camping- bears n snags

[kyleds8]

hey all,

just got back from a few days in the mountains, prompted some questions. One night, lying in my tent, I thought of the huge wet bear scat I'd seen 100 yards from my tent, and questioned my lifelong practice of eating and storing food in the tent. I live in central ID, so no grizz, what do y'all think about food in the tent and black bears?

another night, as the wind roared and I heard trees coming down all over the forest I wondered, am I the only fool who sleeps under trees (live)? I've seen lots of seemingly healthy trees come down, but on the other hand it's even colder and windier in the open, thoughts?

many thanks,

Kyle

 

[Nickofthewoods]

It probably isn't the best idea to eat and store food in tent, even if they are "just" black bears.

I avoid setting up camp in forests of standing dead such as beetle kill. Anything can happen i suppose but camping under healthy living trees doesn't bother me much.

 

[Theringworm]

If in black bear and /or grizzl/brown bear county never ever any food in the tent. That goes for anything scented to be honest (toothpaste, chapstick, sunscreen, drink mix packs, cooking utensils etc). The 3 min hassle of gathering it up and throwing it in a tree is worth it.

I always survey the surrounding trees prior to pitching a tent. I avoid beetle kill or dead trees or live trees that have grown out at a severe angel.

I need to get in a better habit of doing this while hunting/glassing. I was sitting in one spot this past archery elk season. The wind shifted and I needed to move to a new spot to prevent my scent from blowing my presence. I moved about 50 yds East. No joke, 5 minutes later I hear a huge crackling sound in the direction I was prior and look just in time to see a dead aspen snapping a 1/3 of the way up and come crashing down right where I was. Outcome would have not been good if I hadn’t moved.

We can’t prevent all natural disasters/inevitables but we can avoid many of them.

 

[def90]

No food in the tent ever.. bears aren’t the only ones tnat will go after food smell in a tent. It would be a bummer to come back to camp only to find that racoons or squirrels chewed through your tent and ransacked your sleeping gear and food.

 

[Northpark]

Absolutely no food in the tent. If it’s nasty weather I might eat in the tent but I even try to avoid that due to residual scent. Like said above bears aren’t the only critter that will try to come in.

As for trees good live green trees are fairly safe. I avoid aspen because even the green ones have a habit of snapping off.

 

[Squamch]

I eat and cook under my tarp, which is tied between trees. Bears are well enough fed around here that they won't mess with a camp. My whole life camping and hunting, we once had a pack of coons ransack camp, but that was it.

 

[kyleds8]

If in black bear and /or grizzl/brown bear county never ever any food in the tent. That goes for anything scented to be honest (toothpaste, chapstick, sunscreen, drink mix packs, cooking utensils etc). The 3 min hassle of gathering it up and throwing it in a tree is worth it.

I always survey the surrounding trees prior to pitching a tent. I avoid beetle kill or dead trees or live trees that have grown out at a severe angel.

I need to get in a better habit of doing this while hunting/glassing. I was sitting in one spot this past archery elk season. The wind shifted and I needed to move to a new spot to prevent my scent from blowing my presence. I moved about 50 yds East. No joke, 5 minutes later I hear a huge crackling sound in the direction I was prior and look just in time to see a dead aspen snapping a 1/3 of the way up and come crashing down right where I was. Outcome would have not been good if I hadn’t moved.

We can’t prevent all natural disasters/inevitables but we can avoid many of them.

good thing I don't brush my teeth! sounds like one of those moments where you suddenly realize, damn, being solo in the middle of the wilderness might be a little dangerous... a good reminder once in a while.
is the rational for hanging just to make it more difficult for the bear? I figure bear will get it if he's determined on the ground or in a tree.

 

[Theringworm]

Just like anything else, the more effort involved/required to steal something the less likely it will be that it gets stolen.
Does locking your car doors really stop someone from breaking into your car. Not necessarily but it does require a little more effort than just opening an unlocked door.

 

[Moserkr]

Ive broken every bear rule in the book when it comes to black bears. I follow them all in griz country though. At the same time, you never know when a dominant boar will assert dominance and attack at night in a predatory way. Or if an injured or staving bear who is desperate to survive, will risk it all to get a meal out of you. I sleep pretty sound solo where i hunt but bears are very scared of people there due to hunting, and they are on my menu.

As for trees I follow the common sense many posted above. But i also witnessed 60’ healthy aspens get body slammed To the ground by high winds, just yards from where i shot an elk this year. Thunderstorm didnt just fell them like with a chainsaw. It hurled them to the ground faster than you could dodge em. As the cell passed, we paused tracking my elk and stared up at the tree tops, hoping that we would be able to get out of the way. Luckily of the dozen trees that fell within 20 yards of me, all fell away from and not next to me.

 

[All American Boy]

I've had mice chew a hole in my pack to get a loose peanut years ago on the AT. They are more bothersome than the black bears. So all food goes up the tree.

 

[kyleds8]

No food in the tent ever.. bears aren’t the only ones tnat will go after food smell in a tent. It would be a bummer to come back to camp only to find that racoons or squirrels chewed through your tent and ransacked your sleeping gear and food.

true,

Ive broken every bear rule in the book when it comes to black bears. I follow them all in griz country though. At the same time, you never know when a dominant boar will assert dominance and attack at night in a predatory way. Or if an injured or staving bear who is desperate to survive, will risk it all to get a meal out of you. I sleep pretty sound solo where i hunt but bears are very scared of people there due to hunting, and they are on my menu.

As for trees I follow the common sense many posted above. But i also witnessed 60’ healthy aspens get body slammed To the ground by high winds, just yards from where i shot an elk this year. Thunderstorm didnt just fell them like with a chainsaw. It hurled them to the ground faster than you could dodge em. As the cell passed, we paused tracking my elk and stared up at the tree tops, hoping that we would be able to get out of the way. Luckily of the dozen trees that fell within 20 yards of me, all fell away from and not next to me.

I think about that sometimes, imagining a bear stalking my scent in the tent in a predatory way, but I’ve always convinced myself they wouldn’t understand the tent and that would dissuade them from blindly attacking an unfamiliar object that smells like human, what do you think?

 

[FLAK]

After Hurricane Sally blew through down here I was amazed at the numbers of live trees broken 1/3 of the way down that had then stuck in the ground up to a foot or more. I kept saying, glad I wasnt standing there.

 

[Theringworm]

true,

I think about that sometimes, imagining a bear stalking my scent in the tent in a predatory way, but I’ve always convinced myself they wouldn’t understand the tent and that would dissuade them from blindly attacking an unfamiliar object that smells like human, what do you think?

But what if you wear all of that “Scent-Lok” clothing and bathe in that unscented body wash and lathered up with that “Dead Down Wind” anti-perspirant? Ain’t no way any bear is gonna smell ya. All they will smell Is everything else that’s scented in your tent, so not a fail proof well thought out plan

 

[kyleds8]

Just like anything else, the more effort involved/required to steal something the less likely it will be that it gets stolen.
Does locking your car doors really stop someone from breaking into your car. Not necessarily but it does require a little more effort than just opening an unlocked door.

do you carry rope specifically for this? are you just trying to get it as high as possible?

 

[Theringworm]

Yes, 30-50ft of paracord depending on the location/tree height I will be surrounded by.

 

[def90]

true,

I think about that sometimes, imagining a bear stalking my scent in the tent in a predatory way, but I’ve always convinced myself they wouldn’t understand the tent and that would dissuade them from blindly attacking an unfamiliar object that smells like human, what do you think?

A bear bit a campers head through the side of their tent a few years ago in Boulder. Bears don’t give a shit about tents, if tney think there is something in there they want they will get it.

 

[kyleds8]

A bear bit a campers head through the side of their tent a few years ago in Boulder. Bears don’t give a shit about tents, if tney think there is something in there they want they will get it.

you hear that stuff, but it's weird, every bear I've ever seen (black) has been scared shitless of me.

 

[kid44]

We camped last year in RMNP, as soon as we go camp set up a ranger came over and gave us the
"bear speech". We were told to take absolutely nothin into the tent that is food related, no snacks, no toothpaste, no deodorant, no water, basically nothing that would attract a bear. Ranger said to keep
everything in a bear box if the campsite has one, or a locked car with everything covered up.

 

[kyleds8]

We camped last year in RMNP, as soon as we go camp set up a ranger came over and gave us the
"bear speech". We were told to take absolutely nothin into the tent that is food related, no snacks, no toothpaste, no deodorant, no water, basically nothing that would attract a bear. Ranger said to keep
everything in a bear box if the campsite has one, or a locked car with everything covered up.

lol yes, I've had some bears in camp in RMNP, but it's pretty much the denver zoo, and my impression is they don't get hunted much there.