if you see cubs, back away; you don’t want to move in between a sow and her young’uns. 

But if you’re at a campground and a bear approaches, that’s a different story. The bear is not supposed to be there, so it’s best to “haze” it—i.e., scare it away. So how do you do that? Look big. Make a lot of noise. Don’t approach the animal. If it bolts, let it go. Don’t give chase. 

Here’s a helpful flyer put out by the MDC and the folks at BearWise.org about how and when to haze a bear.

Fight Back

In the exceedingly rare case that the bear won’t leave you alone at your campground, deploy bear spray if you have it. If you see the bear huff and smack its paws on the ground, or yawn, or clack its teeth, then brace for an aggressive charge. 

Wildlife managers say that black bears behave differently than grizzly bears do in these scenarios. With a grizzly, it can be wise to play dead at first to convince it that you’re not a threat. But with black bears, you defend yourself. Says the NPS: “If a black bear charges and attacks you, FIGHT BACK WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! Do not play dead. Direct punches and kicks at the bear’s face, and use any weapon like rocks, branches, or bear spray to defend yourself.”

So there you have it. This kind of conflict will, in all likelihood, never befall you, but if it does, the protocol is to punch a black bear in the face.

Keep in mind that the discussion above is in the context of outdoor recreation. To learn more about how to manage black-bear activity in more a residential settings—for example, what to do with beehives, pets, and orchards—click here. And for more information from the MDC about the black bear species in Missouri, click here.