DayZ Bear Guide: How to Survive Attacks & Hunt Bears

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With the DayZ Update 1.14, bears have not only received a re-skin but have also become much stronger. We will show you what has changed and how to best defend yourself in the current version 1.23 (December 2023).

Article Highlights:

• Bears are the strongest adversaries in DayZ and have been further strengthened with Update 1.14.
• You will only encounter bears in the northern and western regions of Chernarus.
• In Livonia, you will find bears only in the south.
• With some tricks, you can overwhelm the bear's AI.
• Weapons like the AKM (K-AM) or Mosin are particularly suitable for bear hunting.

This is how bears look after the update. (Source: reddit.com)

All Bear Spawns in Chernarus and Livonia

The Best Weapon & Caliber to Hunt Bears in DayZ

In Version 1.13, you could take down a bear with a few well-aimed headshots. However, the number has drastically increased now, as follows:

Even though 6 headshots with an assault rifle may sound achievable, remember, bears rush towards you at a crazy pace and will knock you out in a single blow. If you've attacked them first, they won't hesitate, and kill you.  To kill a bear in DayZ 1.14 and beyond with body shots, it takes twice as many hits as headshots.

The Best Tactics for Dealing with Bears in DayZ

The best tactic to not get killed by a bear in DayZ is not facing it. If a bear spots you from a distance, lay down on the ground and don't move an inch! Bears have incredibly poor perception and will lose track of you quickly.
If it is too late to lie low and the bear attacks you, don't panic: As mentioned above, it won't kill you as long as you haven't inflicted any damage on it. However, if you've become panicky and fired at the colossal creature, it will go into a kind of "beast mode" and attack relentlessly until you're dead.

Hide instead of fighting. (Source: Wobo via Youtube)

To defeat a bear in a direct confrontation, you need a cover that a bear cannot easily pass. While bears are not particularly agile, they can jump over small obstacles. Look for the following types of cover:

• Trees
• Gates
• Piles of garbage
• Concrete pillars
• Narrow passages in villages

These covers can overwhelm the bear AI's pathfinding and could get him stuck. However, be cautious, as there is still a possibility that your furry enemy may find a way through or around. Especially with trees, where you need to keep the bear at the exact opposite of your position. You can also increase your chances of survival by using bear traps. These traps reduce the bear's health by 25%. When combined with the cover tactic, nothing should go wrong. We wish you good luck in taking down a bear!

Your Tips: If you already know other ways to deal with a bear in DayZ, share your methods in the comments and join us on social media channels (via Linktr.ee)!