Wildlife is such a big part of why I like to get into the backcountry and its always fun to hear of close encounters and rewarding experiences with our favorites.

I have yet to encounter my favorite animal, wolves. I always listen at night for a distant howl and am always on the lookout for tracks. Maybe some day.

My most recent wildlife experience was when I was having breakfast on a trip when an eagle grabed a fish out of the lake I was next to. Never heard a thing till the big splash about 20 meters away from me. It surprised me but it was very cool and very impressive.

I was just wondering if you have ever met up with a bear when hiking. I have never met a bear on the trail and was wondering what I should do and what it's like in case I ever do. I have seen foxes, wolves, and snakes before, however, but never a bear. If you have time, please tell any stories or tips on this topic.

Heheheh there are a few stories that have been mentioned in the forums. I know "The Hiker" had a funny story - if you have a quick search of the forums for the keyword "bear" you should pull up a few matches. In my case, the bear was trying to remove my pack from the vestible of my tent.

I'd still love to hear more stories too for those who have em!

I've pasted some good information for you below from a website.
Most importantly you must be able to identify a Grizzly from a Black bear and then decide what behaviour it's showing, defensive or predatory. After those observations you follow the information below.

I've had one bear encounter and that was on the Howe Sound Crest Trail 2 years ago.
We were hiking in prime bear habitat "blueberry bushes" and were making lots of noise but obviously not enough, as we surprised a black bear grazing only feet away from the trail. All we heard was a loud rustling sound, it was enough for me and another companion to un-hoist
our pepper spray. The bear ran up the hill "Magnesia Meadows" turned and stood on his hind feet and started sniffing, by this time we were slowly backing away while making enough calming conversation to help the bear identify us and to know we were not a threat.
We went wide around him, and that was the last we saw of him. That is a classic encounter of what usually happens, but you need to be prepared for the times it does not go according to plan.
My wife knew someone killed by a Grizzly, but that was a hunter who was gutting his kill late at night, who did not know of problem and relocated bears in the area. When hiking in Grizzly country always inquire as to bear history on that particular trail.
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Website info below
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Bears may be encountered throughout the parks during the summer months. Although most bears are simply traveling through and make every effort to avoid humans, a bag of garbage or some unattended food on a picnic table may be irresistible to their keen sense of smell. Bears that scavenge food begin to associate food with humans, and become "food-conditioned". Food-conditioned bears lose their natural fear of humans and become a threat to park visitors as they roam through the park in search of an easy meal. Bears are not tame, gentle or cuddly; they are unpredictable and potentially dangerous.



There is little or no chance of correcting a food-conditioned bear and Park Rangers are forced to destroy them when they become aggressive towards humans. Don't be a contributor to food- conditioning and remember...
A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR


There are some simple precautions you must take to prevent the food-conditioning of bears and avoid dangerous bear encounters.

Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife.
Reduce or eliminate odours that attract bears. At the campground, store food in air-tight containers in your RV or car trunk.
Bear caches must be used if they are available at the park.
Pack out all your garbage. Store garbage with your food, out of reach of bears. Do not bury garbage or throw it into pit toilets. Only paper and wood may be burned: plastics, tinfoil, and food items do not burn completely and the remains will attract bears (besides creating an unsightly mess).
Avoid fish smells -- they are a strong attractant for bears. Don't clean fish in your campsite. Throw entrails into deep or fast-flowing water, and double-bag fishy-smelling garbage.
Cook and eat well away from your tent.
Clean up immediately and thoroughly. Never leave cooking utensils, coolers, grease or dish water lying around. Dispose of dish water by straining it and then throwing it into a gray water pit or pit toilet. Solids should be packed out with the garbage.
The odours of cosmetics, toothpaste and insect repellent can attract bears. These should be stored out of reach with your food and garbage, never in your tent. Leave strongly perfumed items at home.
Always keep children nearby and in sight.
Always sleep in a tent -- not under the stars.
Hike the portages and trails as a group.
Solo hiking is not advised -- you reduce the risk of an attack by traveling together as a group. Do not let children wander.
Keep pets leashed.
If possible, keep pets at home. Free-running pets can anger a bear and provoke an attack.
Reduce the chance of surprising a bear.
Always check ahead for bears in the distance. If one is spotted, make a wide detour and leave the area immediately.
Make warning noises and loud sounds.
Watch for bear sign: tracks, droppings, overturned rocks, rotten trees torn apart, clawed, bitten or rubbed trees, bear trails, fresh diggings or trampled vegetation.
Stay clear of dead wildlife.
Take note of signs that may indicate carrion - such as circling crows or ravens, or the smell of rotting meat.
Carcasses attract bears. Leave the area immediately!
Report the location of dead wildlife to Park staff.
In general:
Never approach or feed bears.
If you have an encounter with a bear, please leave the area immediately and report it to park staff as soon as possible.
Obey all park regulations, stay on designated trails and comply with posted warnings.
Bear pepper sprays have been effective in deterring some bear attacks. However, do not use them as a substitute for safe practices in bear country. Avoidance is still your best bet.
Other wildlife may pose a threat to park users. Moose can become very agitated and aggressive when approached too closely, particularly cows with calves. Please use binoculars and telephoto lenses for wildlife viewing.
SOME BEAR FACTS

Bears are as fast as racehorses, on the flats, uphill or downhill
Bears are strong swimmers.
Bears have good eyesight, good hearing, and an acute sense of smell.
All black bears and young grizzlies are agile tree climbers; mature grizzlies are poor climbers, but they have a reach up to 4 metres.
If a bear is standing up it is usually trying to identify you. Talk softly so it knows what you are. Move away, keeping it in view. Do not make direct eye contact.
BEAR IDENTIFICATION

Identifying bears is important if you are ever approached by one.

Black Bear (Ursus americanus Pallas)

Colour: Varies. Black, brown, cinnamon or blond, often with a white patch on the chest or at the throat.

Height: Approximately 90 cm at the shoulder.

Weight: 57 kg to more than 270 kg. Females are usually smaller than males.

Characteristics: Straight face profile; short, curved claws; barely noticeable shoulder hump

Habitat: Prefers forested areas with low-growing plants and berry-producing shrubs (e.g. small forest openings, stream or lake edges, open forest).



Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord)

Colour: Varies. Black (rare), brown or blond. Fur often white-tipped or "grizzled". Light-coloured patches may occur around neck, shoulders and on rear flanks.

Height: Slightly above one metre at shoulder; 1.8 to 2.0 metres when erect.

Weight: 200 kg to more than 450 kg. Females are usually smaller than males.


Characteristics: Dished or concave face long; curved claws; prominent shoulder hump

Habitat: Semi-open spaces preferred. High country in late summer and early fall; valley bottoms late fall and spring.



IF YOU SEE A BEAR

If It Does Not Approach
If spotted in the distance, do not approach the bear. Make a wide detour or leave the area immediately. Report your sighting to Park Staff at the first opportunity.
If you are at close range, do not approach the bear. Remain calm, keep it in view. Avoid direct eye contact. Move away without running. Report the sighting to Park Staff.
If the Bear Approaches
If the bear is standing up, it is usually trying to identify you. Talk softly so it knows what you are. If it is snapping its jaws, lowering its head, flattening its ears, growling or making 'woofing' signs, it is displaying aggression.
Do not run unless you are very close to a secure place. Move away, keeping it in view. Avoid direct eye contact. Dropping your pack or an object may distract it to give you more time. If it is a grizzly, consider climbing a tree.
If the Bear Attacks
Your response depends on the species and whether the bear is being defensive or offensive. Bears sometimes bluff their way out of a confrontation by charging then turning away at the last moment. Generally, the response is to do nothing to threaten or further arouse the bear. While fighting back usually increases the intensity of an attack, it may cause the bear to leave. Each incident is unique and the following are offered as guidelines only to deal with an unpredictable animal and complex situation:
Grizzly Attacks From Surprise (defensive)

Do nothing to threaten or further arouse the bear.
Play dead. Assume the 'cannonball position' with hands clasped behind neck and face buried in knees.
Do not move until the bear leaves the area. Such attacks seldom last beyond a few minutes.
Black Bear Attacks From Surprise (defensive)

Playing dead is not appropriate. Try to retreat from the attack.
Grizzly or Black Bear Attacks Offensively (including stalking you or when you are sleeping)

Do not play dead. Try to escape to a secure place (car or building) or climb a tree unless it is a black bear. If you have no other option, try to intimidate the bear with deterrents or weapons such as tree branches or rocks.
Grizzly or Black Bear Attacking For Your Food

Abandon the food. Leave the area.
Do not deal with a problem bear unless it is an emergency.

Excellent points and good summary! I also have a couple books that I would recommend. "Backcountry Bear Basics" is a good overview of the main stuff you should know. The other, which is more in depth, is "Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance". I wouldn't mind actually some other info on things like cougars, etc. Any references you would recommend Kodiak?

I know of none !
My cousin is a cougar tracker for rich Yankee's up in Penticton, and we had a good conversation about cougars two years ago.
What I learned was this....there is nothing you can really do to prevent a sudden attack other than be in a group larger than two, and don't be separated to much if one of you is much smaller in stature. I kid the wife about being bait quite a bit, she doesn't like that too much.
Cougars are very unpredictable especially when sick or hurt.
The reason everyone should carry a big knife like myself, is more for the remote chance of a cougar attack, a cougar will almost always keep a death grip around it's victims neck enabling someone to come from behind and cut it's jugular with one fell swoop, you don't want to be looking for rocks and branches at times like that !

Ooh wildlife stories!! So far this Spring the local wilderness (West Kootenay) has felt more like a safari park. It started at Syringa Creek on Arrow Lake in March when I foolishly almost stumbled over a foraging black bear only minutes into our first hike of the year. It was a small black bear munching on grass in the warm sun. It ran off when my husband, who spotted it before I did, told me to stop. That was a warning to be a more careful. The next weekend, canoeing on the Kootenay river, we stopped for a break and saw a massive grizzly lumbering through someone's homestead on the opposite shore. Last month things got way too close to home. We were sitting in the living room on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, when my husband caught sight of what he thought was a large brown dog passing by the window. He opened the door and there was a fluffy brown bear no more than six feeet away, casually gazing at him. It is a terrible thing when a bear comes into town, and although it was incredible to see this beautiful animal climb a tree right in front of our house and chase a cat around the garden, we knew it wouldn't be long before the police came (especially as our neighbour is a policeman), and the bear was shot within 20 minutes of us first noticing it. We later learned that it was not it's first foray into town. It had confronted a seven year old girl on the street above ours the week before but her parents had scared it off and chosen not to report it, hoping it wouldn't return. Unfortunately, although groups like Bear Aware try to get through people's thick skulls to be extra careful with their garbage, not to set it out until just before collection, and to freeze anything that smells until collection day, people still leave garbage outside and the bears keep coming and keep getting killed. I find it amazing that Nelson does not fine people for improper storage of garbage considering the danger to wildlife.

On a happier note, while camping at Davis Creek at the north end of Kootenay Lake this weekend, we wathced for hours as Rainbows fed on Kokanee fry and, inturn, Ospreys, swooped down and fed on the larger fish. I have never seen a lake more alive.

To add to the wonder of it all, my husband is British and has not seen much of our wildlife, so he is as excited about every animal we see as a small child would be. He woke me up at four a.m. to see a skunk that was rustling through camp at Lockheart Creek a few weeks ago. Skunks, porcupines, marmots - they are all new to him and his wonder at these common little animals reminds me of how blessed we are to share our lives with these creatures.

From website:
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Safety Guide to Cougars


Printed February, 1996
British Columbians are fortunate to share their province with cougars, one of the most mysterious and elusive of all creatures. The cougar's secretive habits and astounding predatory abilities - a cougar is capable of killing a 270 kg (600 lb) moose - have resulted in a wealth of misconceptions and irrational fears.

Actually, most British Columbians live all their lives without a glimpse of a cougar, much less a confrontation with one. Conflict between cougars and humans is extremely rare. In the past 100 years, a total of five people have been killed by cougar attacks in B.C. (in comparison, bees kill upwards of three Canadians every year). All but one of these fatal cougar attacks occurred on Vancouver Island. During the same period, there were 29 non-fatal attacks in British Columbia - 20 of which occurred on Vancouver Island. The vast majority of these attacks were on children under the age of 16.

Although a cougar attack is highly unlikely, it always pays to be prepared. Information and awareness are your best defenses.

About Cougars:



The cougar, also called mountain lion or panther, is Canada's largest cat. Cougars have long tails which may be one-third of their total body length.
An adult male cougar weighs between 63 and 90 kg (140-200 lbs), and a female cougar, between 40 and 50 kg (90-120 lbs). The biggest cougars are found in the interior and the Kootenays.
The cougar's primary prey is deer. It will also feed on wild sheep, elk, rabbits, beaver, raccoons, grouse, and occasionally livestock.
Cougars are most active at dusk and dawn. However, they will roam and hunt at any time of the day or night and in all seasons.
During late spring and summer, one to two-year old cougars become independent of their mothers. While attempting to find a home range, these young cougars may roam widely in search of unoccupied territory. This is when cougars are most likely to conflict with humans.

Tracks:

Cougars have four toes with three distinct lobes present at the base of the pad. Claws are retractable, so they usually do not leave imprints.
Generally, cougars are solitary. If tracks show two or more cougars travelling together, it probably indicates a female with kittens.


WHEN IN COUGAR COUNTRY:

Cougars primarily occupy the southern third of British Columbia. Most conflict with cougars occurs in rural communities, where people live in isolated settlements. People also encounter cougars while spending leisure time in cougar country.

Cougars are predators - the top of the food chain - and their actions are often unpredictable. We have little understanding about what might trigger an attack, but following these general guidelines will reduce the risk of cougar conflict and prepare you in the unlikely event of an attack.

Children:

Cougars seem to be attracted to children, possibly because their high-pitched voices, small size, and erratic movements make it difficult for cougars to identify them as human and not prey.

Talk to children and teach them what to do if they encounter a cougar.
Encourage children to play outdoors in groups, and supervise children playing outdoors.
Consider getting a dog for your children as an early-warning system. A dog can see, smell, and hear a cougar sooner then we can. Although dogs offer little value as a deterrent to cougars, they may distract a cougar from attacking a human.
Consider erecting a fence around play areas.
Keep a radio playing.
Make sure children are home before dusk and stay inside until after dawn.
If there have been cougar sightings, escort children to the bus stop in the early morning. Clear shrubs away around the bus stop, making an area with a nine-metre (30 foot) radius. Have a light installed as a general safety precaution.
Your yard and home:

Do not attract or feed wildlife, especially deer or raccoons. These are natural prey and may attract cougars.
Pets:

Roaming pets are easy prey.
Bring pets in at night. If they must be left out, confine them in a kennel with a secure top.
Do not feed pets outside. This not only attracts young cougars but also many small animals, such as mice and raccoons, that cougars prey upon.
Place domestic livestock in an enclosed shed or barn at night.
Hiking or working in cougar country:

Hike in groups of two or more. Make enough noise to prevent surprising a cougar.
Carry a sturdy walking stick to be used as a weapon if necessary.
Keep children close-at-hand and under control.
Watch for cougar tracks and signs. Cougars cover unconsumed portions of their kills with soil and leaf litter. Avoid these food caches.
Cougar kittens are usually well-hidden. However, if you do stumble upon cougar kittens, do not approach or attempt to pick them up. Leave the area immediately, as a female will defend her young.


If you meet a cougar:

Never approach a cougar. Although cougars will normally avoid a confrontation, all cougars are unpredictable. Cougars feeding on a kill may be dangerous.
Always give a cougar an avenue of escape.
Stay calm. Talk to the cougar in a confident voice.
Pick all children up off the ground immediately. Children frighten easily and their rapid movements may provoke an attack.
Do not run. Try to back away from the cougar slowly. Sudden movement or flight may trigger an instinctive attack.
Do not turn your back on the cougar. Face the cougar and remain upright.
Do all you can to enlarge your image. Don't crouch down or try to hide. Pick up sticks or branches and wave them about.
If a cougar behaves aggressively:



Arm yourself with a large stick, throw rocks, speak loudly and firmly. Convince the cougar that you are a threat not prey.
If a cougar attacks, fight back! Many people have survived cougar attacks by fighting back with anything, including rocks, sticks, bare fists, and fishing poles.
Cougars are a vital part of our diverse wildlife. Seeing a cougar should be an exciting and rewarding experience, with both you and the cougar coming away unharmed. However, if you do experience a confrontation with a cougar or feel threatened by one, immediately inform the nearest office of the Conservation Officer service.

I have come across bears while mountain biking in Whistler on numerous occasions. Every time they ran off as soon as they spotted me. A couple of summers ago a couple of friends and I were hiking to
Goat Ridge. We saw fresh scat and tracks on the way up but were not concerned because there were quite a few people on the trail. We were making lots of noise as well. On the way back down we came around a corner of the trail and a lady who was by herself was standing in the middle of the trail. We soon realized why. About 20 metres down trail was a bear, sitting down eating vegetation. This lady had put herself in a bit of a bad situation because she was just standing there yelling at the bear to go away. It had no interest in moving, so we got her to back up with us. We walked back up the trail for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. We came across some more hikers on their way down and we all decided to head down together yelling and screaming. When we came around the corner again we heard the bear dart off down hill. Just below us we could hear it snorting and grunting. If there weren't so many off us I think I would have been a lot more afraid.