Other than the benefit of the light the campfire would provide for purposes of seeing my gun sights, I wouldn't expect the benefit of bear deterence. At least not for the bears that are apt to maul and kill. But I have no knowledge or stories that relate to the bear deterence value of campfires. No armchair knowledge either.
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Bear spray vs Bullets
- Thread starter Wyodog
- Start date
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Other than the benefit of the light the campfire would provide for purposes of seeing my gun sights, I wouldn't expect the benefit of bear deterence. At least not for the bears that are apt to maul and kill. But I have no knowledge or stories that relate to the bear deterence value of campfires. No armchair knowledge either.
Life is full of choices; what we do with those choices is entirely up to an individual and must face the consequence(s) associated with the decision.
I'm just glad I have choices and as I stated in #2, I carry both.
gun)
Cheers!
I'm just glad I have choices and as I stated in #2, I carry both.
gun)Cheers!
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Bears have invaded tents during the night but I have never heard or read of a bear incident when a campfire was a blaze. I do remember once when my boys and I were having a BBQ in the back yard with a fire going in the fire ring. There had been a bold blackie (about 250 lbs) hanging around the yard and buildings for a couple of days and that particular day the bear was the most bold walking around in broad day light close to the house, main entry, with 3 dogs barking like crazy in a fenced in area in the yard. My teenage boys were visiting from IL and thought it was pretty cool. I thought the bear was overly bold and me and the boys were basically hostage in the house. So I got my 41 (this was before I started using spray) and when the bruin walked around the shed into the brush/treeline down toward the creek bottom, I followed it. I could not see it but could hear it moving around about maybe 30' away. I fired a shot over its head in an attempt to run it off, but it was not impressed. It continued to rummage around in the brush nearby. So that evening we started a fire to BBQ, and we were sitting around the fire after dark and could here the bear moving around in the brush about 20-30' away. I went inside and got the 41 and 12 gauge and we continued the BBQ without incident.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
I figured you probably knew him. Glad he got out of the woods OK.
Yeah, it would be nice if our bear encounters were at LR. But they are sneaky buggers eh...
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
I'm glad there are some places where the legal system has some common sense. I feel no obligation to help a dysfunctional system penalize me for surviving. For some reason that 3rd S can be the hardest.gun)
If I can help it-things won't rise to the level of allowing a bear leave tracks on me to establish legally it was a threat.
Our early seasons have me more afraid of fire than anything lurking in the night.
Makes since. The wilderness is where I will likely be.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
I spent a lot of time in bear country in CO and NM including back when CO admitted to having Grizzlies.
Keep anything that smells of food at least thirty yards from camp and off the ground in a bear bag when you are not in camp. Put it back up when you are done for the night and keep your dishes clean and garbage policed.
Don't return alone in the dark to pack out a kill as you may well find a hairy visitor already "helping" or show up to help while you're working and preoccupied.
Always have good situational awareness ESPECIALLY if you are alone and in the dark.
If bear wants your fish, let him have them and back away slowly and carefully.
Always remember that spring bears can be particularly aggressive due to hormones and empty bellies.
Never get between a sow and her cubs.
That'll eliminate 95% or so of situations where a bear encounter could go bad.
Philmont Scout Ranch has/had more bear problems than probably any place in either state and I made the Trek twice as a scout and worked two summers there as camp staff so all of the above were really drilled into my head young. One of the biggest problems there of course was that the bears had become quite accustomed to people, so too with the cougars.
Those rules worked well and considering the number of people through there every year the number of bad encounters was really small.
The scariest thing about bears to me is just the fact it's been so long since I spent much time around them and I'm not nearly as fast as I was back then!
I spent a lot of time in bear country in CO and NM including back when CO admitted to having Grizzlies.
Keep anything that smells of food at least thirty yards from camp and off the ground in a bear bag when you are not in camp. Put it back up when you are done for the night and keep your dishes clean and garbage policed.
Don't return alone in the dark to pack out a kill as you may well find a hairy visitor already "helping" or show up to help while you're working and preoccupied.
Always have good situational awareness ESPECIALLY if you are alone and in the dark.
If bear wants your fish, let him have them and back away slowly and carefully.
Always remember that spring bears can be particularly aggressive due to hormones and empty bellies.
Never get between a sow and her cubs.
That'll eliminate 95% or so of situations where a bear encounter could go bad.
Philmont Scout Ranch has/had more bear problems than probably any place in either state and I made the Trek twice as a scout and worked two summers there as camp staff so all of the above were really drilled into my head young. One of the biggest problems there of course was that the bears had become quite accustomed to people, so too with the cougars.
Those rules worked well and considering the number of people through there every year the number of bad encounters was really small.
The scariest thing about bears to me is just the fact it's been so long since I spent much time around them and I'm not nearly as fast as I was back then!
Good tips Wildrose. I'm in bear country a lot and follow all but 1 of the tips you list above. the one I don't and cant follow is "Don't return alone in the dark to pack out a kill as you may well find a hairy visitor already "helping" or show up to help while you're working and preoccupied." because unless I have a client with me I am alone in the wilderness, which is most of the time as I seldom guide in the wilderness. Wilderness trips are mostly for myself because I need a break from hunting with and worrying about someone else. I am not inexperienced with bears I just have never had to defend myself form one. I guess that mean 2 things....I'm doing something right and I've lucky so far.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Luck is usually the result of experience and planning. As long as you are aware of the higher risk in such a situation and keep your whits and situational awareness about you it's easy to be lucky.
I also understand the desire for solitude after a lot of guiding. When I was really busting my butt guiding down here I'd always reserve the last day of the season just for myself and my two oldest dogs. That way I never lost the love of the hunt. A season full of clients can really wear you down to the point it's just work and not fun anymore and a day alone can sure help you get your perspective back.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Well I finally "know" someone who has been attacked by a bear. I was having a couple of beers in town with some friends last night and a friend of one of my friends walked up to say hello. My friend who was having a beer with me, asked me if I ever knew anyone who had been in a fight with a bear... I said "no"... he said "now you do."
It was back in 2010. The guy was bow hunting in the Gravely Range (West of Yellowstone). He and his buddy had split up earlier and he was basically hunting by himself. Same ole story... he unknowingly wandered into the bears no go zone and it came after him. He had neither a gun or spray and swatted the bear with his bow. He said it was like hitting the ground with his bow. So the bear had its way with him for a little while and he played dead cause there was nothing else to do. He rolled up in the fetal position with hands protecting his head. He said if it hadn't been for his backpack, he would probably be dead. The bear picked him up by the pack and shook him and tore the pack in half. He took off his ball cap and showed me a scar that went from front of his scalp to the back on the left side.
Never asked him what he uses for protection now... didn't seem important at the time.
It was back in 2010. The guy was bow hunting in the Gravely Range (West of Yellowstone). He and his buddy had split up earlier and he was basically hunting by himself. Same ole story... he unknowingly wandered into the bears no go zone and it came after him. He had neither a gun or spray and swatted the bear with his bow. He said it was like hitting the ground with his bow. So the bear had its way with him for a little while and he played dead cause there was nothing else to do. He rolled up in the fetal position with hands protecting his head. He said if it hadn't been for his backpack, he would probably be dead. The bear picked him up by the pack and shook him and tore the pack in half. He took off his ball cap and showed me a scar that went from front of his scalp to the back on the left side.
Never asked him what he uses for protection now... didn't seem important at the time.
Black or grizzly? Does he still hunt with a bow, or at all? He may have decided that the bars are a safer place to hang out!
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Black or grizzly? Does he still hunt with a bow, or at all? He may have decided that the bars are a safer place to hang out!
It was a griz. They used to take YNP trouble bears and relocate them in the Gravely's. Not sure if that was one of those trouble bears... probably not. Just a bear that got agitated by someone getting too close.
Didn't ask him if he still hunts but I'm sure he does. He didn't seem too affected by it.
Not so sure bars are a safer place... I've seen some 2 legged critters that should have been sprayed at times
rooster740
Well-Known Member
Not so sure bars are a safer place... I've seen some 2 legged critters that should have been sprayed at times
Sprayed or spayed?
It appears that something fuzy got interrupted in a coverup action by a wolf hunter!
