BONNERS FERRY — Brent Hudson spent 37 years guiding big game hunts in Alaska.  

At Saturday’s Living in Bear Country Safety Course, he taught those attending safe practices involving bears and told bear encounter stories, including one of his own, a brown bear attack on Kodiak Island, Alaska. 

Hudson's near-fatal encounter occurred on a rare occasion in which he was not carrying a high-caliber firearm. The brown bear, larger than a grizzly bear, closed its jaws and took a bite out of Hudson’s hindquarters as he laid on his belly; hands ringed around the back of his neck. Next, the bear went for the neck and heard something crack. The beast thought he had made the kill, but the break was not Hudson’s neck; it was his fingers. 

“I shouldn’t have survived this attack,” he said. “I never found a situation where anyone that’s ever done that survived the attack from a giant bear.” 

Hudson said that attack decades ago inspired him to dedicate his life after master guiding to educating people on bear safety, through courses and his book, “Stalking Giants.” 

In the course, Hudson emphasized the intelligence of bears. They have an acute sense of smell, and he said he has seen their ability to reason. 

“Once they smell a kill, they own it,” he said. “If a bear gets to the elk you shot before you do, don’t try to push it off whatever is left. Anybody who tells you they can predict what a bear will do, don’t believe them.” 

Hudson said in Alaska, where black and brown bears are hunted extensively, the animals have developed a more cautious approach to dealing with humans. In the lower 48, by contrast, bears have been habituated to non-threatening humans who cannot hunt them inside national parks, so they aren’t as likely to move away from a hiker. 

The most dangerous attack is a predatory attack. Adult male black bears are most likely to make a predatory attack, and those typically occur in the daytime. Grizzly bear predatory attacks are generally at night. 

When the bears are defensive, they will show aggression and ferocity, through stomping on the ground, or salivating when in distress. 

“If any black bear doesn’t run away from you, it’s sizing you up to take you down,” Hudson said. “If that occurs, you have to act aggressive immediately. If you have a jacket on, spread it like the hood of a cobra. If you’re in a group, stick together.” 

To prevent nighttime grizzly attacks at campgrounds, cook and store food away from the campsite, and avoid eating anything that would have a strong odor or blood. 

Hudson said also to avoid using bear spray near a campsite because as soon as it settles, the scent will attract bears. After using bear spray, relocate. 

For camping remotely, he advised carrying a trauma kit, a satellite phone and possibly an airhorn to blow occasionally to alert bears and make them move away. Doing so will not be interpreted by the bears as a threat, but rather as an encouragement to go elsewhere. If not carrying an airhorn, hikers should still make lots of noise. 

If a large gathering of ravens, crows or magpies is seen or heard, then go away, Hudson said. It is likely something is dead there. 

For firearm protection from bears, Hudson said to carry the highest caliber one can handle comfortably and accurately and a low magnification scope. For shotguns, use 12-gauge only, as buckshot won’t penetrate the thick layers of muscle, fat and bone.  

“If you’re using a handgun, you’ve got to break bone,” he said. “If you decide to shoot the bear, shoot to kill. We don’t want an injured bear running off and suffering.”