Predators?????????

[CoachChris]

No, I'm no relation to Treadwell. I don't go looking for bears. I avoid them and make plenty of noise when I'm not hunting. I hope my luck doesn't run out either.

Yes, I don't get too excited about stuff like bears. Like I said, normal day to day stuff flips me out. I've been caught in 4 avalanches and it never got me the least bit excited. When the **** hits the fan you have to be calm!

At Dogshead Creek I had no pepper spray. I usually keep it in my pack and attach it to the waist belt before I leave the truck. A roommate borrowed it and neglected to tell me . She actually needed to use bear spray the day before. She was a wolf biologist. She had to spray a sow with cubs she bumped into while tracking. Mine was a backup.

At South Leigh Creek it was raining and the wind was in my face. I would have gotten the worst of it. I would have had to stick the spray right in the bears face.

Phorwath, I get where you are coming from. Time and place, you know? I'm not careless or crazy. I understand that the bears need to have fear of humans for everyones best interest. If bears here get like bears there I will probably have a different reaction. Most people here have never even seen a grizzly. Many see no potential danger from them in any way at all. I know quite a few who don't even acknowledge their presence.

 

[jeff 300]

[/QUOTE]and remember to always set your bedding in the middle of everybody elses[/QUOTE]

Amen just out run your buddie

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Bears, wolves and lions are really not that much of threat. It's a statstical fact. For all the people who travel and camp in bear country, very, very few have any significant encounters. I have been hunting, fishing, hiking and backpacking in bear country for many years with no incidents.

I have had 7 bear encounters this year, which is by far the most I've ever had. 2 or 3 were grizz. 2 Were while bear hunting this past spring, the first being a sow with cubs and I didn't see the cubs until the sow was about 20 yds from me and I was about to shoot it when it stepped out of the brush. As soon as I saw it had cubs, I backed up making noise, rifle at the ready, safety on. Fortunately it didn't charege, it woofed and bounced sending the cubs up a couple of trees. Never knew I was there until I made noise.... It was traveling down wind toward me. Four other encounters were in Yellowstone Park. In one, I was walking in the back country (fishing) up stream from Tower Falls with my head down watching the trail. I saw a movement from the corner of my eye to the left, looked up, and there was about a 200 lb blackie galloping past me at about 20 yds.

When you're in bear country, be smart about bears. That's the best strategy, after that, I believe that in most cases bear spray is the best deterrent. If a bear shows itself to be overly aggressive without cause such as being surprized, protecting cubs or food, etc. or predatory, it should be killed because it will likley maul or kill someone someday.

If a bear is sniffing me through a tent and I have a firearm, it will be a dead bear because it is showing too little fear of humans and may become a problem bear. If I only have bear spray, I will pray it goes away so I don't have to discharge the spray in the tent. I got a whiff of UDAP once, and I cant imagine discharging that inside a tent.

I used to not carry a firearm or spray in bear country, but these days I carry spray and when I'm hunting in bear country, I'll have spray and a rifle. If that sow would have charged me, I would have had to kill it because I didn't have spray.

Bottomline, be smart, be preparred and dont worry.

 

[Pdvdh]

Bears, wolves and lions are really not that much of threat. It's a statstical fact.

Bottomline, be smart, be preparred and dont worry.

I don't think we're disagreeing but I'll state it slightly differently.

Big Picture: Statistically, these predators don't pose a huge risk compared to other risks that we accept and expose ourselves to on a regular basis.
Small Picture: Individually however, they can pose a huge threat to your health and well being. I've met and talked to people that have been savagely attacked by bears in Alaska. The fact that they were at low risk of being attacked provided no consolation to any of them. Guarantee you that these predators don't factor in the statistical odds.

I say worry enough to plan your expeditions by including reasonable bear/predator safety prevention measures, stay vigilant, alert, and safety conscious in the field, but then don't let the presence of these predators prevent you from enjoying the great outdoors. That's more or less the way I approach it. If you enjoy hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, camping, canoeing, and other outdoor activities that takes you to wild places with wild predators, then after you've adequately prepared for the potential of an encounter of the worst kind, don't be frozen in fear to the point of avoiding these activities.

And put your seat belt on before you drive to the trailhead, as the odds tell us that once we've prepared ourselves, just driving there is the greater risk.

 

[CoachChris]

Amen just out run your buddie

Jeff, Don't run at all! Then your dead!

MR, I had a bear in my sights yesterday and looked to the right just before firing and saw a cub. The sow growled at me. No charge, no shot. I did and always do have UDAP on me.

Fellow Grizz Country Travelers,
I would say that we are all in agreement!

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Jeff, Don't run at all! Then your dead!

Reminds me of bear encounter # 1 last spring (2007) Me and 3 friends were driving through Yellowstone for some sight seeing, wildlife viewing, hot potting and a generally having an enjoyable day. We spotted a Grizz a couple hundred yards off the road as did a few other wildlife viewers and pulled off for a closer look. Me and the other guy walked up the road a way after the griz had disappeared in a shallow draw. As we walked the griz had changed direction coming straight toward us. It crested a knoll about 50 yds right in front of us. It perked it's ears up and we could see the hair on it's back bristle up. There was a gal next to us who took a quick couple of pictures and then started running, we were slowly backing out and when I saw her starting to run, I very sternly said, "dont run". She stopped and backed out slowly with us.

Moral of the story... dont give a bear a reason to mess with you...

 

[bigg_sexy1]

what do you do when hunting/camping at night to stay safe from wolves/bear??????? is there some standard way of doing things. i know about keeping all the meat blood away from camp. but there out running at night looking for a ezee meal. a guy sleeping in a sleeping bag sounds like one to me?????????? has any one ever had trouble with this?????????

If you can spare the weight a small electric fencing unit staked out around your tent should help keep any predators away. There are some units that take D cell batteries.
Bear Repellent Portable Electric Fence Bear Deterrent Bear Protection Bear Defense

 

[Pdvdh]

If you can spare the weight a small electric fencing unit staked out around your tent should help keep any predators away. There are some units that take D cell batteries.
Bear Repellent Portable Electric Fence Bear Deterrent Bear Protection Bear Defense

I know of some airplane owners and hunters use that use these to protect their planes when they're away hunting. Just don't forget about them in the middle of the night when you go out to pee.

 

[jeff 300]

I know of some airplane owners and hunters use that use these to protect their planes when they're away hunting. Just don't forget about them in the middle of the night when you go out to pee.

Yep don't pee on the wire. LOL Viagra would look weak compared to doing that.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CoachChris]

There was a gal next to us who took a quick couple of pictures and then started running, we were slowly backing out and when I saw her starting to run, I very sternly said, "dont run". She stopped and backed out slowly with us.

Moral of the story... dont give a bear a reason to mess with you...

Reminds me a situation I read about a couple of years ago. A group of hikers were confronted by a grizz. Two of the group sprinted towards some trees. The bear ran right through the group, tackled the the slower of the two runners, roughed him up a bit and then ran down the other one. F...ing idiots!

 

[ol mike]

Well maybe my mentality has changed just slightly w/ bears -i'll be a little more lenient and i'll get some bear spray..Wouldn't really want to shoot a bear b/c he/she was feeling their oats for a second or two.

Saw a dangerous situation on TV the other day -a bow hunter and his camera man were up in tree stands very close together.There was a sow w/two cubs eating at their bait station when a big boar bear was sensed by momma bear -she sent the cubs up the nearby trees -you guessed it -one went right up the tree w/ the two men.It ran up and past them on the backside of the tree -got scared and bawled a bit for momma -she just let him bawl because of the male bear.
The big male went straight to the bait and started eating -and the hunter put a braodhead right through his shoulder.
There was a little shuffling around by the baby bear then a few nervous words -couldn't see much for the camera shaking badly -then the little bear ran down and past the two hunters and off he went.
Anyway it could have been a bad deal had momma bear seen here cub up there above the two men -the bowhunter was ready to shoot her though.

 

[silvertip-co]

I've carried a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 openly for 25 years while hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, panning gold, etc. Never had any problems with any thing, or any body, nor do I lose any time worrying about two or four legged predators in the backcountry. My wife is trained to shoot it capably also and will soon have her own Blackhawk in 357.

 

[jeff 300]

well i was emailed some pic of a guy that was in the yukon hunting and had a run in with a polar bear. warning very graphic.

 

[CoachChris]

Wow, he's lucky to be alive. They are some nasty critters.