As an experienced backcountry hiker, it is essential that all food items be cooked,prepared away from the main camp/tents and stored in a bear bag or canister hoisted up from the ground.

My question is when camping in the Backcountry, how does one take precautions from encounters with bears or unwanted guests when camping with or near your airplane.

Obviously your airplane is your life when you are in the wilderness, it is your way out, maybe your communication center and maybe main shelter while in the backcountry.

I would be armed with my XD .45 if at all possible or practical while out in the bush. Is it acceptable in the backcountry to shoot at wildlife in defense of the camp, is it common?

Just was thinking?

Personally, the couple times I have camped with my plane in bear country I did exactly as I would camping without my plane in bear country: no food in or around it.

Somewhere's on YouTube there is a video of a grizzly popping open a winged spamcan to get at some food inside.

If a Grizzly bear smells food in your plane and decides he wants it, say bye-bye to your plane. He will have no trouble at all ripping that thing to shreds.

When in bear country the best protection when hiking around is to always carry some "Pepper Spray" and also to wear little noisy bells to alert any nearby bears so that they aren't surprised by your presence.

Also its advisable to be able to tell the difference between Black bear crap and Brown/Grizzly bear crap. Black bear crap is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel/rodent fur in it. Grizzly bear shit has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

So i have to be a poop expert and sniffer too! Wow sounds like fun! lol
Thanks for the advice

Hey once&futr_alaskaflyer, do you or any one else have any experience, or know of anyone that uses a portable horse fence hot wires to surround their plane for bear protection up in your neck of the wood? I've heard over the past few years about this technic, but always from someone that knows of someone else that has.

I've seen some pretty small, portable D cell battery powered hot wire fences at the local grange store. I'm just curious if this technic works.

Roger

Anyone actually know someone who ACTUALLY had to use a survival gun to survive in the wilderness? I don't.

(And I'm not counting East LA as wilderness )

Gump

Gump, Shhhhh.....
If my wife reads that, I'll have to sell a whole arsenal of fine weapons!

To say nothing of my justificaion of these fine guns to my Liberal friends!

Your undermining the NRA, too!

OHHH....... look at the damage!

Littlecub

Roger S wrote:Hey once&futr_alaskaflyer, do you or any one else have any experience, or know of anyone that uses a portable horse fence hot wires to surround their plane for bear protection up in your neck of the wood? I've heard over the past few years about this technic, but always from someone that knows of someone else that has.

I've seen some pretty small, portable D cell battery powered hot wire fences at the local grange store. I'm just curious if this technic works.

Roger

I've used the ones available up here made specifically for bears- not in conjunction with an airplane but to protect a kitchen weatherport tent. AFAiK they work - we kept our food safe

Littlecub wrote:Gump, Shhhhh.....
If my wife reads that, I'll have to sell a whole arsenal of fine weapons!
OHHH....... look at the damage!

Littlecub

Hey, I carry as much firepower as I can. No because I plan on needing it for four legged critters, and I've shot two legged critters, that's no fun. I just like blowing shit up.

I do pack a weapon, but only when I head to someplace with lots of people. That's where I am uncomfortable about my surroundings.

Gump

Roger S wrote:...any one else have any experience, or know of anyone that uses a portable horse fence hot wires to surround their plane for bear protection up in your neck of the wood?

This is the best looking one I know of, tho I have never used it myself. Be sure to turn up your audio.

http://www.electrobearguard.com/index.html

On the home page, the first account is of the idiot that we've probably all heard too much coverage of. The second account is of my next-door neighbors.

-DP

Gump,

Yes, I know at least two groups of folks who've had to defend themselves from bears, as in kill the buggers. One was a grizzly bear, the other was a very persistent black bear.

I came VERY close to killing another very persistent black bear boar once, who was probing our camp. Fortunately, he decided to TASTE (as with his tongue) my handy dandy little electric fence setup before I capped him.

We could hear him for a good 15 minutes, as he egressed the area, squalling, moaning, and just plain whining.

I'm a big believer in electric fences for camping, and for protecting airplanes in the woods.

I'm also a believer in being PREPARED to ace one of the little buggers, though the only bear I've had to shoot was one that was previously wounded, and frankly not really a threat....policy thing.

I've also had two young brown bears test me, approaching really close, then backing off when I shot over their heads, etc, for a VERY uncomfortably long period of time, as I hiked back to my airplane in one case, and vehicle in another. These were 3 to 4 year olds, ~400 pounds or so. Teenagers, dumber than dirt, and looking for a little action. They both dang near got it.

Lots of good little electric fences out there, some in livestock outfits, some in backpacker outfits.

GREAT idea, though, for wilderness camping.

MTV

I'm not talking camping stories and bears. How many people do you know that needed a survival gun for wilderness survival, as in shoot to eat survival?

And I am playing Devil's advocate here. I do travel well armed.

Gump

Wrist rocket--pine hens . (just kidding of course) (heard sombody at a campfire talking about it)

Tim

Any fish cops on this forum

GumpAir wrote:I'm not talking camping stories and bears. How many people do you know that needed a survival gun for wilderness survival, as in shoot to eat survival?

And I am playing Devil's advocate here. I do travel well armed.

Gump

For the price of one gun you can fill your plane with MRE's. I always get a laugh when I read that a survival kit should contain fishing gear. You go ahead and tie some fishing line to your finger. Me, I'll sit under what's left of the plane and eat my macaroni and cheese followed by my hershey bar.
To the original poster bringing the .45. Better go bigger than that.

Another Bonanza guy I know would always snack on his servival goodies. So he never had them. He could not resist.

His answer was to replace it with cat food. That way he would not snack and on the third day it would taste like a fiest.

Tim

Gump,

I was referring to your first post, and the title of the thread.

I totally agree that a gun is the last thing I need for survival purposes, other than defense from a critter. And, I rarely consider a bunny to be a threat.

I also agree with Bonanzaman. Ain't that scary?

MTV

whynotfly wrote:When in bear country the best protection when hiking around is to always carry some "Pepper Spray" and also to wear little noisy bells to alert any nearby bears so that they aren't surprised by your presence.

I've heard that there is a growing consensus that bells actually ATTRACT bears. Bears are naturally curious, and seem to find the high-pitched tinkling of bells to be something interesting that needs to be checked out (supposedly this is especially true of polar bears). Apparently the most effective way to keep bears away is to talk loudly since bears normally associate humans with danger (except in places where bears are habituated to humans and associate them with easy food).

How about one of those marine air horns that come on the top of a can? Shouldn't attract a bear. Probably not good to use when you're hunting.

Bonanza Man wrote:....... I always get a laugh when I read that a survival kit should contain fishing gear. You go ahead and tie some fishing line to your finger. ........

I can't hardly catch a darn fish even when I bring every piece of tackle the sporting goods place had for sale. I sure won't be able to catch one when I'm hungry, and am using the fishing tackle that came inside the hollow handle of my $9.95 made in China "survival knife".
I'd prefer to carry a couple half-sticks of dynamite for my survival fishing needs.

Eric

geekxx wrote:

whynotfly wrote:When in bear country the best protection when hiking around is to always carry some "Pepper Spray" and also to wear little noisy bells to alert any nearby bears so that they aren't surprised by your presence.

I've heard that there is a growing consensus that bells actually ATTRACT bears. Bears are naturally curious, and seem to find the high-pitched tinkling of bells to be something interesting that needs to be checked out (supposedly this is especially true of polar bears). Apparently the most effective way to keep bears away is to talk loudly since bears normally associate humans with danger (except in places where bears are habituated to humans and associate them with easy food).

The way to tell a good bear from a bad bear is examine its poop. The bad bear's poop has little bells in it.......