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MAD777
09-17-2006, 08:59
I just heard this from a fellow hiker. He carries a "cannned" horn to scare away bears! You know, the kind fans use at football games, etc. that are basically a presurized aerosol can. He uses this as opposed to bear mace sprays like Counter Assault.

At first, it sounded odd to me but the more I think about it, they make me jump out of my skin when one goes off unexpetantly nearby.

I can see that the horn doesn't have the dissadvantages that the sprays have. The sprays are nearly useless in a strong wind. In a lighter wind you still need to get upwind of the bear to avoid spraying yourself (that means you have to get the bear to cooperate). In rain/snow storms, I doubt that the sprays are very effective.

As I like to find multiple uses for my gear, the horn could be used as an emergency whistle, actually, a very loud emergency whistle. I haven't weighed one but it's probably the same as the bear spray or maybe lighter since there is only air in the can!

Has anyone heard of this concept or am I the only one wandering aimlessly alone in the woods? http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon11.gif

Lone Wolf
09-17-2006, 09:24
Freakin overkill. A camera is all you need for bear.

FanaticFringer
09-17-2006, 09:24
I think a whistle would be better. Might use one myself for bears and if an emergency happens.

woodsy
09-17-2006, 09:31
I agree with the whistle concept, lighter and less bulky. A shrill whistle blast will carry some distance in emergency situation and will likely turn a bear around so you'll be seeing his/her backside instead of face.

Nean
09-17-2006, 09:37
The last time I used a horn on a bear I was in my car.:eek:

I know how to whistle, so no need to carry one.:-? With my luck though, the bear will probably attack while I'm eating crackers.:D

woodsy
09-17-2006, 09:43
No kidding, A friend was hiking solo on the AT near the summit of Sugarloaf MTN and stopped for a bagel snack. As he was munching his bagel a Black Bear came strolling down the trail toward him. He politely set his bagel down and got the h**l out of there.

Tin Man
09-17-2006, 09:54
I bring someone who runs slower than me. ;)

Lone Wolf
09-17-2006, 09:58
I really don't understand this great fear of bears.:-?

Nean
09-17-2006, 10:00
No kidding, A friend was hiking solo on the AT near the summit of Sugarloaf MTN and stopped for a bagel snack. As he was munching his bagel a Black Bear came strolling down the trail toward him. He politely set his bagel down and got the h**l out of there.

Easy for me to say from where I sit, but your friend shouldn't of left his bagel for the bear.:-? It could very well be the start of the end of that bear.:( A good yell will send most bears on their way.;)

fiddlehead
09-17-2006, 10:06
You are not going to get attacked by a bear!
Save the woods from horns please.
The only time you need bear spray is in Glacier Nat. Park or the vicinity. You don't need them in the "Bob" but around (south of) Yellowstone there have been some problems although no ones been attacked, just camps. And bear spray is only effective within 10-15' so the wind and snow is not a big factor.
On the AT, it's like Lone Wolf says: bring your camera instead of a horn (please)
The best thing about bears is it keeps a lot of people out of the woods.

LostInSpace
09-17-2006, 10:09
The last time I saw a bear on the AT, he was sitting in the middle of the AT. I waved my arms and yelled "Hey bear, get the hell off the trail!" He slowly stood up, looked at me, and walked away in the other direction. That was just north of Elkwallow Gap in SNP.

SGT Rock
09-17-2006, 10:12
Freakin overkill. A camera is all you need for bear.

Lone Wolf is exactly right on this. I have done scientific experiments over hundreds of hikes and I can attest that I never see a bear whenever I have a camera.

Because of this, a camera in my family is referred to as "bear protection"

boarstone
09-17-2006, 10:21
Lone Wolf is exactly right on this. I have done scientific experiments over hundreds of hikes and I can attest that I never see a bear whenever I have a camera.

Because of this, a camera in my family is referred to as "bear protection"

I second the "notion"....they'll run as soon as they get a whiff, you'd be scared to death to go out in the woods if you could see/hear all the bears that beat- feet- it before you see'm..those padded paws are awfully quiet!

MOWGLI
09-17-2006, 10:34
No kidding, A friend was hiking solo on the AT near the summit of Sugarloaf MTN and stopped for a bagel snack. As he was munching his bagel a Black Bear came strolling down the trail toward him. He politely set his bagel down and got the h**l out of there.


That's about the dumbest thing your friend could have done. DON'T feed the bears! A fed bear is a dead bear.

LW hit the nail on the head in this thread. Bring your camera and leave your fears at home.

MAD777
09-17-2006, 10:36
I agree. There are enough horns on the city streets; that's why we walk in the woods. I personally don't carry anything to scare bears, unless you count my ugly mug!

Even though his comparison with bear spray made some sence, I had never heard of this concept and was afraid I had missed the lastest craze! :-)

woodsy
09-17-2006, 10:38
Easy for me to say from where I sit, but your friend shouldn't of left his bagel for the bear.:-? It could very well be the start of the end of that bear.:( A good yell will send most bears on their way.;)

Well I expected a response like this about leaving his bagel behind. And I agree but I wasn't sitting there when this happened either. A fight or flight response=panic, and he chose flight.

saimyoji
09-17-2006, 10:59
Hmmm....I was walking in the woods one day, came across a bridge, under which there were several fishermen. I guess they were pulling out some real nice fish cause they were all getting real excited like, jumping and yelling. Then I noticed a huge bear coming up the stream towards them. As it gets closer they start running (well, walking quickly) away. One guy decides he doesn't want to leave so turns to yell at the bear. Bear gets real close so he throws his pole at it. Bear keeps coming. Now the guy turns and runs, but the bear keeps following, getting real close now. Finally the bear is within mauling range, the guy drops his kreel and runs for his life. Funny thing, the bear stopped when the guy dropped his kreel. :-?

If the bear is after my food, and my life is in danger, I think I'll give it up. But thats just me.

That said, I only carry a camera, and have yet to get a shot of a bear. :(

Tin Man
09-17-2006, 11:05
Isn't there a leash law for bears? :-?

Tin Man
09-17-2006, 11:09
My son took a pic of a bear at summer camp last year in Blairstown, NJ near the AT. I have hiked 300 miles of AT in NE and have not had the pleasure.

Skyline
09-17-2006, 11:15
The last time I saw a bear on the AT, he was sitting in the middle of the AT. I waved my arms and yelled "Hey bear, get the hell off the trail!" He slowly stood up, looked at me, and walked away in the other direction. That was just north of Elkwallow Gap in SNP.


I consistently see more bears in that mile or so between Elkwallow Gap and Piney Ridge than anywhere else in the East.

Nean
09-17-2006, 11:17
Funny thing, the bear stopped when the guy dropped his kreel. :-?

If the bear is after my food, and my life is in danger, I think I'll give it up. But thats just me.

That said, I only carry a camera, and have yet to get a shot of a bear. :(

Leaving behind his catch was the smart thing to do in that instance. I needed some pretty large rocks to get a bear to leave me alone once. The difference I see is that bear eat fish.... not bagels. It seems to me that the fish bear is less likely to become a problem/dead bear than the human food/ bagel bear.

Skyline
09-17-2006, 11:26
In any discussion of human/bear interractions, it is important to note the differences between Western Grizzlies and the Eastern Black Bears.

The former can be a lot more aggressive and requires more deliberate preparations for possible interractions. Lone Wolf is right re: black bears--all you really need on the AT is a camera.

HERE'S 99.9% OF WHAT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOUT BLACK BEARS ON THE AT:

•Just back away slowly if you happen to find yourself between a mother and cub.

•Realize the only thing black bears want with you might be your food, and keep it away from them in the most effective ways possible when you're not actually eating yourself.

•Do not feed them, or let them intimidate you into dropping your pack.

saimyoji
09-17-2006, 11:47
Leaving behind his catch was the smart thing to do in that instance. I needed some pretty large rocks to get a bear to leave me alone once. The difference I see is that bear eat fish.... not bagels. It seems to me that the fish bear is less likely to become a problem/dead bear than the human food/ bagel bear.

Possibly. But I tend to think that the bear only learned that if he harassed the fishermen, they'd give up their catch. Either way, the bear's a nuisance.

woodsy
09-17-2006, 12:09
Well I don't carry a horn, whistle or firearm while hiking. Never have seen a bear on the AT although I have seen them in areas near the AT. Never have been harrased by one but Maine is a bear hunting state...going on right now,right or wrong, like it or not. After the 1st week of hunting, just south of carratunk, 10 bear were tagged at that location. There will be hundreds tagged statewide before it is over, maybe more.

hopefulhiker
09-17-2006, 12:42
I saw the most bears in NJ. I would not want to carry the extra weight for a horn, spray, or firearm. When I did run up on the biggest bear I had ever seen I clapped my poles together. It didn't run away. The best thing is to watch where you store your food. Early in my trip right before the NOC I forgot a snickers bar in my pocket and it was in my tent with me. I woke up with something BIG leaning down on my tent. I sat up and elbowed the side of the tent and the creature ran off making a bunch of noise. I got up and put the snickers bar in the bear bag with the rest of my food.I talked to a ranger about it and they said that it was probably a bear sniffing around. My advice is just to use common sense and to use the bear bags.

SGT Rock
09-17-2006, 12:46
If you have a camera, it will keep them away. It is like that whole crosses and vampires thing.

asphalt commando
09-17-2006, 13:26
I have always carried a very small one of these airhorns when hiking. I normally hike alone, and have always thought that these small airhorns would do the job if ever confronted with a bear. My other rationale was it would serve "double duty" incase I was ever injured or unable to hike as a signal for help. Maybe silly, but a small sense of security when alone. I have never used it, and if I ever needed to, I think "disturbing" someones hike with the noise could be justified.

Lilred
09-17-2006, 13:49
I saw one bear in 500 miles of hiking on the AT. I yelled and clapped and hit my poles together and he looked at me like I was nuts. So, I took out my camera, got a few good shots in, and walked away. Lone Wolf is right, just take a camera.

LostInSpace
09-17-2006, 14:37
I recall seeing on TV where some NP rangers would smack a bear in the nose with a long handled shovel to get it out of a camping area where it didn't belong. Apparently a bear's nose is so sensitive that they didn't stay around for a second smacking. However, I would not recommend this option for ultralight hikers. :D

saimyoji
09-17-2006, 14:43
A well thrown rock works just as well. However, if you've got the stones to get real close, it may be that much more effective.

Outlaw
09-17-2006, 15:21
I have always carried a very small one of these airhorns when hiking. I normally hike alone, and have always thought that these small airhorns would do the job if ever confronted with a bear. My other rationale was it would serve "double duty" incase I was ever injured or unable to hike as a signal for help. Maybe silly, but a small sense of security when alone. I have never used it, and if I ever needed to, I think "disturbing" someones hike with the noise could be justified.

Have you ever carried something for "just in case" and found out, usually at the worst possible moment, (Murphy's Law) it dried out, is malfunctioning, the battery is dead, or is broken, e.g. car tire sealer, a cellphone. I think you would be better off carrying a simple whistle. Less risk of failure, lighter weight and will do the same two things that AC wants his airhorn to do... scare a bear and draw help.

TJ aka Teej
09-17-2006, 15:37
If you see a bear, just stand still and consider yourself lucky.

Appalachian Tater
09-17-2006, 16:21
Early in my trip right before the NOC I forgot a snickers bar in my pocket and it was in my tent with me. I woke up with something BIG leaning down on my tent. I sat up and elbowed the side of the tent and the creature ran off making a bunch of noise.
Probably wasn't a bear after the Snickers--just another thru-hiker.

woodsy
09-17-2006, 18:30
Although rare, rogue bears do exist, they are aggressive and unafraid of humans. The National Geographic channel on Direct TV has been running a program called The hunter and the hunted, or something like that. Although the setting is in a provencial park in Ontario, it is about Black Bears. This one particular Bear went on a terrorizing campaign with remote campers over a 4 week period, and ended up killing one camper before being killed by park officials....A must see program if you can get it. FYI

Ramble~On
09-18-2006, 16:15
:sun What to do when you see a bear in the woods.
- Turn up the music and dance.


I always feel lucky to see a bear... I feel far more lucky if I'm able to get a picture that actaully turns out....most pictures of bear I get are either in pitch black or the bear is in shade......black bear are named appropriately..
in most of the pictures Ive taken of black bear all you can see is a black blob...sometimes two beedy little eyes shining back at you...

If the air horn makes you happy and gives you piece of mind while hiking...by all means take it.
I carry a little whistle...not so much for bear but as a way to annoy my fellow hikers in the morning......:rolleyes: but this air horn idea sounds like a very good idea fo those late sleepers :eek:

LIhikers
09-22-2006, 08:10
I've never seen a bear while out hiking. My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Alaska this past August and I think we were the only people in the whole state that didn't see any. I'm starting to think that bears are just some sort of mythical creature like the Loch Ness monster or Big Foot.

Jaybird
09-22-2006, 08:22
I just heard this from a fellow hiker. He carries a "cannned" horn to scare away bears! You know, the kind fans use at football games, etc. that are basically a presurized aerosol can. He uses this as opposed to bear mace sprays like Counter Assault........................................... .................blah,blah,blah,.................. ..............................................
Has anyone heard of this concept




Man! talkin' about OVERKILL!


i'm normally a super, laid back hikin' dude...but, if a fellow hiker used one of these obnoxious horns while on the trail...i'd have to deck him! (& confiscate the horn!):D

Tinker
09-22-2006, 14:55
You guessed it:

HORNY BEAR!

There, I said it. I had to.:D

That's the last thing you need on a hike!:rolleyes:

atraildreamer
09-23-2006, 06:46
I really don't understand this great fear of bears.:-?

A LARGE, furry, always hungry beast with claws and teeth that can climb (or knock over) trees and rip apart tents, food bags, hikers, etc., if it so inclined. :eek: Right...harmless as a kitten. :rolleyes:

Lone Wolf
09-23-2006, 06:49
When's the last time a bear "ripped" apart a hiker? The fear is unfounded. Don't be a scardy cat.:rolleyes:

atraildreamer
09-23-2006, 07:08
When's the last time a bear "ripped" apart a hiker? The fear is unfounded. Don't be a scardy cat.:rolleyes:

I was thinking about the couple that was killed by the grizz in Alaska. Also, "Grizzly Man". The couple took precautions, Grizzly Man pushed the envelope. Same result in both cases. :( Never assume harmlessness in a wild animal.

Tinker
09-24-2006, 19:56
I was thinking about the couple that was killed by the grizz in Alaska. Also, "Grizzly Man". The couple took precautions, Grizzly Man pushed the envelope. Same result in both cases. :( Never assume harmlessness in a wild animal.

Also the woman killed by a sow and her surrogate cub, in GSMNP. I think that was last year, but it could have been two years since that happened.
It was not on the AT.

Tinker
09-24-2006, 19:58
Also the woman killed by a sow and her surrogate cub, in GSMNP. I think that was last year, but it could have been two years since that happened.
It was not on the AT.


http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2000/woman_killed_by_bear_in_tennessee2.html

MOWGLI
09-25-2006, 07:21
Also the woman killed by a sow and her surrogate cub, in GSMNP. I think that was last year, but it could have been two years since that happened.
It was not on the AT.

That was in 2000.

Every hiker should have some familiarity about how to respond to seeing a Black Bear in the east. If it comes towards you - yell, shout, make yourself look big, act aggressive and DON'T RUN. The facts remain however. You are far more likely to drown, get hit by lightening, or be killed by bee stings than be injured by a bear on the AT. And the liklihood of those things happening is slim.

So if you're scared of bears and you can't swim, be sensible and spend some time doing something constructive. Take swimming lessons. And don't worry about bears.

HIKER7s
09-25-2006, 10:35
Consider yourself lucky to see one while hiking. To come upon an Eastern Black Bear on the AT is a moment many have to wait through years of hiking just to get to. Others, see one almost every long trek out. (much of that is also in how you hike "one with the wood" or "ramblin")

I find when you are surprised by one being .."just there" , like if you come around a bend through a wind shift, is when your fear may creep in. You should always remind yourself, you are the guest in the bears home and you have a responsibliity to act accordingly. In in time you will know the true luckiness it is to get a good camera shot or of being in the company of one of these animals at close range. If you come to have no fear, do not become bold in trying to stalk or get closer to the bear.

Be ready at all times in the scenario to have to use the defensive move out of range posture or if it requires the madman out of hell scaring the bear routine. (with cubs involved move out slowly give the wide berth, try NOt to do the screaming thing, especially if you dont have a visual on the cubs and mom at the same time)

I try to get them to move by using just the fact I am here so let me pass, making noises and such to let him know I am going this way 9x out o 10 they go.

When you get them to go, its a good thing not to put those earphones on again (why use them anyway). Keeps you senses tuned into whats around you just in case for a couple 100 yards.