Bear Damage.

[Torch]

I fly out to a small lake near Fairbanks. I use a small boat on the lake. The guy that owns the boat also owns a cabin on the lake. A bear tore up his cabin because someone that used the cabin was lazy and left a skillet full of grease. Here are some pics of the cabin.

http://www.home.gci.net/~ddwest/t2.jpg
http://www.home.gci.net/~ddwest/t3.jpg

[StewartB]

Shoot bears, not pictures. What's the old saying? Shoot, shovel, Shut-up.
SB

Oh , yah, works on wolves, too!

[Gunny]

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[Ken Grindlay]

Wow, first the bear rips up the cabin, then he defaces it with a corvette poster! Must of been one pissed off bear :-? :-?
Ken

[JP]

Wow...those pics bring back memories. Our maple sugaring/hunting cabin got ransacked by the obligatory Maine Black Bear (not as big as those creatures in Alaska). The damn thing threw the gas stove out on the lawn and licked off all the grease. Cleaned up that stove rather nicely.

Next time I see one from the air loping along I shall drop a water balloon on it for revenge!

[StewartB]

Got any bears in Fall City?
SB

[Gunny]

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[paibre]

I used to live about 6 miles west of Fall City on Hwy 202, we had a couple acres of Blueberries, the Bears were regulars in the late summer!

[StewartB]

I have a different perspective. As a kid I got chased by a black and a griz. Two seperate incidents. Saw my next-door neighbor lay in intensive care for a month after being mauled. He had 1100 stiches. Had my daughter chased out of my front yard by a black that walked up behind her to about 5 feet before my 45 pound Samoyed attacked and treed it. Lost a friend about 5 years ago when a brown killed him. I have no affection for bears. I'll bet the bear that broke into Torch's cabin has done it before. No matter, now it knows how it'll do it again. Bears and people can't coexist successfully. Draw the territorial lines, and enforce them. Ask the young man laying in Providence after a brown mauled him on the Russian River. The famous combat fishery didn't deter the bear. That bear had bluff charged others several times, and nobody took it seriously.
Now a young man fights for his life after losing both eyes. It shouldn't have happened. The bear should have already been dead.
SB

[Gunny]

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[cubdrvr]

Bears and people can't coexist successfully. Draw the territorial lines, and enforce them.

I have to agree with SB........bears are wild dangerous animals and unpredictable. To subject a human life to one of these overgrown dump rats makes no sense to me.

[mvivion]

The problem with that logic, of course, is where do you draw the territorial lines? We wander around in "bear country" all the time. So, would it then be okay for any bear to kill anyone in "bear" country? Or should we just kill all the bears?

One of the reasons many of us love Alaska (substitute a lot of other places here if you like) is that there is always a bit of risk and unknown, things we can't always control. Weather, wilderness, and yes, even these "overgrown dump rats".

I'm a big believer in taking every precaution possible to prevent the miserable little fellows from occupying my camps/cabin, and I work hard at it. Sometimes I fail, and as often as not, it's something I did, or failed to do that invited the bear to come on in.

I've worked on bears and research on them for many years, both brown and black, and they are still fascinating creatures. Don't get me wrong, though, I'd shoot one in a heartbeat if I felt I was threatened.

One of the reasons I sold a cabin a while back is the neighbor, who goes out there only in winter, trashes his property, leaves all sorts of garbage out there, which brings the bears right to my door.

Sometimes it isn't the bear that needs a little electrical stimulation.

We have had great success with electric fences in the last few years in keeping the playful little forest creatures out of our camps. Knock on wood, we've never had a bear in a camp that was protected by a fence, and we're camping in some of the densest populations of black bears anywhere.

Shoot em if you have to, but it is really hard to draw lines on these sorts of things. Better to work on our behaviour and equipment, maybe.

And a little risk keeps you sharp. That's part of flying, too, especially off airport flying.

Philosophical rambling, sorry,

Mike Vivion

[Gunny]

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[Skylar]

Enjoyed comments--Grindlay's humor re: Corvette sticker; Gunny's sharing dad's goof (honey in garage); Stewartb's sad tales of attack; Cubdrver's and Mike Vivion's. Interesting how we can either help condition/habituate bears or steer them clear of us. I'd like to see man and bear coexist but question its probability because of the wildness bred into them. Although I was pretty angry when Daniel Bigley was attacked and critically mauled on the Russian River and wanted to kill every bear around to avenge his injuries, it is not the solution. I'm all for saving man and bears...in that order. I believe with knowledge and preparation we can enter bear country pretty confident that we won't be injured. Probably right at the top of the list of safety factors is carrying a bad attitude there--to be the boss of the woods and to let the bear know that...to be able to back up our bluff. As has already been pointed out, removing a food source reduces man-bear interaction. Being aware of their nature and behavior better enables us to protect ourselves and do them less harm. Having spent portions of the past 37 years in Alaska's woods (since 1966), from Dillingham to the Wrangell's, Southeast, Kodiak, Galena, McGrath, Kotzebue and Tok without a serious bear encounter has been a blessing which I hope continues. I've never had a problem though have been closer than I wanted a few times and had to use the Boss of the Woods mentality on a grizzly or two. Best wishes for safety in the woods and in the air. Larry Kaniut

[Ken Grindlay]

Lots of good comments, but let me add one more factor to the equation. I spend a lot of time in Skyline Drive National Park. The park is reputed to have the hiughest concentration of black bears in the lower 48. I believe that as I see them up close about one trip in three (unless I go looking for them). Now this population of bears has not been hunted since the 1920's or so. They literally have no fear of man. To them we are harmless creatures that often times carry tasty morsels. I firmly believe the national park systems preservation mindset has created the problem. You can hike throught the park and see deer that are starving to death on their feet. The deer are so tame that park rangers arrested a guy three years ago poaching them with a hammer!
They need to close the park one week a year in the fall and hold a lottery for hunters. The refuge system does this to cull deer and feral hogs and it works very well. Hell they could charge $100 apiece, might pay for one of those 2 million dollar outhouses.
Ken

[mvivion]

Dang!!! Hammer hunting is spreading!! My advice, don't try that approach with the bears.

A great book for anyone interested in bear/human interactions is Stephen Hererro's recently updated "Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance". This is an excellent book on how to interact, or more specifically avoid having to interact with bears in the wilds. Hererro is a retired Professor of Wildlife Biology at the University of Alberta, and has spent the past 30 plus years of his career scientifically studying bear/human incidents, largely in the National Parks.

It is an excellent book, which does not sensationalize the subject (which is hard not to do), and offers the best advice on how to act in bear country and around bears that there is.

Hammer hunting for deer.........I like it, it's inexpensive, quiet, simple....

Course, it'll never catch on, for all the above reasons.

Mike Vivion

[T.J.]

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[Skylar]

Ken,
Thanks for the hammer hint-suggestion. Another issue. Tried by 12 or carried by 6. My advice to people is decide before entering bear country controlled by firearms regulations: do you want to end up like the Kluane Lake hiker's wife because you weren't packing? Don't want to read or hear Stephen Herrero's advice on that one...at least not the advice he gave BBC on tape (will check out his revised advice Mike). People have more value than bears. Period. Even if we only had one bear on earth, which is not the case. I think there are more bears now than ever but don't know the stats. Thanks to the email pix of a bear-chewed corpse I've renewed my attention to providing the most up to date info to woods travelers...for instance, re: Daniel Bigley and the Russian River, how safe would bear bonnets be (if bikers wear helmets, why not hikers)? Would they reduce or add to injuries? Something I'm pursuing. And there are other options besides guns. On the other hand, I'm certain that Cynthia Dusel-Bacon and the lady killed last year in the Smoky Mountains of TN would be alive and/or uninjured (or lelss injured) today had they packed a .22 or larger handgun. Safe outings for all. lk

[SuperCub MD]

This is enlightening. You mean that if I stop using my homemade bacon grease and honey bathin' soap, I won't have to carry those heavy S&W 50 cal. mags on each hip?

Bear populations seem to be on the rise, for whatever reason. And more people are moving out into bear teritory. They like to eat what we like to eat. They love our garbage. I think more conflict between our species is inevitable.

I only have experience with our local blacks, which are usually very bashfull, and not agressive. Lots of encounters though, the closest, if I would have stretched out my arm, I could have touched his nose with the tip of my rifle barrel. No shots were fired, no claws were thrown, we parted ways peacefully, hopefully both a little smarter. A little bit of restraint and some common sense goes a long way. Note, though, these are NOT the far northern bruines most of you guys are talking about. These local bears are still hunted a lot, including hunting with dogs. If this hunting was ever decreased, I think there would be a lot more problems.


BTW, hammer hunting works great, no wasted meat.

[Torch]

The problem with that logic, of course, is where do you draw the territorial lines? We wander around in "bear country" all the time. So, would it then be okay for any bear to kill anyone in "bear" country? Or should we just kill all the bears?

One of the reasons many of us love Alaska (substitute a lot of other places here if you like) is that there is always a bit of risk and unknown, things we can't always control. Weather, wilderness, and yes, even these "overgrown dump rats".

I'm a big believer in taking every precaution possible to prevent the miserable little fellows from occupying my camps/cabin, and I work hard at it. Sometimes I fail, and as often as not, it's something I did, or failed to do that invited the bear to come on in.

I've worked on bears and research on them for many years, both brown and black, and they are still fascinating creatures. Don't get me wrong, though, I'd shoot one in a heartbeat if I felt I was threatened.

One of the reasons I sold a cabin a while back is the neighbor, who goes out there only in winter, trashes his property, leaves all sorts of garbage out there, which brings the bears right to my door.

Sometimes it isn't the bear that needs a little electrical stimulation.

We have had great success with electric fences in the last few years in keeping the playful little forest creatures out of our camps. Knock on wood, we've never had a bear in a camp that was protected by a fence, and we're camping in some of the densest populations of black bears anywhere.

Shoot em if you have to, but it is really hard to draw lines on these sorts of things. Better to work on our behaviour and equipment, maybe.

And a little risk keeps you sharp. That's part of flying, too, especially off airport flying.

Philosophical rambling, sorry,

Mike Vivion

Mike,

I couldn't have said that better myself. I really enjoy seeing bears while flying.

Torch

[StewartB]

I overstated my case. I like to see bears, too. Just not on my deck. My neighbor awoke to some noise it the night last weekend to find a blackie looking through her window at her. Her bedroom is on the second floor, with a 3' deck supported by small logs. Another thing, last year in Yakutat I watched an adult brown, be it a young adult, climb a slightly leaning spruce tree, lay down at the top (now leaning about 45*) and take a nap. A buddy has the pictures. Last year, on Afognak, a partner and I were on a hill looking for elk. 6 browns, all from different areas up-valley, came into the open and started flanking the hill, which would have put 6 bears in a creekbed between us and the beach. If you haven't had an adrenaline rush lately, go to Afognak. TJ's right about browns being smart. Those bears knew we were there. They didn't scare. We ran down-valley staying above the alder line. And fast! In the Susitna and Yentna valleys the preditors, including man, have reduced the moose population. Bears and wolves are like us in the respect that they'll travel to find food. Their range is expanding, or they are returning to, areas that we haven't seen them in the last 20 years, including my yard. 6 wolves were in the yard last weekend. There's a whole new subject. If you've ever stood in the woods with a wolf staring at you, you know. Evil. All they see is lunch. And they don't travel alone, so the one you see has buddies you don't see.
SB

[Skylar]

stewartb,
Are you at liberty to say which part of town you live in? I live on the lower hillside and know of a few predators in neighborhood/nearby this summer: black on neighbor's deck across street, coyote in powerline behind his house Friday, brownie in the neighborhood where friends were walking couple weeks back. Maybe it's time for a Cyrano de Bergerac to rise to the occasion, confront our game managers (or their superiors) about anonymously "visiting" some of our Anchorage incubated critters (perhaps kick off your new subject) ? Six wolves in your yard. Wow. It would be neat to have a computerized print out of predators in Anchorage annually since 1965. My daughter drew an elk permit on Afognak a few years back but was unable to go. I'm not sure how we would have dealt with the brownies, as I've heard forever that they come in bunches like bananas and thrive on the elk. Skylar

[StewartB]

I'm talking about my place at Alexander Creek.
SB

[StewartB]

One more troubling story. The last time I fished reds at the Newhalen, the typical brown bears were there, looking for the easy meal of fishermen's fish. In that environment, we know the bears don't want to mess with us, they just want to steal a fish. On one visit down to the rocks by a momma with two cubs, a Colorado tourist decided to defend his fish. He stood with the fish laying between his feet, a whistle in his mouth, a camera in one hand taking pictures, and a 9mm pistol in the other hand aimed at the bear. Several of us asked him to please put his pea-shooter away, but he refused. The last thing the 50 or 60 other fishermen needed was a pissed-off, wounded bear. Now there's an idiot. Fortunately, momma chose somebody else's fish. Contrary to my first statement, I enjoy that kind of experience, less the idiot.
SB

[Skylar]

SB,
I stand corrected. I thought you were referring to AnchorTown. Thanks for sharing re: the Newhalen and the local furry fish watchers. skylar

[Big AK]

Great thread!!! Fun to read.

I'll be headed to the 'Sound' for some island hunting next week-end and the next.....weather permitting.

...Will definitely be shooting a piece big enough to down a browny whose dinner bell may have been my shot on my quarry (black tail).

...Will also piss and pour ammonia around the airplane AND my camp.

...Am also considering a portable electric fence set-up....Heard it works really well and costs less than $100 US and is light enough for a backpacker to haul around...Should carry several around in the airplanes to protect them, as well.

PS If he can be found, SHOOT THE BEAR THAT HARMS A HUMAN!!!

A good 'ass-whooping' should be given to any bear that charges or bluff charges humans, as well. It's for their own good, as well as the next humans.

Sure, we've all had inocuous encounters with blacks and browns, and that's a good thing, but any bear ill-tempered enough to charge a man should be put in his place, with his face and his ass hamburgered.

...my own personal opinion. DMC

[Skylar]

Big AK,
Hope you score on blackie (tail) in the Sound. Enjoyed your post. Looked up electrobraid site today for sun powered electric fence and asked what lengths and testimonials they have. A former Katmai (I think) superintendent had a testimonial, where their product kept all but one bear from the camp (it had been chased in by larger bear). Am thinking it might be a good solution for hunters, campers, hikers (and pilots)--good suggestion re: urine. Another site I checked out today for deterrents suggested human MALE urine was a goodun for keepin' bruin out...noting that NOT female. Interesting...Guess they don't have the testosterone! I've also heard that ammonia and moth balls kept all bears from food in cooler on float trip (one guy). Best. Oh, should you have any tips on the acquisition of blacktails that wouldn't intrude on others' "spots", I'd be interested sometime. My goal is to hunt the Sound one of these days as I think blacktail is at the top of the list of great cuisine. Skylar

[StewartB]

Skylar,
My favorite is Knight Island's "Bay of Isles." Anchor in the cove at Dish Island, no weather can get to you there. Perry Island is next. West Bay is usually protected. I have a friend that likes Green Island, because it's got lower terrain. Another likes LaTouche, since fewer hunters go that far. If there's snow, and the deer are on the beach, it's easy. Otherwise, get ready to climb. Not much opportunity for planes on these islands, though.
SB

[Skylar]

SB,
Thanks for the headsup on the Sound. Have been as far as Blackstone Bay once...about 20 years ago in a Zodiac. Some day I hope to go for "bambi" out there. Sky

[pak]

Big AK, how do you give a misbehaving bear a "good ass-whooping" without shooting it? I heard today that a bear hit 3 or 4 planes one night over on the West side.pak

[mvivion]

The best thing we've found to discourage bears is a good electric fence (we use the Red Snapr brand), and when at close range, a 12 guage shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds, available in Anchorage at Northern Security Supply, now on the Old Seward, just past Tudor, if you're heading into town. Ask for the bean bags, stay away from the rubber bullets, or plastic slugs.

They also carry various other 12 guage launched devices of varying utility.

The bean bags put a good case of the hurts on a bear, though, with very little risk of doing permanent harm. We've been very successful with them in field situations.

Just make sure you've got a real gun backing you up, and/or a 12 GA slug right behind the bean bag, in case mr. Bruin takes offense.

As to peeing all over everything, good luck. It's a great excuse to drink lots of beer, but beyond that, there's no evidence that it actually has any effect. I'm talking about evidence, folks, not just "somebody says".

It's like the guys on the Peninsula a couple years ago who decided that pepper spray was a bear attractant, since they sprayed it on the ground and a bear came and rolled in it two days later. You could argue that a rifle is a bear attractant as well if you left it leaning against a tree and the bear chewed on it, by the same logic.

You really have to watch all this "this absolutely works to keep bears away" stuff. If it's been tested, and is in widespread use, it may help, if not, don't bet on it.

Electric fences have been used extensively in both Canada and Alaska for many years, and have a great documented track record. Bean bag rounds have been extensively used by government workers, and in the Prudhoe Bay bear project. They work, and are safe.

Mike Vivion

[SJ]

This is a fascinating thread. Many of you have heard me say that I used to be afraid of two things, flying and bears - and I still have a healty fear of bears.

Sounds like I am not such a fraidy-cat afterall...

sj

[StewartB]

Mike,
My Yakutat fishing partner carries a freon boat horn. He says it has worked at scaring bears, but they haven't been on the offensive when he tried it.
SB

[PA12driver]

Wow,

Read all the posts and got homesick! The one thing I miss since moving from Alaska is the "bears". I grew up with them (only 7 miles from the Russian River in Cooperlanding (originally moved there in 1957) I to have had a few run in's with both black and brown bears. My sister was littery run over by a black bear while hiking down from Upper Russian (before the tourists) even knew Alaska existed) She (my sister) was wearing a knapsack filled with Rainbows and the bear saw it as lunch! She when attacked (played dead) or passed out-never could get the straight scoop) the bear took the pack, and left a few deap gnashes but never the less, she got away and the bear got lunch. I to also lost a good friend in SE Alaska to An Brown bear that tore his head off! (litterly) This poor chap was in the wrong place at the wrong time! (he was very knowledgable of bears and in fact the son of one of the Best Bear Guides ever (Carl Lane) for those of you that go back a few years? I have on my wall the skull of an 10ft+ bear that I shot with a "450 fuller" (TJ we talked about that one? The bear came out from behind a fallen log in Gambier Bay while I was walking out, (deer hunting) He was not curious, he was hungry, mad and F$$%^&king huge! I shot him in Self defense at less then 20ft, and he stopped after 3-510grain slugs tore half his head off and one to the chest and one in the spine that broke down his ass end! After cleaning the Sh$%t from my pants, during the skinning process I found (4) 222 slugs festered in his hind end (I would have been pissed to) I don't blame the bear, but I do respect them, and if they attack or even bluff charge within 50 feet, I too will shoot first and ask for forgivenenss later!

Many more Stories are available from any of us that live around bears! But the bottom line is they are wild and un predictable. Some areas have poorly managed (both) the humans and the wild life!

Still the Brown bear is my favorite subject to Watch, photograph and in the past hunt (yes I too hunted them for sport with both a Bow and a Rifle!

Tim

[Big AK]

For PAK: "how do you give a bear a good 'ass-whoopin' without having to shoot him?"

With a hammer?!

No, seriously, how could it be done without shooting him????.

...shooting him with bird shot?

....not too different from Vivion's bean-bag shot idea....Have a "REAL" gun for back-up.

...Have chased off a blacky in the Sound with a can of pepper spray. Gave him a faceful of pepper after treeing him. I had back-up. This was a largish juvenile (I think) that had become socialized to one very nice and well-used boat-camping spot. He showed very little fear, even to bottle-rockets or firecrackers. He didn't have big enough balls for two smelly humans, though, who had pepper spray and a peashooter.

Listened to a story last night of a deer hunt on some not-to-be-named island in the Sound(Montague). A Browny was close to and on top of a downed blacktail at about the time the hunters (one is my story-teller) had unsheathed the knives. One of 'em ran, leaving his pack AND rifle, the other picked up the extra rifle and followed his buddy yelling at him to stop and get his gun so they could back each other up.

Finally caught him and handed him his rifle, then went back to the cabin. Two days later he suggested they go back up and get what was left of the pack with camera, watch, and jewelry taken off for the deer dressing chore. The other guy said, "..naw, I'll just go to work tomorrow and make the money to buy replacements."

They haven't hunted together since. But I guess my storyteller developed the "Noose-technique" to hunting Montague blacktails....Once a deer is downed, the shooter and a back-up get to the animal, noose him, and drag him down-hill to a waiting boat, and load into the boat. They motor around the next corner to dress the kill so as to get away from the soon to arrive "dinner bell" bear.

'nuff said. DMC

PS how about that puncuation on -12 drivers' post. Sheesh, Tim, drinkin' already at 3PM? :D

[FlipFlop]

PS how about that puncuation on -12 drivers' post. Sheesh, Tim, drinkin' already at 3PM? :D

And you thought the red eyes were a reflection of the red paint... :splat:

[SJ]

Now now, boys:

Punctuation and non-phonetic spelling are not expected or required on this site. It is a conversation... If Tim chooses not to take a breath, well, that maybe how he converses...

I'm just happy to see people typing! I don't care about spelling or grammar, we get the message!

sj

[PA12driver]

Sorry for being long winded with the keyboard! Heck I did get my ejumacation at Cooper Landing School! Highschool by Correspondence and the rest by hard knocks! I just wish there was a spelling chcker on this here board, (may be there will be when some of the complainers start contributing???

Thanks for the great bear tales guys (should make for some good new book material for Larry?

Tim

[T.J.]

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[StewartB]

The blackie that walked-up to my daughter got an ass-whooping. He was in the tree, but I had a 12' 2x4, and I made good use of it. The instinct to protect your child is hard to control. I've never been so angry, and that bear knew it. He probably still thinks his name is Mother-F----er. (No gun at the cabin, a mistake I'll never make again.)
SB

[mvivion]

Bird shot as a bear deterrent is a bad idea. I've used it, 30 years ago, before there were some better deterrents. Problem with bird shot is if you hit an eye with a pellet or two.... Not a good thing.

The bean bag rounds, on the other hand, have been used extensively on all three species of bears in AK and I've never heard of a problem with them.

Fire one of these puppies at a 2X6, from about 15 yards, and it'll leave a square shaped imprint about a half inch deep. In flesh, that'd have to hurt.

Mike V

[Yellsback]

Mike,

I couldn't have said that better myself. I really enjoy seeing bears while flying.

Torch

I second that.

Growing up in Wyoming I was taught to respect, rather than fear bears, mountian lions, rattlesnakes, etc. Of course self-defense is sometimes necessary, but for the most part you can keep yourself out of trouble if you just use common sense - don't try to ride the buffalo in Yellowstone or leave your food out when camping, and so on.

I'm also finding that no matter how great we humans think we are, we're STILL part of the food chain. Granted we're high up there, but if a great white bites you while scuba diving, no surprise really - your dressed in black and have flippers, yep you DO look like a seal.

With that happy thought.. :o ...Cheers, Kate

[FlipFlop]

but if a great white bites you while scuba diving, no surprise really - your dressed in black and have flippers, yep you DO look like a seal.

With that happy thought.. :o ...Cheers, Kate


Happened this week near here at Avila Beach... :(

[StewartB]

Another thought. If you've ever fried anything, you know that even after you clean everything up, your house still smells like fried food the next day. Once we inhabit a cabin, the scents of humans and human food are there no matter how well you clean. By the way, the best bear bait I've found is glazed doughnuts. I have 4 buildings at my cabin. The cabin, a shop/shed, a generator shed/outhouse, and a fuel shed. I've had bears on the cabin deck, but the gas shed door has paw prints all over it. Alaskans know that bears love gas cans, airstreaks, 3-wheeler and snowmachine seats, and garden hoses. I protect the rubber items when in the woods. That, and every door on my four buildings swings out. It's easy to force a swing-in door open. It's near impossible to force an outswing door in. And yes, bears get up on their rear legs and push on doors. TJ told you they were smart.
SB

[T.J.]

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[Yellsback]

[quote="T.J. Hinkle"]Side note:
Bears also love petroleum products.quote]

Wild - I never knew that, wonder what the attraction is.

Cheers, Kate

[mmr]

I've had many plastic boat tanks and 5 gallon cans
chewed up by black bears. I actually know of a few
bear guides that use gasoline as a bait.

Mark

[Cubus Maximus]

I remember ol' Pete Sainsbury had trouble with bears going after his fuel cache (is that common? I thought people left fuel all over the place and the only danger was from "seagulls" deciding to use it).

Is this the same premise that had guides (and self included) spraying WD-40 on our spinners and herring when after Kings? (even suntan lotion at times). I love the smell of the stuff but it never made me hungry.

Brad

(As for bears - my Uncle Jeff sent pictures last night of himself shaking hands/paws with a blackie in Ely. I await the future doctors report. Oh and I knew a guy in Happy Valley once who fed the brownies by hand over on the north side of the inlet when they would come asking for one of his Silver's. Had pictures of him doing it. I think he's still alive.)

(good grief Kate! Do tourists in Yellowstone actually try to ride the Buffalo!!?? ACK!!)

[Big AK]

I was just joking about the birdshot. Mike V's beanbag shot may be the way if you care to haul beanbag shells.

Stewart B, I laughed out loud at your "naming" of that blackie. Not really a laughing matter, though.

Maybe the petroleum loving bear also loves Airstreaks 'cause of the tire dressing.

Any of you guys ever document or hear of dressed versus undressed Airstreaks getting bit or played with????

I hate that dressing anyway, gets on everything after you touch it.

Later, DMC

[Skylar]

RE: urine as a deterrent
I do not tout urine as a cure-all, however the following examples should provide food for thought.

1. Website bearsmart.com: "Urine: Human male urine can be used to effectively deter bears and other animals from specific locations. Female urine is ineffective. Simply deposit urine in areas where bears are not welcome or around the perimeter of your property. Effectiveness will lessen over time.
2. My friend Pete Sainsbury urinated around his USGS tent sites on Alaska's Seward Peninsula for 30-plus years, using a distant (100-200 feet) and an early (30-50 feet) diameter. He never had a bear in camp under those circumstances.
3. Pete called me on Nov. 6th, 1993 to relate an experience from his previous summer on the Alaska Highway. Around Burwash Landing he exited his truck and hiked up a dry creek bed until he spotted a grizzly 300-400 yards away. Pete reversed his trek for the safety of his rig since he did not have a firearm. Realizing that he would not reach his truck in time, Pete climbed a tree and urinated down the trunk. Pete said, "When the bear got close enough to smell the urine, it lit out."
4. Ray Machen related his Kenai Peninsula experience with a black bear to me. Ray climbed a cottonwood stump to put distance between him and the bear which persisted in trying to climb the stump. Ray tossed bark and bolts at it until deciding to "hose it down" the next time it approached the tree. "I got him right between the eyes, full in the face. He took off running like a bat just as fast as he could for 100 feet, stopped, sat up on his back legs, turned around and looked at me real funny and got down on all fours and eased off like nothing had ever happened." (Pg. 218, Alaska Bear Tales)
These examples may not be solid enough evidence for those "scientifically minded" of you, however I've used Pete Sainsbury's formula around my camps and (as stated earlier) have never had a bear problem in 37 years in Alaska's "outback." Of the 5 closest encounters (of which I'm aware), the score is Kaniut 5, Bears 0--with no injury to either party (ies).
Hope this helps. LK

[Yellsback]

(good grief Kate! Do tourists in Yellowstone actually try to ride the Buffalo!!?? ACK!!)

I wish that it was a joke - a friend of mine worked as a wrangler at a Yellowstone lodge and witnessed a Japanese tourist trying to put his toddler son on the back of a buffalo for a photo. They were both gored to death before she or anyone else could do anything.

That was one story of her's that was not funny, however I once went with her on a trail ride and a tourist from back east asked "when do the deer turn into elk?" I almost fell offf my horse I was laughing so hard! :lol:

Kate

[Torch]

(good grief Kate! Do tourists in Yellowstone actually try to ride the Buffalo!!?? ACK!!)

I wish that it was a joke - a friend of mine worked as a wrangler at a Yellowstone lodge and witnessed a Japanese tourist trying to put his toddler son on the back of a buffalo for a photo. They were both gored to death before she or anyone else could do anything.

That was one story of her's that was not funny, however I once went with her on a trail ride and a tourist from back east asked "when do the deer turn into elk?" I almost fell offf my horse I was laughing so hard! :lol:

Kate

You know how ignorant east coast folks can be. I was laughing at them when they had the recent power outage. They had their BIG ADVENTURE. I know we have some Cub Drivers on the east coast but I couldn't help laughing at people that were having an adventure because the electricity was off.

Torch

[mvivion]

An interesting perspective on the same issue happened in the early 90's. Fairbanks had a VERY early hard cold spell, temps in the -10 go -20 range in mid September. We also had nearly a foot of heavy wet, early snow, which bent all the trees over, since they still had their leaves, which held the snow in the trees.

Many trees bent, and knocked out power. We were out of power for three days, many were without power for five or more days, in sub zero temperatures.

The owner of the Fairbanks Honda dealership was a friend of mine then. He received an order from Honda to ship ALL available generator sets to Hawaii, to aid in the disaster recovery efforts on the island of Kaui from Hurricane Iniki.

So, we here in Fairbanks are freezing in the dark, and they are shipping all the disaster relief stuff to Hawaii.

If the power goes off in Hawaii, go to the beach, have a barbeque.

Disaster is in the mind of the beholder.

Mike Vivion

[Cubus Maximus]

For quite a few people the world ends at the Pennsylvania border. However, this can make for infinite mirth as Kate admits by almost falling off her horse (this would hardly have helped the western image so we're glad you kept the saddle! 8)

Out on the Cook, when Illiamna and Redoubt were in full splendor, folks would sometimes ask what altitude they were fishing these Halibut at... :D

Or occasionally, when on the beach, where they got all these flat grey stones. The guides would tell them that they were trucked in from Anchorage :roll:

I must admit to asking many a dumb question, usually knowing it and bracing myself when noticing a blank look on the other person's face then a dawning realization, a slight crinkle of a smile, eyes sparkling and a dry deadpan answer correcting or humoring the cheechako... :-?

[Gunny]

removed

[PA12driver]

Larry, I guess for the 40+ years I spent in Alaska I just protected myself by default! ( I now can validate the reason I never went far from the tent to take a leak!)

Sorry I missed hooking up with you while in Alaska in June, Please be sure and give me a call if you get down to the "lower 48" this winter?

We had a great trip!

Tim

[BES]

[quote=T.J. Hinkle]Side note:
Bears also love petroleum products.quote]

Wild - I never knew that, wonder what the attraction is.

Cheers, Kate


Maybe a shortage of lint-free rabbits??

Bent :D

[StewartB]

It'll be an interesting autumn. The geese are flying south already and the fireweed's bloomed-out, so we might have a real winter. A friend just spent a week out at his annual early-season moose hunt and says there isn't a blueberry to be found. The bears are going to want to fatten-up on something. It was 36* on Saturday morning at the cabin, and DARK, too! I'm not ready for another winter, yet.
SB

[mvivion]

Stewart,

Good grief, man!! Just suck it up, we don't want all those lower 48'ers thinking we're weenies. Even though some of us, present company excepted, of course, are.

Interesting about the berries. We've got blueberries like I've never seen in the Interior!! They are everywhere. It's all about temperatures and moisture at the right time.

July was the wettest on record for Fairbanks, and southcentral was dry.

Unfortunately, I know precisely what you mean about winter coming soon.

Oh, crap, there I go being a weenie..........

Mike V

[StewartB]

Mike,
I like to tease the summer tourists that to be fair, they should all come back and spend a couple of weeks here in early January. Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I just look at the temps in Fairbanks! I just hope we get a real winter for a change. Maybe some snow and ice so we can go play.
SB

[diggler]

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