Bear Country Safety

[GibsonKuenzi]

Doing my first spring bear hunt this year with a couple of inexperienced bear hunters as well. Couple Questions.....

I know safety with food prep and storage can be huge during other times of the year, but is it as big of a problem during the spring right after bears are out of hibernation?

We will be primarily eating MH, Jerky and Nuts....is storage away from camp etc usually crucial with these foods?

As far as camp protection, is a can of bear spray better than a large caliber pistol or vice versa? I dont know that it is even necessary for this hunt but whats your opinions.

And whats the minimum caliber for personal protection in black bear (No grizzlies) country.

Thanks-Gibson

 

[Tim in Wa.]

http://cliff-jacobson.com/bearproof.shtml This guy has allot of Bear experience
Tim

 

[Jason Snyder]

I hang my food in bear country. Pistol or pepper spray is your choice, I carry pepper spray. If you're opting for a handgun I would consider a .357, 10mm to be your minimum of being worth the effor to carry.

 

[Coyote Commander]

Id hang any and all food in bear country. And in grizz country im hanging it a looooong ways away from where im sleeping!

Dont typically have to worry about blacks being aggressive with you, but they can be mighty curious, especially with food.

Personally, if youre not in grizz country, I wouldnt worry about a sidearm. Save the weight for something else.

 

[tipsntails7]

when in doubt hang it out. as far as spray or pistol. unless everyone is trained well with that gun I would opt for the spray. your more likely to miss the bear or shoot one another if someone has the gun that is uncomfortable with it in the heat of the moment. not sure where your going in Oregon but most black bears are scardy cats anyway. sow with cubs is the only one you really need to watch out for.

 

[AndyB]

Respect what they are 'capable' of, educate yourself and carry what makes 'you' sleep better at night.

For me that was spray and a little 357 taurus. Taurus let me sleep better in my tent, Nothing bigger than a badger where I live so maybe I am paranoid.
I also hauled all my food 10ft up between 2 trees at least 50yds away.

A lot of guys who live around Black Bears dont give them a second thought.


http://www.today.com/video/today/39552312#39552312

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/artic...-echoes-similar-flesh-eating-incidents-alaska

 

[COSA]

For black bears I would just not sleep with my food and not worry about a sidearm or spray (assuming you have a rifle for hunting). In grizzly country you should be a lot more careful, especially with items you bring inside or near your tent (blood stained packs, wrappers, crumbs, toothpaste, ect.). Don't overthink it and ruin you're hunt, if you're careful and alert the odds are extremely remote that you'll have a problem.

 

[DaveC]

Cooking and hanging or bear canning your food away from where you sleep is a good idea regardless of species. In Griz country I make a special effort to not camp in places where a bear is particularly likely to wander close. I.e. away from human trails, obvious game trails, and not in those nice scenic spots right on the edge of big meadows. Spray is probably a better bet than a big revolver or 10mm, just be aware that it doesn't work well into a stiff wind, nor when the can itself is well below freezing. Beyond that, just be aware that hunting behavior (being quiet, sneaking through thick crap) puts you at risk of encounters in a way which just backpacking does not.

 

[Bonedalien]

in black or any bear country a clean camp is a must. your hunting in black bear country you realy are ok,following the basic bear rules. then again,"things " can happen. last year elk scouting a big black was feeding towards my camp. looking at him with glass saw two tags in his ears,shit..this is a trouble bear. yelled at him and he looked at me and kept coming. had to put a .45 round into a stump next to me to convince him to get. totaly rare case,and a totaly rare bear,but glad of the 1911.
that being said,i dont bowhunt with a pistol and have bumped several black bears and im safe in saying ,as nervous as i was ,I scared the shit out of them.

 

[Frosty82]

Cooking and hanging or bear canning your food away from where you sleep is a good idea regardless of species. In Griz country I make a special effort to not camp in places where a bear is particularly likely to wander close. I.e. away from human trails, obvious game trails, and not in those nice scenic spots right on the edge of big meadows. Spray is probably a better bet than a big revolver or 10mm, just be aware that it doesn't work well into a stiff wind, nor when the can itself is well below freezing. Beyond that, just be aware that hunting behavior (being quiet, sneaking through thick crap) puts you at risk of encounters in a way which just backpacking does not.

Boy that's the truth. I was packing my caribou out last year down a dry river bed, came around a corner and ran into a grizzly. We both saw each other at the same time, stopped, at a scant 15 yards distance! Of course my .44 was in my tent 5 miles away and my rifle 1/4 mile behind me with the rest of my caribou. Luckily she cooperated and I won't be caught w/o my .44 anywhere in the woods from now on!!

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I was out this weekend and saw two real nice bears in the draw that my camp was in. Maybe 1/8 th of a mile from my camp. Made dinner when I got back and cleaned up nicely. Maybe the grass was just really good? They didn't stop by.....

Seriously though. I have camped in very close vicinity with black bears like this weekend a lot and have never had problems. I do always carry spray or a side arm just in case and keep things as clean as possible but all in all I think yogi has a bad name from all the hype of places like Lake Tahoe and Yosemite where the bears "Know" where the food is 24/7.

Be prepare if SHTF but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[60x]

I don't do anything to special. I keep food close and where I can see it. Too far a way and it's easy for the bears to steal it then I just go hungry. Keep a pee fence around the camp and that's about it..

 

[mtnclimber]

I don't do anything to special. I keep food close and where I can see it. Too far a way and it's easy for the bears to steal it then I just go hungry. Keep a pee fence around the camp and that's about it..

Yep same for me. Ive never felt the need to stash it elsewhere. too much time and effort.

 

[Madnik]

I hang food when I can and carry spray and/or a pistol. I've also had success with bear canisters placed on the ground a reasonable distance away. But bear safety/encounters aren't always about what happens while tucked in at night. Last season while making my way to where I hoped to anchor an elk I stumbled within 25 yards or so of a grizzly on an elk carcass. It was dark and the first thing I noticed was the sound of the crunching and tearing noise of the feeding bear - and my hearing isn't what it used to be. I toggled my headlamp and uh-oh. Big time uh-oh. As it turns out, I didn't reach for the spray. All was well that ended well with the bear giving me what I took to be hard look or two. I backed away a hundred yards or so repeating a loop of something along the lines of, "you don't want to maul me and I don't want to shoot you." The bear apparently agreed...

 

[bairdi]

I have a few thoughts about bear spray.....

With bear spray, how many of you have actually discharged it just to practice and know how it works? UDAP, one of the manufacturers actually makes an inert practice spray that functions and shoots exactly like the regular spray, but without the pepper. They are only $25 bucks. A fine and wise investment if you ask me. I got to try one of those out and it was a real eye opener as far as what to expect when discharging it, especially the effective range under different conditions. Also, I was very surprised that all it takes is a very very light breeze blowing in the wrong direction to potentially give yourself a good dose of spray. Everyone practices with firearms, why not practice with the bear spray?

Personally, if I have to choose, I usually carry a gun, but that is just what I feel the most comfortable with.

 

[TEmbry]

I know spray may be more consistent... But I don't trust it. I carry nothing but my bow in black bear country, and have a 10mm Glock for grizz country.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I have tested each of my sprays. One time I tested one and the wind changed AFTER the spray had dispersed and was not visible and it still had me choking and gagging! I figure if I'm going to spray that stuff I better be in a real tight spot with a pissed off bear!

 

[TEmbry]

Forgot to mention that several bush pilots aren't comfortable transporting bear spray in small cockpits which is something to plan ahead for... Not to mention you can not fly commercially with it whatsoever.

I just found the pistol to be the smarter choice logistically, and mentally I feel safer even if it likely is inferior to spray on a fast charging bear.

 

[bairdi]

I have tested each of my sprays. One time I tested one and the wind changed AFTER the spray had dispersed and was not visible and it still had me choking and gagging! I figure if I'm going to spray that stuff I better be in a real tight spot with a pissed off bear!

Had a friend accidentally touch a quick 1 sec burst of bear spray off inside his garage. Couldn't be in there for more than a few minutes for days. I think he ended up painting over the wall that got hit with the spray to try to cut down on the pepper smell. Can't imagine the destruction and pain it would cause if one were to discharge inside a small tent!!!

 

[dangerousD]

Forgot to mention that several bush pilots aren't comfortable transporting bear spray in small cockpits which is something to plan ahead for... Not to mention you can not fly commercially with it whatsoever.

I just found the pistol to be the smarter choice logistically, and mentally I feel safer even if it likely is inferior to spray on a fast charging bear.

If I were a bush pilot I'd probably feel the same way. Man, would that be disasterous if that thing were to accidentally discharge inside a pack while in flight on a bush plane!