stioc
Expedition Leader
If you left the generator on all night, the bear would be the last thing you need to worry about hurting you :coffeedrink:
Bears and Overlanding
- Thread starter KevinR
- Start date
If you left the generator on all night, the bear would be the last thing you need to worry about hurting you :coffeedrink:
java
Expedition Leader
i haver had bears go thru my back yard many times, we live on a salmon stream and they come for that and stick around for the neighbors garbage. we have all gotten pretty good about keeping the garbage in the garage and they dont stick around like they did.
only thing is they knock boards out of muy fence and i worry about the dog. he thinks everyone is friendly and would run right at them, but never had any probs. my paintball gun scares them off. little sting and loud noise. i do have bear spray in the house but no guns.
only thing is they knock boards out of muy fence and i worry about the dog. he thinks everyone is friendly and would run right at them, but never had any probs. my paintball gun scares them off. little sting and loud noise. i do have bear spray in the house but no guns.
matt s
Explorer
The fences work. In fact they are used routinely by nature photographers here when they spend time tenting in heavy bear habitat like McNeil and Brooks.
As to the vehicle. When I have a cabin or vehicle to work from I defend my castle and prize (food). Honestly any normal curious bear will take off when you spook them (we don't have too many of those Yosemite car driving bears:Wow1
. Usually a little yelling and arm waving send them running. Banging pots and pans works too. I keep the food in the car and sleep there too. I second those that would pepper spray an overly curious bear. Yes, teach them well and you may save their life. Around here every one knows that a trash bear is a dead bear. It's sad but too often true.
Besides they are way more fun up close and alive!
As to the vehicle. When I have a cabin or vehicle to work from I defend my castle and prize (food). Honestly any normal curious bear will take off when you spook them (we don't have too many of those Yosemite car driving bears:Wow1
. Usually a little yelling and arm waving send them running. Banging pots and pans works too. I keep the food in the car and sleep there too. I second those that would pepper spray an overly curious bear. Yes, teach them well and you may save their life. Around here every one knows that a trash bear is a dead bear. It's sad but too often true. Besides they are way more fun up close and alive!
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djrez4
Adventurer
Wow - that is a horrific shoop! :Wow1:
Every bear encounter I've had has been backcountry camping. Generally, those bears will take off in a hurry if you bang pots or yell. I only had one bear that kept circling our campsite, coming in from the opposite side each time we scared it away.
I still plan to keep the 12-gauge handy in the truck and hope it never becomes necessary.
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007
Explorer
I've had two close bear encounters here in Montana, one was while I was inside the tent, a black bear pushed his nose into my tent so I sissy punched it from an awkward - just woke up angle and the bear ran off.
The second was while bow hunting I accidentally snuck up on a Grizzly and it reacted with anger. I didn't have time to grab my pepper spray or draw my bow but I did manage to scream like a wild woman and take a few steps forward. The bear hit his brakes and turned away as fast as he came. I could not believe how bad my legs where shaking and how defenseless I felt.
The Grizzly encounter made me realize that these beasts are just too fast and big for anything to give you total protection. I would not have felt more comfortable with a hand gun because it wouldn't likely have stopped it even if I could have drawn it. A shotgun in hand would be better, but i still would have needed to hit it in the head for immediate results and the head was not an easy target.
A very High powered rifle like a .338 UltraMag would give me a lot more confidence in stopping a charging bear, but I'm not going to pack that around everywhere I go.
So it boils down to pepper spray, hope and returned aggression!
But in a tent the pepper spray seems limited, so I keep a Glock .40 for peace of mind, but I realize that sometimes bears win and I'm ok with that.
The second was while bow hunting I accidentally snuck up on a Grizzly and it reacted with anger. I didn't have time to grab my pepper spray or draw my bow but I did manage to scream like a wild woman and take a few steps forward. The bear hit his brakes and turned away as fast as he came. I could not believe how bad my legs where shaking and how defenseless I felt.
The Grizzly encounter made me realize that these beasts are just too fast and big for anything to give you total protection. I would not have felt more comfortable with a hand gun because it wouldn't likely have stopped it even if I could have drawn it. A shotgun in hand would be better, but i still would have needed to hit it in the head for immediate results and the head was not an easy target.
A very High powered rifle like a .338 UltraMag would give me a lot more confidence in stopping a charging bear, but I'm not going to pack that around everywhere I go.
So it boils down to pepper spray, hope and returned aggression!
But in a tent the pepper spray seems limited, so I keep a Glock .40 for peace of mind, but I realize that sometimes bears win and I'm ok with that.
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
Thats why I always hike with a friend! :bike_rider:
Not to mention you would have absolutely no warning if the bear did show up!
I have been told dogs are a no no around bears, but my experience has shown me that my dog giving a bark at night is enough to wake me up and grab my bear spray and the Judge. With both of those, I feel less uncomfortable. I am still much more concerned about nosy people than nosy bears.
Bear spray is the best, IMO, except we were asked for advice as to food practices with a vehicle. Keep youself from smelling too much of food, especially fish. If you will be sleeping in the vehicle, then do not pack your food into the vehicle. If you are in bear country, invest in a bear can or two, they strap to roof racks well. A critter bag is an option as well. More food means more time needed to stow it properly, but it all boils down to this: The time you take to keep bears from having a reason to approach you is always less then the time you will spend in the hospital if you don't. Where ever you decide to sleep, apply tent rules. No food inside, food hung up or canned at least 100 ft. away, and change out of clothes that smell like food before you go to bed, wash dishes before bed.
EDIT: OP. You have the right idea. Maybe additional precautions could be to get a mat to lay under cooking area, or a tablecloth, and give it a good cleaning before you stow it. It would seem to be a cheap solution to your worries!
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Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I'm always a little alarmed that so many backcountry solutions on these boards so regularly involve a gun. That's discouraging.
Desolation
Adventurer
This "kit" can be duplicated for less though the price considering that you may save a bears life is not to great.
http://www.electrobearguard.com/Product.html
http://www.electrobearguard.com/Product.html
It is always better to be safe than sorry. Most people would use every available option before resorting to using a gun.
Bugspray
Adventurer
I camp on average 30 or so nights right in the heart of bear country and I have a freezer fridge full of goodies and I sleep in a roof top tent. From past experience keeping bottle rockets, bearspray and 20ga. buckshot or slugs(real lead) is a good idea. I havent had to use the latter two yet.....its essential to keep your camp as clean as possible.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
That's the best advice yet. I used to guide multi-day bicycle trips in Alaska in thick bear turf and the real challenge was to prepare meals for 14 people and not leave so much as a tiny spec of food on the ground. Keeping food covered and contained before and after a meal was very important. I was also amazed by how many bears would scoot into the bushes with the first blast of a hand held air horn.
007
Explorer
Why does it alarm you and why is it discouraging?
Does it alarm and discourage you that the Fish and Game carry guns?
mtnbike28
Expedition Leader
What we did....
Last summer during our trip to Monongahela National Forest, we had bears in our camp two days in a row.
The first night there, I had warned the couple with us, there were bears in the area and we needed to be clean, hang a bear bag, etc. Well we got back to camp late, cooked dinner and carried our plates out to a overlook to enjoy the sunset. As we walked back to camp, a bear was enjoying everything we left (15 minutes ago) in the kitchen. Need less to say we cleaned up everything, hung the bear bag higher and went to bed. The next morning at 6am another bear (in pic above) was snooping around the kitchen area. The other couple were in their trucks bed, and my family was in the roof top tent on the trailer, so we let it go about it's business. We had left nothing out, so it gave up and wandered off.
So I agree with what everyone was said, be clean and in bear country, I will not cook on the trailer's counter... we are buying a fold out kitchen for a Christmas gift to ourselves ; )
Last summer during our trip to Monongahela National Forest, we had bears in our camp two days in a row.
The first night there, I had warned the couple with us, there were bears in the area and we needed to be clean, hang a bear bag, etc. Well we got back to camp late, cooked dinner and carried our plates out to a overlook to enjoy the sunset. As we walked back to camp, a bear was enjoying everything we left (15 minutes ago) in the kitchen. Need less to say we cleaned up everything, hung the bear bag higher and went to bed. The next morning at 6am another bear (in pic above) was snooping around the kitchen area. The other couple were in their trucks bed, and my family was in the roof top tent on the trailer, so we let it go about it's business. We had left nothing out, so it gave up and wandered off.
So I agree with what everyone was said, be clean and in bear country, I will not cook on the trailer's counter... we are buying a fold out kitchen for a Christmas gift to ourselves ; )