Bears, or mitigation there of during overlanding (2 Viewers)

[BearBio]

BIG difference between a (Pennsylvania) black bear and a (Alaska) grizzly!

During my thesis study, there was an apiary that was pillaged each year despite having an electric fence (it is possible that the bear became acclimated to the shock through repetition)

 

[JayMilla]

The only camping we do is in bear country. Though not sure if a tent on the ground is considered overlanding, probably depends on how many gear stickers you have....lol

Lock up your food in the vehicle, no food in the tent. Be prepared to repel unwanted visitors.

Dogs in camp don't suck either, hard to sneak up on a man with a dog.

 

[BearBio]

The only camping we do is in bear country. Though not sure if a tent on the ground is considered overlanding, probably depends on how many gear stickers you have....lol

Lock up your food in the vehicle, no food in the tent. Be prepared to repel unwanted visitors.

Dogs in camp don't suck either, hard to sneak up on a man with a dog.

Dogs can antagonize bears, so be prepared to act FAST!

 

[coleAK]

The only camping we do is in bear country. Though not sure if a tent on the ground is considered overlanding, probably depends on how many gear stickers you have....lol

Lock up your food in the vehicle, no food in the tent. Be prepared to repel unwanted visitors.

Dogs in camp don't suck either, hard to sneak up on a man with a dog.

I grew up in N NV and worked summers In Yosemite. Small black bears in the park got very good at ripping windows out of vehicles for any food. Even things as small as a “fun sized” snickers. Don’t leave food in your LC.

Bears and Food Storage

Yosemite's bears are adept at finding your food! This short, subtitled (no audio) video provides an overview of how you can protect bears while visiting Yosemite. (4 minutes, no audio)

www.nps.gov

This was in my town a few years back.

Bear tears through valuable Shelby Cobra in Girdwood

A bear attacked a valuable convertible in Girdwood because a friend forgot about a Fig Newton, the car's owner says.

www.alaskasnewssource.com

 

[BearBio]

I had photos of a semi-trailer ripped open by a brownie in Anchorage as well as a '52 Chevy with the trunk peeled open that I used for presentations. I had a SPAM can peeled open by a small black bear on my desk at F&W for years.

 

[JayMilla]

I grew up in N NV and worked summers In Yosemite. Small black bears in the park got very good at ripping windows out of vehicles for any food. Even things as small as a “fun sized” snickers. Don’t leave food in your LC.

Bears and Food Storage

Yosemite's bears are adept at finding your food! This short, subtitled (no audio) video provides an overview of how you can protect bears while visiting Yosemite. (4 minutes, no audio)

www.nps.gov

This was in my town a few years back.

Bear tears through valuable Shelby Cobra in Girdwood

A bear attacked a valuable convertible in Girdwood because a friend forgot about a Fig Newton, the car's owner says.

www.alaskasnewssource.com

Habituated bears are a different issue, once they learn those habits there is only one cure.

 

[JayMilla]

Dogs can antagonize bears, so be prepared to act FAST!

That is the idea.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Are you sure it wasn’t a shock line? Many people use them up here in AK.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/udap-electric-bear-fence?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Shop%7CCAB%7CTopPerformers%7CHunting&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjYew5oaT9AIVBj6tBh3tMwrtEAQYASABEgI22PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm not really sure. I didn't want to go near it. My assumption was that when they said it would sound an alarm it would do just that. But the unit wasn't mine and I didn't set it up. They had a few of these things, IIRC. What I worried about more than the bears was getting up in the middle of the night to take a piss and setting it off.

EDIT: took a look at the Cabelas unit. It definitely wasn't that. What they had were small and packable.

 

[Otter]

We're currently in the process of planning a trip to Yosemite next spring. Trying to decide what we're going to do with our fridge mounted in the truck. I usually keep a pantry box in the truck on longer trips, which would easily fit in a bear box.

We spent two weeks camping in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons last July and had no real issues just making sure the truck stayed locked up. Never really used the bear boxes. We sleep in a RTT.

Thoughts re: Yosemite?

 

[BearBio]

I wouldn't sweat it too much!

 

[mep1811]

I spray ammonia around the trailer kitchen draw , truck doors. Bears don't like that smell.

 

[Corbet]

I live and nearly always camp in black bear habitat. Occasionally in brown bear habitat. Only thing I have to really add is that it’s also good to practice with a can of bear spray. Know what the range looks like and the spray pattern. See first hand before having to actually use it. Hard to accidentally kill someone with a can of bear spray. But you sure can make someone or yourself useless with it in a hurry.

That said I cook on my tailgate, fridge in cargo area, sleep in RTT. Keep spray and/or large caliper pistol with me to suit location. Rarely in campgrounds so don’t deal with many habituated bears. Mostly the wild kind. Often have a 100lb Alaskan Malamute tied to the bumper.

 

[Otter]

Spent 5 days in Yosemite last week. We stayed in the Curry Village cabin tents. Bear boxes were mandatory. Two sizes of bear boxes, of course we ended up with the smaller one. My Dometic 50 liter plus a lithium battery ran it the whole time we were there. Worked great, just a little crowded.

 

[tls3601]

12 gauge Benelli Nova Tactical Pump action shotgun loaded with slugs. No grizzlies here in AZ but we do have some pretty big black bears. Stickler for cleaning up camp after dinner as well Also have bear spray with me sometimes.

 

[BearBio]

I spray ammonia around the trailer kitchen draw , truck doors. Bears don't like that smell.

Neither do I !!!!

 

[kirvesmies]

I spray ammonia around the trailer kitchen draw , truck doors. Bears don't like that smell.

hence, the old hunters i know said to always p!$$ around the perimeter of your camp. they believe it worked as they never had bruin issues in decades of hunting. so yeah, i follow that advice when i'm in the north woods.

 

[BearBio]

hence, the old hunters i know said to always p!$$ around the perimeter of your camp. they believe it worked as they never had bruin issues in decades of hunting. so yeah, i follow that advice when i'm in the north woods.

We've done that to keep coyotes away from hanging game.

Just keep a clean camp is 90% of it. Hang food and any game. Cook away from the sleeping areas. Change clothes (don't wear clothes you cook in to bed!). Look for bear scat, scraped trees, etc. and avoid those areas.

 

[kirvesmies]

We've done that to keep coyotes away from hanging game.

Just keep a clean camp is 90% of it. Hang food and any game. Cook away from the sleeping areas. Change clothes (don't wear clothes you cook in to bed!). Look for bear scat, scraped trees, etc. and avoid those areas.

i'd never heard of using urine for repelling canine type predators, interesting. the rest of your post i believe is common sense for anyone woods savvy. to the etc may i add over turned rocks n torn open rotting logs. despite this not being my thread, i appreciate you weighing in with your professional point of view @BearBio

 

[BearBio]

i'd never heard of using urine for repelling canine type predators, interesting. the rest of your post i believe is common sense for anyone woods savvy. to the etc may i add over turned rocks n torn open rotting logs. despite this not being my thread, i appreciate you weighing in with your professional point of view @BearBio

Welcome!! Tracks and sometimes smell can alert you! We had one bear that built a "man cave" below a hairpin curve in a residential area. He constructed a cavity among the giant cane (Arundo sp.). It even had a running water (a small creek) running through it. He would snatch trash bags on the night before pick-up and drag them inside. Interestingly, it was FEET from a horseback trail frequented by people and dogs!

FY: Minnesota woodsmen use bear spray to fend off "magnificent" grizzly - https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/minnesota-woodsmen-use-bear-spray-to-fend-off-magnificent-grizzly/ar-AA11s7ev

 

[peesalot]

I agree that areas with habituated bears require more attention to your food, cooking, storage issues. When camping where I expect bears to rummage at night I pack things up, strap coolers & food boxes to a down tree and cover with tarp, you hear them move tarp, have 45 ready just in case but a good yell . maybe a shot across the bow will run them off. Or hang your food if in really bad area. I hate coming out the tent in middle of night to check on that tarp sound , have had to run string lines with rattle cans and make brush breaks around tent when the pesky ones want to sniff around the tent every hour all night. Just be aware, prepared, and pay attention to whats left around.