Charged by a bear!

[bobcat charlie]

Years ago I was backpacking on Rattlesnake Creek in the Trinity Alps in Northern California. I had my 100# Bouvier de Flander, Harold, with me...Harold is wearing orange saddle bags carrying his food. We encounter a black bear cub and sow on a narrow trail...I scramble up the hillside yelling at the dog. Dog ignores me...dog and cub sniff each other...mother bear is sitting on the trail making sounds like a sheep! After a couple of minutes Harold finally decides to obey and climbs the hill where I am. Mom and cub exit right! I thought for sure I was about to have an injured dog at the very least. Waited about a hour before moving on, making a LOT of noise.

 

[john101477]

Years ago I was backpacking on Rattlesnake Creek in the Trinity Alps in Northern California. I had my 100# Bouvier de Flander, Harold, with me...Harold is wearing orange saddle bags carrying his food. We encounter a black bear cub and sow on a narrow trail...I scramble up the hillside yelling at the dog. Dog ignores me...dog and cub sniff each other...mother bear is sitting on the trail making sounds like a sheep! After a couple of minutes Harold finally decides to obey and climbs the hill where I am. Mom and cub exit right! I thought for sure I was about to have an injured dog at the very least. Waited about a hour before moving on, making a LOT of noise.

Rattlesnake Creek. what a great area. Glad you and Harold made it with no problems.

 

[bobcat charlie]

I've gone up the North Fork of the Trinity to Rattlesnake Creek and all the way to Papoose Lake. The most spactacular vistas in the world! And it's a real history lesson...1880's miners earthworks, a giant water turbin on skids that must have been dragged in by mule team. I take a gold pan and always get color out of Rattlesnake, usually gold and a little platnium! Papoose has Brook Trout that bite on anything you throw in the water! Absolutely California at it's very best!

 

[john101477]

That's a heck of a trek from livermore lol. I have never made that hike but spent a lot of time going back and forth to Fortuna. I stopped at several places through out to photograph. We have found gold in several creeks up here. A few years ago a guy found a huge nugget 3 years ago out of butte creek and my uncle has a claim up in the trinity. Not sure where though

 

[matt s]

I know that "woof".

It cost me a pair of shorts once.

 

[bobcat charlie]

john101477,

I hae also spent some time east of Vina...I explored Hayden Hill in the early '80s. Used a winch to drop down the main shaft and explored several of the tributaries...added to my artifacts collection! Don't know if you can even access Hayden Hill/Hayden City today!

 

[john101477]

Yeah If we are talking of the same spot Hayden Hill is quite a bit north and east of us. Looks to be a mine or something now from what i can see of google maps. around here you have to be extra careful about what "rock" you pick up. I know a few people that have gotten in trouble for picking up indian rocks or arrow heads. I have seen caves with great stone bowls and pedistals. it is neat to go where few have been.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I've heard something like that. I guess some times when you spray the bear it will just stay there and lick the pepper spray off itself. I don't know whether that is true or not, if bear spray is anything like or stronger than OC spray carried by police and in womens purses it is some pretty powerful stuff.

Not true. People often discuss the strength of the spray, but forget to factor in the sensitivity of the bear's snoot. Keep in mind a bear's sense of smell makes a bloodhound look nose deaf. So, the spray is often far more violent to a bear's snoot than that police spray would be to a human.

I've sprayed several bears. I used to run a mountain bike guiding company in Haines, AK and we'd encounter bears on a regular basis. We'd also get a few too close to camp sites. I have never seen a bear lick the bear spray off themselves. I have seen two common reactions. Most common, the bear shoots into the trees like it was hit by lightning. The other reaction has the bear stunned, wheezing and staggering into the bush. It works. It's scary, but it works.