Hammock Hiking and Bears :eek:

[BillyBob58]

Last night I read about one of the original mountain men, Fitzgerald, and his solo trip from St. Louis back to the rendevous. He encountered and killed a grizzly, then ran across Blackfeet the next day. He escaped from them, but lost both of his horses. Then he made a raft to cross the river, but it was destroyed on rocks, and he lost all but his knife. He finally made it to rendevous nearly dead. Bears can really ruin a hike!

Oh those wild Wind Rivers! Fitzgerald Wilderness in the Wind Rivers, and Rendezvous at what is now Pinedale, nearby(relatively) town to Wind River trailheads.

[Ghost Ranger]

In the Southern California national forest where I am a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger I spend a lot of time out on the trails on overnight trips alone and I encounter black bears. They have always run away fast when aware of me. They are hunted here and I suppose the less afraid ones are killed. My closest encounter was last spring on a very windy day at 6000 ft. I came around a cedar tree and saw a large 300 # red colored bear 40 ' away and because of the wind noise the bear was not aware of me. I yelled hey at the bear and no response, so yelled louder. It looked up at me, with a puzzled look while I thought, I hope this goes well. Then it ran off down the trail, exactly where I needed to go. I followed it's tracks about a mile where it turned off the trail. Hunted bears fear people and even avoid our scent, but black bears in national parks here are not hunted and are much more trouble. They steal food and will be very agressive if you try to get it back. They are not much interested in you, only your food. So use an approved bear canister properly and don't worry.

[MacEntyre]

...a very windy day at 6000 ft.

Lemme guess... that was in the Fall, when berries are still available at higher altitudes?

I noticed that you list your insulation as nothing more than a SB. Gotta love that aspect of southern California!

[NorseAmerican]

Hey, you know what they call a hanger in bear country?



A: A pinnata!

hehe

Bears know food hangs from tree's in nylon bags:-)

[bristolview]

Bears know food hangs from tree's in nylon bags:-)

Yeah, this thought has been in my head too. I'm in NYS, so we don't have the big Grizzly to deal with. Most of our bears are MUCH smaller, and generally not too scary to encounter. The good, they tend to be a bit more predictable than a Grizzly, and they tend to not eat you or your hiking party. The bad is that they are really good tree climbers. For this reason, hikers are asked NOT to hang food in bags like we've always done in many parts of the Adirondacks now. The bears know this trick very well, and have gotten really good at getting those bags.

From the bear's point of view, "Hmmm.... There's a little bag way over there, and way high. Then there's this much larger one closer to the ground. Question, Pinata or Burrito?"

[boarstone]

Get bear spray...carry it...keep in bed w/you...don't panic when you have to use it...aim carefully...preferably w/bear close!...don't miss!
You want to teach Mr. Bear that it's not cool to stick his nose so close...so make sure he is before you smack him! He'll only want to sniff 1st and then decide if he needs to taste you or not...that's the moment you let him have it...

[MacEntyre]

...aim carefully...don't miss!

Buy at least two cans. Carry one. Practice with the others.

It is not easy to aim a spray can, with no sights, that you have never used before, in the dark, half awake, with a menacing bear approaching.

Expect to miss, so learn to track the stream onto a bear's nose. Tape a flashlight to it. Buy large capacity.

[KMACK]

When praticing make sure you get a taste of it too. Not some thing you want to have to deal with in the dark and alone. Just like sitting next to a camp fire...the smoke always blows in your face. A face full of O.C. can be more scary than the bear.

[GOLFER]

sorry guys bear gets to close to me after yelling and other stuff dont work . last resort 357 smith & wesson . sorry if it offends anyone but its like someone out here says .get busy living or get busy dying. playing patty cake wont work.

[Cannibal]

I 'heard' a story about a .44 mag round deflecting off a Grizz's skull from a direct shot. Supposedly, the way their skull is shaped and the thickness of it, goes a long way towards protecting it from a gunshot. Better aim for an eyeball. By the same token, there was a news article last year about a bear that had isolated a small child from a group and was going in on him. A guy whacked the bear (black bear) with a log that was on the ground and snapped his neck; dead bear-safe child.

For the record, I love guns and have no issues (at all) about defending myself. That said, sometimes there are better alternatives.