A word of caution to those wishing to hike through bear country in Montana in order to commune with nature:

Hikers are advised wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them.

Hikers also advised to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Hikers should learn to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings.

Black bear droppings are smaller and contain lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear droppings have noisy little bells in them and smell like pepper.