Ask A Bear: Will You Eat Me In Rocky Mountain NP?

READERS COMMENTS

One more thing: Dogs = Bear Bait around habituated bears. Leave Fido home. He's not legal in Yosemite backcountry at any rate.
Posted: Aug 14, 2010 Ikan Mas

Either learn to follow the correct procedures or just stay home. If your wife is scared, she probably won't enjoy the vacation and you should have booked her a Canival cruise. I see way too many people in the wilderness that have no clue about their actions on wildlife. Frankly, they make things bad for the rest of us.

Here is a bear prevention story from week before last. My brother and I were backpacking northern Yosemite and were staying the night on lower Matterhorn Creek. Lots of good fishing for stunted brook trout, but as I was bringing the last of my limit of brooks back to my camp, I found a big pile of very fresh (1 day) bear poo within site of our tents. No fish fry tonight. I could visualize my frying pan sending off clouds of odor and attracting our furry friends. I took all of the fish I had caught and disposed of them well downstream of our camp. I was careful to minimize fish odor on my possessions. We spent some extra effort buttoning up camp that night and warned our neighbors visiting from NZ. That night, my brother heard the bear go by. Behavior of a pack team that went by early in the morning verified his presence. Yes, he was there, but we didn't have a problem. We weren't afraid, just careful. That was good enough.
Posted: Aug 14, 2010 Ikan Mas

Dogs might be a good idea when hiking, but don't forget that some adolescent grizzly males are very curious & that dog could lead the bear right to you. Chances are you'll be fine, but it's still something to keep in mind.

Bill Edwards - not smart advice. Bears are killed because of human interaction whether that means some moron is speeding through Yellowstone NP or because someone didn't report careless behaviour to a ranger. Grizzlies are NOT the only dangerous bear - do your research. Bears can become dangerous to humans when they start to associate humans with food. It's not gonna happen all the time and yes, waving your arms will often work, but not in all situations and not for all bears. Just because your behaviour is responsible it doesn't mean you won't become a target.
You shouldn't give such bad advice when you don't know every situtation.
Leave the advice to people who have done a lot of research.
Perhaps Backpacker needs to clear this up once & for all so no more people write only from their experience or from one point of view & not from facts.
Posted: Aug 12, 2010 Experienced

I know that there has been a lot of comment and advice from experienced hikers, but really there is no absolutely definitive answer to the fact of going in to the wilderness.
The whole point of such an endeavour is to experience the "Wild". And, above all, that means some risk. (and sometimes a high risk!)

There is no sure safeguard against wild creatures, especially bears, but please remember that every negative experience that you have, and that you later complain about, endangers the very existence of these creatures. They don't have any alternatives, this is their environment that you are entering, it isn't some amusement park or holiday resort; it is the real world! There are no guarantees.
If you are not prepared to accept the risks without complaint then do not go!

It angers me beyond belief that so many people complain about how their "vacation" was disturbed by an encounter with a bear or wolf or moose or cougar or skunk or raccoon or squirrel (or as I heard from one irate hiker, an eagle!)

I have found that a dog (well trained) is a good early warning system, and a reassuring presence, in a wilderness camp.
The national parks always tell you to keep your dog on a leash because a free roaming dog disturbs wildlife. In reality all the experienced hikers and campers that I have ever talked to have never said that they keep their dog on a leash, they let them run free and, as I can testify on many occasions, they detect the presence of a bear long before you ever will.
And that can make all the difference between you remembering your trip as a life-enhancing experience or as a life-changing trauma.
Wild means just that; you might get injured or killed and you, or your surviving relatives, can't sue or blame anyone if you do.

Disclaimer: This message is not from a bear nor is it endorsed by any bears.
Posted: Aug 09, 2010 Will Mackinnon

Just got back from the park, there is a problem bear in the Mill Creek Basin area that decided to pay me a visit at 2:45am. I woke up to him rubbing against my tent and then he just walked off. Either way I didn't get much sleep after that point, if any.<strong><a href="http://www.brandsjeansonline.com/">true religion mens jeans</a></strong>
Posted: Aug 08, 2010 true religion sale

Fight back; the bear is only about 4 times bigger and a lot stronger than you; one swipe from a griz will take your head off. If you're going into bear country; don't. Only expert hikers and campers know how to deal with bears, lions, and wolves. This comes from years of experience. Stay on the KOA, or go with someone who is experienced. Still there is no guarantee that you won't be maimed or killed. Enough of that; the highway is much more dangerous; think; skinny blonde in an Escalade---texting.
Posted: Aug 07, 2010 wheelwalker

You guys are killing me! Narc to a ranger, what the eff??????? You should be glad those other idiots are there, they make better bear bait than you!
IF YOU SEE A BEAR AND YOU WANT IT TO GO AWAY, WAVE YOUR ARMS AND SCREAM AND YELL AT IT, AND IT WILL RUN AWAY! Works everytime. Not sure what all the fuss is about, we see at least 10 bears here every summer, usually they are sniffing around for our garbage, which we keep locked in the garage. And no, we don't have any grizzlies, those are the dangerous bears.
Bill
Conifer, Colorado
Posted: Aug 07, 2010 Bill Edwards

Make sure your camping neighbors are following the rules too. We were told there were bears running around our D-loop. Before we went to bed, we yelled to each other, loud enough for the entire campsite to hear, "Did you lock the food up?"
If you see someone breaking the rules, confront them, or nark to a ranger. Being a snitch is better than seeing a bear get into trouble. The rangers can't be everywhere at once, and appreciate the extra eyes.
(Same go's for people feeding chipmonks..."Did you see that sign at the park entrance? Wonder how much the fine is?!")
Posted: Aug 07, 2010 Dianne

Brett, good to hear you guys didn't have any up close issues with that bear. Honestly after that night I slept as hard as a rock without a worry. Did you guys make a successful summit of Long's? I know the weather wasn't great on your planned Wednesday summit.
Posted: Aug 06, 2010 Kyle

Here's a solution to the goo in your dreadlocks - get rid of them! Research has shown that even "washed" dreadlocks retain untold amounts of unhealthy bacteria, etc. which also often leads to skin outbreaks. Easier to hike through the undergrowth without getting tangled as well!
Posted: Aug 06, 2010 JJ

problem bears or problem humans?
Posted: Aug 06, 2010 mtnmaniac

Just so you know, there are not any Griz in Rocky Mountain National Park. You have to go West and North toward Yellowstone before they are a risk. So if you are attacked my a bear in Rocky, fight back. This is also the right thing to do if you are attacked by a lion (I personal trust them way less than a black bear). Your bigger risk are moose and elk. Just don't approach them or have a dog that barks at them and you should be safe...most of the time. I did once get between a moose and her calf....they were like 500-800 feet apart and moose was 500 feet from me, and as soon at it saw me, it charged. Turns out the calf was behind me in some brush and I did not know it was there. To say the least, I moved fast and once I was no longer beteen the cow and calf, all was well. Personally, I would camp any day any time in Rocky with black bears...just be smart. I would not for a million dollars sleep in a tent in Yellowstone or Glasier...if I did I am sure I would not sleep for a minute. When I was yonger and knew less I did it for a month, but I am old enough now to know the risks and unpredictability of griz. Just in case you think I am chicken, I have been at a camp on the coast of Alaska and had a Griz sniff my foot....like 6 inches away. I was not scared. I was with 12 people. I have never heard of a bear attaching anyone in a large group. And this bear was full of fish. If I was with only 1 or 2 people, I would not have been within 500 feet of it.
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 Scott

We had a bear come right up to our tent and look in at us a few weeks ago at a backpacking site. It smelled our packs, knocked them over, got curious about us, then ran for the bear canister off into the woods. Never did we feel like we would be food as we are not typical food for a mostly veggie eating black bear. We also were carful not to escalate the situation so as to freak out the bear. We grabbed our hiking shoes and slowly, calmly, backed away from the scene. No damage done, except for a few scratches to the canister which had all of our smelly things in it. We were just fine, though we wish we'd have brought the mace just in case. The reason we'd gone without it for that particular site was because the backcountry office had told us there were no bears in that area-always just come completely prepared for bears! Luckily, we did take all of the other precautions and were fine. We're definately going back again!
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 S

It's not as simple as saying fight back if it's a black bear & play dead if it's a grizzly. Read up on this. Black bears generally aren't going to be startled by you or be protective of their food or babies and then attack you. However, a black bear can STALK you as prey. If you see the same black bear a few times then this could mean he wants to eat you. Grizzly bears are protective of kills & their young and could also attack you if you surprise them. That's when you play dead! If a grizzley comes into your camp at night - it's looking for food & you fight back because you don't want to end up being drug 25 feet away from your tent in the middle of the night & found the next day.
Read 'Bear Attacks: Their Causes & Avoidances' by Stephen Herrero. It's very educational & it will teach you to to recognise the difference between black & grizzly bears (some black bears are brown color & visa versa) and how to differentiate between types of attacks & why it's not always best to climb a tree.
I read a lot of books before living in Yellowstone NP for a season & I felt confident that even if I encountered an aggressive or hungry bear I could use my head & survive.
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 chel

@Jerry: You are supposed to fight back if it's a black bear and play dead if it's a grizzly.
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 MH

I always point out to worriers that the drive to and from the trailhead is much more likely to be a problem than anything involving wildlife.
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 MrRedwood

I have only encountered on Black Bear on the trail in the West and that was in the early morning on the Farewell Gap Trail in Mineral King. Put some jingle bells on your boot laces so they hear you coming and hang all your food and smelly cosmetics high and away from camp. As for bear repellent--It only is effective if the bear is about 9 feet from you and you also run the risk of the pepper spray coming back into your eyes if the wind is blowing in your face or if you do hit the bear, it seems tome it would just make the bear more agitated and not a good thing if the youngin's are around.


Posted: Aug 05, 2010 Julia P

Kyle, I think we shared the Mill Creek Basin campsite with you when you got your visit from the bear.

We had 4 groups that spent 7 nights each at different campsites in the backcountry, and while one group did return home with some nice-looking teeth and claw marks in their bear vaults, the vaults did their job and the bear left camp after someone made a little noise and scared him off. The rest of the groups (who camped in sites all over the park) never had an issue. The rangers also told us there were only about 25 bears in the park. But the mangled bear vaults tell a real story about the size and power of a black bear, so I'd never go into the backcountry without proper precautions...
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 Brett

You advise the wife that if you attack her, to fight back. Am I correct to say that one does not fight back if the bear is a grizzley? I have heard folk say fight back if it is a black bear. Then I have heard folk to say that once attacked, just drop into a fetal position, protect your head/neck and play dead. What's the correct answer?
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 Jerry W Doyle

While judging an upcountry Pocono Mountains Paintball session a bear came out three times towards the same player. The first two times, a whistle worked to scare the bear away....the third time I had to use the airhorn and call the game. You certainly did not like or stick around after that loud noise. Turns out one of the players....the one you particularly were interested in...had a hershey bar in his back pocket....a definite no-no in the field. The player did this despite repeated reminders not to carry food into the field. And I know that coveralls would not have stopped you in acquiring that candy bar.
Posted: Aug 05, 2010 jasper

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