Friend of mine rebuilding his amphib Beaver floats for a bucket list trip around the far North of Canada. He mentioned that he heard folks up North put metal around their rubber float bumpers so the bears don't chew on them.

Has anyone had any experience of bears chewing on rubber or foam filled float bumpers?

Pictures?

Thank you!

Bears definitely chew on them. I have not heard of people doing anything other than replacing them when necessary.

Thank you Troy

I stopped using the air filled ones. They float, and where you need the protection on a float hull is at the bottom, where it’s widest. I bought bright orange plastic tube type from Lake and Air. They hang and sink down to where they’re needed. Perhaps they have a different attraction and the bears will leave them alone?

I think the OP was refering to the nose bumpers Pinecone and not what I would call dock bumpers. I like your idea on how to get that protection to where it's needed on the floats I've struggled with that issue as well.

Ah. Yes. I was barking up the wrong tree. Thanks.

I hope a bear doesn’t get to my bumpers! Part of that function is handled by my nose wheel tires. Wouldn’t want them punctured by a tooth!

My airplane has spent the last two weeks on a mooring buoy at a lake with a bad reputation for wind beating boats against docks. It’s very safe out there away from everything. Bears swim, but this is also likely to keep bears away from the airplane too. I’m considering putting a buoy at my cabin up north for this reason.

I really like the mooring "off shore" idea a lot, many of the lakes I could drop into lack a good shoreline for an overnight stay. A few years ago my brother in law who was in Alaska at the time purchase a rig that would take his boat back out beyond the low tide mark and the allow it to be recovered in the morning. I've always though a system similar to that for mooring the airplane off shore in Northern Ontario would be fantastic but the setup he had was very heavy, too much for my bird to handle.

Yes, I am referring to the nose bumpers.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Here's proof! <grin>

tedwaltman wrote:Here's proof! <grin>

Ted,

Looks to me as if that bear is simply helping push the plane onto the beach......maybe.

MTV

Was standing on the beach at Brooks Camp today talking with Headoutdaplane and others. It is surprising it doesn't happen more, but bears on plane floats is usually not good for the plane one way or another. They like to chew on rubber stuff. Every couple years we have a bear that starts to pull float plugs if they get half a chance. Bumper chewers are less common, but if they are bored and are by your plane...it will happen.

I can see an amphib getting a tire popped. Again, might not be super likely, but definitely could happen. They just love chewing on stuff.