Hi

Quote:


Like a lot of things, better to HAVE it and NOT need it, than NEED it and NOT have it. 

That's my game plan. 

Wow Solopaddler,
I am glad I do not have stories like that to tell
I have not had a persistent bear in camp since around 1978, and definitely will not be camping around Polar Bears...ever.  About 4-5 years ago I finally purchased a can of bear spray but so far it is still in its original, unopened package.  I often wonder why I am dragging it around on every trip.
Welcome to QJ,
IC

Oh, and I'll join in offering a formal welcome aboard. Can't say I'm a "fishing first" guy, but I have certainly eaten my share of Quetico fish over the years. I mean, 30 minutes from lake to stomach? Who wouldn't?

- kypaddler

solopaddler wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 6:24pm:


That's hilarious. I can't stop laughing. My (now 17) son and I have spent years quoting Homer (all of them, but Homer especially) back and forth to each other.

- kypaddler

Quote:


That was HER story and she was sticking with it

solotripper wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 8:35pm:


Algonquin seems to have more nuisance bears than anywhere I trip, I think they've lost their fear of humans.

Years back I brought my then girlfriend deep into the interior of Pukaskwa Park. It's a full long day of paddling and bush bashing to get to this sweet little brook trout lake I used to fish. We had cleaned and eaten a couple of trout and I laid the carcasses on a rock for the gulls to get. We were lying on the sand to the right of the rock and my boat was pulled up to our left blocking our view in that direction. Things were starting to get "interesting" when she sat up and said that she heard something. All I could hear was wind and waves. "No you didn't" says I and tried to pull her back down. At that point she stood up and said "there's a bear standing right there!!" "No there isn't" I said kind of laughing at her.
At that point she kicked me hard in the ribs and said "YES there is a bear!!"
Okay. I stand up and sure enough there's a small male black bear standing frozen about 30 feet away. Cool! I begin to edge to my left to find my camera over near the fire pit. "What are you doing?!" she says. I explained my intentions whereupon she immediately began rummaging frantically in her jacket pocket for the bear spray she had brought. Just as I was about to snap a picture she sprayed it directly (by accident) right into my face LOL! I dropped in agony writhing on the ground and through my blurred vision saw the bear jump 3 feet in the air when she finally grabbed a paddle and banged down on the side of the canoe.
I flushed my eyes out in the lake then we had to pack up and leave. After busting our humps to get all the way back in there she refused to stay.

Wimmen 

Thanks for the info.
I was a hanger for years, now I'm a hider. 
I do the same as you but I'm packing food in my DIY food pails. I have NEVER had a bear in my solo camp, and I don't WANT to either.

I started carrying Bear Spray the year I went to Algonquin Park which was the year after that bear attacked had killed those 3 kids.

I decided that especially solo it was worth carrying just in case. I've only used the spray one time and that was in the BWCA. I think that was because previous campers had dumped uneaten food in woods to close to camp?

solotripper wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 7:34pm:


Pretty much every native I have met in my travels has been super cool actually. The only exception to that was two highly intoxicated native youths (they could barely walk and I couldn't understand them  ) who came into my camp twice on Miminiska Lake on the Albany River. They completely ignored me and only seemed interested in checking out my canoe. I was so unnerved I packed up and left heading downstream to Petawanga Lake a day early. I figured they would come back while I was sleeping and steal it.

To answer your question, no I have never brought a gun or even bear spray. Not that long ago on the Sutton River close to Hudson's Bay I had another encounter with a polar bear though and thankfully my canoe partner had brought a shotgun loaded with slugs. He fired above its head 3 times before it turned away.

Oddly enough I've never even bothered to hang my food pack either and if I total up every night spent in the bush it's years. I've never understood the logic and can honestly say I've never had a problem. I place my pack a good distance away from my tent and usually put a pot or two on top to alert me if something tips it over. To date nothing ever has. I've tripped with others who do insist on hanging their food pack and the irony is it was on one of those trips where we did have issues with a bear. It climbed a tree then chewed through the rope holding the pack before batting it around like a pinata first.  It took off like a scalded cat when we emerged from the tent.

[quote][One of them pulled a rifle out,/quote]

Considering who YOU were, it's a good thing the NATIVES didn't hold a grudge and shoot YOU and feed the NATIVE bears.

I have to ask, did you bring a firearm or at least Bear Spray on your trips from THEN on?