Here's an informative video of just how smart conditioned black bears can be.....

Black bears in camp

That was great. Good thing the bear did not know that those blue barrels are not bear proof (((cue fishguts's mauled blue barrel picture)))

Redcedarcanoe, is that your video?

Welcome aboard Redcedarcanoe, That was fun to watch, she sure was hungry.

OMGosh that is awesome video! That bear worked up an appetite getting that thing down. That was some serious bear family team work. I don't think I could have just sat and watched and filmed. I would have scared 'em off right away....I think.

that was great

Wow that is wild!

I sure enjoyed watching that. Thanks for sharing RCC.

Great video, thanks!

She was smart, persistent, and she was teaching her cubs where the food is. They, too, will be problems in the future!

Cool video! I'm going to invest in a blue barrel soon.

quote woodsandwater: "She was smart, persistent, and she was teaching her cubs where the food is. They, too, will be problems in the future!"

Exactly, fun to watch though.

quote nojobro: "Redcedarcanoe, is that your video?"

Yes. I filmed that at the second campsite east of the Bonnie Lake portage on the north shore of the South Arm of Knife Lake. The gentleman in the video did a great job in the bow of the canoe holding us steady while I filmed, despite temps in the upper 30's and a 5-10 mph headwind.

Great video - so interesting to see how bears are conditioned to go for packs that are hanging. I wonderif the bear would have even found the blue barrel if it had been stashed out of the camp area.

That was fun to watch but I'm curious as to why you hung the barrel rather than leaving it on the ground.

And welcome to the board.

I think we meet her two years ago at the same campsite. She came into our camp at noon when we were cleaning and eating our morning catch. She grabbed a fish or two from us as we were eating. When she returned for more fish we ran her off. She kept coming back. She also had clawed at the food pack ropes in an attempt to cut/damage them.

Great video. Was that your food pack? If so, what was your plan when so left with it?

quote Boundary Boy: "That was fun to watch but I'm curious as to why you hung the barrel rather than leaving it on the ground.
And welcome to the board."

Are you thinking the barrel is bear proof (hence leaving it on the ground)? Because its not.

redcedarcanoe: Interesting video, but am curious if you tried scaring them off?

I know they are not Bear proof but they are air tight so I stash mine in the woods away from camp. It has worked for me so far but then again I have never had a Bear in camp. (Knocking on wood)

Its a cool video and I know she didn't get any food but I wonder if reinforced the behavior. If she was ran off more she might not feel as comfortable bring her cubs in to camps to get food. Not that this is the case here, the camp looked clean and the food pack was hung, but most of the time problem bears come from problem people.

thanks for the cool video

quote photoguy190: "Its a cool video and I know she didn't get any food but I wonder if reinforced the behavior. If she was ran off more she might not feel as comfortable bring her cubs in to camps to get food. Not that this is the case here, the camp looked clean and the food pack was hung, but most of the time problem bears come from problem people. "

All the work for the bear with no food reward is probably also a good deterent. Now if she had gotten food....

Great Video!

Smart sow, I'm sure you're right about "canvas" and "hanging" training...

Fun video - great shots! Were you returning to camp when you saw her?

Smart sow, I'm sure you're right about "canvas" and "hanging" training...

Fun video - great shots! Were you returning to camp when you saw her?

Thanks for sharing this. boy they sure are smart.

Welcome to the board. This really was an informative video. Thanks!
Was the harness usable after this?

quote nojobro: "

quote photoguy190: "Its a cool video and I know she didn't get any food but I wonder if reinforced the behavior. If she was ran off more she might not feel as comfortable bring her cubs in to camps to get food. Not that this is the case here, the camp looked clean and the food pack was hung, but most of the time problem bears come from problem people. "

All the work for the bear with no food reward is probably also a good deterent. Now if she had gotten food...."

agree

We were in camp just before dinner when a group of canoeists passed our site and told us that a sow and 3 cubs just left the previous campsite and were running along the shore straight towards our site. Two thoughts went through my mind. First, I'm not going to try to scare a mother and her cubs away under the assumption that she could interpret it as aggressive behavior against her cubs and react accordingly. Second, we should probably do something with this barrel of food that we were just about to open up. At lunch we had just finished up the last of a small pack of food that we hung every night. We hadn't taken the foodpack rope down yet so I thought a quick solution would be to hang the barrel (instead of take it back into the woods), get in the canoe and watch the bears pass on through our campsite. I have used barrels in Minnesota, Canada and Alaska for years and have never hung a barrel nor have I ever had any issues with bears. I always leave the barrel back in the woods off any beaten paths. In hindsight I should have put the barrel in the canoe with us.

quote LoneWolf: "Welcome to the board. This really was an informative video. Thanks!
Was the harness usable after this?"

It's amazing how little damage was done to the harness. There were only a few punctures and minor tears in the padding, nothing that can't be patched up with a little effort. And the barrel made it through the ordeal with only a few minor scratches.

Wow! Very cool video. Just out of curiosity did you exit on Seagull the next day around 2 in the afternoon? If so, we were the group of 6 guys entering.

quote redcedarcanoe: "In hindsight I should have put the barrel in the canoe with us."

Yes, but then you would not have gotten this great video. Also, maybe the sow would have kept coming back or hung around.

How long did that whole thing last?

Very informative. Welcome to the message board.

quote redcedarcanoe: "I always leave the barrel back in the woods off any beaten paths. In hindsight I should have put the barrel in the canoe with us."

Impossible to think that quickly under pressure. Have to have thought of it in advance. If she came by again next trip, you'll be ready. Either option would probably have worked. Agree you wouldn't have that cool video to show for it...

Anyone else have experience chasing off a mama when accompanied by cubs? I don't think I would have thought of that issue. Heck, I don't think I would have thought to get in the canoe.

Good story, helpful to think about these situations in advance!

Excellent video. Personally, I don't think I could stand to watch that happen if it was my pack. Those things along with the harness are not cheap as you know. But like you say, She might have become aggressive around the cubs. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for the fantastic video Redcedar and welcome to bwca.com.

Your post seems to support my belief that bears who don't fear humans will waltz into a camp, and are conditioned to recognize a hanging container as food. If they do not see a hanging container or scent another food source in the immediate camp area, they will likely move along to the next campsite. I'd be willing to bet had you stashed or hung the barrel a good distance from camp, the bear would never have gone for it.

It is sad that once a bear loses its fear of humans and associates their presence with food, that bear (and cubs) is much more likely to be killed by hunters. Bears would be better off if they feared humans and shied away from the sight and/or scent of people.

I am considering buying some bear spray, not because I fear bears, but if one does enter my camp I want it to learn that contact with humans is a very unpleasant experience. Hopefully that bear will have a better chance of a long life.

This is going to seem really gross, but if you don't have a barrel, has anyone ever tried suspending food in a dry bag in the latrine. Lots of masking odors. Of course the "pile" has to be low enough. The dry bag is pretty air tight and it sure beats being out of food 5 days from home. Fess up, ye practical problem solvers...

quote sunnybear09: "This is going to seem really gross, but if you don't have a barrel, has anyone ever tried suspending food in a dry bag in the latrine. Lots of masking odors. Of course the "pile" has to be low enough. The dry bag is pretty air tight and it sure beats being out of food 5 days from home. Fess up, ye practical problem solvers..."

No. The bear can have my food before I'll put it so close to a big pile of crap.

quote AndySG: "I am considering buying some bear spray, not because I fear bears, but if one does enter my camp I want it to learn that contact with humans is a very unpleasant experience. Hopefully that bear will have a better chance of a long life."

EXACTLY

sunnybear - um nope! wouldn't want to have to move the food if someone was "in a hurry"! Also, I trust a creative "stash" method even more.

Pretty good endorsement for the blue barrels. Which one was it, redcedarcanoe?

Perhaps a link to info about the product would be nice to have in this thread.

quote sunnybear09: "This is going to seem really gross, but if you don't have a barrel, has anyone ever tried suspending food in a dry bag in the latrine. Lots of masking odors. Of course the "pile" has to be low enough. The dry bag is pretty air tight and it sure beats being out of food 5 days from home. Fess up, ye practical problem solvers..."

good grief

Wow,

Pretty amazing video, good job!

Pretty cool how that bear could figure out how to get it low enough to grab. I also use a barrel & have never hung it & have never had an issue.

The barrels are scent proof, not bear proof... but if they can't smell food in it or on it & they won't waste their time. The big mistake some make is cooking on their barrel or too close to it.

Cool video! Thanks for sharing.

quote budfox_mn: "Wow! Very cool video. Just out of curiosity did you exit on Seagull the next day around 2 in the afternoon? If so, we were the group of 6 guys entering. "

No, we exited thru Moose Lake.

quote nojobro: "

quote redcedarcanoe: "In hindsight I should have put the barrel in the canoe with us."

Yes, but then you would not have gotten this great video. Also, maybe the sow would have kept coming back or hung around.


How long did that whole thing last?"

I just looked at the timestamps on my pictures and the bears entered camp around 4:40PM and left about 15 minutes later.

quote schweady: "Pretty good endorsement for the blue barrels. Which one was it, redcedarcanoe?


Perhaps a link to info about the product would be nice to have in this thread.
"

My barrel was manufactured by Recreational Barrel Works in Peterborough, Ontario. You can find more information at their website.
Recreational Barrel Works

There ya go, thanks.

Still not sure if I want to add the weight of a barrel to obtain the protection, but seeing mama work those ropes erases a bit of the (false?) confidence that accompanies the hanging of the canvas pack.

dang that is either a very smart mama bear or someone taught her well or both!!! wow.

Can't imagine having three mouths to feed. that would make me desperate too.

thanks for sharing.

wow.