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The Compleat Guide to Modern Bear Deterrence

Glenn MacGrady

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A bit of research convinces me that we are all rank amateurs and hopeless incompetents at serious bear deterrence. Herewith my findings and recommendations for a truly bear safe wilderness trip.

Every campsite should be surrounded heavy duty portable electric bear fencing.

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In addition, each tent should be surrounded by Electra Netting bear fence.

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Each person must of course carry spray, bangers and screamers.

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In addition, each person should have an RG-59 five-shot revolver launcher carried on chest or belt with a pyrotechnic launcher holster.

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As long guns, a Tippman Bravo One Elite paintball marker is mandatory . . .

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. . . as is a 12 gauge shotgun armed with a variety of specialized bear shells . . .

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. . . along with mid-range and long-range rubber slugs:

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Banging pots and pans is so 16th century. Each person must have an Xtreme Rattler and Xtreme Siren.

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Now for the two coups de grâce for ugly ursa. First the entire perimeter electric fence must be studded with several Critter Glitters, which detect movement and then emit flashing strobe lights and a piercing siren.

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Finally, mounted along the perimeter fencing at strategic locations must be several Zon Electra Scare Cannons, which fire blasts of propane, either manually controlled or radio controlled.

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You will find all these bear deterrents and other wildlife scare products, along with many others, at Margo Supplies in Arizona. You may have to spring for a few grand, but you'll be as safe as Goldilocks from the three bears. The b*tch is that you may need a really big canoe to carry all this stuff. The only one I'm aware of would be a freighter canoe custom built by Memaquay and custom outfitted by Mike McCrea. Maybe they'd do it pro bono . . . just to save all our lives.
 
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:eek: Where is the roulette wheel? I'll take that. I can shoot myself and spray myself and have a banger target my head.

Which would you advise for the thunderbox?
 
I used to buy a lot of stuff from Margo--lots of screamers and bangers for hazing bison and black bear. Bison really don't like them!
 
Whichever gets the job done I suppose. A clean camp, bangers with pen launcher, pots and pans. Sharp blades as a very last resort.
 
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Or you can learn the ways of bears and how they think. Many people spend all of their time with the devices, equipment, bear spray and firearms.
Learn about bears. I have had more than 100 encounters that I could remember. I have had the safety off a couple of times. Never fired a warning shot even working in Alaska around salmon streams. If you get in a bad encounter you have probably been very unlucky or reallly screwed up. Do not discount black bears either.
 
If any of the non-lethal bear deterrents results in fewer bears (and people) dying they are a good idea.

I think the electric fences are a great idea for trippers in polar bear country (seen some good videos of bird biologists working in the arctic with portable fences around their camps).
 
Had plenty of black bear encounters, they don’t bother me in the slightest, will usually throw up a bear hang as a deterrence; if they want my food they’ll at least have to put in some serious work to get it.


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I have been stalked by a black bear in Alaska. He hung around for many hours always coming from behind. He would disappear for awhile and then show up again. We were working with our heads down gauging streams and measuring water quality. I wished I had a dog around for sentry duty. We were both armed, but it was still disconcerting. Ii taught me not to lower my guard becasue it is only a black bear. I encountered several in the deep old growth at around 40 yards or less. They did not move off but held their ground. I had to give way to them most of the time. This was in the Alaskan bush where these bears have probably never seen people. They were not habituated and not the least bit afraid of humans.
 
HERE is a recent Cliff Jacobson article on guns for bears, how to get them into Canada, and how to maintain them on a canoe trip.
 
Ha ha, that was good Glenn! I have the Kolpin case that Cliff mentions, basically a dry bag for guns. It's pretty awesome, I've used it lots. Up here you can duck hunt from a boat or canoe if there is no motor attached, I'm planning on doing that in about 15 days. Think I might buy a bear licence next week too, just in case. Maybe I could use my new freighter to transport a bear, instead of all the gear needed to scare the bejesus out of one, lol.
 
memaquay, There was an old advertisement for a Sawyer Charger years ago, a big 18 1/2 foot gear hauler.
In the ad two guys were coming back from a successful moose hunt.
I would love to have another one.
 
We used to carry those battery powered electric fences for penning stock at night in Wyoming. No corral building in wilderness areas. Not sure they'd stop a motivated bear.
 
Too bad every picture link in the OP now seems to be broken. Some of those products looked very interesting, and the pictures took a lot of time for me to assemble and post.
 
We used to carry those battery powered electric fences for penning stock at night in Wyoming. No corral building in wilderness areas. Not sure they'd stop a motivated bear.

They work. They're standard practice in Alaska. They'll put out over 5000 volts if you set them up right.
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