Camping in black bear country

[Cookslav]

I've spent my fair share of time in the bush

IMHO

 

It Makes ZERO difference when it comes to bears....

Just Think rationally about it for a few seconds.

 

If you hang your food, all your really doing is keeping it away from him...he will still smell/track it the

same way he would have if its on the ground or not.

 

Infact…

If you have it raised up in the breeze your actually spreading the scent more efficiently.

 

Seriously,

If you put it in the tree, your MORE likely to have a large furry visitor snooping around, although he'll prolly just leave once he gets it through his thick skull that the food is outta his reach

(but that can sometimes take a while)

On the flip side if your food is on the ground and he finds it he'll eat it and tear your gear to shreds in the process....

 

So take your pick,

lower your odds of an encounter and increase your convenience by leaving it on the ground

(away from your tent obviously)

or

Raise the odds of a visit, but Guarantee your food, and gears safety

 

But for real...

Its not the fricken bears you should worry about!!!

 

I personally Hang it cause I like my gear the way it is….

Its the bloody coons, skunks, and Squirrels that mess with your gear more often then a bear will

 

And to be honest I reeeeeely don't find it that hard anyway???

 

 

So I say Hang it…

[brookieman]

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.

 

Oh...well i spent pretty much all summer in my tent, always with a barrel full of food and never hung it. I don't see the need. I simply park it next to a tree some 30 feet from the tent. My attitude is if a bear does happen to find it and wants in...i'm gonna hear him. Last thing i want is some bear trying to get his hands on my grub, especially when i'm out for 1 week+. I'll be out of my tent trying to scare him off!

Edited October 16, 2007 by brookieman

[bowshep]

l have had Two incounters with bears. Respect there size and make noise thrash sticks on bushes, bang pots. The critter that has caused more damage is the damn mice. But its alot easyer to step on a mouse than a bear. Peace Ken

[irishfield]

Oh...well i spent pretty much all summer in my tent, always with a barrel full of food and never hung it. I don't see the need. I simply park it next to a tree some 30 feet from the tent. My attitude is if a bear does happen to find it and wants in...i'm gonna hear him. Last thing i want is some bear trying to get his hands on my grub, especially when i'm out for 1 week+. I'll be out of my tent trying to scare him off!

 

yah...but when you're shivering on a Lake LE island do you think yogi is gonna swim out there? LOL

[brookieman]

yah...but when you're shivering on a Lake LE island do you think yogi is gonna swim out there? LOL

 

 

Cheap shot!!....and it was Diamond. Yogi was too busy freezing his butt off those nights

[irishfield]

Sorry ...couldn't resist!

[brandon]

just keep that one important fact in mind.......if a black bear attacks, it's a predatory attack and it WILL try and eat you.....always fight back and like others have said make loud noises or get some bear spray or bear bangers. And I read one comment about bears being afraid of any dog.....I personally feel differently about that. Some dogs, if properly trained will scare away a bear whereas other dogs will induce an attack. If your walking through bear territory with a poorly trained dog off leash and curiosity gets the best of him, chances are if he stumbles on a bear either the dog isn't coming back or the dog will lead the bear right back to you. However having a properly trained dog, I feel is one of the best things you can have to reduce any encounter at all without coming to the decision of what might need to be done if an encounter happens. And I know its not advised to run from black bears or any bear for that matter but keep in mind bears along with most animals run better uphill than downhill.....if you must run......head downhill and dont stop. I actually just read that bears can run 35mph from a dead stop on even ground.....that fact just amazes me that an animal that awkward and robust looking can reach those speeds that quickly. And just be calm when you see a bear. I see them daily when I hike out here and you should see some of the people go bananas when they see a bear. The bear is just off in a berry patch minding its own business 80-100 yards off the trail and i see people yelling at the top of their lungs just making complete fools of themselves. Most of this is due to improper education about bears and bear encounters and those examples as well as people asking me if its a black bear or a grizzly bear prompted me to volunteer for the Bear Aware Program here in BC and I love it.....but man some people are just so oblivious to bears yet they live in the same area as them....I know this post/rant really doesnt have much to do with the original but I thought i'd chime in with some of my thoughts/ experiences.

[Musky or Specks]

Seen plenty of bears but never had one in camp. Food in a barrel and keep it away from tent never had a problem. Dogs arent any protection as a matter of fact heres a link to a great story from last year about a guy who killed a bear with a buck knife that was attacking his pitbull.

 

http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/viewtop...awa+bear+attack

[Guest skeeter99]

that is why you aslways take your firearm with you

 

you can shoot a bear in self defence, when I go fishing in kapuskasing the rifle always comes

[Badger Shark]

When we camp we try to keep our cooking area as far away from our sleeping area and we seal our coolers tightly and raise into the trees as best we can. Doing this we have never had a problem. The main pests seem to be the coons.

[brandon]

better make sure its bear hunting season when the rifle is with you.....a CO would have no problem charging you with hunting out of season even if you are fishing or just hiking....i'd say bear spray or bear bangers are the safest route

[KyleM]

brandon, if you head out on a roadtrip you can see the attitude towards bears change in a big

hurry.

Iam a fair distance North from you but not to many people venture out in the wild here without a large firearm.

The first week I lived here there was a story on the front page of the newspaper about a man who was apparently followed and attacked by a Grizz when doing some scouting for Elk. The man stabbed the bear to death, luckiest man on earth if you ask me.

 

Ive been driving around trying to photograph some but they are pretty darn smart.....not your average bear

 

Well, I dug the story up so Ill post it on here........

 

 

Grizzly cubs sought after mother stabbed

Elise Stolte and Heather Schultz, The Edmonton Journal

Published: Saturday, August 18

Fish and wildlife officers are searching for three orphan grizzly bear cubs after a man fought and killed their mother near Grande Prairie Wednesday.

 

The man came between the mother and her cubs while looking for elk in preparation for the bow-hunting season. When the female grizzly attacked, he stabbed her three times with a hunting knife, then fled across a field, screaming for help, before a neighbour came to his rescue.

 

The man is recovering in a Grande Prairie hospital. He had bites, scratches and a broken limb.

 

The bear fled after the man stabbed it. Her body was found roughly 30 metres from where the attack took place.

 

"Wish him well for me," said Greg Flaaten, a 42-year-old Banff resident mauled by a black bear one year ago.

 

Flaaten was attacked while biking about seven kilometres outside the town of Banff. The bear dragged him off the bike and about 70 metres into the bush, where it ate much of Flaaten's shoulder, back and part of his arm.

 

He was with the bear an hour and 40 minutes before park wardens shot it and rescued him. He still faces monthly reconstructive surgery to graft muscle tissue from his leg to his arm. But if doctors don't see progress soon, he'll lose the arm.

 

"I had a knife, too, but I wasn't able to get to it. Sometimes you're just not able to defend yourself against an animal that powerful and well-equipped for taking prey down. ... I guess I looked like an easy target that day."

 

Flaaten won't talk about the attack itself. "I know everyone is interested, but recounting the details doesn't help me get past it."

 

The man involved in Wednesday night's attack also requested privacy. He asked hospital officials not to release any information to the media.

 

A volunteer firefighter who responded Wednesday night described him as being in his 30s, six-feet tall and of average build. He is not from the community of Grovedale, where the attack took place, but had been asking several farmers in the area if he could hunt on their land, neighbours said.

 

Johann Wall was the first to hear the man's cries.

 

"I was working outside on my truck when I heard him scream and yell for help," Wall said. He jumped in his van and drove down the road and up a hill. "I saw him come running across the field," Wall said. "When he laid down that's when he started to feel the pain."

 

Fish and wildlife officers found the bear's carcass Thursday morning and set traps for the cubs.

 

"What we're hoping is we can relocate them out of the area and release them back into the wild," said Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Darcy Whiteside.

 

The bear's carcass has been sent to Edmonton for a full autopsy. Officials have confirmed it was a grizzly.

 

The attack happened on private land near an oat field and a dense, swampy area, Whiteside said. The cubs were still missing Friday evening.

 

Maurice Nadeau, president of Alberta Fish & Game Association, said it's common practice for hunters to go out before the season to scout where animals are most likely to be.

 

It's easy to surprise a bear because the scout has to be quiet. "It's a risk we take," he said.

 

"Especially this time of year, when you go out, make noise," Whiteside added, pointing to the ministry's website for bear-smart tips.

 

Jasper park warden Steve Malcolm said he's never heard of anyone fighting off and killing a grizzly. An adult grizzly weighs between 350 pounds and 650 pounds and will be searching for food at this time of year, trying to bulk up for the winter, he said. It's much larger than a black bear and generally lives farther from human homes.

 

"If you get a grizzly bear that is protecting her cubs, she's going to do everything she can. That's a pretty typical situation."

[Guest skeeter99]

brandon

 

it does not matter if it is hunting season

 

hundreds of bears get shot by guys in the bush, especially in northern ontario

 

if you are threatened you are allowed to kill it

 

guys from the north know all about this, my friends from kap never travel or camp up there without there firearm

 

 

you never know what can happen when you are 340 miles north of town, not to much around to help you

[Moosebunk]

If ya snore like me you'll have no probs keeping bears at bay. In fact, that black bear would probably think you're a polar bear... and they don't mix those two very well.

[Riparian]

This thread is turning into a "how to" combat a bear in the bush.

 

All thanks to those who replied. It seems to me that the experienced and guides dont hang food packs... and dont seem to have a problem.

 

Run a clean camp, keep your food air tight and you should be fine. Bears are naturally curious, im sure if one was in the vicinity it wouldnt matter if your pack was hanging from a tree or down on ground. In fact, protection from coons in the from of a barrel or locking cooler is advisable.

[jedimaster]

To the guy that said you have a better chance of being struck by lightning....

Well if you ran around in a thunderstorm with a 10 foot metal pole duct taped to your head you would greatly increase your chances of being struck by lightning.

 

Keeping food at ground level or even worse in your tent is like running around with a pole on your head in a thunderstorm when in bear country.

 

Use your head for more than a hat rack. Tie up your food and sleep soundly. or if you want to get your rocks off. leave it on your picnic table 10 feet from your tent wake up in in fear at every crackle or sound when inside your tent.

[solopaddler]

To the guy that said you have a better chance of being struck by lightning....

Well if you ran around in a thunderstorm with a 10 foot metal pole duct taped to your head you would greatly increase your chances of being struck by lightning.

 

Keeping food at ground level or even worse in your tent is like running around with a pole on your head in a thunderstorm when in bear country.

 

Use your head for more than a hat rack. Tie up your food and sleep soundly. or if you want to get your rocks off. leave it on your picnic table 10 feet from your tent wake up in in fear at every crackle or sound when inside your tent.

 

That would have been me Vince, you know the same guy who met you in Port Perry and bought your trailer a couple of weeks ago?

Not sure where you're coming from with those comments bud, but my knowledge and insight comes from 25 years of hardcore wilderness experience which includes several lengthy solo expeditions.

I neither camp near picnic tables nor wake up in fear...

 

It's been mentioned already, but in black bear country the only real legitimate reason for tying up your food is to protect it from chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and skunks.

[Hookset]

I wear a seat belt, but have never been in a car accident.

I have a life preserver in my boat but have never needed it.

My car has an air bag but I've never needed it.

 

I think I'll continue to hang my food in a tree.

Been doing that for over 20 years myself.

Dunno if that makes me an "avid" camper or not.

Takes like 2 or 3 minutes to do.

It's a no brainer to me. If you decide not to hang your food, so be it.

But I sure wouldn't be telling people not to worry about doing it.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

 

Hookset.

[Fishmaster]

Bacon Fat under your bed should keep the little bears away lol...ive been hunting bear country for the past 15years not once has a bear came to camp with us ..

[brookieman]

To the guy that said you have a better chance of being struck by lightning....

Well if you ran around in a thunderstorm with a 10 foot metal pole duct taped to your head you would greatly increase your chances of being struck by lightning.

 

Keeping food at ground level or even worse in your tent is like running around with a pole on your head in a thunderstorm when in bear country.

 

Use your head for more than a hat rack. Tie up your food and sleep soundly. or if you want to get your rocks off. leave it on your picnic table 10 feet from your tent wake up in in fear at every crackle or sound when inside your tent.

 

Jedi, i'm sure glad i don't run around the bush with you. It's comments and attitudes like yours that put everyone in jeaprody....bears too.

 

To the guy that posted about always heading out with a loaded firearm.....to each their own...but if you have a gun with you, you're more likely to use it even WHEN IT'S NOT TRULY WARRANTED. As was posted before, bears are naturally curious animals ( just like humans ). Don't mistake their curiosity for aggression. Unfortunately many do and bears are shot.

 

For all my time in the bush, i've never come across an aggressive bear....curious yes, but never aggressive.

 

Hundreds of thousands go out unarmed into the bush every year....how many "ATTACKS" are you aware of....me, i don't know of too many. Certainly not enough to give them a second thought while running around the backcountry.

 

Everyone's got their opinions on the subject...i just wonder how many of those opinions are educated?

[Fishnfiend]

It's been mentioned already, but in black bear country the only real legitimate reason for tying up your food is to protect it from chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and skunks.

So, bottom line, it doesn't hurt to suspend your food from a high tree branch. It would really suck to have to cut one's trip short because ANY animal got into your food.

[Rizzo]

I've had a bear visit my site one night, and no sir, I didn't like it. Although I don't own a gun, I sure wish I had one at that point. Pretty sure you could hear my heart pounding across the lake the stinky beast was right outside the tent. Man I wish I was a sound sleeper, would've missed all the excitement. I think the best advice I've heard here involved hanging the food, but a LONG way from your camp

[danc]

I live in Black Bear heaven and I haven't done a thing to discourage them while I'm camping. It've driven past as many as 6 or 8 bears within a few miles of where I'll be camping. I look at a bear the same as I do when I see a Bald Eagle, or a Fox. No big deal. "Look. there's a Fox/Bear/Eagle". They live in the forest so we should expect to see them, if we're lucky. I've been face to face with a few Blacks. Apparently I scare them more than they scare me. They don't bother me at all. They're the last thing that I'm concerned about when I head out to the woods. If anything, I'm looking for a photo op when I see one.

[irishfield]

I'm more afraid of a moose than a bear !

[pameladallaire]

Everyone knows how I feel about bears, especially when there is no berries.

 

I love to see them, but I've met up with them too often, been tracked by them on a road walking and our prospector tents have been ransacked. We always leave the tent door open so they don't make a second door out the back.

 

Bears don't want to be seen, they will visit your tent when you are away from it.

They will eat each other when berries are few, and they will eat people too.

Noise doesn't scare away a hungry bear, take the prospector that was attacked with a running chain saw in hand.

Bears think Citronella is catnip, so use a deep based repellent in the bush.

Always walk away from a bear slowly keeping eye contact and never run. Man, they are fast.

When you head to the outhouse at night, with a flashlight, and see two shiny eyes reflecting the light. Walk slowly back to the tent and drink less coffee next time.

 

Pam