Bear aware

Loghauler

Well-Known Member
So mostly a psa which I’m glad to be able to make and a whole lot of what have others experienced and what to gain in knowledge to avoid a negative outcome

My story is up where I was hauling from in the monashee mountains there is mouse, elk bears haven’t seen grizzly, deer white tail wolves all verified first hand so on breakup I decided to spend some time on the park trails and surrounding area it is the one of the most beautiful interior areas I’ve been able to enjoy found a really nice shed only one side
Was hiking on a deactivated road and several klms away from my pickup and comfortable with my surroundings it was my tenth ish hike
Lol and behold a full grown black bear I’m guessing around five hundred lbs as easily one of the biggest I’ve seen steps out into the road and starts toward me. I didn’t have time to poop my pants trust me or I would have
I just remembered my dad scaring a bear away from our yard when I was a kid the conservation officer trapped it latter that month in the carport as it had developed a taste for dog food the officer said so that’s where they set up, it was a youngster about two hundred lbs and they hauled it off
So I whooped half barked louder than I ever have and thought of how moose rock their antlers and started swinging my pack above my head he stopped on the first bark/whoop on the second I got my pack into action on the third he crashed back into bush the way he came and I let out a couple more to keep him going as if it might help. It was a quick hike back to the safety of my pickup but it felt slow too because I was making sure my friend hadn’t changed his mind about me
Didn’t even have my pocket knife lol duh not that it would have done much has anyone actually used the bear spray on a bear ?
I realize if it was a griz I’d be dead with or without spray or a single tooth/knife I’ve talked to the local park ranger and the griz don’t come down to the river valley Shuswap
What does everyone do/use I need to up my game a bit and no firearms although the it’s the nuclear option lol
Ps just a little blade I found after the grader plowed it’s a western made in Bolder Colorado L66 I am putting part of the moose antler on it
 

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best thing you can do is go out with your slower, fatter ‘friend’.

I used to fish the chekamus and columbia rivers quite regularly when we lived in those areas, bear spray and a knife was part of the regular kit. I’ve come across plenty of bears, most didnt know or care that I was there.

Grizzlies are becoming increasingly more common. We had a mother and cub cut through our backyard when we lived in Nelson and I’ve seen 4 (group of 3 together and 1 solo) along the rail trail outside of town about 1/2km apart.
 
I didn’t like the way this guy kept coming towards me and lowered his head
Like you say most I’ve seen have been oblivious too
This time felt different glad for my hand me down lesson Dad 🙏🏻
 
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Or:

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I carry both when on duty as a Dangerous Wildlife Monitor.

Cheers
 
I've heard mixed reviews about bear spray. In the late 90s there was a guy from the lower mainland that killed a sow bear (can't remember black or Griz) with a knife. I believe he stabbed her in the eye or ear and she walked away and died. He wasn't in great shape but lived to talk about it. He got rag dolled pretty bad. Used to see quite a few black and grizzly bears when I was young up in Prince George and Fort Nelson. Got growled at by a Griz as we rode our bikes past on the highway between Mount Robson and Jasper. Came across a Griz on a trail at Mount Robson one time, that was concerning but it ran once it heard us make noise. Griz were everywhere at the head of Knights and Bute inlets at the logging camps. Never had a firearm during any of these times but never have I wished I had one, well maybe on the trail at Mount Robson.
 
Got lots of bear stories, due to over 50 yrs hunting and bushwacking (I'm 70), too many to tell here.
That being said, one thing I learnt early was to gut and pack out your kill in a hurry. The grizz up north consider a gunshot a dinner bell, as they usually can follow it to a gut pile.
 
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