When a bear comes into camp

[wornoutboots]

When a bear come into camp & your inside your tent & it starts sniffing @ right outside it, do you A) make a lot of noise to let it know your there & try to scare it away or B) be as quiet as possible & hope it just goes away? Luckily I have never had this happen but if it does, I would love to know what the experts do

[JansportD2]

While backpacking in SNP with my dad 30 years ago, a bear came into camp and sniffed all around our tent. Our food was hung about 100 ft from the tent. My dad's response was to unzip the tent door, look out, say "bear", zip the tent back up and immediately go back to sleep. I was mad at him because I was up all night. In hindsight, his was the right response.

[moytoy]

Lots of noise. The bear already knows your there because he can smell you.

[Blissful]

Wear earplugs, you'll never hear it.

[smokeeater908]

Wear earplugs, you'll never hear it.

Now that's what I'm talking about

[johnnybgood]

Assuming you haven't been cooking in your tent or have food then he shouldn't be inticed to come in .

A bear will normally be scared off by loud noises , unless there's a meal inside waiting for him.

[MuddyWaters]

He already knows your there.

Not being scared of you though, is a bad thing. That flimsy little tent doesnt prevent the bear from messing with you. He can rip it open as easy as you open a bag of chips if he wanted too.

Bears are a lot like people. They are intelligent and have distinct personalities. Some are good, and some are prone to cause trouble. They will repeat behaviors that have been rewarded in the past, and will become bolder every time as well.

You have an obligation to yourself, others, and the bear to make sure any encounters with people are "unpleasant" for it.

Loud noises are a start. Ive heard of people that carry firecrackers just for that to scare a bear off. Or a mini air-horn. Bear spray could be effective too if you could see it. But maybe just yelling "Go away Bear" very loud and banging something against a pot would work too.

[GoldenBear]

Do what you can to reinforce the idea that "Smell of human = trouble!"
That is the normal state of affairs for bears, which is why they normally run as soon as they realize humans are around.
Apparently, this bear has been "taught" that "Smell of human = possible easy food." Even though you would do nothing to add to this (potentially disastrous) belief, the bear needs to un-learn this association.

It won't be easy, and it may already be impossible by the time the bear enters your camp. But you can't know either way. So all you can is hope that your effort will have some success.
Unfortunately, if the bear continues in the latter association, it will inevitably do something that will require it being killed or, at best, relocated. The simple rhyme "A fed bear is a dead bear" sums it up best.

So, at the very least, make a lot of noise. If you carry some anti-bear gear (spray, air horn), use it. The absolutely BEST thing you can accomplish is to have the bear run away thinking, "I thought the smell of humans was a GOOD thing!"

However, do not physically ATTACK the bear unless it starts to get very aggressive towards you.

[-SEEKER-]

This happened at Deer Park Mountain Shelter in 2009. There were two of us in the shelter, two hammock hangers, a tent with one girl, and another tent with two girls. A bear was nuzzling the toes of one hammock hanger, he said nothing. Later it was around the other hammock hanger, he started yelling and got out and started throwing things at the bear. Well, with all the commotion everyone got up and was going through their stuff. Sure enough three people had snacks with them. We hung our packs on the bear cables, one hammock hanger crawled into the shelter with us (bringing three large rocks) and the one girl crawled into the tent with the other two. The bear kept entering and leaving the area all night. There was a full moon that night so it was neat & easy to watch. The next morning when we got up it was there having at a ziplock bag containing food or trash. Moral of the story don't just ignore it you may be leaving others (who don't follow safe bear/food guidelines) at risk.HPIM1225.jpg

[bad marriage]

Goldenbear, glad you brought up the fireworks. Never heard anyone mention this before for bear control, but it always made sense to me. One loud M-80 bang, or a whole pack of firecrackers dancing around on the ground as they pop, would surely chase the bruin out of the area. Fireworks are cheap, light, relatively safe, and easy to use. I would much rather pitch that firecracker at a bear 30 ft away, than have to use bear spray at ten feet. Everyone here seems to agree that we have responsibility to make the bear's human encounter unpleasant... I think fireworks offer the most "bang for the buck."

[SMSP]

If was really cold outside, maybe let the bear inside and snuggle up with it. But the other advise is likely a better option.
Just kidding of course.

SMSP

[Spokes]

Goldenbear, glad you brought up the fireworks....Fireworks are cheap, light, relatively safe, and easy to use....

It always amazes me all the extra "stuff" people cram in their packs but more interestingly how they go about rationalizing it. Scary. Gives credence to the "More Fear= More Gear" thread.

[wornoutboots]

I always take my whistle into my tent so I would use that, it seems like the fireworks could start a forest fire??

[GoldenBear]

I wasn't the one to first suggest the idea of using fire crackers, I personally would never carry them, and I now regret recommending their use.
But if you're going to do so, some things to know:

M-80s and cherry bombs have been completely illegal in the U.S. since 1966.

Here's some good advice from people who make a living selling fireworks:
http://fireworksland.com/html/m80.html
http://www.pyrouniverse.com/m80.htm

Fire crackers -- pyrotechnics designed for ground-based noise -- are very strictly regulated at the federal level, and illegal in several states the A.T. runs through.

Pennsylvania, for example
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal...orksfaq/537214
which bans the possession or sale of non-novelty pyrotechnics by its residents, but permits such sales to residents of other states, including those that completely ban such items. Money talks in PA!!

Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York ban ALL fireworks, and Maine and Vermont permit only "novelty" items.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/012.html

Georgia
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_204303.asp

North Carolina
http://www.wbtv.com/story/14982840/j...ts-legal-in-nc

Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland have local options.
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...124435659.html

Connecticut
http://www.cslib.org/law.htm#fireworks

In addition, all pyrotechnics are banned within national parks and national forests.
http://yubanet.com/regional/Possessi...p#.TpcOfs1y8U8

Conviction for "possession of an illegal explosive" will NOT look good on a resume.

An air horn will accomplish everything that a fire cracker would do, is completely legal, won't start a fire if you use it at night (when you can't see if the area where you're throwing it has dry tinder or not), and has no risk of injury even if you use it while trying to remain calm ten seconds after waking up.

[bad marriage]

You're right... there are probably more good reasons to stay away from the firework thing than to pack them. In over 30 years of getting out, all of my close bear encounters have been uneventful and I've never carried any sort of noise source short of pots and pans. It seemed like this thread was headed down the path of how to deal with the conditioned, problem, possibly aggressive bear encounter and the responsibility we have to leave a lasting impression on these bears. So, sorry Goldenbear didn't mean to stir things up. I was just agreeing with you that in that rare, but certainly possible, encounter where a bear needs to be sent a-running, the fireworks would really do the trick... and the gravity of some bear encounters could make local fireworks regulations seem inconsequential. But yes, for all the reasons you all mentioned they will not be found in my pack either. Just didn't want you to think I'm some explosive toting whack job....

[SassyWindsor]

We are talking about Bear Grylls, right?

[TyTy]

My suggestion is use some bacon to attract the bear close in, throw a bridle over its face and jump aboard. Ride the wild out of it (similar to taming a wild horse if you will) and enjoy the rest of your hike up off the ground on your fury new pet.

Bonus...the fuzzy guy serves as a great pillow when you stop to sleep...dual use!

[just dad]

My suggestion is use some bacon to attract the bear close in, throw a bridle over its face and jump aboard. Ride the wild out of it (similar to taming a wild horse if you will) and enjoy the rest of your hike up off the ground on your fury new pet.

Bonus...the fuzzy guy serves as a great pillow when you stop to sleep...dual use!

Wow. When I see an aggressive bear, I typically only take its picture.

[Sierra Echo]

Just roll over and go back to sleep. Ive had it happen, its no big deal.

[Lone Wolf]

When a bear come into camp & your inside your tent & it starts sniffing @ right outside it, do you A) make a lot of noise to let it know your there & try to scare it away or B) be as quiet as possible & hope it just goes away? Luckily I have never had this happen but if it does, I would love to know what the experts do

i tell it to EFF off. and i sleep with my food. bears ain't a problem with food in a tent