I've been thinking about going to the bush in the area for scouting this spring and summer and follow it up during fall hunting season. One question I have is how do you guys deal with any bear or wolf attack? I am sure we have quiet a few of these in Northern Ontario. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks.
Is it often that you guys run into bears or wolves? do people worry about those? how agressive or dangerous are they? any techniques to avoid them safely?
Dangers in the bush ...Bear attack
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northbaydude
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:47 pm
- Location: North Bay Ontario Canada
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Dangers in the bush ...Bear attack
Last edited by northbaydude on Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Northbaydude
Looking for hunting groups and/or frineds in North Bay Ontario area
Looking for hunting groups and/or frineds in North Bay Ontario area
My tip if you were worried about it, would be to go get a can of "Bear Off" it is a high powered peper spray that is well.. made for keeping the bears away. Thats my best advice.
Mike
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Grizzly Adam
- Posts: 5701
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:36 pm
- Location: Decatur County, Indiana
I live in one of the heaviest black-bear concentrations in the eastern United States, in a very rural and remote area ... I see bears daily during many months of the year, and have lots of experience in living with them.
My own experienced opinion is that you cannot trust them to run or back down, and that it is foolish to take chances with them. They are large and potentially dangerous wild animals that can easily maim or kill you, and they are all individuals. There is no blanket statement that applies to every one you'll run into. I do not think you need to be in dread fear of them; I do think you need to respect them, and believe that you cannot trust them or take them casually.
I've never had a really bad experience. I have known some to be very surly and aggressive. I had to kill one that advanced in spite of all warnings. Most are good bears and run when I run into them.
I am usually armed when poking about in the brush, woods, and swamps here on my farm.
My preferred method of dealing with nuisance bears is to catch them unawares, in the act, and to surprise them by spotlighting them and screaming like a madman with a roaring loud voice. When they are a suitable distance away (70 yards or so), I reinforce their shock and fear with a "swat" of birdshot ... and watch them put it in fifth gear. They seldom come back after this rude treatment.
If you choose to arm yourself for defense, use a suitable handgun in a sufficient caliber (I like a .44 magnum with proper bullets) that you are capable of using under stress, or a slug-loaded shotgun, or a carbine rifle.
Most bears will be greatly troubled to encounter you. Some will not be. Most bears will flee your presence. Some won't. While it is highly unlikely, an attack is always a possibility. It's up to you to be responsibly ready.
My own experienced opinion is that you cannot trust them to run or back down, and that it is foolish to take chances with them. They are large and potentially dangerous wild animals that can easily maim or kill you, and they are all individuals. There is no blanket statement that applies to every one you'll run into. I do not think you need to be in dread fear of them; I do think you need to respect them, and believe that you cannot trust them or take them casually.
I've never had a really bad experience. I have known some to be very surly and aggressive. I had to kill one that advanced in spite of all warnings. Most are good bears and run when I run into them.
I am usually armed when poking about in the brush, woods, and swamps here on my farm.
My preferred method of dealing with nuisance bears is to catch them unawares, in the act, and to surprise them by spotlighting them and screaming like a madman with a roaring loud voice. When they are a suitable distance away (70 yards or so), I reinforce their shock and fear with a "swat" of birdshot ... and watch them put it in fifth gear. They seldom come back after this rude treatment.
If you choose to arm yourself for defense, use a suitable handgun in a sufficient caliber (I like a .44 magnum with proper bullets) that you are capable of using under stress, or a slug-loaded shotgun, or a carbine rifle.
Most bears will be greatly troubled to encounter you. Some will not be. Most bears will flee your presence. Some won't. While it is highly unlikely, an attack is always a possibility. It's up to you to be responsibly ready.
Grizz
Probably the easiest way to avoid coming into contact with a bear is to follow an old hikers trick...fasten a small bell on your outer clothing when you venture into the woods. This will make a dinging noise and provide bear with advance notice of your approach. Most often a bear will prefer to leave the area before he's seen as compared to when you are both quiet and stumble upon each other at the same time, that's when things get ugly.
For back up, you may wish to carry pepper spray, but don't buy the ones meter readers use...look for something more the size of spray paint.
Good luck on your scouting.
For back up, you may wish to carry pepper spray, but don't buy the ones meter readers use...look for something more the size of spray paint.
Good luck on your scouting.
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bait pile willie
- Posts: 657
- Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:56 pm
- Location: london ontario.
make noise when you walk bears will run off . trouble arises when you startle them,or you are bent over doing something and they may mistake you for a calf moose.carry pepper spray sinc we can not carry side arms in canada.the problem is nobody knows for sure why a bear will attack.wolf attacks are almost unheard of,however there was a male killed in north man or sask. a year or to ago.
Any bear's I've encountered in the bush seem to run the opposite direction as fast as they can. I'm alway's a little nervous approaching an area where there's a gut pile especially if it's still dark but this only happen's in hunting situation's and have a firearm. If you don't carry a firearm hike with a buddy that can't run as fast as you!
Growing up out in Alberta I learned to respect bears. I would never trust them even if "most" will run from you. If I'm not hunting (carrying a gun, that is) I carry a large can of bear spray (pepper spray). It's a proven defense if you get into trouble - sometimes better than using a gun.
We used to call those little bells that tourists use to warn off bears "dinner bells" LOL
We used to call those little bells that tourists use to warn off bears "dinner bells" LOL
I have the large size pepper spray but it always seems to be in the spam instead of on my belt when I run into one. I see bears every day as my property is right in the middle of their path to the berry bushes. Most are good bears and run off when they see me. There is one big male however that is particulaly aggresive if he has a female with him. He went after a meter reader last year and the only thing that saved her was her 10 lb dog. It charged the bear giving her enough time to leap back into her car. Mothers and cubs are something to deal with. The cubs are in constant motion running around like kids and can put you between them and their mother in a heart beat. Had one female come after my son while he was sitting in the tractor. Im not sure how to deal with them. They'll come right up on the front porch and look in the window. There are always nose prints on the glass. I'm thinking about installing some sort of bar/cage thing on the front steps to stop them but then there are the back windows and doors and they are there to. My cat goes nuts at night when the bears are around and it keeps us all awake with its howling and hissing. I always find it amazing how an animal that large can slip up behind me in the woods. I never seem to hear them until they're almost on top of me. My bears run into the 500 to 600 lb range and the ones I saw on this web site from North Carolina are trulely awsome. Potatoe fed bears indeed. I have a funny story to tell. My wife's parents are scared to death of the bears and always stayed plastered to the windows watching me when ever I go out in the yard to work. I had left one day to go into town and my wife decided to take a bath. She's in the Jacuzzi with the radio on happily splashing away. Her folk decided to go sit on the front porch while she was in the bath and accidentaly locked the front door behind them. They were out there about five minutes when a four hundred pound female popped out of the woods and started walking right towards them. They couldn't get back in the house and were franticly screaming and pounding on the door. You could almost hear the Jaws music theme as this was going on. Im surprized they didn't both croak from fear. My wife finally got out of the tub and let them in as the bear was now only about 30 feet away. It came right on up the front steps and looked in the window. By the way - The meter reader's dog died.
Be careful scouting in the Spring.
A few years ago (not that long) a woman was attacked and killed up you way when she got between a bear and her cubs. This kind of situation is very dangerous.
Like others said, you should carry bear repelland. A BIG can of it. Even then the effective range of the spray is not that far.
Here's a link to a video that I'm glad I didn't take.
http://www.udap.com/images/video/BearAttack.wmv
http://www.udap.com/markfullstory.htm
Check the hunt regs and if the season for something like coyotes is open then get a licence and carry a rifle.
Of course your other option is to take a buddy with you. One that can't run as fast as you.
A few years ago (not that long) a woman was attacked and killed up you way when she got between a bear and her cubs. This kind of situation is very dangerous.
Like others said, you should carry bear repelland. A BIG can of it. Even then the effective range of the spray is not that far.
Here's a link to a video that I'm glad I didn't take.
http://www.udap.com/images/video/BearAttack.wmv
http://www.udap.com/markfullstory.htm
Check the hunt regs and if the season for something like coyotes is open then get a licence and carry a rifle.
Of course your other option is to take a buddy with you. One that can't run as fast as you.
[img]http://photobucket.com/albums/b38/allan_w_/th_tinybuck3hj1.gif[/img]
Exocet your options and exCalibur8 your sights.
Exocet your options and exCalibur8 your sights.
Holy smokes A.W.. That was freaky. I can just see myself trying to get the can out of its holster, flipping off the safety, reading the directions not to point it at my face, taking aim, taking a dump, etc. How long did all that take 2 to 3 seconds? Thats how I always thought a bear would attack. No standing up on hind paws, no slowy walking at you, just a frontal charge designed to knock you flat and do its thing. I saw a video once where the bear knocked the victim down and then vicerated him with its hind claws. Gutted the poor soul in seconds.
This is the story of an attack that happened to an aquaintance of mine in the Temagami area of Ontario:
http://tinyurl.com/yl8m2u
http://tinyurl.com/yl8m2u
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BOB7255KHZ
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:26 pm
- Location: Pa
I live in the Allegheny National Forest in NW PA.
I am able to leave my home , walk a short distance and will come across the black bear/ family.
Several years ago my wife and I decided to go for a long walk in the freshly fallen snow to take in nature......we slowly walked for a good mile on a wooded path, nice peaceful afternoon walk.
We both agreed to go back the same way we came through as it was kind of hard walking as the snow was pretty deep. We started to back track our steps.....about 40 yards on our return we came across large bear tracks ....which were following us till we turned around. The tracks shot off the path ......guess the bear was watching us coming back through.......the tracks followed us from the begining of our walk for over a mile till our turn back point. The prints were large, the stride was so large I could not straddle them .....NO ENCOUNTER.
Archery season I arrowed a large buck just before dusk.....perfect shot.....it ran 60 yards.....I heard it crash and give it's " death moan". By the time I gathered my belongings from my tree stand , well it was pretty dark.....figured I'd come home for a flashlight, and get my son to help me drag it out.
We went over to where I thought the deer went down.....no deer to be found.....no blood trail. We both searched high and low around the area......THEN my son YELLS out from about 100 yards or so " HEY, IS THIS YOUR DEER "? I went over to were he was shouting from.....my son pulls the deer out from underneath a large blow down 150 yards from where I knew it went down. Pulling the deer out from the blow down by it's antlers......yikkkkes , the chest was split wide open like it had been opened with an axe.....still steamin !!! About 20 yards behind us we heard deep growling sounds emitting from the darknesss......you never seen two flashlights go through the woods so fast.....BUT NO ENCOUNTER. I have seen this same bear on several occasions before this while I was bow hunting as it would walk by the bottom of my ladder stand ...NO ENCOUNTER.
At another location.....I was down in a valley while my son was walking a deer trail on a hill side..... he yells down to me that there are are few deer running out in front of him..... I looked up the hill toward him......3 little bear cubs coming down a tree fast as could be.....following momma bear as they ran away.....NO ENCOUNTER.
Buddy of mine down the road comes home from work one night....goes into the bed room to take shoes off / get undressed...while his wife was sleeping. He sits at edge of bed removing shoes....heard a noise behind him which he thought was his wife....darn bear was knocking out the screen out of the br window ready to enter .... bear musta seen his lovely wife ( yea right ) and left quickly. NO ENCOUNTER.
Well , I have other stories.....but don't want to bore ya all.....heeee heeee.
Oh by the way....I heard that the pepper spray will scare the bear away if used at close distance.....like 10 / 15 feet.......or closer.....
BUT after the spray .... the spray becomes a bear attractant and the bear / bears will frequent the area for the chemicals.
Bob in Pa
I am able to leave my home , walk a short distance and will come across the black bear/ family.
Several years ago my wife and I decided to go for a long walk in the freshly fallen snow to take in nature......we slowly walked for a good mile on a wooded path, nice peaceful afternoon walk.
We both agreed to go back the same way we came through as it was kind of hard walking as the snow was pretty deep. We started to back track our steps.....about 40 yards on our return we came across large bear tracks ....which were following us till we turned around. The tracks shot off the path ......guess the bear was watching us coming back through.......the tracks followed us from the begining of our walk for over a mile till our turn back point. The prints were large, the stride was so large I could not straddle them .....NO ENCOUNTER.
Archery season I arrowed a large buck just before dusk.....perfect shot.....it ran 60 yards.....I heard it crash and give it's " death moan". By the time I gathered my belongings from my tree stand , well it was pretty dark.....figured I'd come home for a flashlight, and get my son to help me drag it out.
We went over to where I thought the deer went down.....no deer to be found.....no blood trail. We both searched high and low around the area......THEN my son YELLS out from about 100 yards or so " HEY, IS THIS YOUR DEER "? I went over to were he was shouting from.....my son pulls the deer out from underneath a large blow down 150 yards from where I knew it went down. Pulling the deer out from the blow down by it's antlers......yikkkkes , the chest was split wide open like it had been opened with an axe.....still steamin !!! About 20 yards behind us we heard deep growling sounds emitting from the darknesss......you never seen two flashlights go through the woods so fast.....BUT NO ENCOUNTER. I have seen this same bear on several occasions before this while I was bow hunting as it would walk by the bottom of my ladder stand ...NO ENCOUNTER.
At another location.....I was down in a valley while my son was walking a deer trail on a hill side..... he yells down to me that there are are few deer running out in front of him..... I looked up the hill toward him......3 little bear cubs coming down a tree fast as could be.....following momma bear as they ran away.....NO ENCOUNTER.
Buddy of mine down the road comes home from work one night....goes into the bed room to take shoes off / get undressed...while his wife was sleeping. He sits at edge of bed removing shoes....heard a noise behind him which he thought was his wife....darn bear was knocking out the screen out of the br window ready to enter .... bear musta seen his lovely wife ( yea right ) and left quickly. NO ENCOUNTER.
Well , I have other stories.....but don't want to bore ya all.....heeee heeee.
Oh by the way....I heard that the pepper spray will scare the bear away if used at close distance.....like 10 / 15 feet.......or closer.....
BUT after the spray .... the spray becomes a bear attractant and the bear / bears will frequent the area for the chemicals.
Bob in Pa
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Highlander
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:40 am
- Location: Central, Ontario
I live in bear country too and I walk the woods every day in spring, ussually with a camera or a bag for collecting morels. Every one I've ever seen has been running away from me, once they figure out what I am. I'm sure a lot more just stood still and let me walk by. They generally want no trouble but, as others have said, they are wild, unpredictable animals. I'm far more nervous, however, around cow moose wih calfs.
Once during turkey season my buddy and I walked through a group of 5 bears. We were downwind, had full face camo on and meandered slowly towards them. They let us get real close before they got nervous and fled. We weren't nervous; we were both armed with 12 gauges.
I generally, don't carry a thing but a hunting knife during my spring walks. I stick, for the most part, to the open hardwoods -- in almost all cases I have encoutered bear, they have been near, or in, wetlands or around berry patches.
Because we have a snowshoe hare season open to June 15, as I suspect you do, you could conceivably carry a crossbow, .22, or twelve gauge as long as the crossbow and shotgun are geared up for big game and you had a small game licence.
We see most of our bear at the dumps...they are a different animal altogether. Not shy....
Once during turkey season my buddy and I walked through a group of 5 bears. We were downwind, had full face camo on and meandered slowly towards them. They let us get real close before they got nervous and fled. We weren't nervous; we were both armed with 12 gauges.
I generally, don't carry a thing but a hunting knife during my spring walks. I stick, for the most part, to the open hardwoods -- in almost all cases I have encoutered bear, they have been near, or in, wetlands or around berry patches.
Because we have a snowshoe hare season open to June 15, as I suspect you do, you could conceivably carry a crossbow, .22, or twelve gauge as long as the crossbow and shotgun are geared up for big game and you had a small game licence.
We see most of our bear at the dumps...they are a different animal altogether. Not shy....