Bear encounters and what to do?

[DEETAR]

So me and a buddy were doing a three day trip up in Shining Rock Wilderness area last weekend, and encountered a pretty big size black bear. We were camping in an open grassy area on the Art Loeb Trail, so there were no trees to hang our gear. We placed our gear about 20 feet from our tent with a tarp over it, and right when it got dark the bear came, ripped all of our stuff to shreds, drug my buddys bag away, and then came back and hung around for about two hours. We just layed there and eventually he went away, but I was curious as to other peoples encounters and what their actions were in that situation.

[Shutterbug]

So me and a buddy were doing a three day trip up in Shining Rock Wilderness area last weekend, and encountered a pretty big size black bear. We were camping in an open grassy area on the Art Loeb Trail, so there were no trees to hang our gear. We placed our gear about 20 feet from our tent with a tarp over it, and right when it got dark the bear came, ripped all of our stuff to shreds, drug my buddys bag away, and then came back and hung around for about two hours. We just layed there and eventually he went away, but I was curious as to other peoples encounters and what their actions were in that situation.

When I encounter a bear, I grab my camera. They always run away as soon as I start taking pictures.

[Malto]

Just because you were camping in an open meadow doesn't mean you couldn't find a good hang nearby. The last thing I would do with food is leave it like you did. I would use it as a pillow before leaving it a short distance away on the ground.

[TNhiker]

that area seemingly has problems with bears every year......

and it has to do with that area's popularity.......

you could have tried throwing rocks at the bear.......making noise.........basically trying to scare it a little...

but, my guess is that none of those would have really helped.....as this bear probably is used to humans and our bizarre antics.....

[Dogwood]

I was in Aravaipa Canyon in Arizona a couple days ago and saw a nice sandy beach high above the creek that would have made a shweet campsite. Unfortunately, a scrounging momma bear and her two well fed shaggy furred cubs were in the area too. Thought it best I keep moving on. Sometimes, it's best to leave the bears to do their bear things without enticing them with your trail food odors.

[Shutterbug]

I was in Aravaipa Canyon in Arizona a couple days ago and saw a nice sandy beach high above the creek that would have made a shweet campsite. Unfortunately, a scrounging momma bear and her two well fed shaggy furred cubs were in the area too. Thought it best I keep moving on. Sometimes, it's best to leave the bears to do their bear things without enticing them with your trail food odors.

I love Aravaipa Canyon -- one of my favorite hikes.

[goin'4ahike]

When I encounter a bear, I grab my camera. They always run away as soon as I start taking pictures.

Great pic, Shutterbug!!

[jimmyjam]

For black bears, clapping your hands together, making noise and making yourself look as big as possible usually runs them off. I would have walked until I found someplace to make a hang or as a last resort, keep my food with me.

[Pedaling Fool]

Leave your stuff unattended and a bear will rip it apart; keep it with you and let the bear know that it's your stuff.

[Del Q]

I agree 100% on keeping the food with you, did it a few times on my last hike, super nasty weather, two nights in the snow. Was not in the mood to go out and bear bag my food.

No problems

Met a PCT hiker who always uses his food as a pillow all of the time and has never had a problem.

[mad4scrapping]

Would a loud air horn scare a bear away?

[jimmyjam]

Would a loud air horn scare a bear away?

Yes that and everyone and everything.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

[leaftye]

I had a long answer, but I'm just going to tell you to read Trail Life. He has a chapter about bears, but he talks about them a LOT throughout the book. He has lots of other advice too, some of which you can take verbatim, but some should only be read as an example to help get you into a certain mindset. You should HYOH, start with the latter and adopt the bits of the former that suit you.

[bighammer]

It may have cost you your gear and your food, but it may cost the bear its life. After successful "raids" like that, they get less afraid of humans (and bolder in future encounters) because of past rewards.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Would a loud air horn scare a bear away?

Don't know if it will scare away the bears, but it will definitely earn you a new trailname.

[The Ace]

In the Black Balsams, just like the rest of the Southern Appalachians, it’s all about possession. Keep your food in your possession at night in odor reducing bags in your tent and chase off any black bears that approach your campsite. On those balds, they can’t hide from you, either.



Not far from where you spent the night, and an easy amble for a bear, are the camping areas in the Graveyard Fields that are used and abused by overnight campers. Campers leave food out and trash behind and the bears have a history of scavenging the campsite. Myths abound: In October 2012, the forest service prohibited overnight camping in Shining Rock and the Graveyard Fields after panicking overnight campers in Shining Rock reported that a bear attacked them in their tent. The bear actually entered a separate tent where the miss-educated campers had separately stored their food.


In the area where the OP camped, one can easily be more than a mile away from a tree. It makes no sense to me to walk all the way to a black balsam grove to hang a food bag unattended for the night. Camping on the balds is magnificent on a clear night. Just keep possession of your food.

[The Ace]

Would a loud air horn scare a bear away?

Once a black bear has your stuff, probably not, or the bear will run off with whatever he has in his possession. If you are in possession of your stuff, usually just saying “move along bear” works.

[gof]

Bear Spray...if you could get close enough....LOL

[Leanthree]

If you are in an area with a known problem bear, pile up rocks next to your tent so you have some ammo when the bear comes around.

Your particular problem was placing your food on the ground away from you. If the bear didn't get it, there is a good chance rodents or racoons or corvids or would have. Hang your stuff from a tree. If there is no tree then either find one or keep your stuff next to your body as wrapped up as possible.

[martinb]

You can sleep with it in the tent but you never know what bear is going to show up. Shining rock has had problems with aggressive bears in the recent past. I wouldn't take the chance of keeping food in the tent, there. Rent or buy a canister if you hike in this area.