Chapleau area fishing?

[lookinforwalleye]

Only 6 years Terry....

[Guest ----]

Haha....yah old thread...I was actually there the year the OP started this thread and have been back a bunch of times since. Yep...there's lots of bears alright.....lot's of fish too. If you put your food away properly and use the fish cleaning stations the bears will leave you alone. The group I go with all stay in tents. As for bringing a .303, not a smart choice inside the chapleau game preserve Lots of noise usually keeps em away

[sauce]

If you have a dog, bring it. I watched in amazement as a 20 lb beagle chased a 200 lb black bear out of our camp on crown land near bisco one year. Funny, didn't see that dog before or after that encounter. He must have been with one of the hunting groups that were camping further back from the lake. But he lit a fire under that bear and sent him scampering along the shoreline. Bear didn't look back until he was over 1/2 km away on the far side of the bay. The dog never left camp. And the bear didn't come back for the rest of our stay.

Edited April 2, 2013 by sauce

[Big Cliff]

"shoot it if you feel it's endangering you"

 

That's a very open ended statement as there's no clear legal classification as to what "endangering" is. I know we're getting into semantics but I can guarantee to you if you get caught in the bush with a loaded firearm in the middle of the summer, you are putting yourself in line for some serious weapons charges. Right or wrong, that's the law and there's plenty of prosecutors that would line up to shove it right up your arse. Not saying i agree with it but......

 

You can't single out individual events as the norm. If we did that, this entire society would be running around with guns in our cities for our own "personal protection". I've spent years in the bush and reitterate that 99% of the time, there is no harm. As for the mother with cubs comment....Are you reciting what you believe to be the truth, or have you actually been in a situation and seen first hand what a mother with cubs does? I've had 3 occasions where i've stumbled upon mom and cubs and in all three circumstances, mother lifted here head, sniffed the air, looked around, and went about her business. Bears don't look for confrontation. That's a last resort....so don't give them a reason to attack. As for the swipe comment, Black bears that are ticked off, will usually bluff charge you a fewe times......contact is extremely rare. Look at all the documented bear encounters with campers and let me know how many are predatory??? Not many. The chances of a black bear clawing or biting you in camp is extremely rare. Does it happen, yes. But people also get hit by cars crossing the road. Should they carry guns for protection too?

 

The problem with carrying a gun, is again, what does "endanger" mean? I'd bet there's be a lot of trigger happy campers and fisherman as soon as they saw a bear even close to camp.

 

The original point of this thread was about whether there's problem bears in Chapleau Crown Game Preserve. I still say NO. In populated areas YES. I'd feel more than comfortable sleeping under the stars in Chapleau area as long as my camp was clean.

 

Education is everything, and experience counts. Educate yourself on what is true and not what popular conjecture is!

 

Solopaddler has spent lots of time in wild areas. I wonder if he's ever felt bears were a problem in the backcountry?

I too have spent many years in the bush and had many bear encounters. I echo your thoughts and comments. You are more likely to have a run in with a skunk or raccon in your camp than a bear.

[Fish4Eyes]

If you have a dog, bring it. I watched in amazement as a 20 lb beagle chased a 200 lb black bear out of our camp on crown land near bisco one year. Funny, didn't see that dog before or after that encounter. He must have been with one of the hunting groups that were camping further back from the lake. But he lit a fire under that bear and sent him scampering along the shoreline. Bear didn't look back until he was over 1/2 km away on the far side of the bay. The dog never left camp. And the bear didn't come back for the rest of our stay.

 

Your experience sounds positive, but what were to happen if the bear was not having it and decided to pursue the dog. A dog which will more than likely run back to you for protection and in return exposing you to danger. Having a dog on a leash with you is better as the barking will more than likely annoy the bear causing it to leave.

[Big Cliff]

And there you have the answer, a 20 lb beagle scared off a 200 lb black bear. Ask yourself why? Do you think the bear was afraid of something not a lot bigger than a jackrabbit? If the bear had really wanted to eat that beagle it could have but rather than a confrontation the bear chose to run away. Why do you think that a 200 lb bear would want to take on a 200+ lb human, doesn't make any sense at all that it would run away from a 20 lb dog but take on something 10 times the dogs size.

 

The dog chased the bear but it didn't try to run up and kill it, it made a nusance of itself, the bear moved away, the dog only followed it until it was sure the bear kept going. If the bear had turned back on the dog it would have retreated enough to keep out of reach but kept up the noise. Ever walked down a street and had a dog run out at you? Run away it will follow, stop and walk toward it and it will back off but it will keep up the racket until you finally leave the area. The dog won!

 

You meet a bear in the bush, keep your head, don't turn your back, if it does fake a charge stand your ground, look it in the eyes! Unless that bear has no other choice (and I mean NO OTHER CHOICE) it will leave.

 

It always amazes me when I see a grown man that is afraid to pick up a mouse or something like that. What do they think the mouse is going to do? Eat them? A fish hook through the ear lobe, no big deal but a mouse might bite you LOL?

[TJQ]

Sadly, most of the guys who posted on this thread were eventually eaten by black bears over the years...

 

 

Im back... I had to wait till I was passed...

 

Ive been in the bush most of my life.. only one REAL encounter that I had to do anything about... the other was at my house.. I wouldnt be too worried about the bears.. just stay away from the cubs and youll be ok.

[Tayzak15]

One of the best fishing areas in the world IMO between Timmins and Chapleau highway 101 and everything in the general area.

[lew]

My grandparents owned this hotel in Chapleau back in the early 1900's

 

This picture was taken in 1917 with my grandfather standing, in the white shirt, grandma sitting down holding the baby which was my uncle Leonard and the little girl is my aunt Mable.

 

My mom didn't come along for another 6 years.

 

Betcha the fishing around Chapleau was pretty darned good 100 years ago.

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by lew

[BillM]

Lew, that pic is great!

[lew]

Yeah, that's my family roots right there Bill.

 

I've got that pic enlarged 12 x 18 and hanging in the family room.

[Guest ----]

Great Pic! Now it's replaced by the "aux trois moulins."

[lew]

I had to copy and paste that into Google to see what the heck it meant

[Guest ----]

I had to copy and paste that into Google to see what the heck it meant

Haha...great place to grab a hot shower for $10 after you've been in the bush for a week or two.

[express168]

Hey, I'm ok not eaten by any bears! I thought I had gone back in time there for a moment, wish I was actually 6 years younger again. I wound up going to the Gogama area instead but hope to fish the Chapleau area in the future. By the way no bear encounters in the Gogama area on that trip.