Be Careful Of Bears - Its Berry Season

[SilverDoctor]

K country to Canmore and Waiprus bear warnings. It's berry season, so please take precautions in Bear country. there have been a couple of attacks with one woman pulled off her cycle.

 

• Stay calm
• Hike in pairs
• Make Noise as you walk, a little war whoop every now and again can carry a long way and is good for you as therapy anyway. It reduced the chance of surprise encounters and with other Fly fisherman that you are crazy and not to fish in your waters.
• Bears don't want to interact with you, make yourself noticed with noise. Note: I have trained bears to attack you if you play loud Rap music on the stream.
• Watch for Bear sign like very fresh scat (especially if full of berries) avoid the area even if the trout are rising to dry flies.
• Always carry Bear Spray and use it. Be aware how it works. remember it has a safety tab. Practice draw it a few times so you don't fumble and its' carried in a comfortable draw position.
• If you encounter a bear don't act like prey, back away don't run (again never ever run, they are in some way like a cat and running triggers Predator-prey syndrome), talk to the bear firmly but don't yell and back away slowly.
• Bear spray usually has a range of about a car length or a bit better. If you see a bear, draw your can of spray out and be ready with safety tab removed (most brands let you put the safety back in). Also use just short bursts, depending on the brand you have about 8 seconds of spray total. That can give you a few short bursts. Carry the spray where you can get to it fast, not in the back of your vest or backpack.
• If you see a bear group together you will look like a larger animal and mor intimidating (nto that bears intimidate easily).
• Leave the area, I've had bears circle me and encountered them a second time in a couple of hundred yards, they might not smell you and not know what you are so circle to figure you out.
• After the encounter change your shorts and have a small nervous breakdown.

There are several websites that have bear warnings for areas to avoid.

http://www.albertaparks.ca/

http://www.pc.gc.ca

 

Keep safe out there.

[MattyTaylor]

Great post, thanks for the reminders! Stay safe out there everyone.

[relk19]

 

• with other Fly fisherman that you are crazy and not to fish in your waters.

 

I attempt this all the time, but never seems to work

[Claire]

I carry an air horn with me and I will let a few blasts go every now and then; just to let them know I am in the area or maybe the bears figure its the dinner bell? LOL

[monger]

I heard from a good source that the folks who got chewed on north of Ghost were actually following the cubs around thinking they were wolves. Mom grizz finally got fed up and educated the folks.

Tip....don't follow grizzly cubs

[BurningChrome]

I heard from a good source that the folks who got chewed on north of Ghost were actually following the cubs around thinking they were wolves. Mom grizz finally got fed up and educated the folks.

Tip....don't follow grizzly cubs

Had a feeling something like that would turn up. Just couldn't picture mama bear running to attack them out of nowhere if all they were doing was sunbathing like they claimed.

[jpinkster]

I heard from a good source that the folks who got chewed on north of Ghost were actually following the cubs around thinking they were wolves. Mom grizz finally got fed up and educated the folks.

Tip....don't follow grizzly cubs

Hank Patterson #1 tip of encountering a mamma grizz: Grab a cub.

[ÜberFly]

Yeah I was going to try and embed that clip, but it wasn't working for me!!

 

Hank Patterson #1 tip of encountering a mamma grizz: Grab a cub.

[bowbonehead]

Got a buddy with a bad knee.... take him fishing

[Nachako]

Two bears in the last two days. It's all about the berries. Once I got a good distance away and tthey thought I wasn't a threat they payed me no never mine and kept working there way down the berry patch.

So make sure you get noticed out there folks

 

Paul