Tenting in Grizzly territory

[hparrott]

Im going to be heading out for upwards of a week into an area with little foot traffic due to motor restrictions. There are lots of grizz in the area. For those who tent in areas like this, I would like to hear what precautionary measures you take to try to minimize grizz, or other predators, from being attracted to your camp.

[604ksmith]

I'm no expert, I sleep in my truck when solo hunting in Grizz areas, but here's a few rules to always follow regardless of area/predator.

Don't cook in camp, hang your food (including bars/dehydrated meals) 200 yards or more away, and try to camp in areas with few game trails nearby. Also, I would sleep near your rifle and have bear spray handy.

[BgBlkDg]

I am, after several years of considering it, going to buy one of the very light electric bear fences and use that around my sleeping camp. I also will buy some of the light bear alarms-think you can get these from HBC?

I really NEED to watch pack weight, due to age and injuries, but, I also want the best safety setup I can get and these will give me that when weight is considered.

[tigrr]

Some take a spool of fishing line and some cans or bells and string the line around camp with the rattling device hanging on it. Lets call it an early warning device. Old stories talk of marking the four corners of camp with urine. Don't unload your gun at night!! I hope your not a heavy sleeper.

1 minute late.

[Glenny]

I like to just drink a lot. Then bam you wake up in the morning and yer all good to go...for a while anyway.

[MattErickson]

In addition to sleeping with you rifle always sleep with your knife handy so you can cut your way out of the tent if longclaw pounces on the tent!

[325]

I bought a Pack Alarm last year, but haven't used it yet

[bc_buckshot]

Talk to Srupp that man is wise on grizzly and living with them. He had some good precaution info to pass. Example if your going with a partner good idea to both wear a white shirt to bed. In case of emergency with a grizz in camp and you wake up all groggy you will see a white shirt better than a dark on and you know who the good guy is. Everyone knows this but don't camp near food and stash high. If you can't afford a camp fence, bring 3-4 pop cans and put bunch of rocks in it. Tie it with string around camp. If anything comes in you can hear the cans. Just a piece of mind

[Ron.C]

Used my pack alarm over 50 nights now in pretty heavy griz country. Had three false triggers "2 from falling branches, 1 from wet snow". Had it set off 4 times from something walking into it.

[325]

Used my pack alarm over 50 nights now in pretty heavy griz country. Had three false triggers "2 from falling branches, 1 from wet snow". Had it set off 4 times from something walking into it.

Did the alarm scare off whatever walked into it?

[PressurePoint]

Also hide any petroleum fuel tanks, propane, fuel type cylinders or anything oil product related... They love that's stuff.

[Glenny]

Take bear spray and spray it it all around yer camp. Thatll do it. jk. :wink:

[wideopenthrottle]

After losing one of deer to a griz last year we decided to run string with cans around.....we also put rope around the meat pole with a propane tree light burning on low....we put our step ladder with a 5gal pail full of cans on top and tied the ladder to the rope perimeter....the night we lost one it was raining hard and the dog had snuck into the tent to escape the rain...the cans were enough to alert the dog and every night the griz came back we got up and let off a few shotgun blasts..we also had a trail cam set up away from camp on the trail into camp...the video almost every night started with the bear causing the camera to turn on, followed by dog barking followed by shotgun blasts...the griz came back every night but 1 so it was an ongoing battle

[Ron.C]

Yes. And in two cases the alarm line was pulled several feet and pulled the trigger stick out of the alarm

[Ron.C]

Did the alarm scare off whatever walked into it?
Yes.And in 2 cases the alarm was pulled several feet and pulled the trigger stick out of the alarm.

[finngun]

Camp with buddy who is limping badly..so ya can outrun him:cool:

[Caribou_lou]

I have been hunting/fishing in Grizzly country for a few years now. No problems ever. The only precaution I take is hanging the meat away from camp after the harvest.

[mpotzold]

I would have 1 of the following -Rossi Ranch Hand 44 mag, a defender loaded with hard slugs, 45/70 GG or similar. One needs a weapon that's quick & easy to handle.
A powerful flashlight is a must. A large knife. If you believe in bear spray then leave it outside the tent.
How about a rope circling a tent, 2 feet high with some bells.:mrgreen:

[nicktrehearne]

As everyone has mentioned, keep your food away from where you're sleeping. If you are rifle hunting, I'd have that near by. If bowhunting, make sure to have bear spray handy. I can't even count how many nights I've camped in grizz country and have only had an issue once - and it was when I was too lazy to hike my food away from my camp...

[604Stalker]

Food stays 20 ft from tent knife stays under the pillow rifle sleeps with me. Definetly woken up to sniffing noises on the other side of the tent before it is what it is we go in their backyard not the other way around.

[Glenny]

Well whilst campn in any cunree I always gots the 12g sxs at my side, action open of course. (Buck shot)

[warnniklz]

I wonder if a strobe flashlight would bung up a bear's vision like it does with people?

I sleep rifle right next to me, with the bolt open slightly, just gotta lock and pop. Haven't ever had major issues with bears other than being robbed.

[steel_ram]

Take some hamburger and make a dozen meatballs. Place them around the perimeter of your camp, so when a bear hits them, he goes around your camp and not through it.

[squamishhunter]

I sleep without a tent, a dog on either side and something under my pillow.

[BiG Boar]

You should consider seeing a psychologist to get over your fears. Statistically, all you have is a phobia of something that will probably never happen. Take precautions, bring a dog if possible, and a big gun.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Personally, I would be very reluctant to store my food 200 yards away....particularly in the alpine where there are no trees around. If a bear gets your food your trip could come to an abrupt end and if it's two or three days back to the drop point you'll regret not protecting your food better.

[Glenny]

Eat lots of beans. BEANSH!!!! Splaaaarphhhhhh Keeeps em away. Smells too much like trouble. Works every time. Beensche. C'mon you can even get the wife into faaaarting outloud. Oooh baby.

[BromBones]

Personally, I would be very reluctant to store my food 200 yards away....particularly in the alpine where there are no trees around. If a bear gets your food your trip could come to an abrupt end and if it's two or three days back to the drop point you'll regret not protecting your food better.

I wouldn't do that either. Alpine hunts my food usually stays in the vestibule or outside under the siltarp. Will have to deal with a bear if it happens I guess, but haven't had a problem yet. Never hurts having the dog with me.

[Frango]

Camp with buddy who is limping badly..so ya can outrun him:cool:
Or hit him in the knee with the camp ax.

[Rattler]

Speaking from experience having a Gbear coming into your tent is one scary time. I now put food 30 yards or so from camp 20' up a tree if possible. Sleep with the rifle loaded in the tent and with a headlamp strapped to my head. I too have a pack alarm and haven't had anything trigger it yet other than tree branches.

[325]

You should consider seeing a psychologist to get over your fears. Statistically, all you have is a phobia of something that will probably never happen. Take precautions, bring a dog if possible, and a big gun.

I have never been attacked by a grizzly, although I have been charged a couple times. I have, however, had grizzlies come into camp at night on a few occasions. That's why I bought the Pack Alarm. It's true that the probability of a nocturnal grizzly attack is low, but statistics don't matter when your being attacked. At that point, the probability is 100%.

[wideopenthrottle]

Also depends where you are...we were on bull river when the griz kept coming back....there is a problem bear there....it needs to be dead....

[hparrott]

Some great suggestions. I've ordered a perimeter alarm off ebay that's similar to the pack alarm. If taking an extra measure like this means a better night sleep I'm all for it.

[mpotzold]

I have never been attacked by a grizzly, although I have been charged a couple times. I have, however, had grizzlies come into camp at night on a few occasions. That's why I bought the Pack Alarm. It's true that the probability of a nocturnal grizzly attack is low, but statistics don't matter when your being attacked. At that point, the probability is 100%.

Fully agree. Better be safe than sorry.
In over 50 years of hunting was only charged once by a large grizz.
Lived in the Yukon in a tent a full year in the remote wilderness & we never had a bear charge. We cooked 2x a day. I'm sure the odour could be picked up from many miles but the bears as always left us alone & stayed away.
We got visited by an aggressive wolverine one day. A FN helper shot it & gave the fur to me. It's now somewhere in Kit-Waterloo.

Lover 308 ( LT )& I came across a large grizzly feeding on a recently killed moose by the shore of Germansen Lake. The small cabin we stayed at was less than a km. away. That night we placed small rocks in empty cans but the bear knew we were waiting.:-P
Here's a video from 2 HBC members getting attacked by a grizz while in a tent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Z0C14icHA

[two-feet]

Dont menstrate

[srupp]

Hmmm nothing in tent with odours..no food..no toothpaste..no chocolate bars..nothing.ever.
Flashlite, knife, rifle to bed..the knife is for an exit..in case the door is occupied..you can never rip a tent fast enough.
All bear encounters at tents at night should be treated as preditory in nature..dont be a tent taco..fight back..
The white..NEVER WORN NEW tee shirt in case shyte hits the fan..easier to identify where the good guys are at 3 am tired adrenaline things happening fast..not all bear attacks are fatal..most short distance shootings usually are...

Food stored high if possible..if not..100 yards in sight..
Never used a electric perimeter fence..however according to several that have used them..they work..all helps
Dont set up on trails..bears do use them..also super dense foliage.

Cheers
Steven

[markomoose]

Just sold all my guns and never going in the woods again!!YA RIGHT!!Come and get some Mr Bear!!

[swampthing]

I have had enough sleepless nights in grizz country while backpacking . 75% of my hunting is solo and 95% of it in a tent. I remember one night in the Mcgregors. I had my little tent set up on a knife edge ridge trail. The only flat spot I had. While glassing for goats I spotted the sow and cubs about 400 yards off just below the trail. When camping like this I am a firm believer of the pee-rimiter. I try to get all around my tent but mostly downwind. A good crap don't hurt either. I have always cooked in camp but leave my food downwind a bit. Pee around it too. This peeing thing is tough because I am usually de-hydrated from the hike! Whenever possible I camp by running water as the noise muffles other sounds and I sleep better. When I tent camp by my truck I don't give bears a second thought. I figure no bear is brave enough to come near all the action I have going on. I do always use my rifle as a pillow and have a round chambered. Honestly though, in real life I figure I will win the lottery I don't buy tickets for before I have a bear encounter. Every single grizz I have ever ran into has run away as fast as he could when he realized who/what I was. Its us that carry the guns!

[HarryToolips]

Some take a spool of fishing line and some cans or bells and string the line around camp with the rattling device hanging on it. Lets call it an early warning device. Old stories talk of marking the four corners of camp with urine. Don't unload your gun at night!! I hope your not a heavy sleeper.

1 minute late.
I haven't tented in super heavy griz country at all, but this is what I do, throw rocks in my metal drinkin can and tie it to the fishin line..

[northof49]

Tie it with string around camp. If anything comes in you can hear the cans. Just a piece of mind[/QUOTE]

ya.....until it rattles:-D

[klondikemike]

I have one of those C.T. Eliminator powerbox's and some compact flourecsent bulbs wired up and ready to go. Just touch the inverter switch and the whole camp is lit up. Place it where I can easily reach it to turn on the light then grab the gun. Its way too heavy to pack on a carry on your back trip but if your boating in or on the quads its pretty easy. Nice to get into bed then turn the lights out too.

[noth615]

I had an experience with a Grizzly coming to the tent about 5 years ago while camping up on Todagin mountain. Had an interesting dream one night where a Grizzly was popping his teeth and snarling at me, it felt so real that it woke me up. It was in the early morning, as I sat up, eyes wide open and thought that was a scary ass dream! Then, as I sat there in my tent, I heard the exact same popping and snarling noise again! I suddenly came to the realization that this was no dream!
My partners in the tent beside me (an experienced mountain hunter) had heard the bear as well and aggressively yelled back at the bear "HEY!!!" I unzipped the tent door and watched the Grizzly bear running away down the hill...lucky we were armed with only bows and arrows!

Act aggressive when a curious bear comes to visit, if you're in that scenario yell, growl; make him rethink!

[two-feet]

Nothing more creepy than bears hanging around camp, makes it hard to relax. A good trick if you have a problem bear is get a bear spray and put some bacon grease on it then leave it just out of camp. The bruin will get a spicy bite!

[leannejason]

List of Fatal Black bear attacks[edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_Nort h_America&action=edit&section=2)]

Name, age, gender
Date
Type
Location
Description


Daniel Ward O'Connor, 27, male
May 10, 2015
Wild
nearMackenzie, British Columbia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenzie,_British_Columbia)
Ward was killed by a bear while he slept near the fire pit at his campsite. His fiancée who slept in a nearby motorhome discovered his partially consumed body the following morning. The bear was later shot and killed by conservation officers.[7] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-7)[8] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-npOct2015-8)


Darsh Patel, 22, male
September 21, 2014
Wild
near West Milford, New Jersey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Milford,_New_Jersey)
Patel was about to begin hiking with four friends in Apshawa Preserve (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apshawa_Preserve) when they met a man and a woman at the entrance who told them there was a bear nearby and advised them to turn around.[9] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nyd_11252014-9) They continued on, found the bear, and Patel and another hiker took photos. They turned and began walking away, but the bear followed them. The hikers ran in different directions, and found that Patel was missing when they regrouped. Authorities found Patel's body after searching for two hours. A black bear found in the vicinity was killed.[10] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nyt_nj2014-10) According to the State Department of Environmental Protection, this was the first fatal bear attack on a human in New Jersey on record.[10] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nyt_nj2014-10)


Lorna Weafer, 36, female
May 7, 2014
Wild
near Fort McMurray, Alberta (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McMurray,_Alberta)
Weafer, a Suncor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suncor) worker was attacked at the remote North Steepbank oil sands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_oil_sands) mine site while walking back to work after a trip to the washroom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_toilet). Efforts by co-workers to scare off the bear were unsuccessful. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Canadian_Mounted_Police) shot and killed the bear upon arrival. A preliminary investigation determined that the attack was predatory.[11] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-cbc_weafer1-11)


Robert Weaver, 64, male
June 6, 2013
Wild
George Lake near Delta Junction, Alaska (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Junction,_Alaska)
Weaver was attacked by a black bear while walking back to his cabin on George Lake, according to his wife, who was able to flee inside the cabin and was uninjured. A 230 lb (104.3 kg) adult male black bear on the scene was killed by troopers and found to have some of Weaver's remains in his stomach.[12] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-newsminer11june2013-12)


Lana Hollingsworth, 61, female
July 25, 2011
Wild
Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinetop-Lakeside,_Arizona)
Hollingsworth was attacked by a 250 lb (113.4 kg) black bear while walking her dog at a country club. Nearly a month later and after eleven surgeries, she died from a massive brain hemorrhage, which doctors believe was a result of the attack. The bear was tracked, shot, and killed.[13] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-reuters26july2011-13)


Bernice Adolph, 72, female
June 2011
Wild
near Lillooet, British Columbia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillooet,_British_Columbia)
Adolph's remains were found by police dogs after she was reported missing. She was an elder (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_elder) in the Xaxli'p First Nation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xaxli%27p_First_Nation). There was evidence that bears fed on Adolph's remains, and tried to enter her house. An autopsy confirmed that she died from a bear attack. Five bears suspected of being involved were killed by conservation officers, and DNA tests confirmed that one of the dead bears killed Adolph.[14] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-cbc14july2011-14)


Brent Kandra, 24, male
August 19, 2010
Captive
Columbia Station, Ohio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Station,_Ohio)
Kandra was a bear caretaker on property that kept exotic pets. The bear was out of its cage for feeding. Prior to the attack, the property's owner had his license to exhibit animals revoked, but was still allowed to keep the animals on his property.[15] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nprAug202010-15)

[leannejason]

List of fatal Brown bear attacks[edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_Nort h_America&action=edit&section=3)]



Name, age, gender
Date
Type
Location
Description









Lance Crosby, 63, male
August 7, 2015
Wild
Yellowstone National Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park),Wyoming (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming)
Crosby, an employee at a medical clinic in the park, was reported missing when he did not report for work. A park ranger found his body in a popular off-trail area less than a mile from Elephant Back Loop Trail, an area he was known to frequent. His body was partially consumed and covered. Puncture wounds on his arms indicated he had tried to defend himself. Based on the presence of a sow grizzly and a cub in the area, the sow was deemed responsible for the attack. The sow was captured and euthanized after it was found to be the bear that killed Crosby.[17] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-17)[18] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-18) There were public appeals to not kill the sow, but the park superintendent decided there was a risk the sow might kill again; based on July 6, 2011 and August 24, 2011 killings in the park, where another sow was present at both those killings.[19] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-19)


Ken Novotny, 53, male
September 17, 2014
Wild
near Norman Wells, Northwest Territories (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Wells,_Northwest_Territories)
While on a hunting trip near Normal Wells, Novotny was charged and struck by a bear. Friends reported Novotny had just killed a moose and was prepping his prize when the bear "came out of nowhere." He died on the scene. Authorities later found and killed the bear responsible for his death.[20] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-novotny-20)


Rick Cross, 54, male
September 7, 2014
Wild
Kananaskis Country (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kananaskis_Country),Alberta (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta)
Cross, a hunter, was killed by a mother bear when he accidentally got between her and her cubs. His body was found near his backpack. RCMP said it appeared he wandered into the area where the mother and cub were feeding on a dead deer.[21] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-cbc_cross-21)


Adam Thomas Stewart, 31, male
September 4, 2014
Wild
Bridger-Teton National Forest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridger-Teton_National_Forest),Wyoming (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming)
Stewart was conducting research alone in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwest Wyoming (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming). After he failed to return, a search found his body.[22] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-moen-22) The coroner suspects it was a grizzly bear, but the species hasn't officially been determined.


Richard White, 49, male
August 24, 2012
Wild
Denali National Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denali_National_Park), Alaska
White was backpacking alone along the Toklat River (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toklat_River). After hikers found an abandoned backpack and torn clothing, rangers investigated and found a male grizzly bear sitting on White's remains. The bear was shot and killed by an Alaska State Trooper (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_State_Troopers). A necropsy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necropsy) of the bear and photographs recovered from White's camera confirmed the attack.[23] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-fairbanks82512-23)The photographs in White's camera showed that he was taking photos of the bear in a span of eight minutes from 50 yards (46 m) to 100 yards (91 m).[24] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-apDenaliAttack-24) It was the first fatal bear attack recorded in Denali National Park.[23] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-fairbanks82512-23)


Tomas Puerta, 54, male
October 2012
Wild
Chichagof Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichagof_Island), Alaska
After passers-by spotted an unattended skiff (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiff), they investigated and encountered a grizzly bear sow and two cubs. Alaska State troopers and Sitka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitka,_Alaska) Mountain rescue personnel then found evidence of a campsite and fire on the beach. There was evidence of a struggle, and upon following a trail of disturbed vegetation, they found Puerta's body, cached and partially eaten.[25] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-mud-25)









Brian Matayoshi, 57, male
July 6, 2011
Wild
Yellowstone National Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park),Wyoming (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming)
Matayoshi and his wife were hiking the Wapiti Lake Trail, and came upon a mother grizzly bear in an open meadow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow). The couple began to walk away, and the bear charged. After attempting to run away, Matayoshi was fatally bitten and clawed. Matayoshi's wife hid behind a tree, was lifted from the ground by the bear, and dropped. She played dead, and the bear left the area. She was not injured.[31] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-cnnjuly72011-31)[32] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nps_release_yellowstonejuly2011-32)An initial investigation by the National Park Service (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service) found the bear's actions were defensive against a perceived threat to her cubs. Since the attack was not predatory and the bear had no known violent history towards humans, no immediate action was taken towards the bear, the bear was later euthanized after it was found to be at the site of another fatal attack August 24, 2011.[29] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-slate_yellowstone-29)[31] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-cnnjuly72011-31)[32] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-nps_release_yellowstonejuly2011-32) A later investigation determined that the couple running from the bear was a mistake, and the fatal attack was a "one in 3 million occurrence".[33] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#cite_n ote-lat_20Sept-33)

[hunter1947]

Eat your dinner a few miles away from where you are going to set up camp this way your not cooking at your camp set up,,no food around camp and get a pack alarm the alarm will wake you up if a predator hits the line set up around your tent,,don't camp near any game trails and don't camp near rivers or lake shores

sleep with a loaded gun and a good bright flashlight have a bear banger and bear spray beside you,, try to sleep with one eye open and the other one asleep LOL good luck on your hunt stay safe this fall when out there in God's land....

[leannejason]

There's lots more, but you get the drift.....:wink:

[325 wsm]

The problem with yelling at unidentified bears in the middle of the night is that if it happens to be a sow with cubs the sow will Immediately attack where the yelling comes from to defend her cubs. Nothing better than a good dog.

[Busterpayton54]

Nothing more creepy than bears hanging around camp, makes it hard to relax. A good trick if you have a problem bear is get a bear spray and put some bacon grease on it then leave it just out of camp. The bruin will get a spicy bite! bear spray is proven to be an attractant and the spice doesn't bother them one but. Plenty of people have tried spraying their coolers and what not only to find the Bears licking the spray.

[honeyman76]

So, from what I can see, the odds of being killed are actually pretty remote considering the number of people in the bush on any given day.

[steel_ram]

Worse ways of going . . . like lying in a hospital with tubes stuck everywhere, a full diaper and whining relatives all around. A woodsmen would be lucky and honoured to be taken by a bear . . . just don't go painting yourself with honey.

[argyle1]

You should consider seeing a psychologist to get over your fears. Statistically, all you have is a phobia of something that will probably never happen. Take precautions, bring a dog if possible, and a big gun.

statistically you are right of course. But if you only count the people who get close to grizzlies, and count in bear "incidents" and not just people that get chewed up, the stats change a lot from the ones that the bureaucrats give you. It's still no reason for unreasonable fear, but it's smart to be careful.

[markathome]

We're heading into Griz country for two weeks in Sept - anyone have any general tips. We're going to be setting up a base camp (wall tent etc) and then heading out on spike camps from there. Should we invest in a camp gun? Any recommendations? 12g with slug? (I'm not a shot gun guy at all...) There will be likely up to six of us so I'm hoping if we do harvest an animal, we'll rotate camp duties and leave a guy in camp at all times.

[mpotzold]

Electric fence. Remember it also keeps the bear/other predators away when you're gone.
http://images.summitpost.org/original/887931.JPG

[hparrott]

statistically you are right of course. But if you only count the people who get close to grizzlies, and count in bear "incidents" and not just people that get chewed up, the stats change a lot from the ones that the bureaucrats give you. It's still no reason for unreasonable fear, but it's smart to be careful.

Yup. smart to be careful. BiG Boar was the only person who mentioned fear.

[squamishhunter]

We're heading into Griz country for two weeks in Sept - anyone have any general tips. We're going to be setting up a base camp (wall tent etc) and then heading out on spike camps from there. Should we invest in a camp gun? Any recommendations? 12g with slug? (I'm not a shot gun guy at all...) There will be likely up to six of us so I'm hoping if we do harvest an animal, we'll rotate camp duties and leave a guy in camp at all times.

12 gauge pistol grip pump shotgun. You can buy 3" buckshot/slug combination shells now.

[srupp]

Leave the buckshot for grouse.
Srupp

[bcsteve]

12 gauge pistol grip pump shotgun. You can buy 3" buckshot/slug combination shells now.


Leave the buckshot for grouse.
Srupp

and the pistol grip for........well, pistols.

[srupp]

and the pistol grip for........well, pistols.

Totally agree..
Srupp

[northof49]

Camp gun assuming truck/quad camp so packing not an issue. Benelli Super Nova 12g nothing but slugs, 338win mag/375hh open sights or 45-70GG would all work nicely. Lots of good options.

[Busterpayton54]

Ya after doing my own buckshot penetration tests, no thanks.
And after taking some tactical shotgun courses, there is no way to effectively/efficiently use a pistol grip shotgun. They have one single advantage... Easy to pack.

In my first course, I ran a folding stock which I had modified to fit me perfectly, perfect check weld, automatic sight alignment. It was a fairly effective setup. Fold for packing/carrying, open for use.
But after fiddling with other competitors shotguns i quickly realized there is better options and mine had seen some changes. Now I'm running a Mesa tactical m4 adjustable stock adaptor (modified the stock for my face) and a 6 round side saddle.

Imo if you are going to pack a defensive weapon, you may as well carry one without compromises. It doesn't have to be expensive either.
mine is just a mossberg maveric 88 $350, Mesa m4 kit $140ish (iirc)
side saddle $40ish, and some sling adaptor that I used as a flashlight mount $10.

[Squamch]

Electric fence. Remember it also keeps the bear/other predators away when you're gone.
http://images.summitpost.org/original/887931.JPG

whats that set up weigh in at?

[mpotzold]

whats that set up weigh in at?

http://www.udap.com/mm5/category/bear-electric-fences

[BgBlkDg]

Is that a Cabela's "Outfitter XT" tent and if so, what size is it?

I want one of these, a six-man, for longer stints alone in the bush. My current "base camp" tent is a Hilleberg "Saivo", an outstanding, ( and very costly) tent and I do not care to spend the coin on a larger Hille. such as a "Saitaris" or "Atlas" at this time of life.

I want to be able to stand erect in my tent, detest wall tents, have had a light tipi, big hassle finding a "footprint" space for it and am looking hard at the Cabela's, as their stuff is usually pretty decent.

Good camp setup, curious as to why you chose a "UDAP" fence rather than an "Electroguard"?

[markathome]

Thanks for the input - looks like I found a 12g loaner camp shotgun so I'm going to buy a bunch of boxes of shells and have the older kids and wives spend some time getting really comfortable with it. Me too for that matter, I've only shot a 410 - I'm guessing it's a bit different.

I also found a DIY electric fence build on an Alaskan hunting forum that I think I'll price out and see if I can build something that will fence in 20x20 for under 150.00. I'll post pics if I figure it out. If not - UDAP or Electoguard.

[ryanb]

I've watched a black bear go through an electric fence multiple times. He learned to get a good run at it and knock it over, and endure the brief shock he got. Not sure how effective they actually are.

This was to get into an orchard , might be effective around a tent, but for protecting food/meat not so much in my opinion.

[Fred1]

Ya Had bears go thru one kick ass electric fence on several occasions. If there is food involved I don't think anything will stop a determined hungry bear. Best to keep food away from tents... A running generator and radio in combination with the fence seems to work best. Tough to have handy tenting... I get it... ;) One question though. Where/what isn't Gbear territory????

[steel_ram]

Start arming frightened people with loaded shotguns at night and you have far more to worry about than bears.

[Fred1]

Start arming frightened people with loaded shotguns at night and you have far more to worry about than bears.
Yup. Be careful out there!

[BgBlkDg]

Start arming frightened people with loaded shotguns at night and you have far more to worry about than bears.


This opinion seems to ignore the value of TRAINING and having BTDT many times, some in camps of nice, young, urban, treeplanters, cone pickers and so forth, I can say that a properly trained person with appropriate gun is THE BEST option for safety in bear country.

I am not especially afraid of bears, have had scores of encounters, most when NOT armed and have extensive firearms training and experience. ANYONE, with a reasonable degree of physical strength can do as I did and others have, the issue is NOT the gun, it is learning bear behaviour and gun handling.

I have never had an incident in many multi-person camps, where females were also present, where a bear caused any real problem and most such incidents happen, IMHO, due to human mistakes and bravado.

[NorBC]

I leave my food in the tent with no fence.. Never have problems. I usually store all my garbage under a rock until we leave. No rifles either. Best thing you can do is earplugs. If you can't hear it, it won't be on your mind, and the chances of it actually happening are fairly slim.

[Glenny]

If your camped on a spur road with your truck in camp at night take your remote to bed with you. Hear huffing and popping start up the truck, honk honk. then hit the panic button. Then unzip slowly for a look see.
I heard it said some people take there remote starters to bed with them at home so if they wake up to some ghoul breaking in. Hit the panic button.

[Sharpish]

That's a wicked goat Goat Poker!!!!

[Fred1]

My thinkin was, I snore so loud that it keeps the bears away but I might be in danger from a dude with a scatter gun....

[takla1]

The snoreing will attract bears..first they hone in on your camp smells and when near hone in on the snore.
I sleptin cabin wall tents for 25 yrs, 25 miles off the Alaska hyway.Ive Swung my arm wildly against the side of the tent late at night on many occasions,one where the bear bit threw the canvas and was pulling me and my sleeping back in an attempt to extricate me from my dwelling..

takla

[Ron.C]

I leave my food in the tent with no fence.. Never have problems..

Seems to me that this is just not a smart thing to do. Is it not just as simple to store your food somewhere else, where you know for certain won't encourage a potential bear encounter when you are least prepared to deal with one?

Seems a tad careless.

[takla1]

Seems to me that this is just not a smart thing to do. Is it not just as simple to store your food somewhere else, where you know for certain won't encourage a potential bear encounter when you are least prepared to deal with one?

Seems a tad careless.

Early on in our hunting days we used to enjoy a little late night camp action from bears until one day we left our grouse stew on the camp stove so we would have a warm ready lunch wait our return to camp.We had our cook tent linked in front of our wall tent attached.We had plywood floors and counters built in there.Well came back around noon to find the stew pot on the floor and the floor was licked clean .He disrupted a few things but damage was not too bad.
Another time a buddy from Ft.Nelson came in to camp a few days with us and hunt.He set up a pup tent next to our unit.He made the mistake of leaveing a container of mozza cheese open in there.We killed that bear that day when we returned to camp...his tent was pooched!

takla

[NorBC]

Seems to me that this is just not a smart thing to do. Is it not just as simple to store your food somewhere else, where you know for certain won't encourage a potential bear encounter when you are least prepared to deal with one?

Seems a tad careless.

I don't have the glamours of cook tent shacks and fresh food every night. Mountain house, protein bars, and oatmeal.. Not much for scent. I live in a tent for 4-5 months of the year, and I've never had myself or a client in danger.

just saying what works for me Ron. Be as careful as you want.

[NorBC]

Your comment irritated me enough that I sound like BgBlkDg in that last post.. I apologize to you all in advance!

[BgBlkDg]

Laffin......

[Ron.C]

Your comment irritated me enough that I sound like BgBlkDg in that last post.. I apologize to you all in advance!
Lol. No offense taken here.

Sounds like I run the same type of camp/food as you when I'm on my goat hunts from a backpack.

[srupp]

Hmm lots of examples of tents destroyed ..yes even by outfitters...

You may have escaped so far..free to do as you want..but question bringing a client into that situation..a siltarp away from the tent..under a tree..but have to disagree on any food stuffs in your sleeping tent.
The brand new wall tent when Terry ran the Kwatna bay guiding..first full morning tent ripped apart by grizzly..all for a single chocolat bar under clients pillow.
This is your choice not a recomendation..
Cheers
Steven

[NorBC]

Well if the great srupp says so I better listen.

[BgBlkDg]

Well, I certainly listen to what Steven has to say about bears and most aspects of bush life, but, each to his own. He spent time with one of the most legendary Grizzly experts in 20thC. BC, Clayton Mack, and I think his advice is spot on.

[Fred1]

Like Yoda!

[Weatherby Fan]

Also depends where you are...we were on bull river when the griz kept coming back....there is a problem bear there....it needs to be dead....

Last year was the first time in about 7 years we didn't have any bears in Camp up the Bull, we've had some really persistent bears in that area in the past.

[BgBlkDg]

Yep, lots of them in the Kootenays, far more than when I worked there for the BCFS. I have seen more Grizzlies and in places where one NEVER saw them back in the day, in the past 10-12 years than in the 20-30 years prior to that.

A large "momma" and two fat yearlings slowly strolled down a road off the "Skyway" last October and were in NO hurry to leave THEIR territory......I was in no great hurry to get out of the Taco, either!

[srupp]

Well if the great srupp says so I better listen.

Hmmm no you obviously have your own ideas..however I never claimed to be the great anything...I merely suggested on behalf of those with far less experience..or any bear..grizzly experience that it is never wise to consume or store anything with food scent in your tent..hoping some newbie doesnt take your run of luck as the Gospel...actually never heard anyone having passed this method on as advisable..yet it probably is done.been in a fair amount of hunting camps..never seen the practice employed...and been personally taught what I merely pass along .because you got away with it..so far..doesnt make me great anything..just prudent...

Far too many accounts of folks not getting away with even the smallest of morsels in their tent...what you do is for you..dont recomend dragging an unknowing client into the mix..gambling with their lives..thought back carefully..some good..some great bear experts disagree with food or cooking in sleeping tent..I will stick with Betty..Clayton..thats merely 100 years living guiding hunting amongst bears...sorry we have to disagree .
Cheers
Steven

[NorBC]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm I was taking your advice, changing my ways!

[srupp]

Hmm when I post or pass on advice on grizzlies I am always aware of just how fast things..bad things can happen I would feel horribly responsible for any advice. .
This spring a new grizzly hunter and partner asked some advice..I believe sane experienced was shared...yet they were charged by a boar who unknown to the hunters just had his bear ass kicked by yet a bigger grizz..being careful to answer all questions with safety in mind..it still took a readiness. .a cool head..and a competent shot by Mr.M....
All in all 3 grizzly hunters this year were charged by grizzlies in region 5..15 alone..inordinately high numbers but shyte happens...

Advice on any public website aimed to help and protect ...always err on the side of caution and safety...
Steven

[takla1]

s rupp quote:All in all 3 grizzly hunters this year were charged by grizzlies in region 5..15 alone

Cariboo hi-lands 50 miles west of Quesnel was my last encounter @ 25 ft. with a Large male silver shouldered griz just before dusk....Tightened the rear end right up
Had zero to do with food in camp tho..

takla

[Stormy]

as others have said, you cant do much better than a good dog...

A dog will let you know long before anything else that there is a bear in vicinity - even when you are fast asleep....

[Ohwildwon]

as others have said, you cant do much better than a good dog...

A dog will let you know long before anything else that there is a bear in vicinity - even when you are fast asleep....


I second that...

Dogs are awesome!!!

[srupp]

Betty sometimes sent a wolf cross hybrid along to be tied up at the tent frame..Kumo was my favotite early warning grizzly system..

Cheers
Steven

[REMINGTON JIM]

I leave my food in the tent with no fence.. Never have problems. I usually store all my garbage under a rock until we leave. No rifles either. Best thing you can do is earplugs. If you can't hear it, it won't be on your mind, and the chances of it actually happening are fairly slim.

LMFFAO ! too FUNNY ! ;-) RJ

[BowRunner]

This is very helpful thread with a few key ideas that I can take into 3-32 this fall. I hear their are quite a few grizz in that area but I'll be toting along some teenagers, fishing line, pop cans, rocks, ear plugs, bear spray, white shirts, pointy objects, and archery tackle. Stay clean, keep the cooking and food separate from sleeping area - be cautious, but happy and enjoy the experience, whatever happens.

[Salix]

Ear plugs and a light sleeping pill. Always have a good nights sleep. Years ago I would lay awake all night listening for any sound. After a few nights of that the trip is hell as I'm too tired to do anything right. Have higher odds of slipping off a steep slope when exhausted than getting attacked by a bear.
I also sleep with a knife and rifle ready just in case. No food or scented toiletries in the tent.

[Ohwildwon]

Ear plugs and a light sleeping pill. Always have a good nights sleep. Years ago I would lay awake all night listening for any sound. After a few nights of that the trip is hell as I'm too tired to do anything right. Have higher odds of slipping off a steep slope when exhausted than getting attacked by a bear.
I also sleep with a knife and rifle ready just in case. No food or scented toiletries in the tent.


Nothin like a little Fentanyl, incase a Grizz wants to give you a root canal...

Seriously, any newbies reading this thread? You want to tent/hunt out in gods country? Please go with someone experienced, there is so much to know and learn...

And once you do, you will find yourself in the greatest Cathedral on earth...




Or not...:grin:

[J_06]

Pots and pans on the coolers, rifle and a dog. What's grizz country, isn't that called BC? You guys from the lower mainland sound like tourists, electric fences!? Eating miles from camp?! They 100% command respect but really guys whats next, dig a crocodile filled moat? I've had 10x more trouble in my life with black bears than grizzlys. Not many of you would make good hikers or alpine hunters, too scared it sounds like.

[BgBlkDg]

"Good hikers or alpine hunters"........well, may I ask how many of those "Pots and pans" and "coolers", you carry as a "hiker" and "alpine hunter"??????

[375shooter]

Pots and pans on the coolers, rifle and a dog. What's grizz country, isn't that called BC? You guys from the lower mainland sound like tourists, electric fences!? Eating miles from camp?! They 100% command respect but really guys whats next, dig a crocodile filled moat? I've had 10x more trouble in my life with black bears than grizzlys. Not many of you would make good hikers or alpine hunters, too scared it sounds like.

There's nothing wrong with being cautious. Preparing to avoid the worst, is always good advice, especially while being somewhere FAR from civilization.

[Fred1]

"Good hikers or alpine hunters"........well, may I ask how many of those "Pots and pans" and "coolers", you carry as a "hiker" and "alpine hunter"??????

HAHAHAHAHAHA my thoughts too!

[Weatherby Fan]

Pots and pans on the coolers, rifle and a dog. What's grizz country, isn't that called BC? You guys from the lower mainland sound like tourists, electric fences!? Eating miles from camp?! They 100% command respect but really guys whats next, dig a crocodile filled moat? I've had 10x more trouble in my life with black bears than grizzlys. Not many of you would make good hikers or alpine hunters, too scared it sounds like.

Not sure where you've been hunting but every Black Bear I've encountered close up has turn and ran once they winded me or got a good look at me.......Grizzly Bears on the other hand seem to have a different mind set, and we have dealt with many in the last 10 years where we elk hunt in the Kootenays, only one has needed a dirtnap !

[Fred1]

Absolutely they have a different mind set. I have guided for, shot, tracked (wounded ones too) and have been able to watch many Gbears in the wild. I had my face to face Gbear encounter last July at work. And I tell you what, when you know and have witnessed what they are capable of and one stands up six feet away and looks down on you, it rattles you... He turned and ran... whew! I guess I could have fought him off with my IPad... So my far from expert advice is to pay attention out there, see whats going on, learn the signs, and try and minimize any unplanned, unwanted or unexpected encounters. Fear them? Not really, but I sure as hell respect them.

[mpotzold]

There's nothing wrong with being cautious. Preparing to avoid the worst, is always good advice, especially while being somewhere FAR from civilization.

SAGE ADVICE!

RE: DOGS
308 LOVER (LT)'s dog named Shadow has been our camp watchdog since he was very young. We've never had a bear approach any of our camps even with hanging game nearby.
A few years ago 2 large wolves walked right through our camp in the middle of the night(large tracks in the snow). Not even a whisper from the dog!
Also while sitting by the camp fire having a coffee after lunch, Eve(eagle eyes) spotted a big 4 pointer walking by only about 60 yards away. Our guns were too far away & we were too late. The dog was nearby but didn't notice the deer's presence.

[srupp]

Dogs do help..IF its the correct dog..if the dog decides to run back to his master..he will tuck in behind you or betweenyour legs for protection..he may fit..but the grizzly sure the heck wont..big diff between grizz and black bear..most blackbers shot are under 200 pounds..mostly hide and fat...grizzly is double that mostly muscle and claws..and attitude.
Lots of outdoors guys and gals here with thousands of nights spent outdoors..we have very few problems reported..lets not over dwell on hazzards..do your best., be prepared and enjoy your r&r...

Cheers
Steven

[squamishhunter]

and the pistol grip for........well, pistols.

It's called practice.

[wideopenthrottle]

Last year was the first time in about 7 years we didn't have any bears in Camp up the Bull, we've had some really persistent bears in that area in the past.

i have only hunted there 3 times for 10-15 day stretches (2012, 2013 &2015) first year there we didnt see any but did see some tracks...saw 3 grizz (momma and two cubs) just across the river and down a bit from camp the 2nd year...... last year a grizz stole a deer off the meat pole and came back every night after that....the dog would bark and wake us up..we would tell it to shut up and when it would still bark after being told to shut up my buddy would get up and blast a few shells from the shotgun...we had a trail cam set up on the path to camp from the broken meat pole and we have several videos of the bear triggering the cam followed by dog barks then "Shadow, shut up!!" then bang bang....i never got out of bed for any of it as i was too tired to chase bears away and knew my buddy was more "sensitive" to bears and would scare it off...

after thinking about it for awhile and seeing all the videos of the bear coming to camp i remembered a few times the first year we were woken up to dog barks and didn't react other than to tell the dogs to shut up(we had two with us the first year)...

we also saw another one last year up a spur road in amongst some horses that were left there to graze...we drove up the road and spotted the horses first not knowing what they were and then we spotted the cub on the road near the horses...as we got a bit closer we could see there were about 6 or so horses on both sides of the road and so we stopped to figure out what the heck was going on......

the horses stopped looking our way and went back to grazing in spite of the fact that the cub ran off the road and stopped in among a group of 3 horses....we could still not believe that the horses were essentially just ignoring the cub....when we were sure there was no mother near by we rolled up the road a bit further and the cub went a bit further away but seemed to really want to stay with the horses...we stopped again to just watch the situation a bit longer until a man and his son rolled up on a quad and chatted with us for a bit...we talked about the scenario but as he pulled up on the quad the cub ran off quite a bit further to the end of the clearcut and into the thick timber..his son really wanted to see the cub so i walked in about half way to the timber to try and spot it (locked and loaded of course) and i did catch another glimpse of the cub but that was it....

it was a very strange situation perhaps the strangest thing i have ever seen in the woods....i wondered if the cubs mother had been killed by the one that was visiting our camp (or shot by the horse owners) and if it had adopted the horses as a new mother (or if it was staying close to where its mother died)...i also wondered if it was surviving by eating horse turd (or not)...nothing i wondered made much sense

[Darksith]

pack alarm...for the price, its awesome. I have 2!

[Fred1]

pack alarm...for the price, its awesome. I have 2!
Yup Like the idea of those!

[Darksith]

Dogs do help..IF its the correct dog..if the dog decides to run back to his master..he will tuck in behind you or betweenyour legs for protection..he may fit..but the grizzly sure the heck wont..big diff between grizz and black bear..most blackbers shot are under 200 pounds..mostly hide and fat...grizzly is double that mostly muscle and claws..and attitude.
Lots of outdoors guys and gals here with thousands of nights spent outdoors..we have very few problems reported..lets not over dwell on hazzards..do your best., be prepared and enjoy your r&r...

Cheers
Steven
Very sound advice. Lots of guys here will say you need 2 guns, infrared scopes and a pack of dogs...but its simply not true. Respect the bear, be smart, but don't be afraid. A pack alarm is a great early warning indicator, and most of the time will startle whatever trips it into bugging out, follow Srupps advice on things in your tent and you will be just fine. You don't need multiple guns, bear spray wouldn't hurt, but look at how many days and nights people are outdoors in Grizz country each year. Last year was an odd one, we had a few encounters, but generally speaking there is one or none that make the news. Theres a reason for that.

Also if you have a dog, if the dog gets mamma fired up and she chases it...I personally don't bring a dog. Ever seen that youtube video of the bears chasing the dogs and the guy is in his shed? Yeah, that didn't go well...

[wideopenthrottle]

pack alarm...for the price, its awesome. I have 2!
the dog did her job for us as a warning alarm.... we also had ropes/strings with cans tied on all around the meat pole with a 6 foot step ladder that we put a 5 gal pail full of cans on top...any pull on the strings would knock over the ladder and spill the pail of cans...we also set up the propane tree and ran it on low all night so that everything was well lit enough around the meat to shoot at night...the dog alerted us before any cans ever did

[Ohwildwon]

Anyone try the ACME grizzly bear blow up doll?

41/2 stars on amazon..

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/mikemcclement/abe_lincoln_riding_a_grizzly_by_sharpwriter-d33u2nl.png_zpsb4bowgbp.jpeg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/mikemcclement/media/abe_lincoln_riding_a_grizzly_by_sharpwriter-d33u2nl.png_zpsb4bowgbp.jpeg.html)

[srupp]

Lol..one spring many many years ago Betty had a laywer for a client on a spring bear hunt..I was assigned as his guide..only one problem..he didnt want to sleep in grizzly bear country...? On a grizzly hunt...
It simply was too far to drive in..then hike in daily..Betty came up with her usual brilliant solution..6 wolf mix dogs staked out to the 4 corners of the tent..plus 2 along the edges..during the day they were leashed to stout trees .each dog weighed over 120 pounds with another 15 pounds of attitude each..lol
The client slept like a baby..fetal position sucking his thumb..lol..he did get a grizzly..cant remember the amount of days..6..7 but the dogs slept soundly also...all was well.
I dont like to chance anything..and take all the precautions. .even looking at tge electric fence option..however no bad situations over 35 years in grizzly country. .lol most guys I chat with on grizzlies get 2 points..how to tell a male trophy boar..and bear safety...
Like I say we don't have any? Many encounters that involve contact at night..
2 best videos. .hank the tank. .what a big grizzly looks like..
And google grizzky attack at night in tent..that video will encourage bear safety although the guide didEVERYTHING right..no evidence I see of food..it still happened not too many actual grizzly attacks through a tent are caught on video..truly eye opener.
Cheers
Steven

[srupp]

The brown bear attack at night caught on video..I referenced was.." alaska big game alaska bear hunting with Gary Butch King part 1 bear attack " shootout at the ok corral with client Van Hale...
Cheers
Steven

[Whonnock Boy]

11:20 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCntVuxbq4


The brown bear attack at night caught on video..I referenced was.." alaska big game alaska bear hunting with Gary Butch King part 1 bear attack " shootout at the ok corral with client Van Hale...
Cheers
Steven

[wideopenthrottle]

Our efforts were not about protecting ourselves as much as protecting our meat (we had already lost one deer). I do not fear bears in theory but I do like to protect against their potential to be a nuscence in camp like mice squirrels or raccoons..most dogs I have ever known hate bears and bears are usually scared away by much smaller dogs than you would think....
where I grew up we lived down a lake on an island where bears would swim to every so often.....my old dog Scrounger was a border collie husky cross and hated bears...he would almost always tree them pretty quick....

i remember one time when he sat under a tree barking for about 20 min or so ....my uncle finally got the rifle and on the way there the dog went quiet....we knew what extended barking meant......we feared the worst when the dog went silent but after uncle Brian went there the dog was ok....after taking care of the bear "old school" we noticed the dog was in a bit of distress.... We checked him over for damage but he was fine (or so we thought ) for the next 2 days the dog would not eat and was still not himself.....as we were about 20 miles down the lake from town it was a serious decision to take him to the vet...as it turned out the dog had a forked stick stuck in his throat from barking below the treed bear...that was the only damage he ever got tangling with dozens of bears over the years (these were all black bears)

[wideopenthrottle]

Holy crap that was a cool vid....the sow with 6 cubs was unreal....I wonder if she adopted any? Has anyone ever heard of a grizz adopting Cubs?

[Fred1]

Yeehaaaaaaaaaaawww! that camera man has steel balls! "Oh a bear wants in the tent? Hang on let me get my camera rolling for this one!"

[Edge]

Camp with buddy who is limping badly..so ya can outrun him:cool:

hey wait just one minute....I limp....lmao

[srupp]

Yah overweight..total right hip replacement, total right knee replacement...lol here I thought it was my moose calling abilities that got me in on this fly in gig..lol
Steven

[CJ Douglas]

"A 1990s U.S. Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interagency_Grizzly_Bear&action=edit&redlink=1) analysis determined that people who defended themselves with: guns suffered a 50% injury rate; with bear spray avoided injury most of the time.[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spray#cite_note-:0-3)[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spray#cite_note-4)
A 2008 "Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska" study stated:


"Red pepper spray stopped bears’ undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears.
Of all persons carrying sprays, 98% were uninjured by bears in close-range encounters.
All bear-inflicted injuries (n = 3) associated with defensive spraying involved brown bears and were relatively minor (i.e., no hospitalization required).
In 7% (5 of 71) of bear spray incidents, wind was reported to have interfered with spray accuracy, although it reached the bear in all cases.
In 14% (10 of 71) of bear spray incidents, users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71).
Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country."

[BgBlkDg]

Ah, yes, the famed "study" from, among other academics, Dr. Tom Smith, an American from the US "Midwest", who KNOWS so much more than anyone here could possibly do.......

Smith, IIRC, is also one of the founders/owners of UDAP, a company which makes and SELLS FOR PROFIT, spray, electric fences and so forth; his financial interests would never influence his "study" or would they? Correct me if I am wrong as I am too tired to look this up and my research books are currently in storage.

He, is one of a number of academics and public figures who adamantly oppose any killing of Grizzlies and some of these foreign-born and "educated" self-styled experts also reside here in BC and AB. My opinion of such characters is that they are usually more interested in personal self-aggrandizement and pecuniary issues than in field reality.

While spray has been effective in many instances and I would never deny this, the problems associated with field use are potentially dangerous to the user and companions and I prefer other means of dealing with aggressive bears.

I would ask, however, just what YOUR actual field experience with Grizzlies in BC is and how many years you have dealt with them? Are you a "forester", a trapper, guide, prospector or perhaps a solo hiker in remote Grizzly country?

[wideopenthrottle]

here we go with the pepper spray bs again...I have seen first hand that it only goes 10 feet and if you have enough time to circle around the bear/cougar to get up wind you might be ok...cant imagine trying to use it in a tent...what a joke when this self serving study that included such things as spraying it around the camp at night as a "successful deterrent" ..ah ya ok heheheh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYobXLCUhY

[604ksmith]

I've twice had good success with bear spray - both black bears.

Both times I had mild wind (didn't seem to be a factor) and the bears aggressive behaviour (#1 sneaking up behind me, #2 stalking me from head-on) instantly stopped and the bears each ran about 40 yards away before turning back to stare at me while coughing. I felt in those situations the bears were in pain, and somewhat "incapacitated", but could have charged again albeit a little slower/less efficiently. My gut feeling is bear spray did what it is intended to do, it worked to give me time and space. If either bear came back a second time I would have then had time to raise my rifle and shoot.

I now think of bear spray as a close encounter "give me a second to think" type of deterrent. I don't think it would stop a bear from coming back (just like an electric fence IMO) but I think it gives you time to think/reach for a firearm and take a kill shot if need be.

[Busterpayton54]

I have first hand used it on my own 50lb dog as he was scalping another dog that tried to attack me, after 3 bursts directly into his face from 1foot away, I resorted to picking him up over my shoulder during a brief pause

[Busterpayton54]

Also a while back I broke the numbers down from this completely biased study. It's the most pathetic thing I've seen anyone waste time compiling. If you actually read the study, they include all kinds of encounters where spray was present including things like people spraying their camp equipment and watching the Bears come in and lick everything then leave after their curiosity had been filled as a success, spraying curious bears from the window of a vehicle. That's like me driving around with my rifle in the truck and counting each bear I drive by in my successful use of a rifle to deter an attack statistic. Talk about boosting numbers in their favour.

Now iirc there there was only about 7 aggressive charging bears that were sprayed, and 3 of them still resulted in physical contact.

[Busterpayton54]

Interestingly the group that did the efficacy of bear spray in Alaska study also did the same efficacy of firearms in Alaska study. The numbers were completely screwed there as well. They wrote it as if they had the data for every time a bear was shot or scared off by gunfire since the introduction of firearms to Alaska. They included people being attacked out in their yard when their firearm was still inside their home. How is that relevant?

Now ive got the links to both studies which had pages and pages and paaaaaages of numerical statistic. The fire arm one is still fully intact while the spray had been summarized.

Here they are. http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/sites/default/files/efficacy_of_firearms_for_bear_deterrence_in_alaska _2014_01_29_15_23_07_utc.pdf
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/bear_cougar/bear/files/JWM_BearSprayAlaska.pdf

[srupp]

Hmm polar bear study part was done in Church hill Manitoba..in the polar bear jail..agrees I've bear behavior was met with pepper spray..Hmmmmmmm the bars prevented the bears from really demonstrating what they really could and wanted to do

Steven

[wideopenthrottle]

Yah overweight..total right hip replacement, total right knee replacement...lol here I thought it was my moose calling abilities that got me in on this fly in gig..lol
Steven

man, steven you made me laugh on this one...you better be ready to whack one of those so called buddys in a knee to give you a chance at not being last to escape....heheheh

[albravo2]

We will be using the enclosed trailer as a cook shack this year, probably set up about 10-15 yards from our wall tent. All food and dishes, etc. will be stored inside the trailer.

I've been thinking it is safe to close and lock up the trailer at night and when gone for the day. It seals up pretty tight. Some food odour is bound to escape the roof vent but I don't think a bear would make much headway trying to break in.

Anybody disagree?

[wideopenthrottle]

We will be using the enclosed trailer as a cook shack this year, probably set up about 10-15 yards from our wall tent. All food and dishes, etc. will be stored inside the trailer.

I've been thinking it is safe to close and lock up the trailer at night and when gone for the day. It seals up pretty tight. Some food odour is bound to escape the roof vent but I don't think a bear would make much headway trying to break in.

Anybody disagree?

have you seen what they will do to cabin walls doors and windows when they really want to get in....they know they are taking a risk being in around the human smells so they are usually more tentative ...you should be alright

[bearvalley]

One thing to remember....with a well placed chunk of lead there are no repeat offenders.
I'll stick with putting pepper on my food.

[Busterpayton54]

There's been a couple vehicles with the doors ripped open by black bears for a chocolate bar down here recently. Lol

[srupp]

ya black bears can rip the door from the frame of a truck...seen it happen..trailer and grizz...lol childs play

so unfortunately I disagree...food odors will escape...any bear wants in....he is in.

steven

[twoSevenO]

reviving this thread as one can never have too many bear safety tips ..... Question: Has anyone come up with a lightweight home-made "tent fence" worth packing into the mountains? I'd love to hear whether it has worked, whether it's easily triggered by wind, weight etc.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Food stays 20 ft from tent knife stays under the pillow rifle sleeps with me. Definitely woken up to sniffing noises on the other side of the tent before it is what it is we go in their backyard not the other way around.Last time this happened to me (in the EK) it was a big Cow Moose!

P.S. - Look - Beasties must know that if they mess around they're going down. Choot 'em through the face an knock the brain stem out!

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Last time this happened to me (in the EK) it was a big Cow Moose!

P.S. - Look - Beasties must know that if they mess around they're going down. Choot 'em through the face an knock the brain stem out! For the record - Did not shoot the cow Moose, she didn't mess. Was just passing through.

[takla1]

reviving this thread as one can never have too many bear safety tips ..... Question: Has anyone come up with a lightweight home-made "tent fence" worth packing into the mountains? I'd love to hear whether it has worked, whether it's easily triggered by wind, weight etc.

Up on the Prophet river We used to run a thin rope 12 inchs off the ground around our cabin wall tent and tie beer cans to it every foot or so and put rocks in them,early warning system and once that rope was tripped up youd hear it,pretty much wind proof but not trip proof.We had many bear around the tent at night over the yrs with one that pushed his nose up tight to the canvas and bit into it and my blanket right next to where I was sleeping.
We still do this every yr out when using the wall tent

takla

[BgBlkDg]

Lord,

Your "advice" is NOT practical, could cause serious danger to any other novice who believes it and does not impress me as being based on actual, personal experience.

Very simply and based on field experience, hitting the often moving head of a Grizzly is VERY, VERY hard to do when under terrific stress and terrified.

I used to be a a rather "good" field shot with up to .375H&H rifles, this means five quick shots into 3.5" consistently at 100M and in front of witnesses. I regularly carried and shot CRF .338WM-250NP and .375H&H -300NP rifles/loads and shot most days when working isolated "Lookouts" for years for the BCFS and AFS.

When, as sometimes happened, I encountered a Grizzly up close on a L/O or in other bush work, while quite used to them, I would get pretty "adrenalized" and I could well miss my target. I always held for a LUNG-Aorta hit and have seen this work well on a number of Grizzlies and quite a few Blackies.

You may have more gun-bush-bear experience than I have amassed over 50+ years of bush whacking, but, I tend to doubt it and suspect that you have seldom if ever seen a Grizzly killed. I also wonder, with your previous comments about slugs at 200, etc, do you actually own and shoot a big game rifle?

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Lord,

Your "advice" is NOT practical, could cause serious danger to any other novice who believes it and does not impress me as being based on actual, personal experience.

Very simply and based on field experience, hitting the often moving head of a Grizzly is VERY, VERY hard to do when under terrific stress and terrified.

I used to be a a rather "good" field shot with up to .375H&H rifles, this means five quick shots into 3.5" consistently at 100M and in front of witnesses. I regularly carried and shot CRF .338WM-250NP and .375H&H -300NP rifles/loads and shot most days when working isolated "Lookouts" for years for the BCFS and AFS.

When, as sometimes happened, I encountered a Grizzly up close on a L/O or in other bush work, while quite used to them, I would get pretty "adrenalized" and I could well miss my target. I always held for a LUNG-Aorta hit and have seen this work well on a number of Grizzlies and quite a few Blackies.

You may have more gun-bush-bear experience than I have amassed over 50+ years of bush whacking, but, I tend to doubt it and suspect that you have seldom if ever seen a Grizzly killed. I also wonder, with your previous comments about slugs at 200, etc, do you actually own and shoot a big game rifle?I have personally been to within 10 yards on Balck Bear and I think the closest ever for me Griz was some years back in 7A at out around thirty yds-ish (did not kill, have not tried Griz Hunting yet). They didn't attack and I didin't push the issue. We were good.

I am not going to get personal here on a puplic entertainment forum so it better suffice to say that I am not unexperienced in the realm of surviving life threatening circumstance. I am not a guy who reacts quite in the way you describe. Have you tried running a few K to get your heartrate up and then shooting, like a biathalon participant? Have you looked into such techniques? I also practice hitting such targets as a Bear head at least monthly (try some Cape Buff/dangerous game charge excersises on for size, plenty fun!).

Furthermore, anyone dumb enough to act in accordance with internet advice off an Entertainment based platform without taking responsibility for their own actions is out of it on a fundamental level. We are all responsible for our own actions and like you, I have not personally had to shoot a Bear in DLP. But none the less - killing is killing. Bears are not 10'+ tall and bulletproof or some type of immortal diety.

Now bg I am here for entertainment and do not dole out advice to others per se. Do what you want but I certainly did not have that kind of physical reaction around any Bear. Furthermore I have not ever had such a reaction to life threatening stimuli to where I didn't function as you mentioned. It's actually quite fun!

Your accusations are false Sir. None the less, thanks for asking. So been around Bear in a few spots (including where I live. How's Abby these days?). Closer to the flathead seems like more Griz to me. :)

Anyhow 3.5" at 100m has nothing to do with making the shot you describe anyway. No wonder you're overly concerned with missing! ;)
Perhaps in the future we will be able to have a shoot sometime, would be very fun. Don't own any D/G Rifles at the moment... Looking into a couple, shall see. No rush, I don't treat guns like cufflinks and avoid wearing a suit if I can help it, too. Lol!

Congrats on 50+! Have you now Hunted for 50+ consecutive seasons?

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

I also wonder, with your previous comments about slugs at 200 yards...?

Sorry what was it you thought I was saying there? I remember the thread but am not sure you get the gist of what I was on about.
I did see a review of Federal Premium's 12G Truball system and read an interesting review (that reminded me of some of your posts and yourself, bg) on that system and how it plus the harder than ordinary swaged allow and polypropylene ball makes the projectile hold together and penetrate well/better than an ordinary soft lead hollow base projectile.... Anyhow I like those slugs and shoot them often for fun. Will do that with a Snowshoe Hare Hunt (planning on using shot for the Hares) involving hiking in and out as well, very soon!

Oh yeah, 200+ yards being possible, sure there's a review and picture of a guy killed a 200#Whitetail Doe clean at a laser range finder verified 236 yards even but I am not the guy talking about it "shredding" whatever.

[tigrr]

Also practice loading and hitting a pie plate at 20 feet in under 3 seconds. A prime grizzly can cover 30 feet in 3 seconds. It is a different lifestyle when you live among them. Winter is my favorite season because bears are asleep.

[twoSevenO]

Up on the Prophet river We used to run a thin rope 12 inchs off the ground around our cabin wall tent and tie beer cans to it every foot or so and put rocks in them,early warning system and once that rope was tripped up youd hear it,pretty much wind proof but not trip proof.We had many bear around the tent at night over the yrs with one that pushed his nose up tight to the canvas and bit into it and my blanket right next to where I was sleeping.
We still do this every yr out when using the wall tent

takla



beer cans while light are too bulky to be packing up into the mountains. What are you using for the pack-in trips, if anything?

I just got into backpack hunting and last time i was out I did not sleep well at all. At 3am i got woken up by the heavy breathing of a bear outside my tent and i didn't get a minute of sleep until the sun came up. .

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Also practice loading and hitting a pie plate at 20 feet in under 3 seconds. A prime grizzly can cover 30 feet in 3 seconds. It is a different lifestyle when you live among them. Winter is my favorite season because bears are asleep.I've received some excellent technique on loading fast from 3Gun. Look it up!

P.S. - Bears have been known to get out of their dens and take a stretch from time to time in the winter... So even then they may not necessarily be sleeping!

[Jagermeister]

I don't know if Brambles has responded to this thread as I have not read all the posts. The one thing that I remember him saying about his encounter that the dumbest thing they did was pitch the tent on the trail.
A PacAlarm on a wide perimeter would be helpful. Early warning of pending disaster.

[twoSevenO]

I don't know if Brambles has responded to this thread as I have not read all the posts. The one thing that I remember him saying about his encounter that the dumbest thing they did was pitch the tent on the trail.
A PacAlarm on a wide perimeter would be helpful. Early warning of pending disaster.

an existing hiking trail or active game trail? I'm wondering if camping next to a trail people use to access the alpine is a good or bad idea. Or whether it would even make a difference if the trail is seldom used.

[BgBlkDg]

I have personally been to within 10 yards on Balck Bear and I think the closest ever for me Griz was some years back in 7A at out around thirty yds-ish (did not kill, have not tried Griz Hunting yet). They didn't attack and I didin't push the issue. We were good.

I am not going to get personal here on a puplic entertainment forum so it better suffice to say that I am not unexperienced in the realm of surviving life threatening circumstance. I am not a guy who reacts quite in the way you describe. Have you tried running a few K to get your heartrate up and then shooting, like a biathalon participant? Have you looked into such techniques? I also practice hitting such targets as a Bear head at least monthly (try some Cape Buff/dangerous game charge excersises on for size, plenty fun!).

Furthermore, anyone dumb enough to act in accordance with internet advice off an Entertainment based platform without taking responsibility for their own actions is out of it on a fundamental level. We are all responsible for our own actions and like you, I have not personally had to shoot a Bear in DLP. But none the less - killing is killing. Bears are not 10'+ tall and bulletproof or some type of immortal diety.

Now bg I am here for entertainment and do not dole out advice to others per se. Do what you want but I certainly did not have that kind of physical reaction around any Bear. Furthermore I have not ever had such a reaction to life threatening stimuli to where I didn't function as you mentioned. It's actually quite fun!

Your accusations are false Sir. None the less, thanks for asking. So been around Bear in a few spots (including where I live. How's Abby these days?). Closer to the flathead seems like more Griz to me. :)

Anyhow 3.5" at 100m has nothing to do with making the shot you describe anyway. No wonder you're overly concerned with missing! ;)
Perhaps in the future we will be able to have a shoot sometime, would be very fun. Don't own any D/G Rifles at the moment... Looking into a couple, shall see. No rush, I don't treat guns like cufflinks and avoid wearing a suit if I can help it, too. Lol!

Congrats on 50+! Have you now Hunted for 50+ consecutive seasons?


I have been within ten yards of Grizzlies on three occasions, twice alone and unarmed and one with two companions and we had guns, however, this was their first Grizzly. These were August, 1974, unarmed, alone on Bulldog Lookout, out of Castlegar, BC. and 1979, at Whiteswan Lake, East Kootenays, BC, armed while elk hunting with two others. The other time was on the Muskwa River, northern BC, alone.

I have been at about a dozen Grizzly kills and have had maybe 60 encounters since I started hiking around Nelson, BC, aged 10, in spring, 1956.....saw my first Grizzly there, April, 1956.

"Cape Buff", never, have not been to Africa, so, the only ones I have seen were mounted on the walls of guys I hunted with here in BC. I am sure that a charge by one would be very stimulating, have YOU done this or is your comment derived from watching videos?

Oddly, Abby, is rather cold at the moment, but, not like the East Kootenays. "The Flathead", well, I first went there in April, 1965, on duty with the BCFS, out of RD2, Fernie Ranger District. I still remember the deep snow and mud on the old road.

I later went to the Flathead,1967 aged just 21 and spent 3 months alone on Natal Lookout, no breaks and packing my wood, water and grub, up that ridge on a TN3 packboard. I refused my relief break to allow a fellow LOman to come down twice as he had bad lungs as a result of his wounds from the 12th SS while serving in the Canadian Scottish, in Normandy.

Quite a few years later, I spent some weeks running a large silvicultural project there and lived in a small mountain tent during that time.......fun, fun, fun....

The last time I was down to "Butt's" was a few years ago, opening day and it snowed like Christmas, the night before, lovely, but, saw only a few WT does. The EK ain't what it was when I was growing up in Nelson, in the '40s and '50s, sad to say.

From the 52 seasons since I started 1964, I have hunted over 40 of them, college, work and injuries prevented doing so some years.

So, do you spend a lot of time in the Flathead, I knew several of the Barnes family in school and in the FS, I am sure you know who they were/are. I remember the pet horses that Alfie ran and what a BIG guy he was.

[BgBlkDg]

BTW, the 3.5" groups were from standing, freehand and I have not seen much better .375H&H shooting. So, even at 70+, bit crippled with old spinal/leg injuries, yeah, I will gladly shoot with you anytime you want. As I said, we can use my .375s and .338s and 9.3s and I have LOTS of ammo.

[wideopenthrottle]

Ear plugs and a light sleeping pill. Always have a good nights sleep. Years ago I would lay awake all night listening for any sound. After a few nights of that the trip is hell as I'm too tired to do anything right. Have higher odds of slipping off a steep slope when exhausted than getting attacked by a bear.
I also sleep with a knife and rifle ready just in case. No food or scented toiletries in the tent.

when I was in college I fought forest fires as a summer job....we camped overnight in wall tents in black bear country all the time....I actually didn't know that the sounds of the bush at night could keep people awake as it has always been the sweet lullaby sound my mind needs to totally relax...I get my best and soundest sleeps when in the bush..might have something to do with all the miles of tippy toeing through the bush tiring me out too though...heheheh

[RobTurbo]

Haven't you guys been following the NDP? There are no Grizzlies left in BC so don't sweat it! :lol:

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

BTW, the 3.5" groups were from standing, freehand and I have not seen much better .375H&H shooting. So, even at 70+, bit crippled with old spinal/leg injuries, yeah, I will gladly shoot with you anytime you want. As I said, we can use my .375s and .338s and 9.3s and I have LOTS of ammo.

*rescinded* Nelson is the West Kootneays, get your mind right.

*rescinded*

Oh yes, you were asking about Africa - Nope, haven't killed a Buff myself. Not opposed to it in the least yet do not have plans in that realm at this time.
What I was on about concerning them are the techniques for practicing Dangerous Game specific marksmanship which is the kind of firearms training required to up the odds of surviving a charge from any Dangerous Wildlife, in particular a Griz that's coming in hard and fast (which, after seen Griz move about I consider an understatement as per their capabilities. They are no joke, as we all know).

A quick online search shall reveal such exercises to any and all interested parties with a connection to the interwebs. Makes for a fun time at the range, in the least!

[Xenomorph]

I don't know if Brambles has responded to this thread as I have not read all the posts. The one thing that I remember him saying about his encounter that the dumbest thing they did was pitch the tent on the trail.
A PacAlarm on a wide perimeter would be helpful. Early warning of pending disaster.


I bought a couple of them after Wayne's WT buck was taken by a grizzly. One for the camp area, one for the meat pole. Once I get serious enough about long hunts maybe charged perimeter - especially if kiddos or elderly members will be with me.

[twoSevenO]

I bought a couple of them after Wayne's WT buck was taken by a grizzly. One for the camp area, one for the meat pole. Once I get serious enough about long hunts maybe charged perimeter - especially if kiddos or elderly members will be with me.

what kind How much do they weigh? Also, how much $$$ Thanks!!!.

[RackStar]

I have seen these, not much research. But if your into backpacking it around then give it a look
http://www.udap.com/mm5/product/BEF

[twoSevenO]

I have seen these, not much research. But if your into backpacking it around then give it a look
http://www.udap.com/mm5/product/BEF

that's not that bad if you're splitting the weight with a partner. I wonder how effective this little model is. Looks pretty legit though.

[klondiker]

what kind How much do they weigh? Also, how much $$$ Thanks!!!.

http://www.packalarm.net/

I purchased one last year as I solo hunt for sheep, it comes from Arizona and the ppl who manufacturer them are great to deal with, as my first one got lost in the mail, so they expedited me a second one. I think it can to around 90 bucks Canadian. And it definitely helps me sleep better at night. In my opinion, it's a worthwhile investment. It fits easily in the hip pocket of my stone glacier pack. Weight is almost nothing

[twoSevenO]

http://www.packalarm.net/

I purchased one last year as I solo hunt for sheep, it comes from Arizona and the ppl who manufacturer them are great to deal with, as my first one got lost in the mail, so they expedited me a second one. I think it can to around 90 bucks Canadian. And it definitely helps me sleep better at night. In my opinion, it's a worthwhile investment. It fits easily in the hip pocket of my stone glacier pack. Weight is almost nothing


That's really nice. I like this one. Very small. Not too expensive. Can you tell me more about your experience with it? How has it proven to be in the field? Does it result in a lot of false alarms if its windy outside? Do you prefer to tie it to bushes or pound stakes in the ground and tie to that? Thanks!

[klondiker]

That's really nice. I like this one. Very small. Not too expensive. Can you tell me more about your experience with it? How has it proven to be in the field? Does it result in a lot of false alarms if its windy outside? Do you prefer to tie it to bushes or pound stakes in the ground and tie to that? Thanks!

I used it on three hunts last fall for bighorns, simple to set-up, it comes with 4 or 5 velcro straps (about the circumference of a hockey puck) and attached is a plastic o-ring, about the size of a quarter, and it has a slit in it to allow you to slide the sensing line into it. Then all I do is find trees small enough to attach the velcro straps too, if I can't make smaller trees work, I just push some sturdy and large enough sticks into the ground and attach the straps that way.

I've never once had it triggered by wind, and it's worked great. I just disconnect the battery (it has a space inside the cover) when I'm not using it and I always carry a spare incase the battery I'm using dies. And I test the system every night before going to sleep, to make sure the battery is good to go. It's super easy to set up and can make any shape perimeter you want. I just secure it to the trees or sticks at about a 2 foot height, so it's easy to step over when you're crossing over it

[klondiker]

I used it on three hunts last fall for bighorns, simple to set-up, it comes with 4 or 5 velcro straps (about the circumference of a hockey puck) and attached is a plastic o-ring, about the size of a quarter, and it has a slit in it to allow you to slide the sensing line into it. Then all I do is find trees small enough to attach the velcro straps too, if I can't make smaller trees work, I just push some sturdy and large enough sticks into the ground and attach the straps that way.

I've never once had it triggered by wind, and it's worked great. I just disconnect the battery (it has a space inside the cover) when I'm not using it and I always carry a spare incase the battery I'm using dies. And I test the system every night before going to sleep, to make sure the battery is good to go. It's super easy to set up and can make any shape perimeter you want. I just secure it to the trees or sticks at about a 2 foot height, so it's easy to step over when you're crossing over it

Forgot to mention that I tie flagging tape to it in the middle, so that I can see it because unless you're looking for it, you won't see it.

[twoSevenO]

I used it on three hunts last fall for bighorns, simple to set-up, it comes with 4 or 5 velcro straps (about the circumference of a hockey puck) and attached is a plastic o-ring, about the size of a quarter, and it has a slit in it to allow you to slide the sensing line into it. Then all I do is find trees small enough to attach the velcro straps too, if I can't make smaller trees work, I just push some sturdy and large enough sticks into the ground and attach the straps that way.

I've never once had it triggered by wind, and it's worked great. I just disconnect the battery (it has a space inside the cover) when I'm not using it and I always carry a spare incase the battery I'm using dies. And I test the system every night before going to sleep, to make sure the battery is good to go. It's super easy to set up and can make any shape perimeter you want. I just secure it to the trees or sticks at about a 2 foot height, so it's easy to step over when you're crossing over it


sounds great. Has it ever warned you of a bear or other critter in camp? Also, how far from the tent do you set up the perimeter? Last but not least, how did your sheep hunt go? :)

[klondiker]

sounds great. Has it ever warned you of a bear or other critter in camp? Also, how far from the tent do you set up the perimeter? Last but not least, how did your sheep hunt go? :)

It has warned me of one bear, and I usually set it up 30-50 feet away from the tent. I try to set up my tent with a natural barrier behind it, so if the bear comes in, it can only come towards one side of the tent. And the sheep hunt went good in the sense of seeing sheep, a few were close to legal but alittle too close too call. And I'd like my first bighorn to be alittle further past legal, as it will be the only one I probably ever get because next October I'll be moving up to the Yukon. So I'll be hunting hard for one again, this upcoming season.

Fell free to pm me. Always love talking about sheep hunting, if you're into that.

[twoSevenO]

It has warned me of one bear, and I usually set it up 30-50 feet away from the tent. I try to set up my tent with a natural barrier behind it, so if the bear comes in, it can only come towards one side of the tent. And the sheep hunt went good in the sense of seeing sheep, a few were close to legal but alittle too close too call. And I'd like my first bighorn to be alittle further past legal, as it will be the only one I probably ever get because next October I'll be moving up to the Yukon. So I'll be hunting hard for one again, this upcoming season.

Fell free to pm me. Always love talking about sheep hunting, if you're into that.

That's one big lesson i learned from my last alpine adventure for mule deer. You might want to check out this thread with a write up of my terrifying bear scare:

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?130777-what-was-outside-my-tent

I set my tent up in the open as it was flat. Huge mistake. Definitely should have backed it into some trees leaving only one side as potential for a bear invasion. In the end it didn't even end up being flat enough, and i kept sliding off my matt down toward the bottom of the tent. Worst tent set up i've ever done in 20 years of pitching tents. lol.

[ghost_trees]

We used a pack alarm on our EK goat hunting trip this past September. The line provided was able to encompass a pretty decent area around our three tent camp. We had at least one instance where the nightly mountain breeze set the alarm off, at least to our knowledge that was the cause. Let me tell you it scares the living S out of you hear that siren go off from a deep sleep.

If you use one I would recommend that you replace the line provided with neon braided fishing line. It is really easy to walk into the line by accident and we wound up damaging it at one point. Or tie flagging tape to it as suggested above. Also make sure you loop the line around trees that won't move at all in the wind. Up in the alpine all we had were small larch which was not ideal.

[Jagermeister]

an existing hiking trail or active game trail? I'm wondering if camping next to a trail people use to access the alpine is a good or bad idea. Or whether it would even make a difference if the trail is seldom used.
Whether a human trail or a game trail that meanders through the forest is moot. If it's there, all creatures great and small will use it at some point.

[J_06]

Not sure where you've been hunting but every Black Bear I've encountered close up has turn and ran once they winded me or got a good look at me.......Grizzly Bears on the other hand seem to have a different mind set, and we have dealt with many in the last 10 years where we elk hunt in the Kootenays, only one has needed a dirtnap !Ive spent the last 27 years on 1300 acres north east of Prince George, around the salmon valley area. Never had serious issues with Grizzlies yet have had more than my share with black bears. A lopsided population in my area affects the probability of an encounter yet there are no shortage of Grizzlies. This spring we counted 14 black bears in our fields in a single day. At least 7 different that day, so just by sheer numbers there will be more black bear issues I guess. Won't disagree that 99/100 black bears will turn tail though.




"Good hikers or alpine hunters"........well, may I ask how many of those "Pots and pans" and "coolers", you carry as a "hiker" and "alpine hunter"??????Always pack in pots and pan when backpacking, most areas we hunt around here you can drive into camp and be in the alpine in under an hour hiking. I don't see how one could pack a full cooler up an mountain or would assume that's what i was talking about that I was referring to the op and camping in general in general.

[twoSevenO]

One of the biggest wake up calls following my encounter with a bear outside my tent was the fact that i couldn't see shit. It sucks just being a sittin duck in the dark like that. Got me thinking ..... how many of you skip the tent and use a tarp? At least if you hear a noise you can get that headlamp turned on quickly enough to see what you're dealing with.

From now on, i always sleep with headlamp on my head and gun next to me with one in the pipe. F*ck that. No exceptions.

I know that a tarp is a no go for extended sheep hunts where crappy weather would have you soaked in no time ... but thinking more about early season high country mule deer hunts. Plus, my tent weighs 5lb all packed up and a decent sized tarp would weigh maybe 2? 2.5?

Any thoughts? Anyone feel the same way?

[HarryToolips]

Scanning through old threads and this one is a gooder...^^^^^I also when backpack hunting or camping sleep with my headlamp on and one in the chamber...at some point this year I'm gonna get that pack alarm, but til then, I just pack fishing line, wrap it around my area I'm sleeping, and suspend my army metal boiling cup from fishing line and throw in a few pebbles...have a very good but heavier (6.5 lb) tent for the crappier weather hike in camps, but am thinking of ordering this for the 1-2 day fair weather hike in camps:
http://www.liteoutdoors.com/product/silnylon-tarp/?gclid=CJq25_bBjtQCFVKewAodNbYHFg

Like you said, should offer a better view of any intruder compared to an enclosed tent...

[Deer_Slayer]

Read Gary Sheltons books. This guy knows his stuff. Don't be a Timothy Treadwell!

[BgBlkDg]

^^^^^^^ I agree, some of the best, realistic commenting on bear issues that I have ever read and advice that works!


Treadwell, was an example of the "bliss ninny" type so common when we old geezers here were young in the '60s and his demise and that of his GF were his fault due to a massive ego and extensive drug use..........

[Travalanche]

I got a packalarm last year, love it. Have used it a few times and it's never been set off by wind or branches. Slept in a tent in bear country for years without one but it was only when my boy started coming with me that I really ever got concerned about bears at all. Still not really "concerned" but it is an extra bit of peace of mind at night. Not a substitute for keeping a clean camp and being smart with your food but it's a worthwhile little piece of kit to have.

[HarryToolips]

^^^good to know, my little guy is 4 and I will be backpack camping with him hopefully starting this year or next, he loves tenting already..

[boxhitch]

I made up a kit with a rape whistle and a rape alarm key chain with 100 yds of white flyline backing..........

never have taken it along

[mpotzold]

SAGE ADVICE!

RE: DOGS
308 LOVER (LT)'s dog named Shadow has been our camp watchdog since he was very young. We've never had a bear approach any of our camps even with hanging game nearby.
A few years ago 2 large wolves walked right through our camp in the middle of the night(large tracks in the snow). Not even a whisper from the dog!
Also while sitting by the camp fire having a coffee after lunch, Eve(eagle eyes) spotted a big 4 pointer walking by only about 60 yards away. Our guns were too far away & we were too late. The dog was nearby but didn't notice the deer's presence.

Just got a call tonight from LT that Shadow has died due to cancer. :cry:
He was 12 1/2 .
He was a border collie, no doubt one of the most intelligent breeds if not the smartest.
I was the one who suggested calling him Shadow because on our hunting trip north of Gang when only weeks old he would always follow us like the shadow.

LT mostly fed him dog biscuits but I always saved some meat/cold cuts for him which he devoured with a passion.
I really miss Shadow like he was part of the family. He was with us on all our hunting trips.

Never forget the evening I was imbibing in my favourite glass of red wine sitting in front of a roaring campfire alone & all of a sudden Shadow appears, sits down right beside me & puts his left paw on my knee & looks directly in my eyes!

Shadow was only 3 -north of Germansen -lots of grizz & moose signs
https://oi361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/DSCN1495.jpg~original

[caddisguy]

I made up a kit with a rape whistle and a rape alarm key chain with 100 yds of white flyline backing..........

never have taken it along

Too funny. I made the exact same rig, except with braided nylon 70lb test. We rigged it up around a tent one day. Something set it off at the first hint of light we're not sure what. I don't think it was a bear, but possibly a small critter like a coyote. I had a trailcam covering some of our camp, but it missed whatever set it off.

[caddisguy]

Just got a call tonight from LT that Shadow has died due to cancer. :cry:
He was 12 1/2 .
He was a border collie, no doubt one of the most intelligent breeds if not the smartest.
I was the one who suggested calling him Shadow because on our hunting trip north of Gang when only weeks old he would always follow us like the shadow.

LT mostly fed him dog biscuits but I always saved some meat/cold cuts for him which he devoured with a passion.
I really miss Shadow like he was part of the family. He was with us on all our hunting trips.

Never forget the evening I was imbibing in my favourite glass of red wine sitting in front of a roaring campfire alone & all of a sudden Shadow appears, sits down right beside me & puts his left paw on my knee & looks directly in my eyes!

Shadow was only 3 -north of Germansen -lots of grizz & moose signs
https://oi361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/DSCN1495.jpg~original

Oh no! I am sorry to hear the news about your companion and camp watch guard.

[slowjo]

Worse ways of going . . . like lying in a hospital with tubes stuck everywhere, a full diaper and whining relatives all around. A woodsmen would be lucky and honoured to be taken by a bear . . . just don't go painting yourself with honey.

eloquently put

[stoneramhunter]

https://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/tent_protection_2.PNG
i haven't used the electric fence method it does seem quite lite and sounds like it works as advertised. My fix for as long as i have been going into the mountains sheep hunting is as follows, take some fishing line and a few white plastic bags. i put a line about 3 ft off the ground around my tent area and i cut the bag into strips about one inch wide 12 plus inches long and tie them hanging from the line. every two feet or so. Any breeze makes the strips move. On numerous occasions i have had bears and other animals stop when they see the white strips turn and high tail it out of as fast as they can go. Bears in particular I think are so confused as to what it is presented decide to bail. I have never witnessed a bear come any closer to check it out they turn and run. It's a system that works for me.

[KodiakHntr]

Interesting with the white strips.



Funny thing, I have called in an absolutely ridiculous amount of black bears and a solid double
handful of grizzlies with predator calls. Best way to get a bear to present in a spot so you can get an arrow into
him is to hang a white tshirt over a limb 15 or so yards away. Bears almost always appear under that white shirt, usually before you realize they are that close. Which is preferable to having them show up close enough behind you that you hear them breathing before you see them.

[HarryToolips]

https://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/tent_protection_2.PNG
i haven't used the electric fence method it does seem quite lite and sounds like it works as advertised. My fix for as long as i have been going into the mountains sheep hunting is as follows, take some fishing line and a few white plastic bags. i put a line about 3 ft off the ground around my tent area and i cut the bag into strips about one inch wide 12 plus inches long and tie them hanging from the line. every two feet or so. Any breeze makes the strips move. On numerous occasions i have had bears and other animals stop when they see the white strips turn and high tail it out of as fast as they can go. Bears in particular I think are so confused as to what it is presented decide to bail. I have never witnessed a bear come any closer to check it out they turn and run. It's a system that works for me.

Interesting.. I use pink flagging tape on my thin perimeter line from my Pack-alarm. But maybe the movement of the flagging tape works like you said..

[MOOSE MILK]

I have four of 12-gauge trip alarms that work great! They are lighter and more compact than the perimeter alarm. If the weather is damp enough you can put 12-gauge flair shells in and point them straight up in the air for a great effect.
I dump out the pellets and a bunch of wadding then fill the case up with black powder then put a thin overshot wad on and seal it with candle wax, makes a big flash and is much louder than a case with just the shot removed.
MM

[stoneramhunter]

I have four of 12-gauge trip alarms that work great! They are lighter and more compact than the perimeter alarm. If the weather is damp enough you can put 12-gauge flair shells in and point them straight up in the air for a great effect.
I dump out the pellets and a bunch of wadding then fill the case up with black powder then put a thin overshot wad on and seal it with candle wax, makes a big flash and is much louder than a case with just the shot removed.
MM

how do they get tripped?