Camping in black bear country

[Riparian]

How many of you dont bother to hang food bags while in the back country? I make frequent trips in and I find hanging my food pack to be a real pain.

 

I know its better safe than sorry, but im thinking the original settlers and natives of this land didnt go around hanging their food from a tree.

[Fisherman]

Some things can be a chore like hanging up the food packs. Now if you're using the food packs as a pillow and find Smokey trying to have a late night snack while you're trying to get some shuteye, don't come complaining. You figure out the odds and take your chances.

[huey graphite]

I don't have to worry about this. With my appetite, when I go camping the bears hide their food.

[Jay T]

Remember when in bear country, always take someone that runs slower than you

[Hookset]

Hmmmm,

 

It only takes one Black Bear in a lifetime, to ruin things in a big way.

If my food can't go into a vehicle, I'll hang it from a tree.

And for crying out loud don't hang it in a tree right next to, or in, camp.

If old Blackie finds out he can't get to what is hanging in the tree, it's best that he doesn't make this discovery 10 feet from your tent.

As far as the Settlers and Natives camping from years ago, to them it was living, not camping.

They would have loved to see a Blackie coming to camp. He'd be a meal and a new pair of

mitts and a hat in no time .

I bring the best anti-Bear device with me whenever I camp out.

 

German Shepard...

 

Bears hate any dog, no matter the size and will normally not come anywhere close.

 

 

Hookset.

[Riparian]

Some things can be a chore like hanging up the food packs. Now if you're using the food packs as a pillow and find Smokey trying to have a late night snack while you're trying to get some shuteye, don't come complaining. You figure out the odds and take your chances.

 

lol. I can see the headlines now "man gets attacked by bear, Man didnt bear proof campsite"

 

I hear what you are saying tho.

[Riparian]

I bring the best anti-Bear device with me whenever I camp out.

 

German Shepard...

 

I have one of those...

[brookieman]

Just purchae a barrel from your local shop. Their darn near airtight. Never had a problem bear yet.

[Fishnfiend]

I would still put the barrell up a tree as well. The bears will smell food inside.

 

Basically, you want to get your food high enough that the smell of your food is carried far away from it's location and/or dissipates before hitting the ground. About 25-30 is the height I hang my food/cooler.

 

(I am knocking on wood right now) I have never seen a bear while camping. I attribute this to being careful with ANYTHING that smells like food, including toothpaste, deodarant, etc. I also like to bang a pot just before I start cooking fish, bacon or something really fragrant.

 

Camping on islands or points will reduce your chance of bear encounters.

[MJL]

Leave a few cans of beer outside your tent and hope the bear gets wasted before it gets to your food (or considers you as food)

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5756809

 

I also find hanging food a pain. I usually get my bigger friends to take care of hoisting it up before going to sleep.

[jedimaster]

Why take the chance. There are far more bear attacks than what you hear about in the news.

Hang it far away from where you will camp. If a bear enters your site one nite looking for food, move far away to another site. It will come back.

[troutologist]

I too find throwing a rope over a branch in the bush pretty frustrating. Most of the lakes I camp on have dead cedars or spruce leaning out over the water on the shore. After dinner we paddle a 100m or so down the shoreline and hang it on one of these trees. Have had no problems yet doing this even seeing bears in camp during dinner. My opinion its worth it to be cautious, every year you hear about some encounter involving campers and bears.

[solopaddler]

Hmmm, I dunno. I've spent literally months alone in the bush and never once have I ever bothered to hang my food pack in a tree, never once had a problem.

Mind you I never ever bring food into the tent...that's just asking for trouble.

[sharper]

Safety comes first, hang the food!

[solopaddler]

The chances of trouble, especially an attack from a black bear are negligible. You've got a better chance of being struck by lightning, winning the lottery or getting hit by a bus.

Now, if you're talking grizzly bears or polar bears then that's a different story.

But hey, if hanging your pack in black bear country allows you to sleep better at night then why not.

It's certainly not a bad idea, just not anything I worry about personally.

[Raf]

same as solopaddler, i never hang my food and not too concerned. it's usually stored in a barrel. i've had a black bear come into camp and loud noises sent it on its way.

 

food or eating in a tent is a no-no however.

[mason05]

I always hang the food way up the tree. Whether it be in a barrell or a pack it's better to be safe than sorry. It's really not that much of a pain with a good truckers knot, it easily comes undone but is as strong as can be. The only time food is on the ground is when I'm camping on a small island where I can see if the area is truly bear free.

 

Corn Nug

[Tarzan's Jane]

I read a book about bears prior to my canoe trip....and one part that surprised me was this quote from the book BEAR AWARE...."Although there is no real evidence to support this theory, some bear experts believe that human sexual activity attracts bears."

 

(no wonder there were 6 at our site)

[Riparian]

[Gerritt]

OFC has turned "blue" Bow chicka Bow wow!

 

G.

[solopaddler]

I read a book about bears prior to my canoe trip....and one part that surprised me was this quote from the book BEAR AWARE...."Although there is no real evidence to support this theory, some bear experts believe that human sexual activity attracts bears."

 

(no wonder there were 6 at our site)

 

Oh wow that's really bizarre, I was thinking about my only black bear "incident" when I typed my 1st response, thought about telling the story then decided not to.

But why not?

I was way, way off the beaten path deep in the heart of Pukaskwa National Park with my girlfriend at the time.

Prior to the trip she badgered me with questions about bears...needless to say she was more than a little paranoid.

To ease her fears she bought herself a can of pepper spray which she carried around in her pocket day and night the entire trip.

Anyhoo, it's a warm summer day and we were lying next to each other on this gorgeous little white sand beach with my canoe pulled up beside us on our left side.

Things were starting to get...interesting when she suddenly sits up, looks to our left and in a strangely calm voice says "Mike, there's a bear walking right towards us".

"Yeah right" says I, "Must have been a squirrel or a chipmunk, c'mon" and I pulled her back down.

With the sound of the waves lapping on the shore and the wind in the trees how she heard anything still boggles my mind, but I digress. I suppose her paranoia gave her super hearing .

Well at that point she stood up and kicked me in the ribs (hard!) and says in this really TENSE voice "There is a bear and he's walking right at us!!"

Okay, I got the point, LOL! I stand up and sure enough there's a young male black bear maybe around 100lb's about 20' away.

"Cool" says I, and fumble to grab my camera. "Oh crap" says Susan while she fumbles for her can of pepper spray .

The bear froze when we both stood up, obviously startled. I whisper to Sue, "Don't make a move" while I edged over to my camera bag. Just as I turned my camera on and was about to get a perfect shot, Sue finally finds her can of spray and starts spraying it with a random fan-like motion while screaming like a banshee .

Of course she caught me with some of it and I started wailing myself .

I managed to get off one wobbly shot of the bears butt with tears streaming down my face as he turned tail and ran.

True story .

[Tarzan's Jane]

LOL...OMG that's funny Solopadler...LOL I think I'm going to have the chuckles all night over that one.

[Dano]

Hmmm, I dunno. I've spent literally months alone in the bush and never once have I ever bothered to hang my food pack in a tree, never once had a problem.

Mind you I never ever bring food into the tent...that's just asking for trouble.

 

Yea, same here. Lol, good story!

Edited October 16, 2007 by Dano

[Moosebunk]

Hmmm, I dunno. I've spent literally months alone in the bush and never once have I ever bothered to hang my food pack in a tree, never once had a problem.

Mind you I never ever bring food into the tent...that's just asking for trouble.

 

 

I'm with Mike, although not spending months in the bush, I probably camp out more than most. Never in the tent, although I do wash myself in calf's blood. Lately I've been wizzing my beers around the site at likely entrance points, just because it's fun.

[solopaddler]

Lately I've been wizzing my beers around the site at likely entrance points, just because it's fun.

 

I do the same thing at night around my deck to keep the coons away.

 

Calf's blood? LOL!