Here’s the rule you need to remember: grizzly bear attacks you — play dead. Black bear attacks you — fight back with everything you have. Same situation, completely opposite responses.
Before any of that: if you have bear spray, use it. The National Park Service recommends bear spray as your first line of defense against any bear — it works better than almost anything else and stops most attacks before they become physical. Carry it in bear country. Know how to use it before you go.
If a grizzly (also called a brown bear) launches a *defensive* attack — meaning it’s trying to neutralize a perceived threat — the National Park Service says to leave your pack on and play dead. Get face-down on the ground, protect the back of your neck with your hands, and spread your legs so it’s harder for the bear to flip you over. Stay still even if contact continues — moving too soon can restart the attack. The idea is that in most defensive attacks, a grizzly will stop once it no longer sees you as a threat. Being passive is your best survival move here.
Important exception: if a grizzly attacks you at night or clearly sees you as prey rather than a threat, fight back aggressively — the passive approach is only for defensive attacks.
Black bears are a totally different story. If a black bear attacks you, the National Park Service is clear: do NOT play dead. Instead, be bold and aggressive. Fight back. Make yourself as big as possible. Speak loudly and firmly — not screaming wildly, but direct and assertive. The strategy that saves you from a grizzly could get you killed by a black bear, because black bears respond to someone who pushes back.
The key skill before any of this kicks in is knowing which bear you’re looking at. Black bears and grizzlies both live in North America, so in some areas you genuinely might encounter either one. Learning to tell them apart before you’re ever in the woods is worth your time.
Bottom line: carry bear spray. Grizzly defensive attack = go passive and play dead. Black bear attack = go aggressive and fight back. Know this before your next camping trip.