I taught a course in cougar defense which was widely attended with students graduating from the course with sufficient skills to prevent an attack.

Here is a synopsis:

Would anyone be interested in taking this course? Twelve are needed to get him to do a class. $110 per person. Two-day course near Clinton, BC.

Aside from hiking, I also have a recreational property at Sheridan Lake and there have been numerous bear encounters there this year. This sounded like an interesting course.

Eyer Training Services

Bear & Cougar Encounters

Rural and Recreational Course

Course Description

Training for Rural Residents and Recreational Backcountry Users

Who should take this course? Anyone who lives in a rural area and anybody who uses the backcountry for recreation will find this course valuable. Farmers, cottage and home owners, cattle ranchers, market gardeners, lodge and guest ranch staff and other rural residents often encounter bears and occasionally cougars. Hikers, backpackers, hunters, horse riders, naturalists, canoeists, fishermen, mountain bikers, photographers, snowboarders, cross-country skiers and campers may also meet a bear or cougar and should know how to react.

Why do I need to learn about bear and cougar encounters? As interesting as these animals are, they pose a potential danger to humans. Both are powerful, intelligent predators and can inflict serious injury or death. Knowing how to avoid encounters and how to handle encounters if they occur will help keep you, and those with you, safe.

How is it different from other bear safety courses? First, it includes both bears and cougars. Second, it is behaviourally based that is you will learn how to recognize bear and cougar behaviors and how to respond. Third, the Rural & Recreational Course has a practical field session.

What is the practical field session? The 5½-hour practical session takes place after the seminar. In these exercises you will be guided through a series of mock encounters each designed to give you controlled practice for real-life encounters. In the seminar, you will see videos of wild bears displaying bear-to-bear and bear-to-human aggression. You will also see the best ways to handle different situations. The field exercises drive home the learning. You will correctly handle up to 14 scenarios including:

- a bear is aware of you but there is no aggression

- a bear makes a bluff charge and later a defensive attack

- a predatory bear approaches you

- you have no defence system and a predatory cougar is approaching.

In these and other scenarios you will learn and practice correct responses when you are armed with bear spray, a knife or improvised weapons and will learn what to do when

you are completely unarmed. Cut-outs of bears and cougars and a charging target help you imagine the real situation. The charging target can move at the speed of a grizzly bear (60 kph). Inert training spray (no pepper) is used in the bear spray scenarios.

The knife defence exercises were developed with Jon McCormick. Jon holds a Black Belt in Combat Martial Arts, a Masters of Education Degree, is a former teacher and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers. He writes for several periodicals. McCormick adapted martial arts knife techniques for use in defence from large predators. For safety, rubber knives are used in this part of the training. A life-size black bear target, mounted on a cart, is used for these exercises. All field exercises are designed to build your confidence to handle real-life encounters.

Why do I need to practice these? Isn't it enough just to discuss them? No. People learn best when all aspects of learning are integrated knowledge, attitudes and physical skills. When your personal safety is at stake, it is not enough to see a video and hear a lecture. Moreover, the methods you will learn have been used successfully in bear and cougar attacks and encounters in British Columbia. These methods work. Through practice in a controlled setting, you will have a higher level of confidence in a real encounter.

What is covered in the seminar? During the 7-hour class on the first day, you will get a good understanding of the following topics:

The Risks scientific facts and trends about bear and cougar attacks in B.C.

Predator identification

Bear predictability

Human, bear and cougar behaviors in encounters

Defensive and predatory behaviors of bears and cougars

Correct responses in encounters

Use of deterrents

Ways to avoid encounters; other precautionary measures

The main video is an important and impressive part of the class. Produced in co-operation with the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), the video content is the result of thousands of hours of bear observation by biologists and bear safety experts. The video, Staying Safe in Bear Country, was released in April 2001 and represents the most current consensus opinion on bear behavior and human safety around bears. Parts of a second video, Bear Attacks: The Predatory Black Bear, are also shown. It is excellent and well-balanced.

The Bear & Cougar Encounters – Rural & Recreational Course combines the best of science and the best of field experience.

So if I take this course, can you guarantee I will be safe if I encounter a bear or cougar? No. It would be nice if all large predator encounters were like a chemical formula – follow these procedures and you will always get the same results. There are no formulas for encounters. There are dozens of variables involved that make each encounter unique. This fact will be emphasized during the course. But you should be more aware of the hazards and have more skill and confidence if you encounter a bear or cougar.

Is there a certificate or a test? There is no test in the Rural & Recreational Course but you must attend the complete course and participate in both the class and the field exercises. A recreational certificate will be issued to you by Eyer Training Services.

I work outdoors and could encounter bears or cougars. Are there similar programs for employees? Yes. Currently there are four courses designed for government and industry field staff:

- Bear & Cougar Encounters Standard Course

- Bear & Cougar Encounters Basic Course

- Bear & Cougar Encounters Refresher Course

- Bear & Cougar Hazard Awareness Course

The Standard, Basic and Refresher Courses are designed for employees and contractors who spend a lot of time in the field in more remote areas. The Standard Course is very complete, takes most of 2 days and is usually only taken once. The Basic Course is a condensed version of the Standard Course and takes 1 full day. The Refresher Course is for employees who have previously taken the Standard Course, the Basic Course or several bear safety courses during their careers. It is a 7-hour course that helps them brush up o