Hi everyone! I have been reading and really enjoy the posts here. We just purchased our TT this summer and are trying to get used to it. We went dry camping once and learned a whole lot! Now we are going to Yellowstone and camping at Fishing Bridge RV camp. We will be using full hookups. I was wondering what precautions we need to use to keep our trailer bear free? Meaning, can we keep our toiletries in the bathroom? How about taking a shower in our trailer? Our food in the cupboards and fridge? How about cooking in the trailer, will that emit smells that might make the bears want in to sample what we have?
Sorry for all the questions, we really want to do the right thing and I know there are so many that have so much more knowledge than we do. At this particular camp site, there is no picnic tables or fire grates. (I just found that out). We will be going up on Wed. We are also taking our dog. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
As long as you keep everything inside and don't leave any trash outside, you will do fine. Due the recent incident, the rangers will be checking each site more often to assure everyone is being safe.. don't worry about it... just have fun. We had a great time there in late May.
ps:... don't leave the dog outside.
Eric
Eagle River, Alaska
U.S. Air Force (retired)
2005 Keystone Cougar 304BHS travel trailer
2008 Ram 2500 Mega Cab w/Cummins 6.7L and 6-speed automatic
The bears will smell your cooking as well as that of all the other campers. You will be told to not leave food or garbage outside. As for bear proofing your trailer, there is no such thing. If the bear wants to come in, he or she will come in. The rangers will be able to tell you if there have been any bears sighted around the camping area and what to do in the event you see a bear.
To everyone: Bears usually feed at dusk or later. Females will have a cub or 2 right now, newborns and up to 2 years of age (unless the boar males have already killed the cubs). If you see a small bear, there is a big one very close and watching. Bears can run 30 mph and can climb trees just as quickly. What may look like a lone "little" bear weighs 2-300 lbs., has 2 inch long claws and enough strength to swat a filled 50 gallon drum away with one paw. They are not sweet, cuddly creatures. They are predators - stay away from where they are. Many people will tell you to play dead if approached, but that is just practice for the real thing. They will climb up a tree with you in it. If a bear is intent on attacking, there is nothing short of high powered rifle that will stop them.
They particularly like cantaloupe and dandelions as well as all sort of sweets, such as jelly, jam, sugar, syrup, etc. They should be quite well fed after their hibernation by now but if they have learned that 'people=food' they will get lazy and rather than hunt they will scavenge.
Make sure you have cell phone coverage and program the ranger station number into the phone. See a bear, call a ranger from your tow vehicle with the engine running so you can get away.
Hi Twydee,
You will probably get many different types of opinions. This is like asking, "Are dogs dangerous?"
I have lived in the wilderness in several spots in Alaska where there was a heavy population of black and brown bears. I had to shoot a bear that was trying to break into my cabin in the middle of the night. I say this because maybe you will judge my opinion slightly different then someone who has never been out of Manhattan.
Bears have rules. Research them and you probably won't have any problems. (IE- If you encounter a bear, don't run. Etc. etc.)
In AK, there are more people killed by moose than bear. There are more people killed by dogs than bear. There are more people killed by lightening, (which is rather rare in many parts of AK), than by bear.
When you arrive at the campground, ask the rangers and vols. what you should do as far as your questions are concerned.
If you see a bear, consider yourself lucky. My first yr. in AK, I was stationed at Lower Twin Lake in Lake Clark Park. There was a man, Dick Proenneke, who had lived many years in the wilderness. I asked him about carrying my shotgun and if he wore bear bells etc. He looked at me in wonderment and said, "If you wear bear bells, you won't see any bears."
As far as bringing your dog, there are at least 2 things to consider. If a dog encounters a bear, it may get scared and run back to its owner with the bear in hot pursuit. Second, if the dog is tied up outside your camper, a bear may come into your campsite to eat the helpless dog who can't get away.
Enjoy the wilderness. It's much, much more dangerous to drive 70 mph on our interstates.
Many yrs. ago we went to Yellowstone and camped in a campground where you needed a hard sided camper because of the bears. The next morning we heard helicopters and rangers going around the campsite in their cars talking on their loudspeakers. I said to everyone, quick get, up there must be a lot of bears around here. It turned out that 2 men robbed a bank in Cody, WY, killed the guard and were chased into our campground and abandoned their car. We had to stay in our campers all day until they could be searched.
Ed
[b/]2005 Sierra 2500 Duramax HD 4WD EXT Cab SLT
2006 Jayco Eagle 29RLTS
TTT Mirrors
Pullrite 16K Superglide
Garmin 7200 GPS
BrakeSmart
Mor-ryde Pin Box
60 gal. aux. fuel tank-toolbox combo
Porta-Bote- RV brackets on side of RV
and many more additions.
We love yellowstone and live close enough to make it a day trip. But we wanted to stay overnight there in our new trailer. We have seen bear everytime we have been there. You have to know when and where to look! We have been fortunate. We rarely see a moose. I'm not too worried but would rather be safe than sorry. I would rather leave our dog home, but we don't have anyone for her to stay with and she is too young to stay at home by herself. So we are probably not going to see as much or do as much as we usually do. But I am sure it will be fun.
Last year, in the fishing bridge area, we drove past the cabins and there at one was a buffalo standing right on the front porch! I can't imagine what it would be like to open the front door and there is a big ol bull buffalo at your door!
Trailer camping is new to us and we are having fun! Thanks to people like you who let others know of your experiences, it sure makes it easier to go and have fun!
We spent a week in Yellowstone last month. One day we left bottled water under our camper, and got a warning note from the rangers to keep our campsite clean.
The next day, we left out our water bucket. A bucket we only fill with water from the campground spigot and use to put out our campfire at night. We got another warning note from the rangers to keep our campsite clean.
The third day - we really SCOURED our campsite. We picked up tiny bits of trash. Locked EVERYTHING in the trailer. We left absolutely NOTHING out. When we got back to camp - NO warning note! We cheered.
The rangers are pretty serious about keeping a clean campsite. Yellowstone is amazing. I highly recommend that you try to spend the night there in your new trailer. It's a great experience.
Just a short story.... well kind of
My DH tells this so much better but here goes. Many years ago (when DH was a small boy) his family of 4 (2 parents and 2 smaller kids)were camping in Yellow Stone. Mother-inlaw was cooking breakfast (bacon) in TT. Men folks were ourside doing "manly" things when along comes mister ol bear wanting breakfast. Now keep in mind, DMIL is aobut 99 lbs soaking wet in cloths. Well, she opened the TT door to call the men folk and sure enough, that ol bear tryed to take the door right out of MILs hands. MIL pulled from the insde and bear pulled from the outside. MIL was able to get ahold of the skillet and clobber ol bear and won the battle. Needless to say, there was no bacon for breakfast that am and Mr. ol bear went away with a burnt and very sore paw.
2005 F250
2007 Pilgrim FW
1 (all I need) Wonderful (most of the time) DH
Life is to short to sweat the small stuff.
Twedee go and have a great time you wont have anyproblems. just keep your camp picked up and coolers inside. and no firearms are alowed unless unloaded and stowed per yellowstone web site. besure to ch and verify your RV's total lenth as there is a max, but cant remember what it is. WE just returned from there and had a great time.
Go camping in Bear Country (Sierras) all the time...common sense prevails. Impossible to "bear proof" a TT...but you can "bear proof" your campsite.
Tim & Sue
Gerry (GSD) & Jammer (Sheltie)
2005 F150 4x4 Lariat 5.4L 3.73 Please buy a Hybrid...I need your gas for my 37 gallon tank!
2000 Nash 19B...comfortably pimped with a real Queen Size Bed Red Wine anyone?
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