I think the bear just got bored. It didn’t seem to be trying all that hard. It did circle the compound several times, though, seemingly looking for an easy way in.
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Happy Scream Day! 😱
Bears in the ADKs
- Thread starter Patrick Corry
- Start date
I used to obsess about paddling the Seal and other rivers in the region. I didn’t want to do it as part of outfitter trip with a bunch of strangers. And then I found out more about the polar bears and that deterred me. PaddlingPitt has confirmed that I won’t be going up there to paddle. Definitely would want some real firepower when standing before a polar bear rather than a small can of condiments. Awesome pics!
As Paddlin Pitt mentioned, bear spray does have an expiry date on it, although expired spray has been tested and found to be better than no spray. Having been back sprayed once, i will never use it again,as i was completely incapacitated, and probably well spiced if the bear wanted to devour me. Bangers have been my go-to, and I have used them in the bush a few times with great success. However, bangers will generally not work if the bears have gotten used to humans. Bears come into our town every year, you can hear bangers going off every night, and they learn to view them as harmless.
And in fact, noise doesn’t always work, even with wilderness bears. I first bought my rifle in 1980, as people whose opinion I trusted said they would never backpack into British Columbia’s Southern Chilcotin Mountains in the spring without a gun because of so many bears just getting up. Indeed, Kathleen and I had always seen them on our spring trips. So, there we were in our usual first-night camp, which we had previously named Bruin Meadow, cooking breakfast, trusty new .308 close at hand. Moments later a black bear wandered into our small meadow. Kathleen climbed a tree, while I picked up the rifle. Bear ambled out the back of the meadow. This happened two more times. Up and down the tree went Kathleen. Then a fourth black bear entered the meadow. Kathleen went up the tree a fourth time. Mere moments later, a Grizzly joined our breakfast gathering.
”Kathleen, now there’s two bears in the meadow!”
”Why don’t you fire a warning shot?”
I didn’t really like that idea. I had one cartridge in the chamber, and four in the magazine. If both bears resented the noise, and charged, I would have only four rounds to deal with two bears. And, besides, I’m not a hunter. No guarantee at all that I could win the battle. Anyway, I fired the warning shot. Black bear bolted out of the back of the meadow. Grizzly got up on its hind legs and stared directly at me, sniffing the air. I could read the look in his eyes.
”I’m headed this way. Out of the back of the meadow. But if you do that one more time, I’m gonna come over their and rip your sorry butt to little tiny shreds.”
Bear expert Stephen Herrero advises to avoid threatening a grizzly with loud noises. If the Grizzly believes that it has no escape route, then it is likely that one of you is going to die.
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Here is a recent article about the various ways to deter black and brown bears from a "retired Alaska Department of Fish & Game biologist, fascinated by bears and how they interact with humans. I was raised in Alaska, studied black bears for my master’s thesis and taught firearm, hunter and bear-safety courses." He conducted 41 interviews for the article, and concludes that warning shots are often effective, but with downsides, and that even charging a bear with two screaming guys has worked.
Age Verification - NRA
www.americanhunter.org
Very interesting collection of anecdotes, Glenn. I was particularly impressed by the two guys charging and yelling at the Grizzly. Despite their success, I really don’t see Kathleen and me doing that. I enjoyed the last line of the article:
”Stalking brown bears in the dark is a great way to pressure test your cardiovascular system.”
”Stalking brown bears in the dark is a great way to pressure test your cardiovascular system.”
In 40+ years of backpacking and canoe camping in the ADKs I have only had a bear in my camp one time. That was back in the early '90s, on the Oswegatchie River during a particularly dry summer. Natural food sources were scarce so some were hitting campsites up and down the river. It was so bad that the DEC had a warning notice at the put-in at Inlet. Fortunately, other than that, I have had no other incidents. Like others have said, a clean camp is key. I also try to not cook in the immediate area where I sleep and hang my food bag or tie my Ursack a good distance from the campsite. Anything that has odors (including toiletries) goes in the food bag or Ursack.
I think it all depends on the bears natural food supply. We camped in Glacier National Park in a developed campground. There were strict rules about food storage. It all had to go in a steel locker. You were not allowed to have food visible on your campsite unless you were eating it.
We had a bear in camp .. The campsite was surrounded by berry bushes and the berries were ripe.. It was the last campsite and we had been assigned to it....
We have bears at home and none bother us but there has always been ample nuts and berries around.
They seem to lack the curious factor save the one by our mailbox waiting for his Amazon box. Wild animals can indeed come to camp just cause they are curious about the new smell.
We had a bear in camp .. The campsite was surrounded by berry bushes and the berries were ripe.. It was the last campsite and we had been assigned to it....
We have bears at home and none bother us but there has always been ample nuts and berries around.
They seem to lack the curious factor save the one by our mailbox waiting for his Amazon box. Wild animals can indeed come to camp just cause they are curious about the new smell.
Returned safely... but altered my plans because of forecasted weather. Oh, and no bear sightings either!
I returned to the St. Regis Canoe Area since I didn't want to visit the new-to-me Whitney Wilderness in less than good weather. I wasn't worried about my comfort or any safety issues.. I just didn't want to miss any new scenery in the event there was fog, or reduced visibility.
On my way home, south from the SRCA, I did however scout the put-in and take-out that I had planned on for the Whitney trip. Since I'm solo I will eventually drop my canoe at Little Tupper Lake, drive to Low's Lower Dam and leave my truck, then bicycle back to Little Tupper to start my trip next time. It was good to have a first hand look at the bike ride. I realized that I would have to leave more time for the truck/bike shuttle than I had realized when simply looking at the map!
Trip report in the SCRA to follow in the next several days...
I returned to the St. Regis Canoe Area since I didn't want to visit the new-to-me Whitney Wilderness in less than good weather. I wasn't worried about my comfort or any safety issues.. I just didn't want to miss any new scenery in the event there was fog, or reduced visibility.
On my way home, south from the SRCA, I did however scout the put-in and take-out that I had planned on for the Whitney trip. Since I'm solo I will eventually drop my canoe at Little Tupper Lake, drive to Low's Lower Dam and leave my truck, then bicycle back to Little Tupper to start my trip next time. It was good to have a first hand look at the bike ride. I realized that I would have to leave more time for the truck/bike shuttle than I had realized when simply looking at the map!
Trip report in the SCRA to follow in the next several days...
LOL there is nothing like paddling from the other end of LTL to the put in at the Ranger station in the fog! Surreal experience. A little nauseating too. I knew I would not paddle off the end of the world as I had a compass and was headed in the right direction but still..... Along about site 6 the fog cleared
