No "tent camping" at some parks due to Grizzly Bear attack fears

[Melensdad]

As many with Snowcats spend time well away from civilization, this potential rule could affect some of your winter camping. Within some national parks, or other federal lands, it looks like it could be hard sided Trailers or Campers only. They are afraid of the danger of Grizzly Bear attacks. Initially this will affect YELLOWSTONE only, but may expand to other lands.

Forest officials study grizzly bear danger at campgrounds : Outdoors

. . . “The goal was initially to look at the causal factors that would put a campground at greater risk for grizzly bear incidents,” said Marna Daley, Gallatin National Forest public affairs officer.

Those concerns seemed more valid after two hikers in Yellowstone were killed by grizzly bears in the summer of 2011.

At a meeting next month, the supervisors will receive the information that Forest Service grizzly bear coordinator Dan Tyres has gathered over the past two years after visiting 166 developed campgrounds around the park.

In addition to providing a practical inventory of what is in each campground — everything from the number of sites to how many food storage boxes may be present — the information will include bear distribution in the forests based on 21 years of data. . .



Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyl...472-5452-aa4f-7f289dd6f910.html#ixzz2A2QtNxo7
​

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

well as you all know i spend a lot of time in bear country i quite often am sleeping under the stars or in a tent with bears all around here are some rules that apply. #1 sleep with a bigg ass gun my choice is a desert eagle 50 #2 no food in your tent keep it in a good ice box or sealed pellican type container these 2 rules will keep yoy alive. its my belief that because of rule #2 i have never had to use rule#1.

 

[Melensdad]

I was backpacking along the Appalachian Trail and had all the food for our campsite in my backpack, which was dangling about 10' off the ground from a tree branch. There were black bears in the area, one stopped by for a visit. We found scratch marks about 8' up the side of the tree where the bear was clawing trying to get at my pack.

You are right about the need for correct food storage out in the back country, it must be away from people, away from the campsite, and out of reach of the animals that can eat you.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

good idea where you have trees my policy is no food in tents this includes eating all eating is done out side with the buggs . as i remember an incedent from the national guard where we had a guy eating peanut butter and crackers in his sleeping bag which resulted in a bear visiting him after sun down one guy had some live ammo for his ar which with a good shot he was able to kill the bear before it had inflicted serious injury on the soldier who working to be a darwin award canidate. the worst ppart about it was rather than congradulated the soldier with the live ammo was repramended for taking ammo to the field training exersize.

 

[treeeman00]

boy does that ever sound like my guard unit!

 

[Melensdad]

. . . the worst ppart about it was rather than congradulated the soldier with the live ammo was repramended for taking ammo to the field training exersize.

boy does that ever sound like my guard unit!

Can't trust a soldier with live ammo.

 

[treeeman00]

lol...your right, some of them you cant!

 

[Melensdad]

lol...your right, some of them you cant!

Some of the finest people I've ever met have chosen to make the military as a career . . . and some of the biggest dipshits I know have tried to do the same.

I wonder if the dipshits want to go tent camping in Yellowstone?

 

[F.A.A.C. Slim]

I have had black bear "visits" up at my mining claims...they would get into the shack and pretty much bust up everything. I have a 2-burner stove, wood stove etc. in the shack and cook & eat in it for the past 5 years. Then I started filling balloons with ammonia and hanging them outside on the door of the shack....once 2 years ago I found one of those balloons burst.....I have never seen any sign of bear since and now when I leave the shack (like last night) I just throw some ammonia from a bottle around the door. And yes DDS I too have a gun and am glad not to have to use it!

 

[EastTexFrank]

Don, I usually don't go camping in bear country but if I did I'd adhere to your rules.

I have overnighted in Yellowstone and I was amazed at some of the things people did. Eating directly in front of their tent or inside it (especially the kids) really surprised me. I saw some people use "bear" containers for their food or haul it up into a tree but they were stored right next to the tent ... and not nearly high enough. The Ranger that came by didn't seem too worried about it. He was more interested in people lighting fires and running generators.

I agree with the "big ass pistol" rule too but if you miss with that cannon you could take out a couple of your neighbors. But, if they're the ones eating in their tents or dangling their food in nets six feet off the ground, maybe it's not a bad thing.

 

[Helmsman38]

well as you all know i spend a lot of time in bear country i quite often am sleeping under the stars or in a tent with bears all around here are some rules that apply. #1 sleep with a bigg ass gun my choice is a desert eagle 50 #2 no food in your tent keep it in a good ice box or sealed pellican type container these 2 rules will keep yoy alive. its my belief that because of rule #2 i have never had to use rule#1.

Rule #3 never cook and eat close to where you sleep . and for sure never leave your fish in your boat Illiamna someone left the fish guts on the side of the boat came out in the morning and all that was left was dental floss the raft was shreaded

 

[EastTexFrank]

Something else that surprised on that Yellowstone trip was how stupid people can be and how far they will go to get that picture of a lifetime. It's like they are hiding behind the camera and they think that they are invisible.

We were up there in early May and it had been a late spring. The bears were just coming out of hibernation and they were hungry and I assumed mean as hell. The Rangers, carrying rifles, were trying to keep people back at a safe distance from a momma bear and two cubs and were taking abuse for it. I thought it would have been a real pity if one of the Rangers would have had to shoot the bear to protect some of those asses.

The second incident occurred when we were walking back from seeing one of the mud pots. We were on the path surrounded by scrubby trees. We turned a corner and just ahead of us were 4 bison slowly crossing the path. We stopped, stood and quietly waited. A guy pushed past us and got within 10 feet of this big bull to get a picture with his cell phone. The bull stopped, turned and looked at him. Undoubtably a great photo but if that bull hadn't been used to people or was just having a bad day, it could have stomped his ass in no time flat.

Are people so divorced from nature these days that they just don't appreciate how dangerous some of these animals can be?

 

[Melensdad]

. . . Are people so divorced from nature these days that they just don't appreciate how dangerous some of these animals can be?

Yes. Because on TV they look so cute and cuddly.

I once saw a mother and her kids stop on the side of the road (in Tennessee) to approach a modest size black bear and give it a stick of gum. She held it in her hands and reached toward its mouth. Others stopped to photograph her lunacy.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

Don, I usually don't go camping in bear country but if I did I'd adhere to your rules.

I have overnighted in Yellowstone and I was amazed at some of the things people did. Eating directly in front of their tent or inside it (especially the kids) really surprised me. I saw some people use "bear" containers for their food or haul it up into a tree but they were stored right next to the tent ... and not nearly high enough. The Ranger that came by didn't seem too worried about it. He was more interested in people lighting fires and running generators.

I agree with the "big ass pistol" rule too but if you miss with that cannon you could take out a couple of your neighbors. But, if they're the ones eating in their tents or dangling their food in nets six feet off the ground, maybe it's not a bad thing.

the cannon i own is an 1895 marlin re worked for a cartrage known as the 50 alaskan look it up . the only use for a pistol is to buy you enough time to get to a rifle the only time pistols work on large critters is if they are up closer than i want to be to them if one decised to pounce on the tent i can move a pistol around and get off a good shot much easyer than i can with my rifle. all i do is sleep with the pistol the rifle is what i carry. i have killed 2 bears in self defence one penetrated length wise in a 7 foot griz the other one was a head shot at just shy of 100 yards it split the skull in 2 nothing has ever needed more than 1 shot to kill it with that gun