Bear precautions

[Chow_Hound]

I'm heading to my first backpacking elk hunt in CO this year and just wonder what kind of bear precautions you guys take in terms of keeping them from tearing up your gear and camp. Do you cook away from camp, hang your food, what do you do with trash?

Thanks

 

[Zeke]

That's a good question. There are the obvious things which will help. You've named a couple but here's a little story for you.

We were tent camping with a bunch of family and when I returned from morning fishing all the people were standing in the middle of the meadow. Thinking this was strange, I rode the quad into the group to see what was up. A bear (black) was in camp and despite the yelling and throwing the bear didn't leave until it had jumped on a couple of out tents. No food was ever kept in the tent but we were cooking outdoors which I'm sure brought the bear into camp.
Eventually we got the situation under control but we could only imagine what would have happened had the bear come in during the night.

During a sheep hunt, I had a grizzly bear come into camp and when I unzipped the tent he was at about 6 feet. Thank goodness we were BOTH scared. He ran off. We slept with our rifles after that experience.

Both could have ended poorly but luck was with us.

I guess I've got more questions than answers too.

Zeke

 

[gb22]

When it grizzly country, I've always followed the "rules" about hanging things upwind and in a tree and even some things under water...you've read all that. I've not been so careful in country only inhabited by black bears. I've never been bothered but did have a black bear "wandering" around camp late one night.

My son, playing with a coyote call while sitting around the campfire, called a mountain lion to within 100 yards of camp one night....it wandered back and forth (just inside the brush) for a VERY long time.

I was once attacked by a black bear. I was elk hunting and away from camp. It stalked me and charged. Fortunately, I saw him coming in time; just wasn't at camp.

In addition to hanging things in trees and all that, I'm a BIG believer in bear spray. I think bear spray is better than guns, because it's easier to miss with a gun than with the spray. I've seen what the spray does and have great confidence in it.


Within the shadows, go quietly.

 

[Nvdeerslayer]

You can buy electric fence that will surround your tent and anything else you don't want to be bothered it works. Bear spray is good to have on hand. You should only really worry if you come across mama and some cubs thats when it can get ugly never run and make yourself as big as possible and loud as you can. With all that said i would always have a sidearm just in case.

 

[tailchasers]

How about pissing around your camp site and marking your turf like the critter do. Would that help?

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling
up anyway."

 

[Zeke]

Human scent seems to have little effect on bears which are intent on coming into camp for a meal. These are the ones who have no fear man.

Zeke

 

[BuckSnort]

There's one area where we camp that's almost a guarantee to get hit by a bear (mostly while we are out of camp but not always)..We discovered that hanging a few plastic bottles with chlorine tablets in them kept the bears away.

Poke holes in the bottles to help the scent get into the air, quart sized gatorade bottles worked for us..

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