We live part of the year in wild country (N.W. B.C. right below the Yukon), Bears are around and hungry I make sure I do not smell like a snack. I do not carry food nor snacks on my person., I never eat in my hammock, tent or anywhere I sleep. My dog is kept right next to me (dogs tease bears and bring the bear right to their owner). We stay off the trails used by bears, I make a lot of noise.
In reality, I have had bears steal food off my table in my house. rip my vehicle open to get garbage that was accidentally left (cookie bag). I think there are only a few places in the Continental U.S.A. where there is a serious bear problem. We have them in Oregon, however just normal precautions are all you need. Some of the big Fed. Parks the bears are accustom to humans feeding them and there is a threat. Tent, hammock or tarp all the same.
Some experience with black bears. NJ has more black bears per square mile than any other state me thinks. They are elusive and tend to be gone before you know they were there. But they are accustomed to finding food left by sloppy campers and hikers and will habitually visit hiker campsites in hopes of errant morsels. This leads me to stealth camping more often than not. Talking while hiking will tend to alert them, and when solo I make it a habit to talk out loud (videos and such) and frequently tap my treking poles. I carry a mini marine compressed air horn on belt and hang it from the ridge line.. I've seen it send a sizable bear running with a short blast.
Like any other species, mama bear is super protective of her cubs so give them wide berth.
No food in camp, NO FOOD IN HAMMOCK. I try to use the bear-muda triangle when it's feasible.
Sent from East of Montauk
Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
Bob's brother-in-law
Smells are what attract the bears. If you smell like food or toothpaste or anything that is not the norm for them, the bear will try to discover what it is and if it's edible. That's what bear bags are for. At Philmont, the hanging of the bear bags is a nightly ritual and monitored closely. There were plenty of nights when we had to lower the bags just to put a bag of nuts in a bear bag that a scout had left in his pants pocket. It is also necessary to wear sleeping clothes each night. If you had a spill or even wiped your mouth on your sleeve and then got in your hammock, that is considered a smellable. We even brushed our teeth far away from our tents. Maybe that's overkill, but we saw plenty of bear alerts on the trail and our troop had trouble with them.
I just tried to watch that guy in the YouTube video above talking to the bear in his tent. It's hard to even describe the anger I have towards him. Not only is he putting the bear's life in danger, but he's also putting any future campers' lives in danger who come to enjoy that particular piece of the wilderness.
Just an out of shape middle aged guy who loves doing outdoor things with his great kids...
www.hikerspantry.weebly.com
I have had several bear encounters in Grand Teton Nat. park while kayaking this summer. Clapping and a loud voice worked just fine. I carry bear spray plus the above mentioned compressed air horn. The horn is much faster & easier to use. Hopefully the spray isn't needed but I have it handy just in case. Just be careful firing off the horn too close to your camp mates. My friend caused his daughter temporary deafness in one ear by using it too close to her head when they came upon momma bear & cub. We are lucky in that Leigh Lake at GTNP has bear boxes and poles at every campsite. My hardest thing to remember is chapstick in my PFD pocket.
"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love.... and then we return home."
Australian Aboriginal Proverb
Why, praytell, would that remotely get me banned?
no-horses-no-trailbikes-no-vehicles.jpg
Last edited by AdventureMyk; 08-16-2016 at 23:34.
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