Bears make a fairly loud, sharp, snorting, woofing, or huffing sound by blowing a large breath of air through their nostrils and mouth. They do this when they're expressing fear or agitation and sometimes as a prelude to possibly becoming aggressive.

What sounds does a bear make?

Most bear species make vocalizations that sound like a huff, chomp, woof, growl, and/or bark which mean the bear is agitated, angry or annoyed. A bawl, bellow, squeal or whimper indicates pain. A mumble, hum, or purr indicates contentment. In many cases vocalizations are done along with some type of body posturing.

Why does a bear Huff?

These are basically expressions of fear, nervousness and apprehension. ... Huffing is another sound a scared bear makes. They make this sound after they have run away or climbed a tree. They make it in the same context that a person would say, “Whew, you scared me.” They make it when they stop retreating.