Bear Kills 1, Injures 2 at Campground Near Yellowstone

[Netpackrat]

[rightisright]

^^ I thought it was a myth adult grizzlies can't climb trees ????

[Lokidude]

^^ I thought it was a myth adult grizzlies can't climb trees ????

Nah. They just knock em over and get you on the ground.

[Termite]

Why not set up a tripwire or motion sensors around the tent? Have them set off a light or flash and a buzzer to give everyone fair warning if the sudden light dont scare the bear off. And have it clearly marked to avoid other people setting it off.
That should give everyone some warning before the bear is on top of them.

Portable battery powered electric fence would give some warning. But if the bear doesn't run away, it will be major pissed off.

BTW, Buffalo Bore has come out with a heavy 30-30 load that would be good anti-black bear medicine, and probably do for grizzlies in a pinch, if all one has is a 30-30.
LINK

[Netpackrat]

^^ I thought it was a myth adult grizzlies can't climb trees ????

They can if there are enough stout branches, since their claws are otherwise too long to really get a climbing grip otherwise. In the case of trying to reach our platform, they'd have probably just tried going up the ladder since there were no branches lower than the platform (we removed them). Few shelters are ever going to be 100% bear proof, but making them have to climb to get to you gives you some options and buys time. They'd have to make noise and shake the platform in order to get up there, which would provide enough of a warning hopefully. There are other deterrent measures one could take (downward angled spikes, etc), but even I was never that bearanoid.

The idea was to slow them down enough so that by the time one could reach us, we could have a rifle on it. It's more likely that they'd have found the coolers away from camp where we kept our food and the salmon we'd caught, but it never happened. The lake there is usually full of salmon in the summer, but the campsite is on a point where there really isn't any reason for a bear to go, so good food discipline was more than sufficient to keep them away. (why go bother a bunch of noisy ass humans when it's easy to catch tons of salmon in the shallows at other parts of the lake?) I'd always meant to use the platform as a scaffold to build another one even higher up, but, it was getting fairly rotten and starting to kill the trees it was attached to, so I cut it down a year or two after the picture was taken. Haven't been back up there in years, so it was the right call.

[Erik]

Why not set up a tripwire or motion sensors around the tent? Have them set off a light or flash and a buzzer to give everyone fair warning if the sudden light dont scare the bear off. And have it clearly marked to avoid other people setting it off.
That should give everyone some warning before the bear is on top of them.

Portable battery powered electric fence would give some warning. But if the bear doesn't run away, it will be major pissed off.

I don't have any more experience with bears than what I've read and heard, but I got the impression that bear attacks in tents are seldom full charges, but more a case of the bear poking around to find something to eat, and more or less stumble on a person.
I figured that a sudden light or buzzer would surprise and stop them for a few seconds at least, long enough for the person sleeping to wake up and grab a gun if the bear hasn't run off.

Not sure I like the idea of an electric fence, I imagine it would probably be bulky to bring with you, and it would probably be just a matter of time before you walk into it yourself one dark night.

[Yogimus]

Simple bear solutions:

1. DOG
2. Wire/string w cans
3. Sharp sticks in ground
4. NOT camping in bear country

[Netpackrat]

Simple bear solutions:

1. DOG

Lots of times the dog will find a bear, and then come running back to you for rescue with bear in tow. Obviously not all dogs, but it happens.

2. Wire/string w cans

That could at least give you some warning assuming it is enough to wake you up, and that the bear doesn't just step over/under your string. Never seen anybody go to the trouble.

3. Sharp sticks in ground

Again, never seen anybody do that, and it would probably be more dangerous to the campers than it it worth. I'd be afraid of somebody getting up to take a leak in the middle of the night, and stumbling into one of the booby traps.

4. NOT camping in bear country

I guess I should just stay home and never go camping. That would include camping out in my backyard however, since even though I live in the middle of the city, Anchorage IS bear country.

[Netpackrat]

They're recommended in AF survival training, as is using cayenne, OC powder, pepper spray, CN, or CS powder; or any improvised irritants or repellents (diesel, ammonia, urine etc...).

I hate to break it to you, but bears aren't repelled by fuel. They've eaten two plastic gas jugs out at our cabin so far, because I forgot to lock them up in the shed (bears love to destroy plastic and fabric, especially ATV seats). And there are documented instances where people spread OC powder around to try to repel bears, and it just attracted them. The sprays may have some utility as a defensive tool if a bear is on top of you, but I'll take my .450 Marlin or a slug loaded 12 gauge any day over spray.

Edit to add: The AF survival trainers may know a lot about survival and evasion, but they don't appear to know shit about bears...

[Combat Controller]

On our property a bear opened up a tool shed recently and destroyed the plastic jerry cans for the rotor tiller and roto jari. We suspect the bear found a deer in a shed and since then has let himself into every other shed he encountered. Since there is absolutely nothing else in there but fuel and tools. Ripped the locked door right open.