Duke
Active member
We've hung food out in the White Mountain of Arizona. Bears climb great and have tried to break the branches on the trees we hung it across/in. One of them roared and charged the tent and roared again and his nose was denting in the tent with rainfly zipped down. Almost as scared as I've ever been (attacked by thugs in New Orleans).Tried to remember- don't shoot thick skull...will piss it off; try for smile under the smile as a neck shot could take out central nervous system; a deadly wound would still allow minutes of pouncing due to the slow circulatory system of Ursus. Yep, I now carry a big canister of spray in it's own readily accessible worn holster.
A couple days later we were hiking and noticed a Class C with side window torn out. We approached slowly, no bear and no person hurting. Talked to the owner later...really tore the place up.
Similar event camped at Black River fishing. We never clean fish near camp & always downwind from camp; never cook right by where we intend to sleep (I no longer sleep in tents in bear country). There, two bears sniffed one of our Broncos, the one with the food stored in it. They climbed up on the hood, tried to get the windshield "open", mangled a wiper, climbed on top and tried to bash their way in...gave up. Next trip I looked out one daybreak and there was a cinnamon colored black bear near the fire pit licking a dropped marshmallow off a rock...looked over his head at my gun still sitting on the camp chair where I'd left it....doh! :s
Sometimes at that river we spread a few mothballs around where we sleep, a perimeter of sorts. Might help, no visitors- yet. Might just be an old tale. Snopes doesn't know.
I alway have keys in ignition (having to fumble for them not good) if in camp in bear country. Moving the vehicle back and forth would stop a breech.
Actually saw somebody camped with a battery operated "bear protection fence":
https://www.amazon.com/UDAP-BEF-Shock-Electric-Fence/dp/B001QGXNCY
A couple days later we were hiking and noticed a Class C with side window torn out. We approached slowly, no bear and no person hurting. Talked to the owner later...really tore the place up.
Similar event camped at Black River fishing. We never clean fish near camp & always downwind from camp; never cook right by where we intend to sleep (I no longer sleep in tents in bear country). There, two bears sniffed one of our Broncos, the one with the food stored in it. They climbed up on the hood, tried to get the windshield "open", mangled a wiper, climbed on top and tried to bash their way in...gave up. Next trip I looked out one daybreak and there was a cinnamon colored black bear near the fire pit licking a dropped marshmallow off a rock...looked over his head at my gun still sitting on the camp chair where I'd left it....doh! :s
Sometimes at that river we spread a few mothballs around where we sleep, a perimeter of sorts. Might help, no visitors- yet. Might just be an old tale. Snopes doesn't know.
I alway have keys in ignition (having to fumble for them not good) if in camp in bear country. Moving the vehicle back and forth would stop a breech.
Actually saw somebody camped with a battery operated "bear protection fence":
https://www.amazon.com/UDAP-BEF-Shock-Electric-Fence/dp/B001QGXNCY