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If there’s one thing Brigham Young University bear expert and professor Tom Smith wants nature lovers to know before heading out into the wilderness, it’s that, “you have no business going into bear country if you have no way to tell them ‘no!’”
In addition to knowing safety rules — like hiking in groups of three or more, making noise, avoiding trails at dawn and dusk, and securing food trash — hikers need to carry bear spray, one canister per person. Though fatal bear attacks in North America number only between 3 and 4 annually, not following the simple rules leaves outdoor enthusiasts vulnerable to potentially life-threatening encounters.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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