In the wilderness of northern Minnesota near the Canadian border in 1824, (the date represents a time where the area was wild) when it may have been an actual wilderness rather than a the city park we know today, there were no problem bears, they were known as breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bears who were ballsy ended up as food and pelt, the others survived to tell their friends not to mess with humans.

F.A.F.O. Human food is used to bait in bears all the time hunting. Perhaps the voyagers cooked greasy yummy smelling food in hopes that a bear would come to camp to investigate and then musket blast this bruin into a fresh winter coat and a month of meat. Evolution made beast fear man, conservation made man fear beast.

I like to leave well enough alone, but if a bear came into my camp, it’s a battle for survival. Rest assured all of the precious pets (bears) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have nothing to fear as I will find solitude elsewhere with no desire to return.

Fear of humans is a tremendous motivator for our large predators like cougars, wolves, bears, even prey animals like deer to keep their distance. If you know “town deer” you know what I mean. Humans are at the top of the food chain and we should act like it. Triple ziplocking and double ursacking to meet big brothers overbearing (pun) need for safety when a fall of culling the herd may be more of a long term solution.

I suspect this is gonna be a contentious topic, but I have wondered why people camping during bear season don't get a bear tag and carry a rifle. That way if a bear causes problems, you can just shoot it legally. Problem solved. If someone didn't that with the Rose Lake bear it would solve a lot of headaches.

I live in Western WI, 9 miles north of I94. In just the last week, one neighbor saw a sow and three small cubs, another neighbor saw a sow and two yearling cubs, and the other night I had a yearly cub eating out of my bird feeder. My suit feeder is also missing. It is becoming very common to see bears all around us. Yes there are plenty of bears.

Thanks be that the right of reply requires no permission.

If you don't want to deal with wilderness...get out.

Camping during bear season and hunting during bear season are a little different. The MN bear season runs from Sept. 1 - Oct 13. There are not as many campers this time of the year as during the peak months, when it seems most of the bear problems occur. Also, most campers aren't willing to pack in a rifle and the necessary equipment to handle the processing of a bear once harvested. Processing and packing out a bear is a lot of work. Campers may also tend to travel quite a bit farther into the wilderness since they aren't planning on packing out a bear.

In MN, hunters who successfully harvest a bear have 48 hours to register the bear to receive a big game possession tag. Also there are only 50 tags available (by lottery) for the BWCA permit area (Area 22). If campers started applying for tags for a "just in case" scenario and don't use that tag, that would reduce the number of tags to bear hunters who are actually hunting bears. So I don't really see how this would help.

JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Don't start name-calling in this or any other thread. I just edited one post (took out the name calling). If you can't post something that is constructive, courteous and conversational, take a deep breath, type nothing, and move on.

Thanks deepdish71 for stating the solution to a minor problem.

Jackfish: "JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Don't start name-calling in this or any other thread. I just edited one post (took out the name calling). If you can't post something that is constructive, courteous and conversational, take a deep breath, type nothing, and move on."

good advice.becareful what you say or you may be accused of having a undersized appendage

Spray these bears or they will keep coming back. Up here a feed bear is a dead bear, and nobody wants that.

deepdish71: "
I like to leave well enough alone, but if a bear came into my camp, it’s a battle for survival. Rest assured all of the precious pets (bears) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have nothing to fear as I will find solitude elsewhere with no desire to return.

"

I've had numerous bear encounters "in the wild" including a number of grizzly standoffs. Never engaged in a "battle for survival". Everyone has their monster to fear. Mine is cold water and high winds.

It's almost never a battle for survival if a bear comes in your camp, which the data supports. You're not a French-Canadian Voyageur or an Anishinaabe hunter in desperate need of rations, which is what you would have been in 1824, so if that's what goes through your brain when a bear wanders by, I think maybe wilderness camping isn't for you.

Besides, where is it legal anywhere in the US to just shoot a bear that wanders through camp because you happened to see it, without a license to do so? You're making the BWCA out to be some super-restrictive park because of a really simple food storage order, when in reality it's one of the least restrictive wilderness areas in the entire country. Go camp out West somewhere and memorize all their rules and regulations regarding food storage, wildlife, and conservation and then report back.

AlexanderSupertramp: "It's almost never a battle for survival if a bear comes in your camp, which the data supports. You're not a French-Canadian Voyageur or an Anishinaabe hunter in desperate need of rations, which is what you would have been in 1824, so if that's what goes through your brain when a bear wanders by, I think maybe wilderness camping isn't for you.


Besides, where is it legal anywhere in the US to just shoot a bear that wanders through camp because you happened to see it, without a license to do so? You're making the BWCA out to be some super-restrictive park because of a really simple food storage order, when in reality it's one of the least restrictive wilderness areas in the entire country. Go camp out West somewhere and memorize all their rules and regulations regarding food storage, wildlife, and conservation and then report back.


"

What were the rules on bears in the boundary waters in 1824? That’s the timeframe I was referring to. That was kinda my first sentence in the post. In 1824 a Bear that entered camp had walked it last step for those camps that were in fact hunting and foraging, the fellas you referred to. They learned to keep distance, now they seek people because they do not have that instinct. That’s all. No one said poaching, culling the herd legally would be fine.

deepdish71: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "It's almost never a battle for survival if a bear comes in your camp, which the data supports. You're not a French-Canadian Voyageur or an Anishinaabe hunter in desperate need of rations, which is what you would have been in 1824, so if that's what goes through your brain when a bear wanders by, I think maybe wilderness camping isn't for you.



Besides, where is it legal anywhere in the US to just shoot a bear that wanders through camp because you happened to see it, without a license to do so? You're making the BWCA out to be some super-restrictive park because of a really simple food storage order, when in reality it's one of the least restrictive wilderness areas in the entire country. Go camp out West somewhere and memorize all their rules and regulations regarding food storage, wildlife, and conservation and then report back.



"

What were the rules on bears in the boundary waters in 1824? That’s the timeframe I was referring to. That was kinda my first sentence in the post. In 1824 a Bear that entered camp had walked it last step for those camps that were in fact hunting and foraging, the fellas you referred to. They learned to keep distance, now they seek people because they do not have that instinct. That’s all. No one said poaching, culling the herd legally would be fine. "

Right, but you're comparing 1824 to 2024 as if the same variables existed. There weren't 200k people a year paddling and camping in every inch of the wilderness up there, there were no towns, highways, or constant deforestation and destruction of habitat. They are very afraid of humans, but humans have the propensity to keep putting themselves in the middle of their paths and moving the imaginary boundaries of where they are supposed to be back further and further each year. Like any opportunistic animal would do, if they stumble upon a tasty meal that has been placed in the middle of their habitat, they're going to remember that and probably go back because hunger is a more powerful motivator than fear.

But to argue that bears are becoming more brazen because of lax conservation efforts to keep them around, isn't really valid because that's not the real reason people see more of them.

"
What were the rules on bears in the boundary waters in 1824? That’s the timeframe I was referring to. That was kinda my first sentence in the post. In 1824 a Bear that entered camp had walked it last step for those camps that were in fact hunting and foraging, the fellas you referred to. "

Not necessarily. A good sized bear is a large animal to processand transport. I’m sure plenty were driven off and some summarily dispatched and left to rot when other factors- timeliness, abundance of other game, etc -were at play.

I mean, do you wanna portage a bear carcass?

Off season its name that lake threads… during season is omg there’s bear out there threads. Many people have bear in camp and never know it. They are opportunists… We can’t really control what happens in a campsite ahead of us. But we can manage a campsite to avoid most situations while we are in one. Sometimes we just need to clean it up a bit from previous guests…

nctry: "Off season its name that lake threads… during season is omg there’s bear out there threads…"

Hey leave NTL alone ;)

Deeznuts: "

nctry: "Off season its name that lake threads… during season is omg there’s bear out there threads…"

Hey leave NTL alone ;) "

+1
also +1 for "shoot da bears" The DNR issues 50 tags for the BWCA every year. Chance to draw your first year applying was 42% in 2023. 100% of second year applicants were drawn, so at worst you can expect to draw a tag every other year. Just 2 or 3 of us could completely change this situation in just a couple of years. A few weeks ago I was complaining about the USFS not taking care of the problem, now I'm excited to be planning a physically challenging hunting trip and I'm not going to complain about it anymore.

*Edit*

Status of MN Black Bears 2023

BWCA bear harvest is way down from historical levels. As many as 41 bears were taken in a single season (1989) but recent harvests have all been in the single digits: 2 last year, 1 the year before. All 50 permits were issued. That's a 4% success rate. Statewide success rate is 35%. I'm sure the BWCA normally has a lower success rate than other zones but we could still accuse people of permit hoarding for funzies. Either way, there are several years worth of documented habituated bears to be removed. I find it hard to believe that the odds of baiting a bait-accustomed bear are even low as 35%.

....or we just go to Quetico...:)

Findian: "Spray these bears or they will keep coming back. Up here a feed bear is a dead bear, and nobody wants that."

What I am curious about is how many MN black bears have actually been sprayed with Grizzly bear spray? I've heard from some bear biologists (Tooth & Claw podcast) that bear spray is actually "overkill" for black bears.

So you would think if those encountering bears that aren't easily scared off, were shot in the face with bear spray they would run off... maybe I'm missing something, or maybe its time they got shot in the face with it.

My friend was just telling me how a bear came out of the woods near her cabin in Ely and kept charging at her cousin taking his dog on a walk. The dog tried to charge the bear to defend, and the bear went after the dog. The dog was much faster, so the bear went back after the human. Finally, it ran off.

Wondering if the cousin had bear spray and shot it in the face if it would have backed down, including the ROSE LAKE BEAR which needs some bear spray real bad or we need to get out of its territory for a while.

double post, sorry

Banksiana: "

deepdish71: "
I like to leave well enough alone, but if a bear came into my camp, it’s a battle for survival. Rest assured all of the precious pets (bears) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have nothing to fear as I will find solitude elsewhere with no desire to return.


"

I've had numerous bear encounters "in the wild" including a number of grizzly standoffs. Never engaged in a "battle for survival". Everyone has their monster to fear. Mine is cold water and high winds."

Thanks, as usual, for what promises to be the most important part of this thread.

AlexanderSupertramp: "

deepdish71: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "It's almost never a battle for survival if a bear comes in your camp, which the data supports. You're not a French-Canadian Voyageur or an Anishinaabe hunter in desperate need of rations, which is what you would have been in 1824, so if that's what goes through your brain when a bear wanders by, I think maybe wilderness camping isn't for you.



Besides, where is it legal anywhere in the US to just shoot a bear that wanders through camp because you happened to see it, without a license to do so? You're making the BWCA out to be some super-restrictive park because of a really simple food storage order, when in reality it's one of the least restrictive wilderness areas in the entire country. Go camp out West somewhere and memorize all their rules and regulations regarding food storage, wildlife, and conservation and then report back.



"

What were the rules on bears in the boundary waters in 1824? That’s the timeframe I was referring to. That was kinda my first sentence in the post. In 1824 a Bear that entered camp had walked it last step for those camps that were in fact hunting and foraging, the fellas you referred to. They learned to keep distance, now they seek people because they do not have that instinct. That’s all. No one said poaching, culling the herd legally would be fine. "

Right, but you're comparing 1824 to 2024 as if the same variables existed. There weren't 200k people a year paddling and camping in every inch of the wilderness up there, there were no towns, highways, or constant deforestation and destruction of habitat. They are very afraid of humans, but humans have the propensity to keep putting themselves in the middle of their paths and moving the imaginary boundaries of where they are supposed to be back further and further each year. Like any opportunistic animal would do, if they stumble upon a tasty meal that has been placed in the middle of their habitat, they're going to remember that and probably go back because hunger is a more powerful motivator than fear.


But to argue that bears are becoming more brazen because of lax conservation efforts to keep them around, isn't really valid because that's not the real reason people see more of them.
"

THIS! ^^^^^^^^ Comparing today's BWCA to the area in 1824 is a completely falacious argument.

OneMatch: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "

deepdish71: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "It's almost never a battle for survival if a bear comes in your camp, which the data supports. You're not a French-Canadian Voyageur or an Anishinaabe hunter in desperate need of rations, which is what you would have been in 1824, so if that's what goes through your brain when a bear wanders by, I think maybe wilderness camping isn't for you.




Besides, where is it legal anywhere in the US to just shoot a bear that wanders through camp because you happened to see it, without a license to do so? You're making the BWCA out to be some super-restrictive park because of a really simple food storage order, when in reality it's one of the least restrictive wilderness areas in the entire country. Go camp out West somewhere and memorize all their rules and regulations regarding food storage, wildlife, and conservation and then report back.




"

What were the rules on bears in the boundary waters in 1824? That’s the timeframe I was referring to. That was kinda my first sentence in the post. In 1824 a Bear that entered camp had walked it last step for those camps that were in fact hunting and foraging, the fellas you referred to. They learned to keep distance, now they seek people because they do not have that instinct. That’s all. No one said poaching, culling the herd legally would be fine. "

Right, but you're comparing 1824 to 2024 as if the same variables existed. There weren't 200k people a year paddling and camping in every inch of the wilderness up there, there were no towns, highways, or constant deforestation and destruction of habitat. They are very afraid of humans, but humans have the propensity to keep putting themselves in the middle of their paths and moving the imaginary boundaries of where they are supposed to be back further and further each year. Like any opportunistic animal would do, if they stumble upon a tasty meal that has been placed in the middle of their habitat, they're going to remember that and probably go back because hunger is a more powerful motivator than fear.



But to argue that bears are becoming more brazen because of lax conservation efforts to keep them around, isn't really valid because that's not the real reason people see more of them.
"

THIS! ^^^^^^^^ Comparing today's BWCA to the area in 1824 is a completely falacious argument."

Could we agree that in 1824 there were far fewer problem bears in ratio to 2024? Example in 1824 there were 3000 voyagers to 0 problem bears, and now more than 200,000 to even a single problem
Bear. The fact is in the Voyager’s era a bear would get one meal and be culled. Those fur traders would have tracked down and harvested the animal. Now they are protected and not many of us would even report a stolen food back let alone avenge the loss.

OneMatch: "

Banksiana: "

deepdish71: "
I like to leave well enough alone, but if a bear came into my camp, it’s a battle for survival. Rest assured all of the precious pets (bears) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have nothing to fear as I will find solitude elsewhere with no desire to return.



"

I've had numerous bear encounters "in the wild" including a number of grizzly standoffs. Never engaged in a "battle for survival". Everyone has their monster to fear. Mine is cold water and high winds."

Thanks, as usual, for what promises to be the most important part of this thread."

Make sure you set the timer for 1824. I admire your guile.

Deepdish71 makes a point. Bears are conditioned by food and will return to get more. They are also conditioned by pain and death so will avoid those areas. But since shooting bears and clean camps are both unlikely I guess both are mute points and if it is controversy, what about shooting litterers?

deepdish71: "In the wilderness of northern Minnesota near the Canadian border in 1824, (the date represents a time where the area was wild) when it may have been an actual wilderness rather than a the city park we know today, there were no problem bears, they were known as breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bears who were ballsy ended up as food and pelt, the others survived to tell their friends not to mess with humans.

Fear of humans is a tremendous motivator for our large predators like cougars, wolves, bears, even prey animals like deer to keep their distance. If you know “town deer” you know what I mean. Humans are at the top of the food chain and we should act like it. Triple ziplocking and double ursacking to meet big brothers overbearing (pun) need for safety when a fall of culling the herd may be more of a long term solution."

Hmmm. The BWCAW is like a city park today? Says the guy from Wisconsin where NO true wildlands exist... Maybe you can think of a wilder place in the US east of the Rockies. I can't., beause there isn't one.

Also, if the doctrine of killing every wild critter that makes you afraid, because people are at the "top of the food chain", had been continued unchecked since the frontier days, there would be few, if any, bears, wolves, cougars, or alligators left in the USA.

If you wanna hunt habituated bears in the BWCAW during our hunting season and haul it out via paddle and portage, then have at it. We Minnesotans are happy to take the money for out-of-state licenses.

arctic: "

deepdish71: "In the wilderness of northern Minnesota near the Canadian border in 1824, (the date represents a time where the area was wild) when it may have been an actual wilderness rather than a the city park we know today, there were no problem bears, they were known as breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bears who were ballsy ended up as food and pelt, the others survived to tell their friends not to mess with humans.


Fear of humans is a tremendous motivator for our large predators like cougars, wolves, bears, even prey animals like deer to keep their distance. If you know “town deer” you know what I mean. Humans are at the top of the food chain and we should act like it. Triple ziplocking and double ursacking to meet big brothers overbearing (pun) need for safety when a fall of culling the herd may be more of a long term solution."

Hmmm. The BWCAW is like a city park today? Says the guy from Wisconsin where NO true wildlands exist... Maybe you can think of a wilder place in the US east of the Rockies. I can't., beause there isn't one.


Also, if the doctrine of killing every wild critter that makes you afraid, because people are at the "top of the food chain", had been continued unchecked since the frontier days, there would be few, if any, bears, wolves, cougars, or alligators left in the USA.


If you wanna hunt habituated bears in the BWCAW during our hunting season and haul it out via paddle and portage, then have at it. We Minnesotans are happy to take the money for out-of-state licenses. "

I’ll take a random picture of any lake within a 25 mile radius of my home. Who among you would could name that lake? Zero. However in the city park named the bwca either by random guessing until the correct answer is confirmed with knowledge attained by experience of the area the thread goes on and on all winter which proves my point.
I thought it was the B.W.C.A.W not the B.W.C.A.?

Also, if the doctrine of killing every wild critter that makes you afraid, because people are at the "top of the food chain", had been continued unchecked since the frontier days, there would be few, if any, bears, wolves, cougars, or alligators left in the USA.
I don’t believe I said anything about killing every wild critter that makes me afraid. I simply stated that fear was a motivator for bears to keep their distance 200 years ago, and that has not been a factor in the current times.

“Hmmm. The BWCAW is like a city park today? Says the guy from Wisconsin where NO true wildlands exist... Maybe you can think of a wilder place in the US east of the Rockies. I can't., beause there isn't one.”
This guy from Wisconsin said that the bwca is not a true wilderness. I do not think I’m comparing the bwca to northern Wisconsin as I do not believe that northern Wisconsin is true wilderness either. I guess that may still be considered a comparison. I’m stating that it takes one to know one. Not many problem bears in my experience talking with people in my community. We know not to have feed piles( illegal here) suet and bird feeders within reach of a bear if even at all. It’s the seasonal population that do not follow the rules and end up having an encounter. A lack of mutual respect between man and beast. Sounds kinda like the bwca in these problem areas.

deepdish71: "...I simply stated that fear was a motivator for bears to keep their distance 200 years ago, and that has not been a factor in the current times. "

If fear isn't the motivator, why has every bear I've ever encountered ran away from me? I ran into three different Black Bears grouse hunting this past season, and easily 20+ in my lifetime between hunts out west and in the BWCA, and they always run away.

Speaking of Bears... Da Windy City variety are coming home with the Lombardi Trophy in '25!!!

MidwestMan: "Speaking of Bears... Da Windy City variety are coming home with the Lombardi Trophy in '25!!!"

I’d submit that other than the person that had to have their comments adjusted to meet standards of this site that we’ve been relatively cordial and I appreciate that however in regards to the Windy City Bears, all that is now going to be thrown out the window. Bears still suck, go pack go. Even Vikings fans can agree with half of the former.

YaMarVa: "

deepdish71: "...I simply stated that fear was a motivator for bears to keep their distance 200 years ago, and that has not been a factor in the current times. "

If fear isn't the motivator, why has every bear I've ever encountered ran away from me? I ran into three different Black Bears grouse hunting this past season, and easily 20+ in my lifetime between hunts out west and in the BWCA, and they always run away. "

That’s a good point, your experience is the same as mine . I’ve not had a negative encounter to reference . Those bears seem smart, they ran away. I think that’s the point I was making. Some others should chime in on the ones that weren’t smart and rescinded fear of man.

deepdish71: "

MidwestMan: "Speaking of Bears... Da Windy City variety are coming home with the Lombardi Trophy in '25!!!"

I’d submit that other than the person that had to have their comments adjusted to meet standards of this site that we’ve been relatively cordial and I appreciate that however in regards to the Windy City Bears, all that is now going to be thrown out the window. Bears still suck, go pack go. Even Vikings fans can agree with half of the former. "

Caleb Williams for Prez!!!

Just a couple of points.

You can not fire a gun within 150 yards of a campsite or portage trail in the BWCA. You can not bait bears when hunting in the BWCA.
The only exceptions are if you have been given special permission to dispatch a problem bear, but it is very rare that a bear is given that status officially even though we toss the term around a lot.

BWCA bear hunting rules.

This spring, my husband asked a ranger if any hunters have gone after the Rose Lake bear and she said a number of people have tried but with the rules as they are, have been unsuccessful in locating the bear outside of a campsite or portage. Agree or disagree, those are the rules.

straighthairedcurly: "Just a couple of points.


You can not fire a gun within 150 yards of a campsite or portage trail in the BWCA. You can not bait bears when hunting in the BWCA.
The only exceptions are if you have been given special permission to dispatch a problem bear, but it is very rare that a bear is given that status officially even though we toss the term around a lot.


BWCA bear hunting rules.


This spring, my husband asked a ranger if any hunters have gone after the Rose Lake bear and she said a number of people have tried but with the rules as they are, have been unsuccessful in locating the bear outside of a campsite or portage. Agree or disagree, those are the rules."

Discharging a firearm is prohibited within 150 yards of a campsite or occupied area, but this rule does not specifically apply to portages.

deepdish71: "Now they are protected and not many of us would even report a stolen food back let alone avenge the loss. "

Pack?

Speak for yourself. Not only would I report any theft of food, I would go out of my way to report it , after throwing every rock I could find.

Because I've been coming to BWCA for 20 years and have never encountered a bear , because I wouldn't know the trigger of a gun from its safety, because I've read that scaring them off works very well, because I believe more people would end up getting injured than bears would be killed, because bears weigh a lot and I'd be responsible to packing out a dead bear, because bears live in the BWCA and I'm just visiting, and because I don't just want to. Now you can wonder about one fewer people.

We do a lot of hiking out west in grizzly country so we have a couple of cans of bear spray. We bring it on every BWCA/Quetico trip too. I haven’t had to use it but I have a feeling the bear would no longer be a problem bear if it was sprayed.

Mn has a robust bear population.
They have a bear hunting season every year.
Removing the Nunsense bears in the BWCA would not have an effect on the overall population.

I have camped in the BW and Quetico many times and have never seen a bear on these trips. I originally took bear spray but after a few trips stopped doing so. I think seeing a bear while canoeing would be a great treat, like seeing a moose. If a bear came into a campsite that would be upsetting, but I think yelling and trying to scare the bear would likely work long enough for people to evacuate the site. In fact, in reading stories about bears coming into camp that seems to be what most people do, leave that site. I am not opposed to having a bear season, and under the right circumstance I believe they can be hunted. I would worry if every group brought in guns for protection because some yoyos would use this privilege irresponsibly. We need places we can still go to without worry of people using fire arms, where there is peace in mind and we depend on our wits to survive and make it out. For me, the bar has not been that high. Same for most normal folks. The BW should remain essentially a safe place (wilderness park). For those who want to hunt, there are plenty of other options.

Carbonfiber: "Mn has a robust bear population.
They have a bear hunting season every year.
Removing the Nunsense bears in the BWCA would not have an effect on the overall population.



"

It would have zero effect on the overall bear population. Bear hunting and hunting in general has always been allowed and always should be. Yes, the few bears that are a nuisance and we trained them to be that way with free Yogi meals and yes maybe those feel have to be targeted.

I do think many people have never seen a bear and are rookies in the woods and make it more than an issue then it presently is now.

I wonder if the bear thinks there is too many humans running around in their home.

Moonpath: "I have camped in the BW and Quetico many times and have never seen a bear on these trips. I originally took bear spray but after a few trips stopped doing so. I think seeing a bear while canoeing would be a great treat, like seeing a moose. If a bear came into a campsite that would be upsetting, but I think yelling and trying to scare the bear would likely work long enough for people to evacuate the site. In fact, in reading stories about bears coming into camp that seems to be what most people do, leave that site. I am not opposed to having a bear season, and under the right circumstance I believe they can be hunted. I would worry if every group brought in guns for protection because some yoyos would use this privilege irresponsibly. We need places we can still go to without worry of people using fire arms, where there is peace in mind and we depend on our wits to survive and make it out. For me, the bar has not been that high. Same for most normal folks. The BW should remain essentially a safe place (wilderness park). For those who want to hunt, there are plenty of other options. "

Carrying a gun for protection is not a privilege, it is a Constitutional right. Advocating to make the wilderness your personal safe space? I don't even know what to say to that, but it's not going to happen.

I find it interesting that you no longer bring bear spray after a few trips because you didn't see any bears, because in another thread we have been discussing how experience often breeds complacency rather than caution. The bears still pose the same risk as always...low but with potentially high consequences.

plmn: "

Moonpath: "I have camped in the BW and Quetico many times and have never seen a bear on these trips. I originally took bear spray but after a few trips stopped doing so. I think seeing a bear while canoeing would be a great treat, like seeing a moose. If a bear came into a campsite that would be upsetting, but I think yelling and trying to scare the bear would likely work long enough for people to evacuate the site. In fact, in reading stories about bears coming into camp that seems to be what most people do, leave that site. I am not opposed to having a bear season, and under the right circumstance I believe they can be hunted. I would worry if every group brought in guns for protection because some yoyos would use this privilege irresponsibly. We need places we can still go to without worry of people using fire arms, where there is peace in mind and we depend on our wits to survive and make it out. For me, the bar has not been that high. Same for most normal folks. The BW should remain essentially a safe place (wilderness park). For those who want to hunt, there are plenty of other options. "

Carrying a gun for protection is not a privilege, it is a Constitutional right. Advocating to make the wilderness your personal safe space? I don't even know what to say to that, but it's not going to happen.

I find it interesting that you no longer bring bear spray after a few trips because you didn't see any bears, because in another thread we have been discussing how experience often breeds complacency rather than caution. The bears still pose the same risk as always...low but with potentially high consequences. "

No one is calling for a "safe space" wilderness. However the BW IS a relatively safe place with cold water, wind and storms being the primary risk. Much safer than the drive to the BW or than any time in a car. The "protection" I use involves how I handle and store food, and how I respond to wildlife encounters. I have seen numerous bears in the BW and other locals, including checking out my camp and have been able to safely (for both of us) negotiate the encounter with the bear. For me, but maybe not for you, a gun changes the equation and might make me more complacent about the about the types of protections I employ now and have worked for me.

Pinetree: "

Carbonfiber: "Mn has a robust bear population.
They have a bear hunting season every year.
Removing the Nunsense bears in the BWCA would not have an effect on the overall population.



"

I wonder if the bear thinks there is too many humans running around in their home."

When you get an answer from on let me know.

I lived the woods longer than any bear has ever lived in the woods I traveled in the BWCA. Since 1968. Far longer than any bear has been around. When not in AZ, I am in bear country.

The woods are my home as much or more than any bear.

Considering my house is not in the woods would be like saying a bear's den is not in the woods.

1) Don't feed the bears
2) Don't fear the bears

I've literally had a black bear follow behind me for a good 1/4 mile and only turned around once to check if it was maintaining its distance which it was. It wanted no part of me and I wanted no part of it. We went our separate ways without conflict.

I've got a horrible mean streak in me and if threatened no bear will stick around for that tirade. If they bluff rush me, I'm standing my ground and getting bigger and louder. Habituated or not.

Now you can all make fun of the headlines of me being killed by a bear because I did the wrong thing.