Boondocking along Kluane Lake in Yukon, we had the great fortune of having a grizzly mosey along the shoreline while we enjoyed breakfast, with dogs inside the MH mooching our food. Grizz stopped about 10' from MH, sat down and looked at us. I'm jumping for camera and DH is jumping for shotgun. Grizz pondered life a bit, studied us a bit, then stood up and contined on down the shoreline.
A week earlier in Whitehorse, Yukon, a bear had torn through the side of a garage to get to a moose carcass hanging inside. I figured the MH wasn't much protection. Don't know why Grizz passed us by, but he (she?) did. He looked healthy and ready for winter (it was mid-September), so maybe our tin box wasn't worth his while.
Vapor_Trails wrote: ... But, against critters I figure it's a better noise maker than anything else. Here in the San Bernardino Mountains it isn't often you see a bear while boondocking. It's more common to see them rummaging through trash cans at the campground.
I don't know how the old wives tale of black bears being some supernatural invulnerable demon came into existence. You can take one with a bow and arrow. Black bears are normally just a big stomach attached to a skittish easy-to-scare critter. During encounters, it seems the people react more strongly and aggressively than the bear. Black attacks on a human are incredibly rare, even when cornered or threatened.
But grizz are a different matter... hard to kill, but still prefer flight over fight in human encounters.
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Log off and go camping!
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True about blacks. There has never been a recorded death from a black in the San Bernardino Mountains and only a handful of attacks; all involving food. All the more reason not to shoot one. But, chances are pretty slim you'd ever need to. Still, I'd rather carry and not need it, then to be in that one in a million situation where I'd need it and not have it.
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SageCrispin wrote: While on the subject of guns, I was told that there is no way to travel with a hand gun as each state requires its own license. I was convinced I would have to sell mine before I start out on my cross country next year. True or not?
Thanks, Sage
Federal law 926A usurps all individual state laws. It says.......
"Sec. 926A. Interstate transportation of firearms
Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console."
In other words, you can even travel thru D.C., Chicago or NYC with a handgun if you carry as stated above. If a LEO asks you if you have a gun ask him back if you're being detained. If not, ask if you can leave. Never consent to a search.
We live in the Mountains and Bear visits are routine, four that I know of in the last year. Bear sightings during the day are rare. At night, they are just looking for food. One "woof" from the dog is enough to scare them off, but generally our dog is too busy shaking with fear to bark. When I go to work, I leave at 5:00 AM, which is still prime time for Bears. I don't just run out the front door, but stand and listen for a minute. One morning I opened the door and there was a terrible smell. A Bear had just wandered through. Apparently consuming trash, wild animals and whatever else causes bad breath!
Some Bear's are attracted to plastics in general because they associate the plastic smell with the food found in plastic coolers. That's probably why they went for the gas cans in the original post. Bears also have excellent memory. They will check out your camp spot if they found food there from previous campers.
Never shoot a Bear just to scare it off. A wounded Bear is much more dangerous. Unless the situation requires shooting at the Bear, make the first shot into the ground. Chances are excellent it will scare it away, and the noise will simultaneously alert other people that something is amiss and to be alert. In general, if you are inside your RV (hardside) a fire arm is the last step. Even chirping your alarm will scare most Bears off.
In my neighborhood, I'm more concerned about the Coyotes. They are not afraid of people and have learned to pack and go after Dogs. Last year a large pack killed the neighbors German Shepard.
RoadXYZ wrote: Raccoons fighting over a bag of doggie treats in the middle of the night is enuff excitement for me, thank you. And it was a large bag left out in the golf cart! Fortunately we were in Missouri in deer, possum, and hoot owl country, and not in bear country.
Just so you know, there are a few black bears in Missouri. Sightings are extremely rare, but they do happen from time to time.
luck would have it wrote: Not knowing what it was, I can't believe you were able to get back to sleep!!!
That's some Blair witch project stuff right there....Boy I tell you what!
I'd be spending the night on the bumper of the truck with that 9mm in
one hand and a flashlight in the other!!
9mm vs bear is an ugly thought.
Sluggo
That's why it's wise to have a 15 round mag, with another one or two mags as backup. Sure is easier to carry than a 44 mag.
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Vapor_Trails wrote: ... But, against critters I figure it's a better noise maker than anything else. Here in the San Bernardino Mountains it isn't often you see a bear while boondocking. It's more common to see them rummaging through trash cans at the campground.
I don't know how the old wives tale of black bears being some supernatural invulnerable demon came into existence. You can take one with a bow and arrow. Black bears are normally just a big stomach attached to a skittish easy-to-scare critter. During encounters, it seems the people react more strongly and aggressively than the bear. Black attacks on a human are incredibly rare, even when cornered or threatened.
But grizz are a different matter... hard to kill, but still prefer flight over fight in human encounters.
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More people are killed by black bears than brown bears. Black bears should not be taken lightly. They tend to be less predictable and also are more likely to kill you for food. I used to be afraid of bears, but now I just respect them. I have camped in both black as well as black.brown territory. I have two bears in my house. I shot my first bear with a 44 mag 5 times. Handguns are not good bear protection.
That said, 9/5 times out of 10 yelling at a bear will make it go away. When in serious doubt, a slug gun is the best defense.
I almost forgot. You west coast people will never believe this, but Blacks run up to about 800lbs in Pennsylvana. I believe that pennsylvania also has the largest bear harvest in lower 48 if not the country. In 2005 hunters harvested 4,164 bears legally in Pennsylvania in 3 days. The largest was 864lbs.
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