The Bravest Or Craziest Camper

[den's wife]

Years ago when my husband and I were camping out west we met a girl who was tenting it with, only her dog for company. We had a van with a pop-up. We traveled together for a couple of weeks. Since it was the fall, there were black bears roaming around. One morning we got up to find our empty coolers, which we'd left outside, were destroyed. Kim said she heard a bear moving around outside her tent and did everything possible to keep her dog quiet. We asked her why she hadn't yelled out or pounded on our door. She said she didn't want to wake us up. I sure wouldn't have sat out there like that. I'm not sure if she was brave or crazy, but thank goodness she was okay.

 

[Lamebeaver]

Smart girl. If her dog had confronted the bear, it could have turned into an ugly incident. I hope you don't leave your coolers outside anymore. Sorry, but that was irresponsible and stupid.

 

[Michelle]

Maybe she was too afraid to make a run for it to your door. I would've done the same thing-stayed put and stayed quiet.

 

[ejdixon]

I think she did the right thing. Any noise or movement would have just attracted the bear even more. Staying quiet and still can make you appear less interesting to the bear and, hopefully, will eventually leave you alone.

 

[Newanderthal]

I agree with lamebeaver. Last thing you want to do is antagonize a predator while it's feeding. If you left your coolers outside in bear country, shame on you. Provoking the bear would have prompted a hospital visit. She did the right thing by keeping quiet and letting the bear have its fun.

Always hang your food-smelling items up out of reach. If the bear gets his paws on something, keep your distance and consider it lost.

If you want to take food from a bear in order to save your cooler, go right ahead. You'll only make that mistake once.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Bear bags are needed in places where you didn't need to worry 20 years ago. I spent a lot of time on the AT in Pennsylvania. 20 years ago I never even considered hanging my food, but with the rise in black bear populations I always do now. Bear/human confrontations can happen any where in the lower 48, even in places that have been traditionally bear free and it just makes good sense to me to not take the chance of a chance encounter.

 

[carmen]

I would never upset a bear, I know I could not take it in a fight & a dog would be rabbit meat to a wolf. I am guessing part shock and part smarts would have been her issue, would she have actually woken you up without disturbing the bear at the same time?

 

[ppine]

The lady was not brave or crazy, she had experience, but maybe not enough to store the food properly.

 

[Grandpa]

The lady was not brave or crazy, she had experience, but maybe not enough to store the food properly.

The way I read it, wasn't Kim's coolers but Den's wife coolers. Either way, once the bear has found the food, back off and draw no attention.

 

[JenVarsity]

I agree that keeping quiet was probably the right thing to do. If the bear had heard any distracting noise it could have been disasterous.

We have run into bears on many occasions in the country and they will even chase down a pickup truck if it ticks them off.

 

[dinosaur]

I think that may have been me outside the tent grunting because I had to pee. But I was really drunk at the time.

 

[littlefire]

I'm convinced in that situation I would have sat there, shocked, instead of running or fighting. It's a good thing she kept a hold of her dog or it could have been a very nasty outcome.

 

[Mr.E]

I agree that keeping quiet was probably the right thing to do. If the bear had heard any distracting noise it could have been disasterous.

We have run into bears on many occasions in the country and they will even chase down a pickup truck if it ticks them off.

So would my dad's Jack Russell Terrier... and we took her camping all the time!
Were we brave or stupid? :tinysmile_tongue_t:

 

[TroyS]

The lady was not brave or crazy, she had experience, but maybe not enough to store the food properly.

Agree with you ppine. She was smart enough not to cause more attention to the bear by keeping her dog quiet and still. I'm just curious though, is food the only thing that would cause a bear to curiously wander into your campsite, or are there are other things that can spark their interest?

 

[IndianaHiker]

Kim sounds like she has some experience. Sounds like the only thing that she did wrong was not to either A camp somewhere else. or B advise you all to do something with those coolers. While psychologically you felt safer in the van the reality of the situation that bear could have opened the van as easily as her tent.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Agree with you ppine. She was smart enough not to cause more attention to the bear by keeping her dog quiet and still. I'm just curious though, is food the only thing that would cause a bear to curiously wander into your campsite, or are there are other things that can spark their interest?

Bears will be attracted by anything that smells good to them. Things like toothpaste, deoderant,bugspray,etc...

 

[dkramarczyk]

Wow. I may have done the same thing as her. I would have felt like I was intruding on you and I would've felt too scared to move. I would've thought that the bear would chase me if I started to run or anything. I usually turn into a deer in the headlights type of thing for those situations.

 

[Grandpa]

If a bear is headed from here to there and your camp is in the way, It will wander right on through. With proper food care, it will have no reason to stop and bother. But if it does find food, let it be. And if cubs are following a sow, move back, do not get between them and move back slowly some more.

 

[clewand550]

She had to be very scared just sitting there by herself with her dog, trying to keep quiet and hope that she would be safe from the bear. I give her a lot of credit for staying put and for thinking that she really needed to stay as quiet as possible. I call that brave.

 

[hummingbirdee]

The girl was lucky. The bear must have been satisfied with the cooler treasures. If there was a smell of food where she was camping, it might have been interesting to the bear. The bear took the course of least resistance. I don't think it wanted to tangle with a dog unless absolutely necessary. Even though the dog was as quiet as possible, the bear knew it was there. It could smell the dog. It is important never to leave food out when camping in bear country. A fed bear is a dead bear.