http://www.cleverscampcamp.com/camping-bears-food/
will I be safe from bears hiking and camping in Montana?
I like to camp and hike, and my friend has invited me to go on a long trip with him in a park in montana, but he said that I needed to be careful of bears.
I konw that like shark attacks and plane crashes, the odds of me getting attacked, much less seeing a bear is very slim, but will I be safe?
I’m taking my american pitt bull with me, not for protection (I’ve had him since I was 13 and he was a pup, I’m 20 now), but simply because he loves to go on hikes too and he’s my good buddy. should I keep him leashed even in when we’re isolated? I fear he might get in trouble like find a bear and bring it back to our camp.
I hear some bear attacks are suprises, and some even STALK us for food, and they ambush us so there’s no time to react – would my dog be able to sense if a bear is near and alert us? my friend carries a rifle to ward off bear attacks, but I even hear stories of bears getting shot 5 times directly and STILL mauling the hunter. should I leave my dog at home?
I have done a lot of backpacking in bear country including a week-long trip this summer through the backcountry of Glacier National Park in Montana (which has the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states).
Because it always makes national news when it does happen, the threat and relative danger of bear attacks gets blown way out of proportion. When you consider the number of people who camp and hike each year compared to the number of serious bear attacks, it becomes appearent that the odds of being attacked are MUCH less than your odds of winning the grand prize in your state lottery.
As long as you follow a few common sense rules, you will have very little to worry about:
1 – Don’t keep ANY food in camp or anything smelly (toothpaste, etc) either. Do all of your cooking and eating away from your tent area and when you are done either put all of your food in a bear-proof vault or hang from a tree or bar (at least 12 feet off the ground and at least 10 feet from the trunk).
2 – When approach areas of low visibility such as blind corners or thick brush, make plenty of noise (sing, talk loudly, shout ‘Hey bear’, etc). Most bear attacks are due to somebody accidentally surprising a bear at close range and the bear thinking it is being threaten. If they hear you coming, most bears will try to get away from you as fast as they can.
3 – If you do happen to encounter a bear at close range, do NOT run or turn your back on it – this could trigger a chase instinct. Instead, avoid direct eye-contact, and slowly back away talking in a firm voice.
If you follow the above rules and use a little common sense than yes, you will be safe – probably safer than you are walking down the street in your hometown and certainly much safer than you will be driving on the highway to get to the trailhead. Most bears want to avoid you as much as you want to avoid them.
As for taking a dog along – I would recommend against it. You don’t know what the dog is going to do if you run into a bear and it might end up provoking it.
You mention going to a park in Montana. If it is a National Park (like Glacier) than you will not be allowed to have dogs on the trails or in the backcountry anyway. For that matter, you are not allowed to carry a gun while hiking or camping in Glacier. You are allowed to carry a can of ‘bear spray’, if it makes you feel more secure, but even that is not a strict necessity.
Camping Gear : Hanging a Camping Bear Bag
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