I was looking at other areas of the QJ and came across a statement about you might be lucky to see a bear. I must be real lucky when it comes to bears!!!! My first trip to the BWCA was 1982 into Ensign. We camped at one of the camp sites near the portage to Boot Lake. A bear was in camp every night. One night one of the guys started to get out of the tent to go to the bathroom and when he opened the tent there stood a bear about eight feet away. The bear charged the tent, my buddy feel back into the tent, the bear stopped at the door, grabbed a camera case with a camera and took off. Needless to say my buddy didn't make it outside to go!!!! We found the camera and case with only few teeth marks in it the next day. We saw bears during the day while out fishing. The bears in the Ensign Lake area seem to be real aggressive. One day while out fishing my brother-in-law and I took a break to strech our legs on a rock pile in the middle of the lake. We watched to guys stop at shore and start to unload their gear. A bear suddenly appeared on the hill behind them. they didn't see the bear coming toward them. We started shouting and waving to get their attention. They waved back!! They finally got the message and I can't remember seeing two guys move so fast other than the Olympic 100 meter finals. Took a day trip into Trident Lake. Campers there were having trouble with a mama bear and to cubs. They had to leave because of the bears.

1983 went into the South Arm of Knife Lake. Bear problems again, but not as bad. 1984 went into Northern Lights Lake. No bears at all on this trip to the BWCA.

1985 was my first trip to the Quetico and have missed only two years since then. We have only seen bears three times in the Quetico. We have only gone to the same area of the Quetico and last year was the first time that we hung our food packs for one night. One of our group saw a bear by the narrows past the first camp site in the Saganagons past Silver Falls. We have seen bears three times in that area of the lake.

In the early 90's I got crazy and decided to return to the South Arm of Knife Lake. We campeed at the beginning of the South Arm of knife Lake. First night, pouring down rain, I heard something outside the tent. I shine a light through the tent window and see two green orbes looking at me. I started yelling and the guys thought I was having a nightmare. I rushed out of the tent just as the bear was climbing the tree to our food packs. I thought I had hung them far enough from the tree. but this was a very smart bear. He leaned way out and hit the pack with his paw and got it swing and when the pack swung back he ripped it open with his teeth. By know my brother is out there with me and with me holding the light he starts hitting the bear with rocks. The bear didn't like this and lets out a roar and starts coming down the tree. By now another guy is out there with us and he starts chasing this bear with an ax. The bear stops and turns and our buddy gets about five feet from this bear before its bolts away. I was worried that the bear was turning to take a stand. I should of know no bear would take on a guy with an ax in green bikini underwear in the pouring rain. This bear was in and out of camp several times day and night. We left somebody on bear watch while the rest of us went fishing everyday. On my bear watch day, I was sitting by the fire waiting for the guys to return and when they returned they told me to look behind me. I turned around and not more than ten feet away sat the bear. I don't know how long he had been there. On another day one of the guys on bear watch saw the bear coming along the edge of the lake and decided to throw his knife at the bear. He missed the bear but not his canoe. Duct tape to the rescue. The poor bear was scared by the noise of that knife going through the aluminum canoe and jumped up into the nearest tree.

I would like to know if others have had bear incidents in the Quetico and BWCA. I am particularly interested in knowing which area has had the most bear activity. The BWCA has had more bear encounters for me than the Quetico. Have others had the same bear problems I have encounterd in these same areas? What other areas have bears been encountered. Look forward to hearing from others.

Posted by WALLY WALLEYE on February 28, 2001 at 23:20