Questions tagged [bears]
Questions about bears
98
questions
1
vote
1
answer
107
views
How can I dissuade bears from visiting my garden at night?
I live in the country with a large yard that goes into the woods a decent way away from my house. I have two indoor-outdoor cats, and also regularly set up bird feeders. Recently, I've been having a ...
- 548
13
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Encountering a bear in water?
I found myself in a situation the other day that I've never been in before. I was paddling along in my canoe with my wife and kids, when suddenly a young black bear came scrambling down the slope, ...
6
votes
3
answers
281
views
Desolation Wilderness - Store backpack in tent overnight?
We are going backpacking in Desolation Wilderness for the first time. It's black bear country. We will be using bear canisters to store all food and other scented items away from our tent, and make ...
- 4,097
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
Is it feasible that a black bear could kill a man with a single swat?
A recent post said:
a black bear can kill a man (or a dog) with a single swat of its paw.
I suppose anything is possible. But is it realistic? Has it ever happened?
Googling 'man killed by ...
- 1
4
votes
4
answers
565
views
Claw marks: Bear or cougar?
A friend of mine took the following picture of the tree with claw marks on it, in the pacific northwest Washington while on a hike. Both cougars and black bears are known to be in the area. Is this ...
14
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why do predators seem as abundant as prey in trail camera footage?
From basic thermodynamic principles, I would normally expect prey species to be much more abundant than predators. Applying that to North American species like deer, wolves and bears, I would expect ...
- 712
4
votes
4
answers
465
views
Why be passive while attacked by a brown bear?
Recently I walked through Dolomites in Italy, and there was a warning sign that this is bear-encounter area. There were tips on what to do in general. But one of tips was "if bear approaches you ...
- 243
6
votes
2
answers
211
views
Overnight cooking in active bear area
I have sometimes heard people suggest cooking long meals overnight while camping. For example, the book "Gastronomie en plein air" written by Odile Dumais, talks about cooking pea soup or ...
- 211
3
votes
1
answer
280
views
Do predators understand human footprints?
I am guessing that because bears have extremely sensitive smell, even if a bear understood footprints, they would not find this nearly as reliable as following their scent. But could it actually be ...
- 9,030
0
votes
1
answer
167
views
Are predators attracted by fire?
While I know that bears and wolves can be scared off by, say, a burning stick, wouldn't they also know that a fire indicates there are humans who either have food or might be eaten themselves?
- 9,030
0
votes
1
answer
509
views
How high need a concrete wall to be so bears can't climb it
This question is a bit similar with how high does a fence need to be to prevent European brown bear to climb it? question but not exactly (that one specifies a fence, and needs to provide vision and ...
CommunityBot
- 1
22
votes
4
answers
69k
views
Can I shoot a bear in self-defense?
Can I shoot a bear in self-defense? Will I face fines and jail time if I do?
- 24.7k
10
votes
7
answers
1k
views
how high does a fence need to be to prevent European brown bear to climb it?
An entrepreneur is planning a campsite-hotel in Romania, with a full outdoor gourmet restaurant attached, with an outdoor kitchen. There will be no cabins or other living structures, only tents and ...
- 12.6k
10
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Which gun should I use on the trail to protect myself against bears? [closed]
Choosing a trail gun is proving challenging.
What handgun calibres are powerful enough to provide some protection against aggressive bears?
I want something manageable enough for a smaller framed ...
- 22.8k
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is it safe to cook food during a hike (on trail) when bears are possibly around?
I'm going to the Rockies (trails in Jasper and Banff). Would it be safe for me to cook food while on the trail? Won't bears be attracted towards the smell of the food?
- 5
10
votes
1
answer
971
views
Are bears attracted to factory sealed food?
I was recently backpacking in a relatively remote area in Washington where black bears are known to be present. For this trip we've only packed single use dry food bags in their original packaging and ...
- 4,655
32
votes
6
answers
5k
views
What precautions should I take to protect myself and my camp from bears?
Most of my prior hiking experience has been in areas that are not home to bears, so what precautions should I take to protect my camp (and myself as I am hiking) from bears.
I am aware of a couple of ...
- 1
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How effective is wasp spray on bears?
I've been hearing that a lot of people are recommending wasp spray as a bear repellant. Proponents argue it has a longer range, and is more accurate to aim.
How effective is wasp spray as a bear ...
- 1
4
votes
2
answers
240
views
Is a bear canister needed for day hikes?
Is a bear canister or other anti-animal food protection method needed for (long) day hikes in bear country?
For example, is it unsafe to go on a 20-mile hike/trail run in Yosemite with a sandwich in ...
CommunityBot
- 1
35
votes
3
answers
4k
views
If I cross paths with a bear, what should I do?
If I'm out hiking, and I come around a corner and stumble upon a bear, what's the best course of action to take to minimize the chance the bear will act aggressively?
Do different types of bear (...
- 22.8k
-1
votes
1
answer
134
views
If you were confronted a by a bear and had no defense would offering it food perhaps work? [duplicate]
It seems like this gesture is well understood by a dog or cat and perhaps the combination of distracting the bear plus the indication that you mean no harm would work? Maybe a bear would even reason ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
5
answers
1k
views
How frequent are encounters with bears/mountain lions/etc?
I'm wondering how common it is to see or encounter large carnivores like bears and mountain lions in the lower 48 when hiking in the United States (okay, bears are tehnically omnivores, but you get ...
- 137
24
votes
4
answers
5k
views
How safe is sleeping in bear country?
We have recently hiked in Slovakian mountains where bears live. I’m not too concerned about the bears during the day, as we make enough noise to avoid an encounter. But I am not sure about sleeping ...
9
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Could smoking pipe tobacco or a cigar attract bears and/or other wildlife?
Bears and other wildlife are attracted to unusual scents, especially anything that could potentially be mistaken as food, such as often-sweet-smelling, aromatic pipe tobacco or cigars. However, you're ...
10
votes
3
answers
22k
views
How do you get bear spray off skin and or gear?
Let's say that you are out backpacking and a bear spray canister accidentally goes off and gets on your skin or in your eyes or onto your clothing?
It can't be a pleasant experience as it is meant to ...
- 19
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Do Glacier National Park (USA) backcountry camps have bear poles / bear canisters?
In Glacier National Park (USA), there are 63 backcountry campgrounds. I looked at the backcountry campground website including the map and campsite information. Are there bear poles/boxes at ...
- 171
9
votes
1
answer
295
views
How serious is bear safety in the sub-polar Ural / Komi Republic / Yugyd Va?
In Norway, Sweden, and Finland, there are resident bears, but they rarely go near people, nobody practices the kind of bear safety that is necessary in parts of North America, and this does not lead ...
CommunityBot
- 1
9
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Can I get away with less advanced food storing methods if backpacking in areas where meeting bears is unlikely?
A page like this one, as well as a number of questions on this site, discuss how to pack food safely from bears.
What about other animals?
This post advises a pretty sophisticated way to protect ...
2
votes
1
answer
153
views
Black Bear Deterrents
Does anyone know of passive, enduring ways to deter Black Bears from entering an area?
Hopefully an ecologically friendly way. The area is a homestead in forest with livestock and an extensive garden ...
- 22.8k
23
votes
4
answers
11k
views
Are bears attracted by Lotions and Perfumes?
Bears are mostly attracted by smell of food. That is why we are supposed to keep the food items in airtight and sealed packs or preferably finish up all the food (cooking and consuming) far away from ...
- 1
7
votes
3
answers
10k
views
What to do if woke up in a tent hearing a bear/boar or something else close by?
What should I do if I am in a tent, have been sleeping, and was woken up by the sounds of some large animal quite close to the tent? Just hearing some branches broken by presumably something large.
...
- 1
19
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Bear spray vs. rifles against polar bears?
In Svalbard, the arctic archipelago administrated by Norway, anyone leaving Longyearbyen is required to carry a rifle for their own safey. For grizzly bears, Wikivoyage recommends that Bear repellent ...
- 69.1k
4
votes
1
answer
341
views
What animal would chew up trees in West Georgia?
I live in the West Georgia area. We now have several trees chewed up beginning 5 feet off the ground and all the way around the tree, some to the very top. I found a birch that had a 4 foot section ...
CommunityBot
- 1
12
votes
1
answer
543
views
Are bears more attracted to menstruating females?
People have speculated that women hiking in bear country during their menstrual cycle might increase their chances of a bear encounter. Is this true? What can be done to minimize risk?
Related ...
32
votes
5
answers
49k
views
Does hiking with a dog in bear country increase or decrease your risk of a bear encounter?
I've heard various rumors that dogs might help keep bears away, or might be a bear attractant. Is there anything more concrete than anecdotal evidence to go on?
From the companionship end, they are a ...
CommunityBot
- 1
10
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Hunting bears with a knife?
Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne (1876) describes how Siberian hunters used to hunt bears with nothing but a knife. This was ideally done with a single lethal blow, to damage the fur as little as ...
25
votes
6
answers
41k
views
Will a tent provide some protection from bears?
When camping in a bear country, will a tent provide an additional protection from bears, as opposed to just sleeping outside or in a hammock? Provided I take the usual precautions of keeping any food,...
- 1
4
votes
1
answer
227
views
Did a bear knock all my bird feeders down?
We live in a suburban town in Massachusetts, Northeast United States.
We keep a lot of bird feeders stocked all year with things birds and animals like, excluding meat and fruit.
Yesterday, ...
CommunityBot
- 1
5
votes
2
answers
394
views
Is it likely that decimation of its suburban forest habitat would cause a black bear to wander into a busy city if it wouldn't otherwise go there?
I live in the suburban town of Holden, in Central Massachusetts. Many hundreds of acres of mature woodland areas are being torn down nearby to create new roads and housing developments, and it's ...
17
votes
3
answers
15k
views
Is bear spray effective against other animals?
Is bear spray (pepper spray specially formulated to be effective against bear attacks) effective against other animals, especially mountain lions or wolves? Or is there something in it specifically ...
- 1,923
6
votes
3
answers
28k
views
How effective are pen launcher bear bangers compared to bearspray?
So pen launcher bear bangers have apparently been around for quite a while, the training video for Truflare looks like something from out of the 90's, but they don't appear to be very popular, and I ...
- 1
2
votes
3
answers
488
views
How to deal with changing clothing which was used while cooking as not to attract a bears?
It is said you not only need to keep food at least 30-100 meters away from the tent, which is easy do to, but you also can't sleep in the same clothing which was worn while eating, which can be very ...
- 22.8k
3
votes
0
answers
812
views
What species of bear are most and least dangerous to humans?
Excluding hybrids it seems like there are eight species of bears.
Which are most and least likely to injure or kill a human?
Related Do black, brown/grizzly or polar bears ever prey on humans?
...
- 30.2k
5
votes
1
answer
189
views
Artificial reintroduction of wild animals: how frequently does it happen, and what is the purpose?
One of the most debated issues concerning wilderness, in Italy, is the reintroduction (or bizarrely large increase in the population) of animals almost extinguished till recently.
While in most ...
- 69.1k
1
vote
1
answer
163
views
Is there any evidence that black bears (or other large predators) are indifferent to, or acutally repulsed by, the scent of humans?
I am hoping for more than anecdotal evidence about the negative effects on black bears of the human scent -- ranging from meh to Yecch.
This question is prompted by two anecdotes I have to offer: (...
- 69.1k
21
votes
3
answers
19k
views
Should I be worried about bears when sleeping in a hammock?
I'm going on a multi day backpacking trip and I am planning on taking only a backpacking hammock instead of a tent. When I mentioned this to a friend of mine he jokingly referred to me as a bear taco....
- 1
10
votes
1
answer
277
views
Are there significant behaviour differences among bear species to adopt different safety rules?
Living in the north-east part of America, my chances of encountering a grizzly bear are very low. I have greater chances of meeting a black bear. If I got the chance of meeting a grizzly, should I ...
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Do black, brown/grizzly or polar bears ever prey on humans?
Do bears, as opposed to defending cubs, being startled by humans, or trying to get into food, ever decide to prey on humans?
As in stalk, kill and then eat them?
CommunityBot
- 1
12
votes
2
answers
18k
views
Can Grizzlies climb trees?
I continue year of the bear with more trees.
Can grizzly bears climb trees?
- 69.1k
2
votes
1
answer
6k
views
What is the minimum caliber of handgun that would stop a grizzly bear? [closed]
I am an animal lover and would only shoot at a bear as an absolute last resort
Assume I have done everything possible to avoid contact with a bear, and after encountering one have followed the best ...
- 69.1k