Bear Raids

[LarryBud]

Will be spiking in Northern Colorado for the first time this year. I Black Brears are in the area.

What lengths do you go to in orde to prevent raids and for safety? Do you hang everything? How about changing clothes, etc.?

We will be eating freeze dried meals but plan on having trail mix, jerkey and the like.

Thanks,

[mtnmutt]

I hang everything 100-200 yards (recommended is 200yds) away from spike camp and mark my territory under bear hanging bag daily.

Bear bag: food, trash, toiletries (bears like toothpaste) and for the gals: used tampons or any blood soaked items.

I took up solo backpacking 2 years ago and have not had a problem.

Hang 12 feet high and drop it 18-24 inches down from branch. Out 2 feet from tree trunk is best, but the pines at 10,500 ft do not make this possible much.

You are actually trying to outwit the squirrels more than the bears. Watch out for yellow belly marmots while cooking. They sometimes have no fear.

[POk3s]

Just buy a bear tag

I honestly don't worry about the black bears. It's all I can do to muster up a siting during the spring. This year's siting was a cinnamon running dead away from me at about 1200 yards. I don't think they'll be coming anywhere toward me in the fall. However, I have seen a grizzly in the area. If you're backpacking there's not a ton you can do besides not camping on your kill site. All my stuff is either in my tent or on my back.

[elkmtngear]

mtnmutt has the formula, following her advice could eliminate a lot of swearing and discomfort!

[cnelk]

Over the years, I have left my camp set up for weeks and never had a problem with bears in/near camp.

I did have a Rocky Mtn Spotted skunk in my wall tent one night tho...
Amazing how small that tent got..

But that's a story in itself

[bnsafe]

we set up a basecamp last year in Colorado then went into the mnts for a few days. when we got back a bear had tore our camp apart. luckily he didn't hurt the tent but ate a ton of food and tore up coolers. the first nite we were back im sure I heard him growl right after we turned the lites out, and I have a pic of two glowing eyes, not sure how I got a pic cause I know I didn't take it and my cousin says he didn't take one, but they are there. you shouldn't have a problem but don't put food by your campsite, just in case. give me a call, I have a bear tag, that should keep em away.

[LarryBud]

Thanks for the feedback.

While I have no Colorado experience, I have wrestled with bears in Northern MN. They are a big problem in the Boundary Waters and have caused us plenty of grief.

Looks like I'll need to be prepared to hang all the goodies.

[JGH]

Any ideas on how to hang a bear bag?

I've researched this before, but to tell the truth, it's tough to find a satisfactory way to hang a bear bag in my neck of the woods.

Most online references, along with Scout manuals, etc., recommend hanging from a branch, so that the critter can't ascend the trunk of the tree and grab the bag.

But spruce and fir trees don't lend themselves to that method. Their branches are not set up for that. My camping manuals seem to assume there is a mature maple tree next to all possible camp sites. My bear bags in the past have been slung between two trees, but even those, when I look at them, would take an enterprising bear just a short time to "figure out."

I don't hunt in grizzly country, and am only concerned about black bear (and the much smaller varmints that steal food from me) ... and I'm frankly not convinced that a bear bag will help. I think if a bear wants in a bag, it'll find a way, and when it's done with that, it'll wander through the rest of the camp and decide what it wants.

For now, bear bags are an enigma for me -- I continue to hang them but I'm less-than convinced that they make any difference to bear deterrence and very-convinced that they annoy me.

[Curvebow]

I have done about 12 trips to CO, all of which involved backpacking and tents. Have never had an issue. We hang food maybe 40 yards away over the first dead poplar branch we cna find (few and far between). In my home state of NY, the Adirondack bears (who open bear proof containers with regularity!) would have our bag down in 2 seconds flat. However, we have never had an issue. In all the hunts, I have seen a total of 4 bears; 3 were black and one was a gorgeous chocolate color.

In a couple of situations, bulls were killed in the evening. One was gutted, legs cut open and tied apart so the meat could cool, no bear or coyote issue. Another was boned out and meat heaped into only 2 game bags. They were placed on logs about 100 yards away from the "gutless method" carcass. Again, no issues with either the meat or carcass. Lucky perhaps, most likely.

Its best to err on the side of caution, keep a clean camp adn clothing. However, be not afraid.

>>>>-------->

[mtnmutt]

JGH, It does takes me a bit of time to find the pine tree with a suitable branch to hang my bear bag. Sometimes it is more frustrating than others. At 10,500 feet, I have Bristlecone Pine, Lodgepole PIne and some spruces. None of these have long branches that are not clustered close to another branch.

The North side of the trees are more likely worn and have wind damage with less branches. Look for pines that that have this wind damage.

Most definitely drop the bag 18-24" from the branch so it is not hanging above branch that a squirrel can hop off of to reach your bag.

If you want a more robust method: google this "bear bag PCT method". PCT: Pacific Crest Trail. I do not use this method.

[JGH]

The PCT method is a "standard" and I used it last year ... but I'd have to say that if a bear wanted that bag, he could've had it with a little work. And I'm certain that bears don't mind "a little work" for that kind of reward! Bears, I think, are the sort of animal that will do as he damn-well pleases. If he doesn't want your stuff, it's safe. So, bags make your stuff a little less desirable. Dogs in camp might make it even less desirable. Horses, too. But if he's hungry ... he'll picture your stuff as "his stuff".

I'm not arguing against bear bags ... just saying I'm not so sure they work for the intended purpose. I'll continue to use the PCT method, though it is tough in a spruce forest ... no lodgepoles or other well-branched pines where I'm camping.

I'm thinking I'd like to get some of those bear-proof panniers, then leave everything on the ground ... but they are too pricey for me.

Best to keep "smellables" far from camp, and expect that -- even with proper planning -- bears and mice and squirrels will find them.

[mtnmutt]

Good points.

I believe bear cubs could possibly reach my bag if they went out on the branch. So far, my bag has been untouched.

[WapitiTalk1]

I actually picked up a bear bag a few years ago when I was heading to MT to elk hunt in brown bear country but did not use it. I have never personally had trouble with bears in camp in WA, ID, or MT either at a base camp or in the back country and I have never followed all the recommended precautions. I cook pretty close to sleeping areas, have never used a bear bag to hang food away from camp, and just keep any/all trash and food remnants in a large black plastic sack 30 or 40 yards away from the tents. I'm probably gonna have Yogi in my tent one of these years .. I did however, have two elk come into our camp around midnight last year in ID. I thought it was a bear rustling around in my tarp covered quad trailer which prompted me to dig around for my .44. The midnight assailants eventually left and I went back to sleep. After inspecting the crime scene the next morning, it was in fact two elk that had wandered into camp and were snooping around in our gear.. goofy critters. I can't speak for ID, MT, or any other mountain state but in WA, the bears know that if they look pathethic enough, somebody will eventually give them a hand out No need for them to go out and rustle up their own chow.. Just teasing of course. I need to follow the campsite, anti-bear procedures better or I will probably regret it one day.

[LarryBud]

MN bears are very clever and very hungry.

The best was the show I saw on Nat Geo I believe. If I recall correctly, it was at Yosmite.
People would store food and coolers in their car while camping. Some bears had figured out how to dig their claws in at the edge of the window and then snap the glass to shards. Then, they would climb in for dinner. They had them on film and the window would explode unde the pressure.

The Rangers had eliminate the bears which was a sad way end the story.

[WapitiTalk1]

After you mentioned the window shattering thing, I dug around a bit and found this short clip. Wow.. this little blackie has no fear and has obviously done this before.

[mtnmutt]

Car window rain guards. I wonder if that would help. My parents put them on all their cars when they lived in SW VA.

Sadly, humans cannot outwit a hungry bear.

[westaner]

I just talked to a outfitter who uses electric fence around his camp, says he sleeps like a baby! He also said when a black bear gets shocked it lunges forward and gets in , while a grizz rolls to the side and sometimes tears up the fence doing so. He's using a 2 strand fence, bottom strand at 16" ,top strand 32"
Not sure how he sleeps like a baby

[BrentLaBere]

I just talked to a outfitter who uses electric fence around his camp, says he sleeps like a baby! He also said when a black bear gets shocked it lunges forward and gets in , while a grizz rolls to the side and sometimes tears up the fence doing so. He's using a 2 strand fence, bottom strand at 16" ,top strand 32"
Not sure how he sleeps like a baby

I think there is a picture of something like this in the new extreme elk magazine. I am not so sure I would be sleeping like a baby when I hear a bear getting zapped and rolling around! Last weekend, on our scouting trip, we had something circling our tent one night. Wonder what it was?