CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
Thank you!
I am going to float the North Fork Flathead and do an overnight on it. Will need bear spray, methinks. I can't wait!!
Special Agent Cooper Takes Montana
- Thread starter CatskillsRunner
- Start date
Thank you!
I am going to float the North Fork Flathead and do an overnight on it. Will need bear spray, methinks. I can't wait!!
Roger the bear spray
A Forest Service employee was killed by a grizzly yesterday just outside of Glacier NP. Be bear aware.
Foy
A Forest Service employee was killed by a grizzly yesterday just outside of Glacier NP. Be bear aware.
Foy
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
Location of incident
FWIW concerning your travels, this attack was in the Half Moon Lakes area, immediately south of West Glacier, west of US-2, and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead (and not far downstream Left of the confluence of the North Fork and the Middle Fork). In short, pretty darn close to your float destination.
Foy
FWIW concerning your travels, this attack was in the Half Moon Lakes area, immediately south of West Glacier, west of US-2, and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead (and not far downstream Left of the confluence of the North Fork and the Middle Fork). In short, pretty darn close to your float destination.
Foy
Titanpat57
Expedition Leader
One time at a friend's party I met an Alaskan fishing guide. At the time I was a young guy and pretty impressed and in was in complete awe of his stories of danger while fishing, and near misses with Grizz while hunting.
I thought I knew quite a bit about the outdoors, so the first question I asked was "what size caliper handgun he'd carry to ward off a charging a bear"....well, that dude just looked at me and smiled..."well son, the caliper isn't quite as important as making sure that go ahead and take a file to the front sight of that gun, and file that all way down until the barrel's nice and smooth..."
I thought I had it figured out and blurted out "that must be so it's a lot quicker to aim when he's charging?"
The old guide just smirked and grin..."Nope....because when that bear takes that pistol and shoves it in your ***..it don't hurt near as bad, with the front sight missing"
All they used was 12 gauge..#6 bird shot...00 buck...slug...00 buck...slug...in that order. Says the birdshot was to blind them...interesting
Be careful Kid
I thought I knew quite a bit about the outdoors, so the first question I asked was "what size caliper handgun he'd carry to ward off a charging a bear"....well, that dude just looked at me and smiled..."well son, the caliper isn't quite as important as making sure that go ahead and take a file to the front sight of that gun, and file that all way down until the barrel's nice and smooth..."
I thought I had it figured out and blurted out "that must be so it's a lot quicker to aim when he's charging?"
The old guide just smirked and grin..."Nope....because when that bear takes that pistol and shoves it in your ***..it don't hurt near as bad, with the front sight missing"
All they used was 12 gauge..#6 bird shot...00 buck...slug...00 buck...slug...in that order. Says the birdshot was to blind them...interesting
Be careful Kid
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
Ugh. I don't even want to deal with it. They are the only animals out west that I find truly terrifying.
The other raft will be piloted by my brother (a film producer) and his wife (who does stop-animation). I am worried the boats will get spaced apart and then it won't even matter that we have a gun.
I am asking him how he feels before we officially call it, but my goal is fun-- always. And it's starting to not feel fun and making more worry even more than I was before...
The other raft will be piloted by my brother (a film producer) and his wife (who does stop-animation). I am worried the boats will get spaced apart and then it won't even matter that we have a gun.
I am asking him how he feels before we officially call it, but my goal is fun-- always. And it's starting to not feel fun and making more worry even more than I was before...
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
So I topped off the tank today, even though I know better than to do that. My thoughts were somewhere else.
So it is 90 degrees, with a half a tank of gas, at 5500 ft. elevation. And I have topped off the tank. So my Hundy sputters, stalls. I read about this over in the 100 section weeks ago but forgot and then topped off the tank. She finally did start again but it was a good scare for me.
Then, five minutes later, a terrible noise issues from the trailer. A leaf spring broke. So we'll have to go to Helena tomorrow, find a replacement leaf, fix it, then try to rig the boat and be on our way. We are Holter Lake Campground, near Wolf Creek. We should be here for a few days...
Have to see what we will do about Glacier.
So it is 90 degrees, with a half a tank of gas, at 5500 ft. elevation. And I have topped off the tank. So my Hundy sputters, stalls. I read about this over in the 100 section weeks ago but forgot and then topped off the tank. She finally did start again but it was a good scare for me.
Then, five minutes later, a terrible noise issues from the trailer. A leaf spring broke. So we'll have to go to Helena tomorrow, find a replacement leaf, fix it, then try to rig the boat and be on our way. We are Holter Lake Campground, near Wolf Creek. We should be here for a few days...
Have to see what we will do about Glacier.
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Randall253
New member
Talk to the Rangers before you consider cancelling due to the bear incident. The report I read said that the victim was riding his mountain bike and he probably surprised the bear. If bears hear you coming, they will generally leave. It usually only gets nasty if the bears are surprised. Of course it also goes without saying to never get between a bear and it's cub or a bear and it's dinner. The same could be said for a lot of humans too.
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
I know, but rafts are good at surprising wildlife...
What to do?
What to do?
Randall253
New member
Keep telling "fart jokes" every few minutes? Okay, you got me there. Latest news report says that the area where the attack took place is closed while they search for the bear. Check in with the park. I would be very surprised if every bear in the area hasn't been run off.
Pepper spray is pretty tricky stuff. The wind has to be right or it's useless. Back in the 90s, I used to sell the stuff. We had a bear spray that was the size of a small fire extinguisher. When the sales manager demonstrated it, the wind swirled around and got us all.
Pepper spray is pretty tricky stuff. The wind has to be right or it's useless. Back in the 90s, I used to sell the stuff. We had a bear spray that was the size of a small fire extinguisher. When the sales manager demonstrated it, the wind swirled around and got us all.
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
Have any of you seen Portlandia? There is a really funny skit called Aye-o River.
My sister in law thinks we should just yell Aye-o River! the whole time. My brother thinks we should blast music from a Bluetooth speaker and sing along. My husband insists he will befriend said deadly bear.
I'm still terrified even tho I am being made fun of for it. Looks like we're going. I'll start drinking early.
My sister in law thinks we should just yell Aye-o River! the whole time. My brother thinks we should blast music from a Bluetooth speaker and sing along. My husband insists he will befriend said deadly bear.
I'm still terrified even tho I am being made fun of for it. Looks like we're going. I'll start drinking early.
CatskillsRunner
Adventurer
Bear country before, bear country today, ..........
...........and bear country tomorrow. If your trip participants are adequately prepared (mentally) to follow "bear aware" rules and procedures, I'd be no less inclined to do the float as planned. Statistically, your odds of being struck by lightning are probably greater than the odds of being a victim of a bear attack.
And as to your broken leaf spring, I expect you'll find the replacement, along with bushings, U-bolts, etc, isn't terribly expensive. I think I'd be purchasing a second set of everything. If the other end of that axle has the same leaf spring, and if it's of the same vintage (original equipment on the utility trailer), I'd expect its failure at a forseeable point in time. In fact, if you're having a shop do the replacement, I'd consider getting them to replace the other one at the same time, keeping the old unbroken spring pack as a spare. I have to wonder if the modification of the trailer and its load is in excess of the axle's and spring's rating.
But it's all good in the end. After all, you're in Montana in July. What's not to love about that?
Foy
...........and bear country tomorrow. If your trip participants are adequately prepared (mentally) to follow "bear aware" rules and procedures, I'd be no less inclined to do the float as planned. Statistically, your odds of being struck by lightning are probably greater than the odds of being a victim of a bear attack.
And as to your broken leaf spring, I expect you'll find the replacement, along with bushings, U-bolts, etc, isn't terribly expensive. I think I'd be purchasing a second set of everything. If the other end of that axle has the same leaf spring, and if it's of the same vintage (original equipment on the utility trailer), I'd expect its failure at a forseeable point in time. In fact, if you're having a shop do the replacement, I'd consider getting them to replace the other one at the same time, keeping the old unbroken spring pack as a spare. I have to wonder if the modification of the trailer and its load is in excess of the axle's and spring's rating.
But it's all good in the end. After all, you're in Montana in July. What's not to love about that?
Foy