Bears - Real or am I neurotic?

“Ok .. So I love to camp, I live to hike. Im scared Sh-tless to backpack. Although I have done it once.

For some reason I am petrified of being 6 miles in the forest and at 2am running into a bear.

I live in the N. Gerogia Mountains - Am I being neurotic? Are they common, are they aggressive, what do I do if I see one.

Is my fear unfounded that I may run into one while on a backpacking trip?

Whats your input.”

“I've never been to Georgia, but I bet you have more to worry about from Deliverance type necks than you do from bears”

“This may be true... Some scary-ass people out there.”

“take care of your food (and other smelly stuff)... either hang or canister. Don't drain tuna near your tent, just use common sense and most of the time your fine. Just like anything else, there's always a chance (tiny as it may be) that something bad will happen”

“I'd watch out for bears w/ thick southern accents. They seem like the most dangerous to me. I ran into one up here in Montana, one nasty bear, I'll tell ya'.”

“When I was a 'tad' bit younger I've hiked and camped solo in Northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan in bear country. I think I scared myself at times thinking there was a bear in every shadow. Not had any problems with bears unless they were after my food. Don't put bacon or pork chops in your pockets and I think you will be fine. If they know you're coming you won't see them.”

“You should be afraid, very afraid. Have you seen the John West Salmon advertisement. Those bears are tough. http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_91.html”

“Bears are peaceful creatures. Leave'um alone. Why are you more afraid of a bear, than you are of say, mosquitoes, which can kill you with any number of diseases they carry.”

“Bears are real AND you are neurotic.”

“I think donman was right on point. Good common sence is the best method of avoiding trouble. I have never had any problems with either bears or wild hogs, but I am careful in regard to what I will keep in a pack (or tent) overnight or while I am away from camp.”

“... Had a run in with a bear. What did you do?”

“Thanks Chili! You have a perty mouth!”

“You respect bears, and they won't bother you. You be an stupid, and the bear is doing mankind a favor by weeding out the stupid.”

“Bears are hunted in north GA - they have a considerable respect for you and your ilk. If given the chance, the bear will provide a wide berth for you. Practice bear aware tactics, and you'll be fine.


Set up your "kitchen" away from tent site. Hang food and all other matter of stinkyness there (including toothpaste, cooking clothes, etc.).

Never bushwack up wind.

If you encounter a bear, remain perfectly still. Make eye contact until you're sure it has seen you, then look away. Then, move away slooooooowly. If bear charges, remain still! 90% of charges are bluffs. If it isn't a bluff, take the mauling like a man - you actually have a good chance of surviving it.

Hike with a partner that can't run as fast as you! hehehee!”

“I think that should be the bottom line in life. A drunk driver, a Raiders fan, a loser, with a mailbox pipebomb, or a slip in the shower are more apt to mess you up than a bear. It always makes me chuckle when a well-meaning person goes on a campaign to make something safer... You are NOT the center of the Universe, please respect the planet and the other animals on it”

“ok the short and curly on bears.
Black bears are usually shy and avoid human contact except when obtaining food. Most black bears only become agressive when cornered or when protecting cubs. the majority of injuries stem from dumb ass idiots who deliberately get too close while either attempting to photograph the bear or play with the cubs. In areas like yellowstone and smokey moutains the bears have come to associate humans with food supply and tend to allow humans closer then normal.In these areas bears have actually chased people off while they were cooking dinner.

grizzleys are a different matter but the last one in the lower 48 was shot years ago.”

“I like that.”

“The risk of physical harm from a black bear is so small that it is not worth worrying about. Here in Southern California the only incident I have heard of in the last 20 years related to a bear trying to get chocolate out of someone's tent while they were sleeping.

All a black bear wants is your "smellables" (food, toiletries, trash, etc.). If it is in a cannister, then they will most likely walk on and leave you alone. If you counter-balance it they may try to get it. If you leave it laying out, they will get it without any trouble.

Keep smellables away from your tent and out of your backpack when in camp. Experts suggest that you cook and eat in the same location so you localize smells.

Bears prefer to enter your camp when they think everyone is sleeping. Any movement or sounds will help keep them away. Once you see or hear them, then making noises and banging on pots seems to scare them away.

I am an advocate of bear cannisters now. They seem to be proving effective. The goal is to make it so difficult for bears to get food from people that they go back to foraging. As long as "some" people allow bears to get their food, then we all have to be troubled by them.

Final note. I have been backpacking in bear country for the past 14 years (San Bernardinos, Sierras, Philmont) and have yet to see or be bothered by one.”

“note to self: make full use of the Second Amendment Rights when hiking with donman”

“grizzleys are a different matter but the last one in the lower 48 was shot years ago."
dirtyoldman
02:56:39 PM
05/09/02


Griz live in several "lower 48 states"

Check your facts”

“Dirty, the last Griz was shot in the lower 48 years ago? When? By who? How did you get this info? Are you sure? Serious question.”

“I remember seeing some sort of black bear display at a ranger station once, I think maybe the one near Wayah Bald. There was one comment that stays with me:

"You leave the bear alone; he'll leave you alone. But if you corner him, he'll kill you."”

“"I'd watch out for bears w/ thick southern accents. They seem like the most dangerous to me. I ran into one up here in Montana, one nasty bear, I'll tell ya'."
newgirl
01:57:37 PM
05/09/02


First I want to know how you know the bear had a thick southern accent and secondly were you wearing the cutoff shorts, halter top bandanas and flip flops with the decal of the Confederate flag on them or are you just saving those for bacpac's party.”

“Newgirl - Griz live in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and maybe Washington. But you know that already.”

“He spoke of course. He definitely had a southern accent, although, he was slurring his words a bit. He may have actually been a bit hung over. Perhaps he'd just come from one of bacpac's parties. And no, I wasn't wearing any such outfit. It's reserved for white trash fiestas. LOL! I think we are contributing to thread wasting disease here.”

“Don't drain tuna near your tent,
donman
---------
Drain tuna! I try to not waste anything. Sometimes I will have tuna packed in water. I eat and drink it all to the last drop. (Of course, maybe it's because my backpacking diet is limited to 700 calories per day.)
-------------------------
Have any of you ...
"... Had a run in with a bear. What did you do?"
Saltlick

Yes, I have had numerous encounters with black bears. When one charged, I did as literature recommends. I threw up my arms to make myself appear as large as possible and I hollered loudly at it. It stopped 5 or 6 feet away from me. We were along the side of a shelter. I was prepared to step back from the corner toward the entrance of the shelter and hit it with 15% pepper spray, if it came around the corner. The spray container was in my hand, ready to be fired (sprayed).”

“Mtngal, that was the impression I had. But apparently Dirty knows something else.”

“Backpacker Magazine even had an article about a griz that got shot a few months ago.”

“Did anyone happen to catch the national geographic article on grizzlies? So many misconceptions. I thought it was pretty cool how vegetatious they really are.”

“The Grizzlies are in the lower 48.....they left Vancouver and came to Memphis,,,,I went to a couple of their games”

“I did Trailhound. I have a subscription. What a great mag.”

“i'll always be afraid of polar bears... black bears i'm not afraid of, just keep your food away from them, grizzlies deserve to be respected, don't mess with them.”

“I know a guy that goes to Alaska every 3 years or so for a week long float/fishing trip. Bears are everywhere. They have heard bears (griz) in their camp at night and found prints all around the camp in the morning. He has never had a bear mess with their stuff or act aggressively toward them. He does pack bear spray. Lead bear spray on a pistol grip12 gauge dispenser.”

“I thought bears with southern accents were confined to Disneyland. Can I get a ruling here, Phil? <G>

OH... You must be thinking of Yogi's girlfriend Cindy.”

“I actually saw a bp handbook or bp mag several years ago that mentioned you should guard your abdomen and fight back if a black bear attacks. Do ya think you could take em?”

“I had a run-in with a bear while canoeing the Boundry Waters in northern Minnesota. We were lazy and didn't hang our food--just hid it under an overturned canoe.

About 2:30 in the morning I hear a canoe being dragged away. I go out with a flashlight and the bear has torn through a backpack and is chowing down. Canoe is floating away.

Banged two pots together and scared off the bear. Got wet getting the canoe back to shore. Hung what food was left and got back to bed about 4 a.m. Learned the hard way.”

“It was a he Tilt. I think it might have been Cindy's secret lover. LOL!”

“I've only run into a bear once in Yosemite's Backcountry, but it never bothered us. We just made some noise and it took off.

I have however seen bears in cabins at this Church Camp I councel at sometimes. I'm usually the one to scare them off. I just hit the side of the cabin with a stick and they run out like a bat out of hell.

There really is nothing to worry about! However, it is natural to be afraid. Just keep telling yourself that it's nothing to worry about. Bears really don't pose a serious threat to a hikers safety. We are the ones who pose a threat to Bears.”

“Yes, I've met a few bears. What a bonus!!!! As said above they were after my food, not me. Shouting and throwing rocks chased them away. But you better move the food because they'll be back.”

“Buddha Bears make the scariest bears. You should especially watch out for them. :)”

“I actually really enjoy seeing bears in the backcountry.

Bears are probably the most unjustly feared animals. I hear so many hikers worrying about "what happens if I see a bear" "what if I get attacked" "should I bring a gun!"
Pleas don't fear the bears, feel privledged if you see one and respect that you are visiting there home. We are responsable for their safety. Be responsable with your food, if you can't use the hanging technique properly, bring a canister.”

“I've told this story before. Had a run in with a black bear in Quetico. Hung our food on a log placed between two trees, and a decent from both the ground and the log. Well seems the bear is the one that placed the log. It went up one tree and cut the rope and enjoyed what was left of our food. (Last night out.) Not only did it have the luxury of our food, it decided to sleep a few yards from our tents. Apparently it really liked our food because it was passing gas, from both ends, the rest of the night. When enough dawn light appeared we were able to scare it off, for a short while. Made a re-appearance about an hour later. Aluminum canoes combined with paddles were enough to scare it off the second time. It didn't want us, just our food.”

“On a scale of

humans being least offensive

then cats

then dogs

where do bear farts fall?”

“You have a far better chance of me stealing your 'Snickers Bars' than being bothered by a bear.”

“You have a far better chance of me stealing your 'Snickers Bars' than being bothered by a bear.”

“Deja Vu... What? Huh??
Uncliff

LOL”

“Bears are cool. They're my favorite animal.”