overcoming nerves in bear country

“is leaving the country a bad thing?”

“"I carry a 44mag" - Davey Crockett

Ah-ha! I knew you were a phony! Davey Crockett carried a musket called "Old Betsy".”

“Sarge your so silly, them was the old days, get real would ya. Times have changed.”

“The best thing NOT to do is set up your tent beside Phil's tent. His snoring sounds just like a 1,200 rabid grizzly bear.”

“Just pin a picture of Hillary on your tarp.”

““Sarge your so silly, them was the old days, get real would ya. Times have changed.” - davey crockett

eXLent Davey. I'll keep that in mind.”

“No sARge not even close, lol”

“I'm kinda new here... but I do have a fair bit of experience with bears to share... most bears are truly disinterested in people unless they feel threatened. Generally they are far more interested in scrounging than attacking anything. Problems only arise when bears are conditioned that being around people equals free food like in popular park/ campground areas where people get careless with food and trash. The trash/food issues are pretty obvious. Also, avoiding heavily scented products (deodorants, toothpaste and soap) will keep them away. If a bear does come into your camp area - banging pots and pans, and making loud noises - (keeping a couple of pepsi cans filled with screws or pebbles near your tent is usually a good idea) will normally discourage them. If you are in a group of people - stand together to appear larger and more imposing, but avoid direct eye contact or aggressive movements. Do not cower or run away. Balance it out - keep your distance but stand your ground and defend your camp to discourage him/her from returning.

Like all animals - bears are only acting on instinct and survival - don't interefere with either goal and they won't bother with you too much.”

““No sARge not even close, lol” - Davey C”

“are sarge and dc talking to each other in code?”

“I was insinuating that he's XL400236, (and amazingly, this newbie picked up on that), so he denied it, with a "LOL" at the end. Suspicious ... no?”

“i kinda thought maybe he was, too. trolling under a fake persona doesnt sound like an xl thing. he trolls enough under his real persona”

“Newbie, lol, come on Sarge, its over the hill”

“5/28/2007 = "over the hill" ?”

“My friend and I are headed into bear country for 10 days. Someone at work made that same old comment "You think you can outrun your hiking partner?" He laughed and said he could with no question about it. I'm slow, there's no harm in that. When he told me the story I simply told him that if we are faced with a mad bear and he tries to outrun me I'm going to shoot him in the leg and WALK past him. That shut him up.”

“... meanwhile the bear is mauling your back. lol”

“That's ok, it will be worth it and as long as I have made my point I'll be ok. Besides, I have 5 more bullets.”

“That's why I like national parks.”

“Me too, I have to carry concealed Tilt, but I still carry, you just won't know it till I shoot the bear off you so it'll stop gnawing on your leg.
last edited: 8/07/07 11:29:23 AM”

“Cool.  I'm sure you'll be happy to explain that to the rangers after I drop a dime on you.”

“I always report criminal activity to law enforcement.”

“Laughs, dang it now I have to ask every single hiker I save in the future if they are Tilt from Trail Talk. What a waste of time, but to cover my butt I will have to do so.”

“I had a close relative who recently retired after 30+ years with the Justice Dept. and that’s what he always says about Conspiracy Theories… They would never remain secret because, you see, people always shoot their mouths off (sorry about the pun).

They didn’t use to confess on an Internet forum where IP addresses are automatically logged --- usually it was to a co-conspiritor or cellmate.”

“"You think you can outrun your hiking partner?"

Or just stand still as your "partner" runs for it. See who gets taken out.”

“Good point bear magnet. Might have to step out of the way or lean a little, but good point.”

“Glad I never snorted gun powder.”

“I just watched a video put out by a bunch of entites, including NPS, Canadian Park Service, Bear Institute and others. the gist of it is...

Try to determine type of bear response:
A. Defensive (cubs, food, territory)
B. Aggressive (hungry/predatory)

1. If you see a bear, start to back away slowly, head back the way you came and try to circumnavigate bear if haven't been seen.

2. If spotted and bear takes an interest, speak slowly and softly to bear, back slowly away (do not turn back to animal) and when out of sight, see #1.

3. If bear advances, speak louder, raise arms and continue backing away.

4. If bear charges, STAND YOUR GROUND and yell as loud as you possibly can. When you choose to deploy bearspray/firearm (if you have) is critical as if it was a false charge and you deploy spray/firearm and it doesn't get the bear the way you should, the bear will probably read it as a provoked attack and will definitely be on your ass.

6. If attacked, deploy spray/firearm and then this is where A & B come in to determine your reaction. If predatory, fight the hell back. If defensive, drop to the ground (if the bear hasn't helped you already), lie prone, face down with hands locked over back of head and arms to shield your face.

At least, this is what the 45 min. video drove home.”

“Not sure if this thread has made me feel more comfy or more afraid of going to glacier next month... :)”

“I hear bears can smell bacon frying twenty miles away....”

“i think its important to note that what roseymonster just posted applies to BLACK BEARS ONLY

with grizz, you take the opposite approach: laying down, being submissive, playing dead, stuff like that, altho you can use pepper spray

blackies you stand your ground and fight if you have to. NEVER fight a grizz

if i got any of this info wrong, please let me know (But im pretty sure im not "way off base")”

“i heard or read one time that the way to determine if a bear is predatory is to walk, and change directions multiple times. if the bear changes directions with you, he may be predatory.

i dont think blackies get predatory on humans often, tho. we're almost as big as they are, and too much trouble. i could be wrong, tho. of course, they could be just wantin your food, and not necessarily you, however
last edited: 8/07/07 6:29:35 PM”

“so you hold out a marshmallow in the palm of your hand and see if the bear takes it. If yes.... you have one bit of information. If no... you have another. Neither piece of information is real useful in the long run tho.”

“Ok, I guess I got to spell it out to you. See bear, pull pistol out, if black bear, it will most likely run off, if not shoot bear in chest, if brown bear, pull pistol out and wait untill bear turns towards you, then shoot in chest. Take camera out and then shoot bear again.”

“guns are for pussies
last edited: 8/07/07 7:03:00 PM”

“Tell that to the Korean's”

“Guns are for protection, not for sex, silly”

“shotguns are what her dads going to use if you dont use protection”

“If you're so scared that you have to take a gun all the time, stay home.  Watch bears at the zoo.”

“not a whole lot of guns over here, dc”

“GRIZZ ,no ploblem..i had one come in my camp(solo) and sit waiting for food.`”

“Crash,

this vid was for both. It didn;t make the distinction that was made in Bear attacks: avoidances and consequences (though they did interview the author of that).

What I described is what the vid prescribed for both grizz and blacks.”

“wow. thats strange. everything ive heard about grizz was to NEVER EVER fight back, cuz youll just piss em off all the more, and you have no chance of fighting them off. they may have been intending the vid just for blackies, and didnt specifically say so”

“If you think you are about to be attacked by a black bear, and you are a Republican State Legislator, just dropped to your knees and get to work.


_{Sorry for polluting a non-fuego thread, but it was just too good to let pass.}”

“tsk     tsk     tsk”

“Nah. there was lots of footage of grizz. See, that's the hard part, deciding between defensive and aggressive behavior (if you can't see anything readily obvious e.g. a cub, carcass, etc.). Agressive: fight the hell back, regardless what type of bear. Defensive: play dead.

I'd be glad to burn a copy and send it your way.
last edited: 8/13/07 8:01:34 AM”

“fight an aggressive grizz? wow thats ummm hmmmm how old is the vid?”

“Just a year or two.”