Chapleau Crown Game Preserve

[bobowski]

Hello, Im gonna be heading up to the Chapleau Game Preserve at the end of this week for a few days of back lake fishing. I have done a lot of research and it seems as though the bears are or could be an issue. I am going to bring some bear mase and maybe some bear bangers but I just wanted some input on how safe it would be for me to camp in the preserve. Im pretty sure that I will be fine so I guess im just looking for some reassurance. Also is it ok for me to just leave my car on the side of one of the logging roads for a few days? Has anyone done this before? I read a nice report by solopaddler a few weeks ago and it seemed to me that he just left his car at the side of the road with no issues.Any help would be great. I am really looking forward to this trip and just want to make sure I will be safe aswell as my car. Thanks

[SylvanOwner]

Did a trip to the Reserve a couple years back with some buddies. We stayed in the campground (big mistake by the way - the fishing sucked) and there was a lot of bear activity, we had one pretty well destroy one of the tents while we were out and the staff were trying to trap and relocate the "problem" bear after shooting with rubber bullets failed.

 

We saw lots of bears driving around and since it is a reserve they don't ever get hunted, seemed like there was one behind every tree . They of course have some natural fear of people but less here than in other places I've been, my opinion. I'm a regular camper in bear country and generally have little concern, take precautions = no problem. Be a little more careful here.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[danbouck]

We saw lots of bears driving around

 

That would be quite the sight

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

it seems somewhere along the lines parents/teachers have bred fear of black bears into people...

 

there are bears in chapleau. if you are foolish with where you leave your food you may invite an encounter.

 

if however you leave your food away from your campsite, don't throw food waste in your fire, and keep a noise maker nearby just in case you should not have any problems with bears.

 

as far as bear spray, i think it's more of a danger than the bears.

[anders]

it seems somewhere along the lines parents/teachers have bred fear of black bears into people...

 

there are bears in chapleau. if you are foolish with where you leave your food you may invite an encounter.

 

if however you leave your food away from your campsite, don't throw food waste in your fire, and keep a noise maker nearby just in case you should not have any problems with bears.

 

as far as bear spray, i think it's more of a danger than the bears.

 

Well said!

 

You will see bears...like dr. said, keep your food stored properly and you shouldnt have an issue...the fear of bears imo is media fed and unwarrented for the most part.

 

Enjoy your trip...you should have a good one

[bare foot wader]

as far as bear spray, i think it's more of a danger than the bears.

 

proper and safe preparation will be your biggest safety ticket...but failing all that, bear spray IS effective in a confrontation and will stop a charging bear in her tracks...for less than 50 bucks well worth having on your body IMO....also gives me peace of mind when tenting

[solopaddler]

You probably won't have any issues. I didn't when I was there, didn't even see one in fact.

 

They're much more of a problem in the campground than in the bush in the middle of nowhere.

 

No issues parking on the side of the road.

 

Enjoy your trip and good luck.

[bobowski]

Thanks everyone. Im looking forward to a great trip. I will post a report when I return.

[The Birdfish]

I don't do alot of camping but I am intersted in best storage for food the most people have mentioned??? I understand not buring food waste etc.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i myself usually keep a food cooler off site. often this means paddling the canoe a few hundred feet up the shore and tying it off a long that hangs over the water or something. cooking mess and food waste is taken care of off camp site, fish remains off site, etc...

 

proper storage to me means storing your food away from your persons...

[CLofchik]

That would be quite the sight

 

 

Has anybody mentioned not to clean fish by your camp site?

And don't leave food in the car either. Just keep your site clean, wash off everything that had food on it and hang your food from a tree. I've been backcountry tripping for decades and outside of campgrounds & Algonquin I've had more problems with raccoons than bears.

[The Birdfish]

Can't bears climb for food???

[Fish4Eyes]

Can't bears climb for food???

 

 

They sure can, and they can smell it up there from a distance. Your wasting your time putting it in a tree. What about all the people that go camping in a camper? They keep their food in the fridge, inside the camper.