Grizzly Bear Deterrent Systems for Camp -

[BCrams]

I see many folks are having a great season so far from the many good stories on here.

Hunting season is going great and I'm enjoying the time when I get out.....

A quick post to ask those on here with any experience using home made or commercial grizzly bear deterrent systems for around camp and what works or doesn't work.

Had a big grizzly outside the tent the other night while hunting moose with Dad and after knowing what happened to Rattler / Brambles - I'd like to see what I can come up with to prevent a grizz from getting a little too close.

One unit I'm looking at is:

http://www.waterstrider.com/bear-repellent-portable-electric-fence.htm

But would like to hear / see of home made units or other commercial units used by others.

(and no - there was no food in tent or any hanging animals around and food stored in trucks etc)

[MB_Boy]

Hey Rams...

I think a little while back Marc was looking to do a group purchase on a system of some kind. I had clicked on the link and watched the demonstration.....it looked to be pretty good and easy to get set up.



(EDIT) Just looked and found it...

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?71768-Pack-Alarm-group-buy

[Derp]

we stay up by shifts throughout the night with a 12 ga and lantern in hand.

[BCrams]

we stay up by shifts throughout the night with a 12 ga and lantern in hand.

You southern lower mainland folks definately need to do that!!

[frenchbar]

we stay up by shifts throughout the night with a 12 ga and lantern in hand.
do you draw straws for the 3 am to 5 am shift lol

[BCrams]

Hey Rams...

I think a little while back Marc was looking to do a group purchase on a system of some kind. I had clicked on the link and watched the demonstration.....it looked to be pretty good and easy to get set up.



(EDIT) Just looked and found it...

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?71768-Pack-Alarm-group-buy

Somehow missed it .... thanks.

[Foxton Gundogs]

I see many folks are having a great season so far from the many good stories on here.

Hunting season is going great and I'm enjoying the time when I get out.....

A quick post to ask those on here with any experience using home made or commercial grizzly bear deterrent systems for around camp and what works or doesn't work.

Had a big grizzly outside the tent the other night while hunting moose with Dad and after knowing what happened to Rattler / Brambles - I'd like to see what I can come up with to prevent a grizz from getting a little too close.

One unit I'm looking at is:

http://www.waterstrider.com/bear-repellent-portable-electric-fence.htm

But would like to hear / see of home made units or other commercial units used by others.

(and no - there was no food in tent or any hanging animals around and food stored in trucks etc)

All I can say is I would trust a good trail dog and a rifle/shotgun that throws BIG lead MUCH MORE. I have seen on a number of occasions Black bear(big and small) walk right thru an electric stock fence that has a 120V HD fencer that will stop a range bull dead in his tracks and send him bellowing. Hate to trust it on a G bear. with me as the "prize". lol
If you were set on one tho I would price the components seperately at the local feed store.

[Big Lew]

All I can say is I would trust a good trail dog and a rifle/shotgun that throws BIG lead MUCH MORE. I have seen on a number of occasions Black bear(big and small) walk right thru an electric stock fence that has a 120V HD fencer that will stop a range bull dead in his tracks and send him bellowing. Hate to trust it on a G bear. with me as the "prize". lol

MY family has used 120v hd electric fencing a lot to isolate bee hives and for growing hay, and have had some black bears just walk through them, although it works most of the time. There are many companies offering small portable units similiar to the one "Foxton Gundogs" is looking at. Personally, I can't see how those small units powered by 'D' batteries can deter a determined bear, especially a large grizzly, as well as a 120v system. It would behoove those companies selling such units to supply videos to back up their claims like the people selling the alarm system "Mark" was interested in. Just my 2 cents.

[dog812]

I am a new hunter, and never run into a grizzly on foot.. i have always been in the truck or on the quad.
Would a siren be enough to scare a grizzly away?
It looks like a great deterent to me..

[Squamch]

Yep. A siren might work. Even probably would work. I'd still rather have a (better yet, several!) big pieces of lead. Those always work.

[swampthing]

Just piss a circle around your camp.

[Mountain Hunter]

Just don't wake up in the middle of the night and piss on your electric fence then stumble across the wire on the pack alarm, everyone in camp will think you're being ripped to shreds and all hell will break loose with those lead slugs!!

[BCRiverBoater]

I find a good night sleep with a lot of snoring has always worked for us. Usually a few drinks around the fire then I need earplugs to fall asleep with all the snoring in the wall tent. No bears in our tent... yet!

[Gnarly]

I have heard that pinesol poured around the tent will keep em away, can t verify it though but supposedly it messes up their noses and they dont like it.

[MB_Boy]

I'd still rather have a (better yet, several!) big pieces of lead. Those always work.

Agreed.....but having that siren warning BEFORE the bear is on top of the tent and you trying to fling lead at point blank range while still in your pajamas would be helpful. :wink: Even if it doesn't scare the bear away it sure as hell should wake you up. :wink:

[Jagermeister]

These two certainly could have used some warning device. It might have staved off the injury, on the otherhand, it might not have.
http://www.timescolonist.com/Camper+accidentally+shoots+friend+face+after+think ing+hears+bear/5467000/story.html

[MillBay]

"we stay up by shifts throughout the night with a 12 ga and lantern in hand. "

If I was that scared of bears my hunting days would be over. Hope these arn't famous last words.

[Foxton Gundogs]

All I can say is I would trust a good trail dog and a rifle/shotgun that throws BIG lead MUCH MORE. I have seen on a number of occasions Black bear(big and small) walk right thru an electric stock fence that has a 120V HD fencer that will stop a range bull dead in his tracks and send him bellowing. Hate to trust it on a G bear. with me as the "prize". lol

MY family has used 120v hd electric fencing a lot to isolate bee hives and for growing hay, and have had some black bears just walk through them, although it works most of the time. There are many companies offering small portable units similiar to the one "Foxton Gundogs" is looking at. Personally, I can't see how those small units powered by 'D' batteries can deter a determined bear, especially a large grizzly, as well as a 120v system. It would behoove those companies selling such units to supply videos to back up their claims like the people selling the alarm system "Mark" was interested in. Just my 2 cents.

Just as a matter of clearification, It was not me that was looking at the fencer and I really dont know anything about this unit. I was meerly making an observation based on my considerable experience with agriculture units and was sugesting a POSSABLE cheaper alternitive to the "kit".

[srupp]

hmmm recently the "remains" of a well known past guide were found on his property 20 + kms up the Black creek rd near where we were deer hunting..he apparantly was carrying a rifle/shotgun?..he was mostly consumed by "bears" now weather he had a Mi or Cva or was attacked??? RCMP, CO'S and coroner are looking into..

There are a few locations I would not recomend sleeping in a tent..ie along salmon streams in the fall..and have looked into a simmilar unit..2 different ideas ..one sets off a alarm..may frighten the bear away..but would waken the caampers, the second is the shock system..and the reaction by the bear would be the warning..

I have seen documentry on the electrical shock device..never showed a bear getting hit by the unit just safe sleeping campers??? hard to get a bear to read and follow the script..seems either would be better than nothing.

And seeing some big G bears on the weekend..yup they STILL gow em big..

cheers
Steven

[FirePower]

"we stay up by shifts throughout the night with a 12 ga and lantern in hand. "

If I was that scared of bears my hunting days would be over. Hope these arn't famous last words.


I echo BOTH your sentaments MillBay!!

[325]

I too am looking into a perimeter alarm/electric fence. On our sheep hunt this year, I awoke at about midnight to take a leak. I was wearing my Black Diamond Icon head lamp which has a freakishly bright spotlight. As I was peeing, I glanced around with the spotlight and noticed a grizzly sitting on slope about 100 yards from camp staring at me. I was unnerved, as we had two rams in camp. We spent the rest of the night around a fire. Started thinking about perimeter security that night.

[Big Lew]

"srupp," any way you could sneak up on one of those 'big-uns' and touch him with one of those battery-operated units so the rest of us can see if they work?

[srupp]

lol... at least your nice..some want me to sneak up without the unit..lol..

Steven

[7mmWSM]

On our goat hunt this year three of us were in our tent sleeping, when around midnight we were woken up by the sound of a g bear huffing and puffing and heading full bore what seemed like right at our tent. I have never seen three guys get out of their sleeping bags that fast. We screamed and yelled and dove for our guns (in the vestibule...we rectified that after) and then listened as the bear turned course and headed in a different direction. That got the old ticker going. We lit a fire, peed on cotton scraps and hung those with all the sweaty clothes we could find on trees around camp. We went to lie horizontally for the rest of the night(I wouldn't call it sleeping), wishing I hadn't read that story about what happened to Brambles/Rattler.

We had seen a lot of grizzlies in the valley we were hunting, way too many in fact. Am i interested in perimeter defense? Oh ya.

Question: We had no meat in camp at that point, and food was all stashed away from camp in a tree. Does the smell of dehydrated dinners being cooked up bring bears in? We can't think of anything else that would have brought that bear to our camp other than curiosity, or him not being able to get our scent. Of course 3 guys wrapped in mummy's, packaged nicely in a "3" man tent might provide enough temptation.

[Big Lew]

I've tented and bush camped periodically throughout my 50+ years enjoying the outdoors without bears actually attacking me while I'm sleeping. but that only means I've been fortunate. I take the precautions of never cooking or having any foodstuffs near where I sleep, but bears have incredible noses, better than dogs, so I would assume that they are capable of detecting food, blood, and fish odors etc. from your clothing and boots, especially if you've been stepping in it, or wiping your hands on your clothing after gutting an animal or fish etc. As an example, watch a dog sniff out treat smells left on your clothing or hands. Compound that with the problem of predatory bears that can smell you in your tent etc. from a very long way. Watch a bear 200-300 yds across a hillside when the winds change, blowing right toward him.....he suddenly is alert, and then moves out of there if he's not aggressive or considering you as a food source. So, yes, I would be keenly interested in any reliable information that proved the battery operated portable electric perimeters worked for bears.

[rcar]

I bought a pack alarm for my FT. St. John trip earlier this year and tried it out. I have to say that it works very well and covers a large enough area to allow you to grab your rifle and get out of your tent before a bear gets too close. The alarm is super loud and would probably be enough to scare off any curious bear. I'm not sure if a bear that was focused on attacking your tent like the one that hit Brambles & Rattler would be deterred but at lease you would get a decent warning.

[David Heitsman]

I once had a grizzly come betwen out tents in the NWT and take off with my moose backskin. It was rolled up salted on a slant to drain and probably smelled extra tasty to him. The bear had come through an electric fence and with the ground frozen I couldn't tell which way he had departed. I wondered in ever larger circles and found about 50' of the electric cord and was thus able to get a line on his direction. I went after him (during the day) and actually found my backskin. What I never did
find was the blue light fibreglass tarp that it was rolled in. I hear however that there is a legendary bear near June Lake, NWT that has left "Blue Ribbon" scat piles all up and down the MacKenzie Mountains!

[30-06 man]

I herd that spreading moth balls around camp works great. but then again your camp smells like moth balls... just my 2cents

[Derp]

i WAS JOking!!