Backpacking in Grizzly Bear Country
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
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I love your approach of giving people tips and options, but always saying "here are some options, and this is what worked for me, but it may not be what you choose do," the way you treat your viewers as rational adults who can weigh options and decide for themselves. Thank for the tips!
Semantics.
When she says “ I myself” that’s the disclaimer. When she says things like “make noise” that’s simply a universal fact and doesn’t require any “thats just what I do.”
Dixie has humility so I don’t see why you feel a need to school her on a social norm she is not violating.
@@NosyHausfrau I wasn't schooling her, I was thanking her. I literally said, "I love your approach" and thanked her for treating her viewers like adults.
"Throw the children to the bear" I couldn't stop laughing hahahahaha. Great information, thanks!
Romeras600 Me too!! 😂😂😂
So you should not do that?
Sorry kids...no use taking you along on hikes anymore.
What do think abouteletric fences in grizzly country.
Those bear spray pics were amazing. Had me in tears 😂😂😂
Great video. FYI, Fish & Game officials in both Kananaskis County and Banff National Park in Alberta advise against relying on bear bells as a method for bear, awareness. The bears hear the bells but don’t react much to them. Human conversation, as shown in Dixie’s video, travels well through the forest and bears do react. My dogs (leashed) and I did surprise a Grizzly while descending a mountain in Kananaskis, just as we were getting into the tree line. The Griz stepped out in front of us at about 75 feet. There was a comical, 5 second, pregnant pause as all parties, bear, dogs and human, paused in mid-stride in a confused “WTF?” moment. In the next five seconds I’d pulled my bear spray and tugged on the dog leashes with a quiet “this way” command and started slowly backing away. The Griz remained frozen in mid-stride, staring at us. Having gotten the Titanic reversed and moving away from the iceberg, after about 30 seconds or so I took a few seconds to glance upslope to check out some trees we could move out of sight behind. The Griz took that moment of inattention to disappear over a lip and downslope. We could hear it clattering away. I would describe it as a “professional” encounter as all parties, bear, dogs and human, disengaged as they should have. The dogs said nothing, which was very helpful. We hike in Grizzly Country all the time. Don’t surprise something you’d never want to meet. Guns are generally illegal in the parks here and I’ve never seen a hiker with one.
charltor6 I’m so surprised your dogs didn’t react. Are they generally quiet or where they just scared shitless like everyone else? lol
Lion - We live in the country, with the Rockies next door. The dogs see deer, elk, coyotes and other critters daily. Cougars are around the house sometimes, there have been black bears in the yard and one time two large male Grizzlies were walking near the house. I had a wolf cross the road right behind me when out for a run a few months ago. I think the dogs thought the Grizzly was just a big cow so were just curious but not worried. Everyone was calm. Golden Retrievers are pretty quiet. They hike in Grizzly Country every weekend.
@@charltor6 Why do people use dogs to hunt bears then if bears aren't afraid of dogs? I've seen bears running from dogs before. Isn't that the norm?
"There was a comical, 5 second, pregnant pause as all parties, bear, dogs and human, paused in mid-stride in a confused “WTF?” moment." lololololol
"Lions and Tigers and Bears,,,,OH MY"!!!!...........And then there is Dixie's Harmonica.......The scariest thing on the Trail.
Great video, Dixie! Be especially 'bear aware' if the wind is in your face. If the wind is at your back, the bear will smell you much sooner and have a chance to vamoose. If you're walking into a headwind, make more noise and slow down to reduce the chances of a surprise encounter. Great tip about doing dinner before you finish your hike for the day. I live in a high bear traffic area, and have learned that applying a little ammonia to things like trash cans works wonders. They really don't like the smell. I've never tried it, but wiping down a food bag with a little ammonia might go a long way toward killing any residual food smell and making your stuff unattractive to a bruin -- might be worth a try.
Thanks for the ammonia idea I will surely use it.
You have an excellent manner of conveying your story and helpful hints. Since I hike and camp a lot in bear territories, I agree with what you were saying. It is always great to see your videos. I. Was in Yellowstone in June 2018 when I was bluff charged by a bear, ca mb e within twenty feet. Happens in a heartbeat. But being calm and assessing the situation is a l.j ways the smart move. Yes. I had bear spray, but it all happened so fast I could not get it on the initial charge. So, knowing the basic rules your were suggesting work.
Thanks Dixie. Do a post video of all of you telling the best trail stories. That would be great.
And you can't legally bring guns into the national parks or Bob Marshall Wilderness, can you? Also, it's hard to believe that spray will stop a brownie in prey drive or any female protecting her cubs. They'll hit you before they feel the effects of the spray. Jingle bells seems more like good bear etiquette to me or taking my chances with not getting caught with a Glock converted to 460.
@@sbgroen you can carry in The Bob
Steven B. Groen I’d never heard of that round until now. I may have to invest in one of those conversion guns.
When I realized that you were hiking alone in grizzly country i was so nervous for you. Then when I watched the episode where ya'll were night hiking in grizzly country i was nervous again. Girl, every Wednesday i was like, alright Dixie, you're killing me. Loved every minute of it.
We use bear bells to warn skunks while walking our dogs in the city. Lots of people say sounds like Christmas 😊. But we don’t hear them anymore. They keep the multitude of skunks from being surprised
Your videos are always so informative and helpful. It’s been amazing watching you grow and learn over the years Dixie! ❤️
Safe “Triple-Crowner!” Congrats Dixie! Your videos have encouraged my girlfriend, who was very afraid before, to backpack with me. We hiked 40 miles of the wonderland trail around Mt. Rainier this summer. Not sure if she’ll hike one of the big trails but thanks to you, it’s at least part of the conversation.
8
Debora Rollinger 8?? 🤔
You should always carry pepper spray and wear a little bell when in bear country. PRO TIP - You can determine the kind of bear in the area by examining their scat. Black bear scat contains small twigs, leaves, and berries while grizzly bear scat smells like pepper spray and contains little bells.
Re: the blast of bear spray, when I was working up in Denali NP we were always told to spray it in a downward angle towards the bear at 20 yards away, so that it puffs up into the bear's face, whereas spraying it straight ahead could result in it rising out of eye level by the time the bear hits where you sprayed...have never had to test this though :D
You can identify black bear and grizzly bear poop this way: Black bear poop has seeds and berries in it.. Grizzly bear poop has bear bells in it!!!
And smells like pepper spray.
@@MarkAndShelleyHike ahhhhhh, pepper spray poo
If you wear bear bells you are likely to be attacked by other hikers. Noise pollution you know.
hey, the bear like capsaicin too, dont forget to douse yourself in bear spray.
I died laughing at your comment 🤣🤣🤣
Love your t-shirt Dixie!
Found myself frantically searching for it online. No luck. Ha!!!!
I believe Neitzche said it first.
I like that the fear of Grizzly’s keeps a lot of people out of the backcountry in the Northern Rockies.
Great vid, thanks Dixie, I really enjoyed that. The one trip I had where I camped many nights in grizzly country, it turns out our guide had been attacked by a grizzly before. Fortunately he waited until the last night of the camping trip to tell us about his encounter. He was way up in the north of Canada when attacked. I know what you mean about hiking in a grizzly area. I hiked by myself down a trail where rangers had recently seen a grizzly. There's something about that that makes you feel both very alive and more attached to the world. And of course I was pretty nervous too.
Used one of those pull alarms (eAlarm+), it worked. My ears rang for a bit, but it worked. Had it clipped to a belt loop. Grizz ran. Was singing and ranting and making plenty of noise, and it squared off anyway. The alarm did the trick. Had bear spray handy as backup.
Looking into try the CDT maybe in 2021. And after lots of watching I think these two would be my combo go to, loud blaster of some kind & a bear spray. I'm not from the USA and I've had no experience with bears, I'm a bit weirded out about the idea of sleeping in a tent in bear country...might have to invest in a backpacking electric fence as my luxury item 😂😂😂 maybe leave the clothes at home & hike in the buff to save weight! I've camped all over the world, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland, Europe but pretty much nothing's gonna eat u in those places.
@@jackillin Tiger and leopard in India and Nepal?
@@jackillin l just started to consider doing the CDT on 2021. This may be a solution? No idea if they are legal (l don't see why they shouldn't). th-cam.com/video/b9ig8UUe03M/w-d-xo.html Maybe see you on the trail (?)
If I hike alone in Grizzly Bear Country I put a couple of pebbles in an empty plastic bottle that I keep in my hand and use as a rattle in iffy areas. The best thing is I don't need to add anything to my gear.
Since the 70's and have been hiking in Montana grizzly country and have been attaching a big jingle bell to my foot. The bells never seemed to ring much attached to my pack. Now I am an old guy still hiking in Montana grizzly country with a jingle attached to my foot. I have not run into a grizzly on a trail yet. Seems to be working so far. I plan to keep attaching a jingle bell to my foot when I hike. Say "hi" when you hear me on the trail.
Bear spray AND hand held Air horn . Unless the bear is in full attack mode the sudden loud air horn along with the spray makes the best deturant .
Great job thank you I really like the Eating before before you get you get to your campsite seem like a great idea
Thumb nail totally needs to be the logo for merch contest! Love it!
I’m so happy that you are still pumping out vids Dixie, I look forward to these so much. You’re such a warm, kind, & beautiful girl, inside & out, & you inspire the hell out of me😬😍🇨🇦♥️come do the great divide trail with me someday, you wouldn’t be disappointed ✌️
Great stuff there Dixie! Bear country is beautiful country! Thanks for sharing!
Hello Dixie, sincere thanks to you for this timely information. Trout season in the Northern Sierras will open month, so I will definitely carry bear spray. Be safe out there and again thank you for the information. 🤗
Totally awesome presentation about a serious situation that could happen. Love the way that you present your video's.
Dixie, you have given the best direction that I have ever heard concerning bears..very informative! Thanks a bunch, have followed you through each of your hikes, you are the best!!! 😄
Grissly bear experts in British Colombia do recommend bear spray. It is 98% efficient. That is what I use, and I have spent over 5 summers living in grissly bear country. Hey , Thank you so much Dixie for sharing this very important information on how to behave in bear country. It is so important to not feed ANY bears. They are starting to shut down trails where peoples have been careless. Congratulation again on your triple crown you mountain Queen...
How did they come up with that statistic, namely, 98% efficient? It sounds like the American Dental Association puffing up Crest toothpaste.
Grizzlies don't typically climb trees. They just knock them down.
And for a Thru hiker bear spray is going to be much lighter than a gun that will do more than tickle them.
I lived in Montana for 17 yrs and often walked alone in bear country. I used to hit two rocks together while walking on the trail
Ya make noise. Also on the carcass mention, if you hear crows and ravens etc. nearby, give them a wide birth and go around, assume it's a bear kill.
Dixie, your videos are both informative and inspiring. Thank you.
I haven't yet tried this, but I've long thought, through years of hunting and general outdoorsyness, that no animal willingly attacks a skunk. If a predator cannot gain an upper hand on prey through surprise it will starve, and every instinct tells any predator that being sprayed by a skunk equals starvation. Skunk....scent? Is available at outlets that have supplies for trapping to mask human scent. No, I've never trapped and would not unless in a survival situation. It doesn't take much, just a tiny bit on the soles of one's shoes should do the trick, but I still strongly recommend carrying bear spray, the skunk scent only acts as a warning and a deterrent, defense is best left to bear spray. The most powerful firearm is unlikely to instantly disable an attacking grizzly and will possibly enrage or frighten it enough to make it dispatch you quickly as opposed to exploring an apparently dead lump of not-prey-i'm-familiar-with human. Animals eat what they're used to unless they're starving.
Thank you so much, Dixie. This is so educational.
Thanks for posting "Crazy Grizzly Gal"!!!
I'm good on the Grizzlies.....I'll hike in the other 46....47 states
The way I distinguish black from grizz tracks is the distance of the claw marks from the foot pads. On the front feet grizz have long stretched out claws that leave marks a few inches from the toe pad marks. Black bear claws are short and more hooked for climbing trees. The claw marks will be much closer to the toe pads, usually about an inch or less depending on the size of the bear.
Hey, Dixie! Thank you for the info. Bears can be intimidating for sure. My family and I walked up on a brown bear hiking the Jenny Lake Loop Trail. Whew!
I liked the advice to hang your food bag Down wind of where you sleep. The triangle camp set up is good advice. Excellent training video.
your date with the bear spray has me rolling lmaooo
Saw a video recently of someone now doing the AT, but had done the Wonderland trail who came across a Brown Bear (Grizzly). She waited it out and it eventually ran off.
Just the video I was looking for on bear vs hiker advice. Cheers Dixie!
Bill Brysan's A Walk In The Woods had a number of hilarious summaries of what to do about bears.
Great advice, thank you! I love bears!
Wise advice! Thank you!
While living outside Yellowstone long time local outdoor wisdom was bear spray + a firearm.
This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best video thumbnail you have ever released!
that is a great thumb nail
Super cool thumbnail! Made myself a hot cocoa and casted the video on the big tv screen right away :)
Very good advice ❤️
I lived in AK 3.5 years, I lived among them. I never saw one near my house. Lots of moose. Im about to move back.
Love your videos, Dixie! Would love to see how you keep physically conditioned off-trail in between thru hikes!
Always love your content! For someone so hike experienced you remain fabulously relatable, most and humble (and articulate!). Have you ever done or thought of doing the GDT in Canada? Looks amazing, I am hoping to do it and the northern part of the CDT in 2024🤞
Come along!
😁 Greg
Next video: Top Ten songs to scare off Grizzly bears?
Michael Baker Dayyyy-o
Yo, ANY songs sung by ME will ward off a bear attack! 😉
Anything by the Captain & Tennille, like th-cam.com/video/xjloX_EvYiI/w-d-xo.html
I recommend Rammstein songs
Any song I sing will scare of a Grizzly. I love atonal music.
Excellent and interesting video, as always. Thanks, Dixie.
Giant bears, with lasers!
Grizzly bear with heat vision? 😮
I remeber growing up my mom was demonstrating how to use bear spray... I accidentally got a facefull of the mist... Lemme tell you, that hurts like no bodys business
Good tips...don’t be a human burrito! Back in the day, I use to lie awake alone in my tent looking up bear statistics on my blackberry instead of sleeping.
Ha ha ha! This sounds like what goes thru my head in the woods.
I stayed at a National Forest campsite that had the camp grill, fire pit, and food locker within 20 feet of the tent area. This was the first time I was visited by a bear while camping, he poked around the campsite, mostly around the food locker and left. But he hung around for a good 2 hours. I didn't sleep much that night...
A toot on a whistle every now and then works if you don’t have bear bells. Plus it’s a great signaling device if injured in the back country.
Omg the quality of this video is amazing! Hope you’re doing well and resting Dixie! Haha
Thank you for the reasoned talk on hiking in Grizzly country, or just all bear, lion and wolf and bison country. The dynamics of hikers and Grizzly interactions are getting interesting. It seem much like the bashing and charging done by Griz on hikers seem to be territorial and just annoyance; I going to put this furless two legged in his place ' just like they were some sort of out of line bear teenager. And to me the most dangerous large critters in the Rockies are moose, bison, elderly lions and juvenile bears first away from Momma. Moist of the Griz I have seen and encountered, have not given so much as a never mind. I love watchingtehm, at a distance, go about their mission of the day.The biggest danger to bears are sloppy campers and outfitters that habituate bears to human food, fear mongering pistoleros looking for a gun fight and I always love the wildlife experts down at the smokey diner wanting to "put the bear in his place:, you listening Dubois, West Yellowstone or Gardiner?
"Bear-alling" down the trail :) Could be a pun!
Great info. Thanks Dixie
Congrats on the triple crown Dixie! That is an incredible accomplishment. 👏🏻👏🏻
You’re an inspiration to this old lady who is now a hiker! I would have never gone out hiking if it weren’t for your video encouragement. Lol 🦋
Once when I went camping in bear country, we had a bear canister. But we couldn't get it open! It was comical after the fact, but at the time it was so frustrating!
Evans backpacking channel has a video of a guy who's ursack got ripped open by a bear on the AT. It I remember correctly the bear ripped opened several peoples ursack. So I am not sure that's such a great idea.
🌯 BURRITO!!! 😆 thanks Dixie- this has been the best video on 🐻 bears and the best advice about eating and hiking further up the trail BEFORE setting up camp for the night.
thanks so much for all your advice. safe travels
Great video! Thanks for including the most up-to-date info on how to deal with grizzlies. Just as an aside, the park service, forest service, etc., all take donations of bear spray from hikers who don't need their cans anymore. Most cans of bear spray cost about 50 bucks a can. Some places allow you to rent the cans, provided you bring them back full. Yellowstone has a place at Canyon Village where you can rent the bear spray. A lot of the bear spray that rangers use was actually donated by visitors. FYI, bear spray also has an expiration date. The spray won't be as effective after this date. :)
Thanks for that info. Nice to know.
We had a bear spray can that was over 25 years old so we decided to use it for practice. We learned at least three things. One is that it still worked after all that time. Second, the wind will blow it back. Third, bear spray is really seriously irritating!
Come to think of it, I'll just hike through EASTERN Wyoming and Montana to get to Canada. The EASTERN part has elk and antelope, which are really the sweetest wildlife!!
Grizzlies are also in Colorado! Northern Colorado specifically, but they will likely travel further down into CO into the next few years
Hey Dixie so with the clothes you cook in, do you put it in your pack and keep it in your tent?
No, you are advised to hang them and your stash away from your tent.
I learned so much in this video, thank you! Please please do that video with the bear bag hanging, you've gotten me excited 🐻🍕🍔🌮🍗🍟🍭
Again, a lot of good information given. Whether you're an experienced "bear country" hiker or not, Thank you for sharing.
I read an article about 35 years ago that said a last resort if you think a grizzly is going to attack and the bear is starting to get close you should throw a sweaty article of clothing between you and the bear. A hat, bandanna, shirt, etc…. Supposedly they don’t like the smell of humans and it might detire the bear from attacking. Luckily I never had to try it.
You hiked right through my back yard - Glacier National Park! A good read is "Night of the Grizzlies ". It happened right here in GNP.
We have a simple bear ID test.
How do you tell the difference between Grizz crap & Black bear crap..?
The Grizz crap has bear bells in it and smells like pepper spray!!
Thanks for the video...
15:55
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great info!!
If you do have to use bear spray around your camp....pack up and find a new camping spot! Once fired, bearspray becomes an attractant, so more bears will come check you out. Bear spray also needs to be fired into the face of the bear to work. We're sit down camping/mining in Alaska above the treeline so most tactics aren't going to work. We haul in a heavy electric fence to keep the bears out, and if we have to, AK-47's with 8M3 ammunition. Trip planning also works in our favor, as we plan so that the bears are occupied downstream fishing for salmon rather than trying to mooch off our camp.Let me know when you're going to hike the North Country Trail, and when you'd be in the Deer Park to Grand Maris section. Use fly spray for horses to keep the black/stable flies at bay, and wear light colors. Have seen wolf tracks on the beach stalking people with pets, but haven't heard of an attack yet. This year (19), the black bear will have newborn cubs and will be VERY protective.
Great video, heading to Bob Marshall for 7 days next week. Thanks so much.
Love watching your videos! Your very informative and give lots of opinions.👍👍
I live in Canada just outside of Waterton National Park and do alot of hiking in Glacier National. I have bear spray and I sometimes take bear bangers/whistlers. I also always have a fox-40 whistle.
Great advice, I'll show this video to the bear education team we have in town, the way you present things like this are very well done. Who knows.....maybe they'll use some of it to educate the kids. RAWR I'M A BEAR!!!!!!!!!!
I spent 4 weeks at a gold pan camp about 12 miles west on Nome, AK. I have a pic of a paw print next to my hat. I also have a pic from a helicopter of a mama with her two cubs.
15:52 was my favorite part
I carry two of the 8.1 Oz cans of bear spray. One is my back up. Fear is I'll damage one or use it up.
The attacks i've heard about bears and hikers is when they surprise the bear, like come up over a hill and BAM. Apart from that, random attacks like one kid that was attacked (i think he was from India or something), even while he was in a group on the Appalachian trail a few years ago.
Attacks against hikers where i live (Sweden) is fortunately rare. I've heard that there are bears wandering around near northern Stockholm where i live (according to tracks and droppings some observers have seen), but i've never seen or heard one.
If you're like me and live in a country where bearspray isn't an option, what i have heard is to get salt or something that you can throw towards the eyes (if they attack), and lots of it because you will probably miss a couple of times.
Also, get some clean extra underwear - for obvious reasons :o)
Hikers surprise bears a majority of the time. Bears have a one track mind for food or mating, and they often fail to notice hikers, particularly if the bear is a juvenile. Despite surprise encounters, bears rarely attack.
The three deadly scenarios for bear encounters are 1) inadvertently threatening a mother with cubs 2) inadvertently threatening a bear's food supply 3) encountering grizzlies that routinely prey on large animals.
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to ameliorate these scenarios. Making noise can help you avoid #1 and #3, but it will also invite an attack in scenario 2. Being silent might help avoid conflict with an angry bear over food, but it might also cause you to encounter a mother with cubs.
That's why bear spray is necessary in grizzly country, and it's probably smart to have wherever it's legal.
always great to see you dixie thanks for the info I'm sure it's going to help someone stay safe :)
I read quite a few articles from zoologists who clamed that a black bear are more likely to attack you and see you like a prey then grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are just bigger, but acording to them, balck bears are more agresive.
4:18 - wow, I thought that leaf by your left ear was a bear.
Excellent advice. Very objective, entertaining presentation. Life is about choices. If I was planning a through hike, I would get with a Hiking Club, or join a local hike/backpacking club and make arrangements to travel with a group of people. Personally, I wouldn't hike solo out west where there are not only Grizzly bears, but there can be mountain lions, and other creatures that might do you harm.
I would NOT hike or camp in a National Park that does not allow me to protect myself. So if Yosemite doesn't allow firearms, I don't go to Yosemite. There are a lot of other places to backpack. I don't necessarily want to carry a firearm large enough to put down a Grizzly, which would be a 44 Mag pistol or a rifle. A 44 Mag pistol is heavy and difficult to carry along with all your other gear. Toting a rifle is out of the question. Even if I would be traveling with a group, I would have my stout wooden hiking stick, my 6" Hunting Knife. and a neck knife. If I were backpacking I would invest in Bear Spray too. www.rei.com/search?q=Counter+Assault+Bear+Spray+
www.walmart.com/ip/Counter-Assault-Bear-Deterrent-With-Holster-10-2-Ounces/913146243?wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=2114322467&tmode=0000
Keep in mind that I am beyond the age that I would do a through hike, I mostly do local day hikes or short hike/camping trips in my home state. So Dixie's advice covers backpackers very well.
A bearitto.. heh. I adore your videos and can't wait to put some of this into practice. those last photos, just beautiful!
Well done! You have gotten so much wonderful info in this video! I am also very scared to hike in Grizzly country too, and yet I still do. I have been very blessed to not run into them. I do a lot of praying too. :D I definitely prefer bear spray from all I have read. Hope you can come up and enjoy it here in MT again! Happy Trails!
Always hike in pairs. You don’t have to outrun the bear. You just need to outrun your hiking partner.
"If it's black, shout back, if it's brown, lie down, if it's white, good night."
I enjoyed this video, but especially the conversations about pieces (guns for the non-military) vs. bear spray. Personally, I prefer bear spray. I spent over 30 years in the military and also grew up hunting; I'm familiar with firearms. I was in Special Operations in Vietnam, and I know how accurate people are in a close encounter situation. Let's just say that, well, most people, no matter how well trained, tend to be rather inaccurate in a close situation. Adrenaline takes over and, well, sometimes you are lucky and most of the time you are not. That's why military people are given M4 carbines and lots of ammunition. Massive firepower is your friend in a combat situation, but I would be, um, rather nervous hiking with a person who carried a piece with a 30 round clip. In a close encounter with anything, be it a bear or a human, people tend to just start shooting. This causes collateral damage. Not a good thing, The good thing about bear spray is that it is kind of like a nuclear weapon; it covers a large area, and doesn't give a sh*t who it sprays. Could be a bear (a good thing), could be a Marmot (it'll get over it) or it could be a human (in some cases, a good thing). Living in SW Montana, I carry bear spray every time I go hiking or camping. I also have a canister on top of our refrigerator because in the late spring and early fall bear (all black bear) encounters are common. Personally, I've found that bear spray works really well on moose, which, if you commonly hike in bear and moose country, is a Good Thing. Moose are a much more dangerous animal to encounter than bears. ANYWAY, I enjoyed reading the stories about the macho people who carry large caliber weapons into the backcountry for something other than hunting. Good for you. Feel free, as long as it's legal. I don't care. Just don't point the damn thing towards anything remotely resembles a radian to me or I'll sh*t and the hogs will eat me. And then you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life. Everyone have a nice day
Walt, I’ve shot hand guns a lot and have concluded we only hear about the “lucky” shots that happen during a bear encounter. I’ve decided I’m much better off with bear spray, unless I’m actually hunting. Your assessment is right on target!
There are also grizzlies in the northern Sierra Nevada's. I encountered one behind the Donner pass rest area on I- 80. It was digging in a garbage can. It ran off when it saw me, then came back to the trash. I saw me a second time because I was watching it. Then I called the state police and told them. They thought I said the bear was using the rest area and had a laugh at first.
I was hiking on the NC Mountains To Sea Trail last year. It was a beautiful and peaceful hike. I started hearing a faint ringing. Progressively it got louder until finally encountering a man with bear bells. That was my only experience hearing them, and I think being attacked by a bear may be less painful than hearing that bell. 😂
Great video, appreciate your approach to these more informational vids. Any tips on Mountain Lions? Seems like there has been an increase in activity in the Pacific Northwest this year.
I live in Mt Lion country, though I've only seen prints and scat. The NPS recommends that you act big, if you have a dog or children with you, make sure they stand right next to you, and don't uner any circumstances kneel down or run. That just makes you prey. Also, if you are attacked, fight back with all you have, because a Mt Lion is always hunting and not just defending territory if it attacks you. They will not stop until you are dead. Fortunately, I've never had a Mt. Lion encounter, but that's what the NPS says to do.
Personally I don't carry damn bear canisters! Spent most my time in predator country and just use an ursack and stealth camp. That bieng usually don't eat where I sleep, always hike with my English Labrador, he is my first alarm, 10mm is always with me as well. Never had to use it yet! Do whatever make you feel comfortable.
Best advice ... always hike with someone you can out-run.
True 😂 I was surfing in Costa Rica and asked a local where was a good place to paddle out & sit for waves near the rivermouth. His reply was, 'yeah, go straight out opposite blah blah and just make sure there's a couple of people between u and the rivermouth!' Ha, yeah I'd heard an occasional croc swam down river to the sea at that spot.😅 I took his advice just incase.
Dixie, someone may have already mentioned this. I saw a ranger with bear spray, he said when you play dead to spray across yourself also to deter the bear. Hope that makes sense to you. Thanks.😀