Bears!

[LeeRevell]

I dont know if its true, but I have read that LLamas(the Furry ones not the Buddhist ones will keep bears away. I considered getting pack LLamas once and still kinda like the idea. Also ,another tidbit. Apparently bears hate digeridoo music. Maybe if I practiced more ?

That digeridoo might attract vicious wallabies and the rare Tasmanian Devil....

 

[owl]

This thread bears watching! Bear in mind that bears have a mind of their own. We can all bear witness to things that are more than one can bear. Always be loaded for bear or you will end up being hungry as a bear. Bear in mind that a bear hug can be more than you can bear. This may be more than you can bear, or it may just be your cross to bear. Bear down and grin and bear it.

 

[highdesertranger]

good one owl. highdesertranger

 

[LeeRevell]

Owl, you are 'unbearable'........

I have seen Black Bears in our local Natural History Museum frolicking and playful. But that same critter could, in an instant, become a ravening monster. Never underestimate a bear!

 

[cyndi]

Black bear breaks into car, pigs out on food
Animal causes $15,000 in damages to Colorado man's vehicle

http://www.wcti12.com/black-bear-breaks-into-car-pigs-out-on-food/29035460

"...A couple from Castle Pines in Douglas County woke up to the sound of their car horn at 3 a.m. Monday, and they called 911 thinking that someone was trying to steal their car from their driveway. Instead, they found a black bear behind the wheel..."

There's a great picture

 

[highdesertranger]

Cyndi I saw that, my o my. I have heard of that before they will get their claws in the crack of the door and pull it open or the window just shatters. highdesertranger

 

[crookedforkers]

While I'm having quite a laugh reading this thread, I just thought the original poster might like this link. We have done a lot of traveling where we either tent camped next to a vehicle in state forests, or we had to be well away from roads due to local restrictions and backpacked in. If you leave food, trash, etc. in a vehicle, put up the windows. Any soap, dirty dishes, etc. will attract them if they are in the area, as well. If you aren't near a vehicle, and have food-scented items, run them up in a bear bag: http://www.backpacker.com/skills/how-to-hang-a-bear-bag/ That will put their point of curiosity further from your tent if you are in a forest rather than a campground even when you are car camping there.

Some black bears are smart enough to cut your line on such a rig (and don't forget that they are climbers). We haven't had that problem. A bear bag has saved our food from mice and raccoons as well (as evidenced by what happened to a bit of food when it got left out of the car by mistake once). We generally have a bullwhip (part of our show) on us, so we figure we can scare the bejeezus out of a bear that doesn't want to leave our site, if needed. If we have a cooler (which we wouldn't backpack in with, if we couldn't use the roadside), it stays in the car. They always draw attention from animals, and raccoons will happily ransack them.

 

[LeeRevell]

I have read where big bears have knocked the glass out of cars to get the goodies inside. Be careful!

 

[crookedforkers]

Well, there's not much I think I can do about a bear like THAT. ;-)
I like to think it helps to pack it all up tight and keep the windows up to keep scents in, which was inspired by this video, in part, lol:

 

[MK7]

Bears are pets where I live!

Have a marshmallow sweetie!

Man, this is one the the biggest reasons for bears ATTACKING....people FEEDING them like PETS. Now they're not afraid to be around humans, are accustomed to their scent and will routinely go looking for food. There's always food on trash collection days. Then if you startle them, like this lady in the link below did, you can become bear food.

It's not certain if she feeds bears, but some of her neighbors says that she is on of the culprits. Another neighbor of hers, an old man, even have pictures of himself feeding bears there. He's about to stand trial for this and so are a young couple, who were also arrested for feeding the bears. Feeding bears is ILLEGAL in most parts of Florida, and for a good reason. Now the poor bears will be hunted and possibly killed just for being a bear.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/urgent-hunt-black-bear-mauled-woman-garage/story?id=23309124

 

[Seraphim]

I have to agree with MK7 - animals are unpredictable, and behaviors as such in that photo teaches bears humans are a source of food. It doesn't understand that you might run out of marshmallows, and be insistent about having more. It does understand that other animals are a source of meat. Now, I personally am not bothered if someone does something stupid around a bear and gets himself killed. What bothers me is that the bear will be tracked and killed, since it has learned that people can be eaten. It's not the bear's fault it behaves like a bear. It IS a human's fault when they do something stupid.

Feeding bears is not just illegal in Florida, but in most states we've travelled through with bear populations. We don't want bears getting in the habit of approaching humans for food.

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One interesting thing I heard from a ranger - in Denali, I think - is that bears learn to identify visual clues with food, as well. Such as a McDonald's logo on an empty bag in the window of a camper lol.

 

[akrvbob]

Where I was a campground host in the Sierra NF I didn't have a problem with bears. But a friend was in the High Sierras and they were in his campground every day.

He warned every camper about keeping a clean camp and using the bear boxes. One time he had a camper who would not obey the rules and finally a bear came in and destroyed his camp. The next day the Ranger came in and fined him $250 and made him leave.

What they need to do is give the Ranger the power to confiscate his car and gear then maybe it would get peoples attention!!

In Alaska if you are caught hunting illegally, they can confiscate your guns, gear and airplane!! People in Alaska take the game laws pretty seriously! Just like they should!
Bob