Connie and the Bear

Last Tuesday afternoon, Island Park resident, Connie Funkhauser set out for a run to Sawtell Mountain. She outfitted her two German shepherds, Max and Shelby, with bells on their collars. Strapping on her fanny pack with bear spray and a cell phone, she put her whistle lanyard around her neck and loaded her handgun. Connie was off and running.

As she neared the base of Sawtell and the forest thickened, she noticed that Max suddenly showed an alert. Connie scanned the forest where her dog was focusing his attention and saw what initially looked to be a bedded elk at the timber’s edge. Stopping to better assess the situation, she saw the shimmer of a golden fur coat, the movement of legs and realized that she was fifteen yards from a bear. Suddenly, the bear turned his head towards her and her worst fear was confirmed, it was a large grizzly.

The bear took an aggressive step towards her, a mock charge to test her response. Max reciprocated with the same move towards the bear. Connie raised her pistol and shot a round above the animal. The combined responses stopped the bear’s attack and gave Connie time to draw her spray. She began blowing her whistle as her growling dogs held their ground between her and the bear.  The grizzly apparently decided that this well-armed, loud woman and her two devoted dogs were more trouble than they were worth. Yelling in a loud and firm voice at the bear, Connie slowly backed away. The encounter culminated in an acknowledgement of one another as the grizzly retreated.

Connie explained that each day before she runs, she mentally rehearses what she will do in the event of a bear encounter. She was emphatic that one should never run with earbuds because unobstructed hearing is necessary to perceive any danger.  She attributes her survival to her preparation and a hand from the man-upstairs.

A successful bear encounter is one that allows both the bear and the individual to continue on without injury. Connie’s experience is a textbook example of how to behave in bear country.