Safe in Bear Country?

[Bradley]

Agreed. I still think it would be fun to continue on with "ask a raccoon" or "ask a skunk" and so forth.

It could catch on in the human realm as well

Dr Phil could run a series "Ask your girlfriends husband" etc.

Now that would be a dangerous animal . . . Hammock - tent - or house . . .

[Alamosa]

It could catch on in the human realm as well

Dr Phil could run a series "Ask your girlfriends husband" etc.

Now that would be a dangerous animal . . . Hammock - tent - or house . . .

Too Funny!

So wait, if my wife and I are invited to Dr. Phil, I should be suspicious.

[Rob3E]

I get paranoid about bears largely because I grew in an area that has no bear population, but now live in a state with significant populations of black bears to the east and west of me, but they are rare in my immediate vicinity. The idea of being attacked while in your tent/hammock is particularly disturbing, and dwelling on it can ruin a good night's sleep, but it does seem extremely rare. This thread prompted me to look for more data. It seems easier to find info on bear fatalities than bear attacks, so this is just a subset, but reading through the accounts it seems like:

• Most fatalities do not involve people being attacked while sleeping.
• When there is an instance of someone being dragged from a tent, it's more often in grizzly territor.
• There are almost as many instances of bears invading people's home/cabins/campers, so your choice of sleeping quarters may not be much of a factor.
• It looks like in the continental U.S. many (maybe even the majority?) of fatalities are from bears in captivity.

So my thinking is, sleep in what you want, but be more vigilant in grizzly territory and never sleep in the bear enclosure in a zoo.

[Rob3E]

Most of the bears that attack are habituated to humans and there gear. Too many people keep food in their tents still, I'd rather be either tarpless under the starts or with my tarp set above me almost flat, especially in a grizzly area. Still aka potentially "dead" so less interest and not a shape they have come to associate with food.

That is interesting. I found it odd that while black bears were looked at as more likely to be predatory attackers, it seemed like more instances of people being pulled from their tent involved grizzly bears. The last resort defense against a grizzly attack is supposed to be playing dead, so you'd think they wouldn't care for sleeping people. Perhaps the grizzly attacks on tents are because they can't see you, and they want to know what has invaded their territory.

All bets are off for me, though. I snore.

[Alamosa]

That is interesting. I found it odd that while black bears were looked at as more likely to be predatory attackers, it seemed like more instances of people being pulled from their tent involved grizzly bears. The last resort defense against a grizzly attack is supposed to be playing dead, so you'd think they wouldn't care for sleeping people. Perhaps the grizzly attacks on tents are because they can't see you, and they want to know what has invaded their territory.

All bets are off for me, though. I snore.

You only play dead if you surprise a grizzly and it attacks in defense. As soon as it no longer sees you as a threat to itself or cubs, it will leave. Playing dead speeds this process. You may need to play dead for quite awhile before it makes this determination and leaves, though.

Attacks by black bears or attacks by any bear in a tent are predatory. They intend to eat you. You should fight with any and all methods at your disposal. Playing dead in this situation will not help.

[NorseAmerican]

I thought bears just looked at hammocks as very large food sacks???? LOL!!!!

[NorseAmerican]

Actually, I am more afraid of getting stuck by a curious hog at night.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

I've been playing and even living outdoors almost all my life (I'm 58) and just have to say that unless you are really alert and observant you normally will never even see a bear in most areas. When you do, they want nothing to do with you at all. I have seen track while bow hunting and come upon steaming scat...never saw (or even heard) the bear. Locally that might have much to do with our high percentage of rednecks and the proximity of places like Sequoia Kings that like to give bad bears hugs instead of slugs. Bears are intelligent and will tend toward areas that allow them unmolested lives. They are certainly smart enough to move to Sequoia Kings from the Kern Plateau.

Camp in places where the flat landers have not ruined the wildlife with dumb camp habits. Follow food disipline yourself and in a hammock or a (shudder) tent you will have zero problems.

[Bear's Pinnata]

You only play dead if you surprise a grizzly and it attacks in defense. As soon as it no longer sees you as a threat to itself or cubs, it will leave. Playing dead speeds this process. You may need to play dead for quite awhile before it makes this determination and leaves, though.

Attacks by black bears or attacks by any bear in a tent are predatory. They intend to eat you. You should fight with any and all methods at your disposal. Playing dead in this situation will not help.

This seems like the best advise given in this thread so far. I am not experienced with bears (I had only sightings), but this matches the instructions I have been given on my trip to british columbia.

Edit: I add Law Dawg's post to the 'best advise' - he posted while I was typing.

[lymphocytosis]

I have a coworker who is senselessly terrified of bears. She doesn't even like little stuffed teddy bears. I'm more afraid of breaking an arm or something in the woods than getting attacked by a bear. Seems more likely.

I guess everyone needs to be scared of something. Personally: zombies.