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06/15/2018 07:30AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I'm not paranoid about bears, we hope to see some every trip, just not in camp. However, at my wife's request, my kids and I do trip with a can of bear spray, leaving the firearms behind.

My question is this. Let's say you have a nuisance bear in or near camp, trying to get into your food pack/barrel, but not posing a direct threat to you.

Do you: a) leave it alone and keep your distance, and kiss your food goodbye, or b) carefully approach it within your bear spray maximum range (mine is 30 feet) and spray it, hopefully getting rid of it and teaching it a fear of humans, hopefully helping future campers?

I'm guessing most will answer "a" but curious to see your responses.
 
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mc2mens
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06/15/2018 08:09AM  
I would have the can of spray ready, but would actively try to encourage the bear to leave camp by yelling, banging pots and pans, throwing stones, etc. before firing the spray. I've never had to use spray before, but from what I know, you need to be pretty close to the bear to ensure a good shot.
 
06/15/2018 08:19AM  
And bear spray clings to everything and hurts. I would try to make as much noise as possible and scare it away if I could.
 
06/15/2018 09:22AM  
Scare it away. We don't want bears to learn that campsites are an easy food source. It's been said but make noise, shine lights, pick up big sticks, throw rocks. Do things that appear threatening to an animal and establish your dominance. Throwing sticks or logs at it can work too. Intimidation works better than injury, but giving it a couple bruises is a good idea.

I would not use the bear spray unless it was a last resort. That food would probably be inedible after spraying it, and you wouldn't want to stay in that site after using the spray. Not sure how well the spray washes away so spray on the outside of the container might be very difficult to keep from getting into the food when you open it.

The best bet is to keep a clean camp and don't roll out the welcome mat. You don't have to make things perfect because the trace smells are impossible to get rid of, you just have to make it so your site isn't tempting enough for them to overcome their fear of humans. Once they have committed themselves to getting the meal it is difficult to persuade them to leave.
 
niem0128
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06/15/2018 09:39AM  
I have been pondering the same question over the past few days. Last year we had a fairly bold bear in camp on Shell, and per a couple recent threads, it seems like Barry (our name for the bear) has gotten bolder since last year. We got lucky and were able to get rid of Barry who did not come back that night for our food. I would consider spraying the bear so that it doesn't take our food and cut our trip short, but I think that's a lot easier said than done. I'm going to decide today if it's worth buying the spray since we hit the road tomorrow morning.
 
06/15/2018 10:11AM  
mc2mens: "I would have the can of spray ready, but would actively try to encourage the bear to leave camp by yelling, banging pots and pans, throwing stones, etc. before firing the spray. I've never had to use spray before, but from what I know, you need to be pretty close to the bear to ensure a good shot."
That works as good as if you had a nuisance raccoon in your yard, you live trap it, and then you put it in my yard. Solved your problem but gave it to me:)

My only bear conflict in the BWCA happened this way on Basswood. 30 minutes after the neighboring camp banged pots and pans and yelled, the bear was with me in my solo camp. I got rid of him the first time with just verbal discourse. This was early morning and I continued to pack on my way out of camp. He returned a second time, sniffed around the fire grate and then starts coming down toward me down at the lakes edge. This was a more serious bear infraction so I grabbed my paddle, raised it in the air, ready to whack'em on the head with it, and cursed him. I proceeded to chase him through the woods until I was pleased with his effort at retreat.

I then decided to delay my departure to see if it would come back. I sat in the pouring rain waiting for it's return...I now had a more permanent solution. The bear did not return for the 3rd round. Maybe he learned a lesson.

To the OP, I would go with Plan B to teach the bear a needed lesson and maybe help future campers. But you need to get closer than 30' to make sure you score a good hit with the hot spice. Having kids in camp complicates the needed action especially if you are the only adult.

 
ozarkpaddler
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06/15/2018 05:44PM  
I'd do everything within my power to safely keep the bear away from food. If I've heard "Keep a clean camp and you won't have a problem" once, I've heard it a million times. And, IMHO that is BS. You have no idea what the last campers may have left or done, you have no idea of whether the campsite is within a given bear's territory, and whether that bear is timid, a bully, an opportunist?

I've only had a bear in camp once, and should have noticed the "Signs." If a campsite looks like someone left in a hurry and left things behind, or if there's a lot of trash and or digging around the fire grate, you might just look for another site?

Be aggressive, but give the bear a good escape route. Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and if you have a group, gather together. But for gosh sakes, DO NOT do what I did; don't rush at the bear or the bruin may meet you half way! I elicited a false charge by doing just that. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!

I take bear spray now, but have never had to use it.....on a bear (worked good on an aggressive rottweiler though). If you do use it, you need to be close and aware of the wind. And it does NOT deter a bear if you spray it on things. Do you like your food a little "Spicy?" Well, I've read accounts of bears licking things it's been sprayed on.

Be "Bear aware," but don't sweat it. Heavy wind and waves and PFD's in the bottom of the boat are MUCH greater risk than bears.
 
yellowcanoe
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06/15/2018 07:09PM  
I have done stupid things to make bears interested in my pack. Once in Yosemite we were day hiking and stopped to swim. Why I had packed peanut butter was something I don't remember
In a jar. Now why we had something like a metal pot I don't remember either.

Of course why we swam Bruin got interested in lunch. He chewed the jar. I was pissed that he had let a watch drop in the water that was on top of the pack.. How I got the pot ( two ) I don't remember. I do remember chasing him banging pots furiously together.

Oh well the principle worked.. Make oneself as obnoxious as possible. We have not taken a jar of peanut butter since on a trip unless in an odor proof container in another odor proof container.
Im with Ozark.. Bears are habitual and follow a routine If previous campers have left goodies out, you are likely to be visited even if you are a neatnik.
I run from campsites with evidence of fishing like guts or skins in the water. Good fishermen don't do that.
 
riverrunner
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06/15/2018 07:23PM  
The best use for spray is harassing a bear out of camp.

I would have no problem spraying the bear.
 
06/15/2018 10:00PM  
ozarkpaddler:
Be aggressive, but give the bear a good escape route. "


I'd say this is probably one of the most important things to remember
 
analyzer
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06/16/2018 01:30AM  
IF you can, try to tie a string to his tail, with a bunch of tin cans in tow. That way, the rest of us can hear him coming.

Considering tin cans aren't allowed in the BWCA, I guess you'll have to use bells.
 
missmolly
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06/16/2018 06:11AM  
Cc26: "
ozarkpaddler:
Be aggressive, but give the bear a good escape route. "



I'd say this is probably one of the most important things to remember "


Yeah, I noted that too and nodded.
 
06/16/2018 08:43AM  
4 years ago I had a bear drag my barrel out of camp. Scaring him/her made no difference. He bluff charged me and - being solo- I let him go. Didn't feel I had any other choice. He was bigger than me with big claws. I had a clean camp but the barrel was in a harness and that made it easy for him to drag it away. If I had taken it out of the harness and metal strapped it (like a bicycle line) to a tree, I think I'd still have my barrel.

There had been reports of a nuisance bear in the area so I figured he was already habituated.

The good news is I actually got a song out of it that has been a lot of fun. I'm hoping to go back to that site this August and see if I can find the barrel.

If you'd like to hear the song, here ya go: The Bear Barrel Polka
 
ozarkpaddler
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06/16/2018 08:49AM  
analyzer: "IF you can, try to tie a string to his tail, with a bunch of tin cans in tow. That way, the rest of us can hear him coming.


Considering tin cans aren't allowed in the BWCA, I guess you'll have to use bells."


And PLEASE post the video of it on Youtube 'cause I GOTTA SEE THAT (LOL)!

Totally unrelated, but bears are becoming more and more numerous here in the Ozarks. My friends wife and I, who were ahead of the others, saw one last year on the Current River. And this big guy was found last weekend. Found hung up in a strainer where he apparently got tangled in and drowned?

Large Bear Found Dead on the Current
 
06/16/2018 08:59AM  
analyzer: "IF you can, try to tie a string to his tail, with a bunch of tin cans in tow. That way, the rest of us can hear him coming.


Considering tin cans aren't allowed in the BWCA, I guess you'll have to use bells."



So that's what those "bear bells" are for! :)
 
06/16/2018 09:56AM  
Bear bells... I find them in bear poop all the time.
Clean camps aren't bear proof camps. But unclean camps are better attractors.
I've dealt with bears in the BW and at home. Bluff charged many times. Once you back down they are a problem to everyone. We have one around here now. Guns are loaded everywhere...
 
08/12/2018 11:53AM  
Beacuse its "a nuisance bear in or near camp, trying to get into your food pack/barrel, but not posing a direct threat to you" I would go ahead and spray it.
Better to discourage bad behavior and maybe impress upon the bear that humans = bad experiences.
 
08/12/2018 08:03PM  
A1t2o: "Scare it away. We don't want bears to learn that campsites are an easy food source. It's been said but make noise, shine lights, pick up big sticks, throw rocks. Do things that appear threatening to an animal and establish your dominance. Throwing sticks or logs at it can work too. Intimidation works better than injury, but giving it a couple bruises is a good idea.


I would not use the bear spray unless it was a last resort. That food would probably be inedible after spraying it, and you wouldn't want to stay in that site after using the spray. Not sure how well the spray washes away so spray on the outside of the container might be very difficult to keep from getting into the food when you open it.


The best bet is to keep a clean camp and don't roll out the welcome mat. You don't have to make things perfect because the trace smells are impossible to get rid of, you just have to make it so your site isn't tempting enough for them to overcome their fear of humans. Once they have committed themselves to getting the meal it is difficult to persuade them to leave."


+1

Once they get food, they’ll keep coming and coming. I scared one away from my food pack in June after she was working onbitbforba few minutes.
 
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