Questions tagged [bears]
Questions about bears
100
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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 (...
- 3,041
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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 ...
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5
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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 ...
- 19k
29
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6
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Do bear-safe rules still apply in the winter?
I understand, and practice, bear-safe rules like hanging (or canister-ing) during summer months, but what about in the winter when bears are (theoretically) hibernating, and the shorter / colder days ...
- 19k
26
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5
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Will Black Bears actually follow you up a tree
I always see it pointed out, when discussing how to handle/avoid bear encounters, that black bears can climb trees. Granted, but does that matter? Has there ever been a case of a black bear pursuing ...
- 32.1k
25
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6
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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,...
- 2,678
24
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4
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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 ...
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What do I do if a black bear is right outside my tent?
Even if I was to follow the advice of letting bears know I am in the area, keeping my cooking and anything that smells at least 100m from my camp & downwind, etc, suppose a bear finds my tent and ...
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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 ...
- 31.7k
22
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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?
- 3,041
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6
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How to store a backpack while sleeping?
During a recent backpacking trip, we hung the bear bag and got ready to set in for the night and I realized I wasn't sure what I should do with my backpack. Technically the backpack was carrying the ...
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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....
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4
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2k
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Bear bags vs Bear canisters: which is better?
Most people I know and myself store food in bear bags. However, I have heard that some parks have banned bear bags and require canisters. I've also heard there is a bear in New York that has figured ...
- 10.7k
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5
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How can I tell which way is "down wind"
I'll be backpacking in areas where a bear canister is required by regulation. All of the tip's I've read say to store it XYZ number of feet "downwind from your camp", presumably so the scent of the ...
- 377
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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 ...
- 27.2k
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3
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Black bears and torch lights
I am hiking in black bear country (no other kinds of bears there). It's dark, I have a whistle hanging around my neck to scare away such a potential bear and I'm using my torch light to be able to see ...
- 1,722
18
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3
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What are the critical dimensions to a safe bear-bag?
Many outdoor areas that have bears have bear bag-lines setup for hikers.
In situations where the bear-bag line is not there or it is full, what dimensions should I keep in mind to protect my goodies ...
- 722
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3
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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 ...
- 3,725
16
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2
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Do kevlar sacks work against bears?
We ran into a hiker on the AT last year using a kevlar back to keep out bears and rodents. He said the product was an Ursack and seemed very happy with it. However he'd never had a bear try to get ...
- 32.1k
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How effective are portable electric fences?
I am worried about bears and wolves when camping so I'm looking at portable electric fences.
Are they effective and more importantly just how dangerous are they?
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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 ...
- 1,691
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2
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2k
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Running in bear country
I am an avid runner. I will be visiting British Columbia for the first time, soon. My trip will include a few weeks in the Rocky Mountains (Glacier, Banff, Yoho) and north of the Sushwap Lake. At ...
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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, ...
- 53.5k
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1
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How far away should I hang my food with dry bag?
I intend to use a dry bag as a bear-bag to store my food while camping and I was going to hang it. I had read in another post that a dry bag would not limit the bear's sense of smell as a bear bag ...
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Does having sex in the back-country attract bears or other critters?
As stated in the title: is there any evidence that the hormones etc that the body produces during intercourse increases one's likelihood of encountering a bear in the back-country?
- 19k
12
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2
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19k
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Can Grizzlies climb trees?
I continue year of the bear with more trees.
Can grizzly bears climb trees?
- 32.1k
12
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1
answer
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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 ...
- 19k
12
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1
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528
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What are the best methods for hanging food in a tree?
My friends and I are planning our first backpacking trip and the date is less than a month away. We just have a couple of loose ends to finish up on.
We were wondering what the best method to tie ...
- 929
12
votes
1
answer
808
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How frequent are polar bears inland in the Mealy Mountains and English Mountains in Labrador?
I am considering a trek in August/September in the Mealy Mountains and English Mountains in Labrador (Canada's newest National Park; for info see 1, 2, 3). However, I am worried by the prospect of ...
- 27.2k
11
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3
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Proper food storage against black bears on a LONG (e.g., 14 days) trip, partly in black bear country? (enough bear canisters not practical)
This question is prompted by the replies to Questions about specifics of black bear encounter with mother and yearling cub. That question was about an encounter over 30 years ago, before the era of ...
- 23.9k
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1
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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 ...
- 53.5k
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1
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Can bears smell empty beer bottles?
Sometimes I camp with people who pass out drinking beer and don't bother to clean up their trash before they go to bed. Since we are in black bear country, I was wondering if empty beer bottles can ...
- 4,053
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US vs central European bear advice
I was just reading through a couple of posts here on outdoors.SE and saw some advice which was a lot more strict than I am used to. For example, in the country where I hike (central europe, brown ...
- 345
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How would I make a bear-proof pannier?
I'm impressed with the idea of the Ursack, but would like to use the same material to construct a pannier. Does anyone have any good considerations about the weaknesses I might encounter in a design ...
- 309
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3
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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 ...
- 235
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7
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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 ...
- 484
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Do I need to hang a bear cache?
I am considering to get Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache. According to MEC user reviews, this is the only cache approved in the Adirondack Mountains. Canadian parks, and other places as well, ...
- 27.2k
10
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3
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How can the attitude that one is a guest in black bear country prevent hassles with bears?
A traveller to a country with different customs is well advised to read up on the customs of the people of that country, and to learn how the residents expect polite people to behave. Everywhere, ...
- 23.9k
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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 ...
- 69.3k
10
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1
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1k
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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 ...
- 2,997
10
votes
2
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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 ...
user9296
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What are the proper precautions/protocols for storing food while car camping in an area with bears?
Anyone with experience in bear-populated areas, what's the best way to store food when your on the move with a car? Are some foods better than others? Wondering specifically about black bears in ...
user9005
10
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1
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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 ...
- 3,076
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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 ...
- 27.2k
9
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2
answers
548
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What to do when a black bear got a hold of an open bear can?
When an adult black bear without cubs in sight got a hold of an open bear-can, is it advisable to try to scare him/her away (with noise, or by approaching him/her as a group?)
I am asking both for ...
- 1,684
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2k
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Can bears smell food inside dry sacks?
I like to do long hikes in black bear country. I don't really go on multiday trekking trips, just day trips but often need to bring food along. I know that backpackers often keep their food in bear ...
- 4,053
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2
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7k
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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 ...
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What precautions should I take when cooking smelly food in an area with bears?
I'm planning an overnight hiking trip and want to try cooking fish. We will be camping at an established backcountry site on the trail, which has a spot for a tent near a fire ring.
However, this is ...
- 1,146
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1
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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 ...
- 27.2k
8
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1
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How to retrieve a bear bag when hung with Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) method
This site has a good explanation for how to hang a bag PCT style. This may seem obvious but, once the bag is suspended with this method, how do you get it down?
Short description of the PCT method
...
- 32.1k