If you're the stupid type who is really "cruisin' for a bruisin'" and push the bear, you will see several other signals occur before a mountain of fur starts flying towards you at 40 m.p.h. The bear will turn to face you directly and start frothing at the mouth. The bear will stare into your eyes with the very distinctive and forbidding "grizzly frown" (assuming you can recognise bear expressions). If the bear is standing up, he will get down on all fours. A mama bear will nose her cubs into a tight little knot out of harm's way. Finally, the jaws will gape showing a terribly impressive set of huge teeth and the eyes will roll back showing the white and creating a weirdly cold impression, and the head will go low. If you have let things get that far, let's hope you survive the experience, doubtless a most painful one!
Grizzlies also use a number of vocalizations, generally similar to a black bear's. If they object to your presence, they will woof! or whoosh! at you and clack their jaws. This should be taken as a stronger warning than the case with a black bear. if you get growls, especially if they start working up to a roar, take it seriously that Mr. Bear is not happy with your presence. You should freeze looking away until the bear has finished giving you a piece of his mind, then back off slowly. Grizzlies growl a lot more than black bears and it is a wonderfully expressive sound, just dripping with menace, murder and mayhem. A grizzly may back up his vocalizations by tearing up a sapling or biting it off (a 4-inch sapling is a piece of cake, grizzlies have been known to bite through cast iron frying pans). He is letting you know what he might do to you if you push him any further.
One of the cardinal rules when pressed, followed, or charged by a grizzly is DON'T RUN! This seems to give the grizzly the irresistible impulse to chase you and may even inspire predatory behavior. A surprising number of bear mauling victims were trying to run to a tree, or had even climbed part-way up before being dragged down. You must quietly but firmly hold your ground, looking at the grizzly but not quite directly. This signals your desire for no trouble but also your willingness to fight back if you have to. Unarmed bear researchers have stood down hundreds of grizzly charges without being harmed this way. Glaring at the grizzly, shouting and arm-waving tends to suggest that you are spoiling for a fight. It is appropriate when dealing with half-grown grizzlies (who MUST be discouraged from the idea that it's fun to intimidate humans) but not the big guys or a mother with cubs. The grizzly is likely to pull up only a few feet away and grumble and whuff at you. Accept the reproach as calmly and confidently as possible (body posture is ALWAYS important around bears, stand tall, don't cringe) and stay where you are until the bear decides to move away, then slowly and calmly move away.
