The Bears,

[Gnome]

To all of *you planning to head west to Spokane,Washington this July.
If you are heading to Spokane and have to go through Montana,and Wyoming,Canada,etc, (Wooded parts of the Northwest) BEWARE.
If you plan on camping in the state parks in these areas.
DO CHECK WITH PARK RANGERS FIRST!!!
DO NOT HAVE FOOD ON YOUR SITE!!!
There are Bears in them there woods that will eat you like a Frito chip! These Bears aren't you're cuddly hugable tedy bears,they are wild animals who can and will feed on human flesh.

So be careful have fun,ride safe ,and see you at the rally.

*This does not apply to the Harley Davidson riders as the Bears will keep a distance from those arm pits.;)

[Unregistered]

Would these be the same bears that Tim Treadwell said were "just big party animals" on Letterman one time?

[kbasa]

You really don't want to keep things like toothpaste and other highly scented items in your tent. Many western campgrounds will have a "bear box" at the campsite. Keep food and toiletries on these boxes. Bears have been known to rip open cars to get to food inside, so don't be misled into keeping your items in your saddlebag.

Bears are big, smart and hungry and will find a way to get to the things their terrific nose smells.

Not sure on the party animal thang and whether they'll take your flask out of your tankbag.

:D

[Gnome]

If the beast goes for my Maker's Mark there will be Bear Wrestling at Jellystone!...wait a minute those damn Bears are Huge!
Ok, I'll share the bottle with Yogi,but not with Boo Boo.

[Rob Nye]

In YB speak a certain type of rider is known as a circus bear.

Fun to watch but don't get close. :yow

- Rob Nye

[timsh]

The grizzly bears out west are wild and ferocious! They will attack at any chance they get! They will sneak into your camp at night and you will never hear them coming. They will tear apart your camp looking for food. If you store your food in on your bike, they will destroy it! The tent won't stop them. The ranger won't stop them. Our Government is turning them loose all over in the Northwest. BE CAREFUL! BE AWARE! A favorite hideout for the "grizz" is Glacier National Park. They will EAT you!:yum

[kbasa]

Originally posted by Rob Nye
In YB speak a certain type of rider is known as a circus bear.

Fun to watch but don't get close. :yow

- Rob Nye

"Fun to watch, but potentially deadly."

You heard it here first....

dave

[YB in IN]

Also wipe your seat down before you turn in. The bears can smell the sweat on it. I have a buddy who was at a campground where the director said that a motorcyclist had his seat torn apart by a bear. The director had started giving towels to bikes coming in just to wipe down seats.

[Montana]

You all don't think you're blowing this out of proportion? If this topic is meant in jest, you're probably scaring some folks.

Griz are indigenous, not "turned loose." One may be relocated, like when one bothers a horse in the pasture of a residence with the nearest neighbor 2 miles away, that's not really suburbia. Lots of people living "near Griz" have never even seen one. For the most part, griz don't frequent populated areas, they hang in the backcountry and the brush, where they have an instant buffet. If griz is known to be frequenting an area it will be closed and marked.

I've nearly hit one on more than one occasion when it/they were browsing next to or crossing the road; usually this is in the woods up a gravel road 30 miles from town or along the border of Glacier National Park. There is one section of Hwy 2 that runs along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River that is closed to stopping because the griz feed on the corn spilled near the railroad tracks, which ferments, so they get drunk. Just not the place to stop and picnic, look at the river below, etc.

If bears are known to frequent a campground it will be designated "hard sided camping only." Food boxes and warnings will be obvious.

Black bears can be a nuisance and can do property damage.

It's not Disneyland, the animals are real. That's all there is to it.

[Gnome]

darn I was just trying to scare some rider babes into my tent,oh well. :brow
There goes that plan...

[Rad]

Originally posted by Montana
You all don't think you're blowing this out of proportion..........

What he said.:thumb

I’m no bear expert, but a I did a lot of research on the subject of bear attacks prior to a ride to Glacier National Park where I planned to hike alone in the wilderness. This was three weeks after a guy was killed an eaten in the park by a Female Grizzle and her cubs

It is just like motorcycling, be smart, be informed.

Don't approach them or feed them and do a little research about food storage and what to do incase of an encounter. Yur actions may need to be very different in regards to a Brown Bear as opposed to a Black Bear in the very very rare chance of an attack. It also may need to be different in regards to an encounter during the day as opposed to an encounter at night.

Best advice I received prior to that trip; “If yur scared of bears, stay outta da forest”

BTW I had seen Black Bears many many times prior to the trip. I had never seen a Grizzly. I saw one on the trip……Wow, Brown Bears (Grizzlys) are huge.:eek

[timsh]

TROLLING FOR GRIZZ

A favorite pass time for those living in the Northwest is "trolling for grizz". This is a way for your passenger to get some good pictures of a charging bear. The idea works on the same principle of fishing with a bright colored lure.

Some bears are attracted by slow moving bright colors. They prefer to chase the combination colors of Areostich yellow/gray.
Travel along a road at about 20 MPH. Grizz can charge at about 30 MPH. When the grizz see the bright colors go by, it will entice him to charge thinking he has an easy morsel. You will know when you need to speed up when your passanger who is taking pictures begins to scream and frantically hit you!

[kbasa]

tell us the whole story here, tim.

:yow

[lorazepam]

I want to see the Pictures, please.

[timsh]

A picture of baby Grizz?

[jgr451]

Originally posted by tim
The grizzly bears out west are wild and ferocious! They will attack at any chance they get! They will sneak into your camp at night and you will never hear them coming. They will tear apart your camp looking for food. If you store your food in on your bike, they will destroy it! The tent won't stop them. The ranger won't stop them. Our Government is turning them loose all over in the Northwest. BE CAREFUL! BE AWARE! A favorite hideout for the "grizz" is Glacier National Park. They will EAT you!:yum


Yeah what HE said.And,the Canadian Grizz are WORSE,if ya can believe that!!!The blacks are almost but not quite so bad,only because they are a little smaller than the grizzz.They do love Americans though,something about not eating enough back bacon and poutine as a youngster growing up,gives the Americans a really bear-attractive smell.

Or something..
Gotta watchem,that's for sure.....:nra :drink

[jgr451]

Originally posted by YB in IN
Also wipe your seat down before you turn in. The bears can smell the sweat on it. I have a buddy who was at a campground where the director said that a motorcyclist had his seat torn apart by a bear. The director had started giving towels to bikes coming in just to wipe down seats.

I always thought it was raccoons and porcupines that went for butt sweat? Bears go for BLOOD and MEAT.Like pepperoni sticks,beef jerky and salami.Pizza and stuff like that.

[jgr451]

Originally posted by tim
A picture of baby Grizz?

Hey!!!
I've got one of those!!A trophy..
Only mine says Montana Bear,he was captured,shrunk and stuffed by the Montana Highway Patrol.They gave him to my daughter when we were there so she wouldn't feel scared.

Oh yeah and he's white.Guess he started out as a polar bear.Either that or a spirit bear,aka the white phase of the black bear,aka the Kermode bear..You never can tell about bears.
Or folks either for that matter.From nice guy,well liked by his neighbours,to serial killer,in a minute...

[jdcoffman]

Not trying to gross anyone out but bears do smell blood real well, and if your wife or girlfriend is at that time of the month you don't really want to be camping in bear country. unless! oh never mind.
Consider a Black bear as friendly as a 600 lb Rottweiler.

[timsh]

If your are going to camp in Grizzly country it is best to sleep in a tree. Grizzlys can't climb trees, although they might try to push it over to get to YOU. :snore

[MarkF]

Originally posted by tim
The grizzly bears out west are wild and ferocious! They will attack at any chance they get! They will sneak into your camp at night and you will never hear them coming. They will tear apart your camp looking for food. If you store your food in on your bike, they will destroy it! The tent won't stop them. The ranger won't stop them. Our Government is turning them loose all over in the Northwest. BE CAREFUL! BE AWARE! A favorite hideout for the "grizz" is Glacier National Park. They will EAT you!:yum

For real? The government is actively populating the area with dangerous wildlife?

MarkF

[MarkF]

Originally posted by jdcoffman
Not trying to gross anyone out but bears do smell blood real well, and if your wife or girlfriend is at that time of the month you don't really want to be camping in bear country. unless! oh never mind.

Are you kidding? I have done a bit of reading as a former SCUBA diver and it has been stated many times that amount of actual blood in you know what is very small. So small that experts say it won't trigger shark attacks. And we all know how easily sharks are attracted to a small amount of blood diluted in millions of gallons of seawater.

Sorry if this subject offends. But I had to question what sounds like a rural legend.

MarkF

[Gnome]

Bear defense 101;

A Black bear will stalk you and eat you if he is hungry. Although, if you yell and are aggresive towards him he'll leave you quickly and try for an easier food.

The Griz. Best defense is drop down and play dead. Don't move,don't run. PLAY DEAD or you will be. (the Griz,would rather eat something else than you, BUT if you look to be a threat to him, or HER,you're toast,unless you follow this rule)

Don't get these two confused , it could get real ugly.

Motel 8 is starting to look good eh?

[jdcoffman]

Originally posted by MarkF
Are you kidding? I have done a bit of reading as a former SCUBA diver and it has been stated many times that amount of actual blood in you know what is very small. So small that experts say it won't trigger shark attacks. And we all know how easily sharks are attracted to a small amount of blood diluted in millions of gallons of seawater.

Sorry if this subject offends. But I had to question what sounds like a rural legend.

MarkF
When I lived in Ketchikan, Ak I watched bears at the local dump eating old sanitary napkins...numerous reports in Alaska where people sleeping in their sleeping bags were sought out and attacked by bears....your right it's probably just some hick thing to say. Any bear aficionados out there that can clear this up?

[jdcoffman]

1) At your campsite, never leave dirty dishes unwashed, lying unprotected. Left over food is a welcome mat for any animal in the wilderness.

2)Never leave cosmetics or soaps lying freely at your campsite. This again is a welcome mat for especially bears. Bears are attracted to scents, and the sweeter smelling the better the chance to have one come visit your campsite.

3) WOMEN: Do not start out on a hike while on your monthly cycle. Again, the animals are attracted to scents, and bears especially have been known to violently attack women who are on their monthly cycle.


If you would begin your cycle while on the trail, stop your hike and return to civilization.

Remember
I found this tid bit of information on the internet...

[timsh]

Originally posted by MarkF
For real? The government is actively populating the area with dangerous wildlife?

MarkF


This is for real. The Federal Government would like to have most of our state wilderness. The people of the State of Idaho including our Governor, is opposed to it. The government then started to plant wolves and grizzlies and now say our forest is endangered species habitat. Now they put gates across the road or just tear the road out so that we cannot get into the back country. This is happening very close to where I live.

[jgr451]

Anybody know how many bear-human encounters there are per year that result in injuries to the humans?
Or how many people are killed in such encounters per year?

Tim why does the government want humans out of the back country?And why does it transplant predators there?Why wouldn't gates on the roads do the job?Do you know how much it costs to keep up a back country road?And why they are there in the first place?

Sheeesssshhhh!!I was kidding with my "dangerous bears"post!!

[Montana]

Okay, bottom line:

Take bear bells with you when you hike.

Put them on the slowest runner in your group.

[Rad]

Originally posted by Gnome
Bear defense 101;

A Black bear will stalk you and eat you if he is hungry. Although, if you yell and are aggresive towards him he'll leave you quickly and try for an easier food.

The Griz. Best defense is drop down and play dead. Don't move,don't run. PLAY DEAD or you will be. (the Griz,would rather eat something else than you, BUT if you look to be a threat to him, or HER,you're toast,unless you follow this rule)

Don't get these two confused , it could get real ugly.

Motel 8 is starting to look good eh?

I would concur with what you said, with the following qualification. In order to know what type of action you should take in response to a Brown Bear encounter/attack it is best to determine what behavior the Brown Bear exhibited prior to the encounter/attack.

Was the Brown’s behavior predatory or defensive?. If it was defensive; such as a chance encounter on a trail, then the play'n dead may be effective ‘cause the Bear may just be try’n to neutralizing the threat. If the behavior was predatory; the Brown was stalk'n you from a ridge line than cuts you off on the trail ahead, play'n dead will just make you a much easier meal.

For clarification, I know none of this from experience. Info was a result of a lot of research.

[mollyharve]

Living in Alaska for the past 30 years by no means makes myself or other Alaskans experts on the subject. However, after reading some of these post , I assure you all that your fellow man down there is much more of a threat to you and your loved ones than some sow with cubs or some loner boar. I've mountained biked, hiked, fished, camped, etc, and have never had a problem. Dosen't mean it won't or can't happen, But we go where we want, enjoy our beautiful countryside(be it in Idaho or Alaska or wherever) and use common sense. Oh and make sure the slowest hiker/biker brings up the rear. So relax and enjoy. If the bear knows your there, it probably will go the other way, and if it dosen't..............

[timsh]

Two hikers one day went for a hike in the woods. After about an hour of hiking, to their horror, they realized they were being charged by an old grizzly bear. One hiker quickly sat down and pull out of his pack sack a pair of running shoes. The other hiker seeing this asked, "what in the *#@! are you doing?" You can’t outrun that bear. The other hiker replied, "I don’t have to out run the bear, all I have to do is out run you!" :D

[Motoclass]

Ya know, I ate some bear meat once, it tasted like kinda like greasy mutton...




ohhhh... you say the bear is gonna eat me??? :yow

...never mind...

[timsh]

Originally posted by Motoclass
Ya know, I ate some bear meat once, it tasted like kinda like greasy mutton...




ohhhh... you say the bear is gonna eat me??? :yow

...never mind...

Chris, I once tried eating a bear that I shot a couple of years ago. I didn't much care for it either, so I gave up bear hunting. The reason I was eating him and not him eating me is because I had the gun! :clap

[rapidrider]

I would like to point out a basic safety procedure to follow when in grizzly country.

Wear a small bear bell or two when in the bush.

You may not know what type of bears are in the area your in but one sure way to tell is to check their scat (sh*t).

If there are small seeds, bits of grass and pits in the scat it no doubt came from a black bear who eat mostly berries, bug larva and other vegetation. the piles will be about the size of a dinner plate.

On the otherhand...you can tell a grizzly bears scat upon close inspection. The piles are larger and contain small bells.